Sunday, 8/20, I rested in Grand Rapids, MI, where I visited with my sister Donna and brother-in-law Mark, who drove down from their home in Traverse City that morning. Today, Monday, 8/21, my last full day in Michigan, I biked from Grand Rapids to Muskegon, MI, where I am staying at a motel that is less than five miles from the ferry to Milwaukee that I will take tomorrow morning.

It was fun to catch up with Donna and Mark, who are enjoying a very active retirement doing all the things they’ve always wanted to do as well as some new things they’ve discovered, like pickleball. Their bucket lists do not include biking across the country, but I think having one person in the family with a goal like that is enough. Here are Donna and Mark at a lunch we had at Kitchen 67.

And here I am with Donna at the restaurant.

One of the things we did Sunday afternoon, in addition to printing bike route maps for the coming week (painstakingly compiled by Chief Navigator Trudi), was visit the Gerald R. Ford Museum in Grand Rapids (President Ford’s hometown and former Congressional District). The museum, together with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, are the official home of historical records and artifacts of the Ford Presidency. I learned that there are 13 such Presidential Libraries in the country; the collection for President Ford is unique in being divided into two facilities–the museum has a number of exhibits and artifacts, and the library offers access to millions of documents, photographs, audiotapes and videos. The first Presidential Library was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who raised funds for a library he gave to the U.S. Government. In 1955, the process of raising private funds to build such libraries that are then maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration became law when Congress adopted the Presidential Libraries Act.

I had never visited a Presidential Library before, but enjoyed our visit to the Gerald Ford Museum and would like to visit more of these in the future. Here is a photo of Donna and me standing near the entrance of the library in front of the Presidental seal.

In reflecting on this photo of Presidents Ford and Carter, taken during one of their three Presidential debates, I was struck by the reputation I think each of them had for decency, character, and humility.

The museum also includes a collection of artifacts of First Lady Betty Ford, who was an early and passionate supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and worked to raise awareness of breast cancer following her 1974 mastectomy. Following her time in the White House, she also labored to raise awareness of addiction issues when she disclosed her own struggle with and treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse.

Today, Monday, my ride of close to 50 miles was either on roads with decent shoulders or on bike trails–mostly the Musketawa Trail. The Musketawa is paved, and although parts of it are in need of repair, it was nice to be on an asphalt trail and away from traffic. My route on the trail took me through the unincorporated village of Conklin, where I met and was inspired by Ross, who is recovering from a stroke earlier this year. Ross has been biking with a friend on recumbent bikes as part of his fitness regimen. He said he’s put 33 miles on his bike so far. Ross lives just down the street in Conklin, not far from the trail, where he says they have no mayor but have all the city services they need, like a fire department. Ross was interested in my trip and wanted to know whether he could follow my progress on Facebook. I told him I wasn’t using Facebook but was happy to share my blog address.

I didn’t realize he was doing this, but Ross took this photo of me staring at my maps, something I do many dozens of times each day.

I snapped these photos of a wetlands area along the trail to give you an idea of some of the things you can see right off the trail.

I am in a bit of a food desert at my motel in Muskegon tonight. The motel manager said Uber service is slow and unreliable, and I didn’t feel like getting back on the bike or walking over a mile to a fast-food restaurant. But there is a liquor store next door with a few grocery items, and I cobbled together enough food there for a dinner of sorts. I plan to get an early start tomorrow so that I can check in for the ferry by 9 a.m.