North to south through America’s Dairyland.

I wake up this morning with my tent still covered in mosquitoes and very thick dew settled on everything. After gaining the courage to unzip the tent and face the dreaded bugs, I quickly pack a wet tent while pacing back and forth to make it difficult for the cloud to attack. I get everything on the bike and get out of the campsite in record time. It feels so good to be moving faster than they can and the view of the sunrise over Lake Michigan is beautiful.

[sunrise over Lake Michigan]

At my first stop for gas, I spot two magnets for sale which summarize my experience of the UP pretty well.

[Upper Peninsula refrigerator magnets]

I cross the border to Wisconsin and eventually hit Green Bay. I ride around the industrial outskirts for a while trying to find the city center. I eventually realize that the factories and mills constitute the majority of the city. I eventually find the core, which seems defined by a number of very impressive churches. The blue-collar town of 100k residents has a much bigger presence given the 80k roudy fans who attend every Packers game. Apparently Green Bay is the smallest city with an NFL team and the Packers are the only fan-owned team in the league. Clearly the pride of the place.

[Green Bay industry]

[one of the many churches]

Wisconsin is clearly proud of their cheese. They are the second biggest dairy producer in the country (CA is #1) and the farmland is vast. I ride for hours through beautiful rolling farms. Realizing that I crossed into the central time zone and picked up an hour, I eventually stop for lunch at the Cheese Outlet. The cheese options for my grilled cheese are endless, but I eventually settle on a delicious sharp cheddar from Sheboygan, WI.

[Wisconsin Cheese Outlet]

[grilled ham and cheddar]

I make my way into Chicago at around 3pm, just as the rain subsides. The roads are drenched, but I luckily manage to miss the downpour. I arrive at Julie and Claus’ and get to meet their new baby Vivian. She is absolutely adorable. It’s really great to catch up with them while we pass Viv around and entertain her. It’s exciting to see such great friends in their new element.

[dinnertime for Vivian]

[four-month-old Vivian sizing me up]

The four of us head out to a new place called Leadbelly for dinner. Claus has told me about the amazing hamburgers they craft and I’m excited to give it a try. I opt for the slightly ridiculous Amazing Grace. It’s topped with smoked pork belly, onion straws, spicy sriracha pickles and mustard BBQ sauce. It is as good as it sounds. The french fries are equally as gluttonous and are covered in polish sausage, sauerkraut and horseradish mustard sauce.

[Leadbelly delight]

Needless to say, it’s a fairly early bedtime for the four of us.