Overview of my motorcycle ride around Lake Michigan

Written 7/18/2025.

Day by day posts will follow but I wanted to capture a rundown of all of the “firsts” that happened on this trip. These are mostly motorcycle related.

1. First time riding with all my gear strapped to the back of my motorcycle.

2. First time on the tollway (I had to get an IPass sticker for the bike).

3. First time spending more than 10 minutes on any major highway.

4. First time riding out of state.

5. First time solo camping.

6. First time riding more than 150 miles in a day.

7. First time riding more than 5 hours in a day.

8. First time riding over the Mackinac Bridge.

9. First time taking a Ferry with my motorcycle (where I transported my motorcycle across the lake).

10. First time riding in the rain (real, pouring rain).

11. First time in rain gear.

12. First time riding in hail (I swear it seemed like it was hailing).

13. First time spending 13 hours (9 hours of which was actual riding for around 350 miles in one day) in one day with the motorcycle.

There were other firsts, but those were trip related (like when you drive to a new state).

Here are some things I learned.

1. I modified my trip based upon future weather. Delaying 1 day was a smart move as there was rain where I was going to end up on Saturday. I was also able to visit my parents and get other stuff done around the house. In the afternoon, I decided to leave to cut 2 hours off my ride the next day. This was a great decision.

2. I cut my trip short by a day due to anticipated weather that never materialized. Rain was called for in the U.P of Michigan, which was where I wanted to explore, so instead of heading north to Houghton, I headed to Escanaba and the Mac Bridge. This ended up being an absolutely beautiful ride along the north end of Lake Michigan. The sun, the breeze, the lake. It was amazing. In the future, if the rain isn’t supposed to be thunderstorms, I may ride through the weather anyway. Motorcycles are designed to ride in the rain. Everything that couldn’t get wet was encased in plastic, which worked extremely well during that downpour.

3. Sometimes you just have to trust the Universe with your stuff. There were a couple hikes I went on. I could have cabled up everything to prevent people from stealing my stuff but decided to just leave it on the bike (e.g. my helmet and riding jacket and all my gear on the bike). Honestly, you can’t resell a helmet (nobody buys a used helmet). The jacket would fetch maybe $25. I have a cheap tent from Bass Pro Shop, a yoga mat to sleep on, and a camp stove worth $40. No electronics, no cash, nothing else of note. Losing my stuff would have been an inconvenience, but nothing more. Plus, it’s just stuff. Stuff can be replaced.

4. When you start out on a new adventure in anything (whether it’s on a motorcycle, starting a business, going to the gym, etc.) there are many “firsts” which we don’t even realize that we’ve done. It’s important to celebrate those firsts

   

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