heybone111

My Husband and I thought a 4 day motorcycle trip would be a “great way” to celebrate our 15th anniversary. So we packed up our bags, and took off down the road. We chose a route around the “MIT” (mitten) of “Northern” Michigan. Riding the coasts of the Great lakes. “I highly recommend this route”. We rode 23 North, up the Lake Huron coast, on the east side of the state. Stopping in Alpena the first night. We continued up the east side of the state until we crossed through Cheboygan, then rode the coast of Lake Michigan down the west side of the state. A truly awesome, and beautiful ride! Once we crossed through Cheboygan, we stopped at the wonderful “Legs Inn”. A authentic polish restaurant in Cross village, on Route 119 that sits at the mouth of the “Tunnel Of Trees”. The Tunnel of Trees is located about 35 miles from a very popular tourist stop of Mackinac Island, which is located at the juncture of Michigan and Upper Peninsula Michigan. This is at the top of Michigan where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet and divide the state. This road hugs the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan through a dense forest. Route 119 is a long, narrow, curvy road, with trees tight up to the edge of the road. “A fun and scenic ride”. Starting from Cross Village all the way down to Harbor Springs. (A bit of caution) The native people seem to be past enjoying the “scenic beauty” of the tunnel of trees, and just want to get through the miles of trees as quickly as possibly, so I recommend riding it early in the morning, on a week day, to cut down on meeting wide cars going too fast, on tight curves.
We continued on and picked up Route 31 South through Petoskey, (very nice) then on to Traverse City. We got a hotel right on the water of Lake Michigan, with a private beach, and a gorgeous indoor pool and hot tub. Each hotel had to have a pool and hot tub, which we looked forward to lounging in each night. While we stayed in Traverse City, we rode all the scenic area roads. (Be sure to look at the maps). We rode up Route 37, to Old Mission, and saw the light house. Route 37 is a 20 mile finger, cutting through the waters of Lake Michigan, where they have miles, and miles of beautiful fruit vineyards. Beyond the vineyards you can see the water in the back round. Leaving Traverse City, we rode the “absolutely fabulous” – Route 22. in Leelanau County. The most fun ride of the entire route. We plan to go back with the camper to this area. The entire route is worth visiting. There are many nice towns, and lots of places to visit. I give this trip a 10 +.
It was a little early for the trees to change colors, but the temperature’s were crisp, the roads were curvy & very scenic, and we had a “great time”! Michigan really is a beautiful state, once you get away from the big city’s. I took the picture above this entry On Route 22.

Michigan Motorcycle roads
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/mi.html

US Route 23 – Michigan
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/mi_us23.html

State Route 119 – Michigan
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/mi119.html

Legs Inn in Cross Village. This is an old rustic cabin-style restaurant made of field stone, drift wood and old large logs and lit with warm amber lighting inside that just makes you feel good the moment you walk through the front door. Legs Inn serves a variety of items but they specialize in Polish ethnic foods and I will tell you that they are absolutely fantastic. We stopped for supper at about 6:00pm and when we finished we walked through their garden backyard overlooking Lake Michigan and watched the beautiful sunset over the lake.

State route 22 – Michigan
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/mi22.html

Peninsula Drive – Michigan
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/mi_pd.html

Route 37 – Michigan
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/mi37.html

Here are some “really great pictures! (I did not take)

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/2006/north/

By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.

They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.

I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.

The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House?

She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted “by present facts” of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ , it’s because they want them in IRAQ .

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it is up to you

I wish I hadn’t but, until the last year I was a smoker. I would try to step away from the group, but I now realize moving 10 feet away is not nearly enough. It doesn’t help the nonsmoking group much unless the wind is blowing the other way. Now I’m one of the poor slobs standing in the group, suddenly getting a lung full of smoke, just because I’m participating in a group activity outside. smokers need to realise, “just because you are outside does not mean you can smoke if you are in a group of people”! Please don’t stand in the middle of everyone and smoke. We signed up, and paid to be there, to do what we are there to do. It is not for me to have to walk away, and miss what I am there to do. If you need to smoke, “you need to leave the group”.

What you may not realize, is some of the people in the group may not be well. Just because they are there that day, doesn’t mean they are in top health. Even gravely ill people still go to BBQ’s, and events, and smoke is an assault on their (all of our) system.