Motorcycles

Sunday, 07 January 2018

Midnight Ride to Mackinac 2011 (August 20-21, 2011)

The "Midnight Ride to Mackinac" is an annual event that started 25 years ago in 1986.  History has it that a group of Gold Wing Road Riders decided that it was too hot to ride during the day and it would be better and cooler if they took their ride at night.  Their destination they decided would be the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan.  The group started out with 17 bikes and with word-of-mouth some additional friends had joined them and totaled 57 bikes by the time they reached the bridge.

The ride begins in Rockford, Mi at midnight and follows US131 north to US127 to I-75 to the bridge.  We met up with the other members of the Great Lakes Road Riders and then continued to the first rest stop in Alma, Mi where some 1000 + bikes had assembled at a Wal-Mart parking lot.  Along the way, more bikes joined the group at the other rest stops along the way.  Here are a few photos of the 700 mile 2 day event.

	Meeting the other members of the Great Lakes Road Riders outside of Alma
	The bikes lining up at the Walmart in Alma
	One of the "odd" custom bikes Not sure I would want to sit in those back seats
	Rich getting things ready for the rest of the ride to the bridge
	The coffee and gas stop in Gaylord at Glens Markets
	The group at the rest stop after crossing the Mackinac Bridge
	Some of the bikes assembled at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace
	Rich at the Cut River Bridge
	Me under the Cut River Bridge
	Rich from a lookout from under the bridge
	But because of low water levels there is no water under the bridge
	One of the lookout points with the Mackinac Bridge in the background
	A view of the Mackinac Bridge from the lookout
	Legs Inn in Cross Village Great place for Polish food.  Too bad they were not open yet.
	Me at Chateau Chantal winery in Traverse City
	A view of the lighthouse in Frankfort, MI

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