Days 14 & 15 – St. Ignace to Rochester to Columbus

The day began with more rain and high winds, although somewhat diminished from the day before.  Less than a mile from the hotel, we were through the toll for the Mackinac Bridge and in a queue to be escorted across.  Due to high winds, bridge authorities will not allow motorhomes, pickups pulling RVs or boats, or motorcycles to pass without an escort.  The slowness of the convoy actually made it more difficult on the bikes because they don’t much like putting along at 20 mph.  Once over the bridge, we were able to resume freeway speeds with the occasional crosswind modifying our trajectory.

Not much to relate about the rest of the jaunt.  Occasional rain and wind.  We were interested in nothing other than reaching our next destination and I-75 was the quickest way to get there.

We reached Rochester at about 4:00 and a business associate had arranged rooms in a very nice 5-star hotel.  A little pricey, but a very nice way to spend our last night on the road.  The rooms were large and lavishly appointed.  They also had a big veranda, perfect for enjoying a cigar.

In the evening, we met Gus, the business associate, at his upscale bar where we were ushered to his private cigar lounge.  There we were treated to cigars, wine and delicious appetizers.  Gus was an excellent host.  I enjoyed visiting with him and appreciated his generous hospitality.

I took a shuttle back to the hotel and slept very well.  Only one more day on the road.

The next day was strictly the business of getting back to Columbus.  I-75 to 23 all the way, baby!  The weather improved significantly, so the 300 or so miles were easy to take.  Turn up the tunes and set the cruise.

We arrived at my brother Jerry’s house at about 3:00 and Alan helped me load the GT on the trailer for the trip back to Florida.

For all of the poor conditions we met with on this trip, it was still a great experience.  Looking forward to the next motorcycle adventure – rain or shine.