THE BRIDGE & THE END!

109 miles is never an easy ride and today was no exception, however, there were several unexpected bonuses to today's ride. I rode 80 of those miles with 15 year-old Eric. He is one the strongest young riders I have ever met. It was an absolute delight to share the day with him. We kept a pace line for most of the day, switching off between leading and following for one-mile intervals. At times we were averaging 23-24 mph.
Then in Cross Village, at the north end of a 22 mile stretch called the Tunnel of Trees, we stopped for a breather and I ran into my good friend Mel from Allegan. Mel and I have shared many rides together and we were very surprised to see each other. His 6'4" frame dwarfs mine but he is gentle and Godly friend. Mel was also doing the DALMAC but traveling a different route.
When we arrived in Mackinaw City, the showers were crammed to capacity at the local high school so our group walked the two blocks to Lake Michigan. There, in full view of the Mackinac Bridge, we swam and bathed. That's an experience I won't quickly forget.
We loaded our bikes and gear onto the bus/RV, shook hands with or hugged our newly made friends and off we went.
We stopped in Lake City to get something to eat and almost immediately, a retired couple came up to me and asked me, "Okay, just how do you pronounce the name on your shirt?" I said, "Well, it's pronounced "wick-cliff" (Wycliffe) but we answer to any pronunciation. The man turned to his wife and said, "See, I told you it was 'wick-cliff'!" They went on to tell me how they had volunteered at our Orlando Center and how they so enjoyed being a part of this great work in the later portion of their lives.
This is the end of my posts for this blog. Thank you to all who have followed my progress and prayed for a successful outcome. Your friendship means everything to me. May God's name be glorified!
Pictures:
The sun is just coming up as we start our century ride.
Mel & me in Cross Village
Celebrating the end of the long ride with new friends from Grace Church in Grand Haven. They were intrigued with the work that Wycliffe is doing around the world.
The 7 mile Mackinac Bridge.