Lake Michigan Ramble 2019

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW: This tour of Michigan's northwestern lower peninsula encompasses some of the state's most beautiful scenery and best cycling. The ride follows the shoreline of Lake Michigan, where you will find beautiful beaches, massive sand dunes, million-dollar sunsets, lighthouses, charming resort villages and towns, and local wineries. It is a repeat of the September 2017 Lake Michigan Ramble, with a day added to allow participants to explore the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Participants arrive in Mackinaw City, MI on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.  We meet for our first happy hour on Wednesday at 6 PM. On Thursday morning at 8 AM we load bicycles, riders, and luggage into the bus, and head for Ludington. Vehicles and bike boxes remain in Mackinaw City.

We arrive in Ludington around lunch time. We will have a late afternoon orientation meeting and our first group dinner.

Ludington is a ferry port, with fine restaurants, state parks and bicycle trails nearby. Optional routes are provided for Thursday afternoon and Friday.

On Saturday, September 7, we leave Ludington and follow the shore of Lake Michigan as closely as possible. The trip concludes with two overnights on historic Mackinac Island, (Sept. 17 and 18). On Sept 19 participants are free to explore Mackinac Island, returning by ferry to Mackinaw City at a time of their choosing to begin their journey home.

The route takes us through wooded areas, past orchards and inland lakes, through the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore, Grand Traverse Bay, and along the shores of Lakes Michigan and Huron. Note that while the roads in this area are lightly traveled, this is a popular vacation area. Roads can be somewhat busy, especially on weekends.

Highlights include the Grand Traverse Bay, the Tunnel of Trees along Lake Michigan, the funky Leg's Inn restaurant in Cross Village, a stay at the Stafford's historic Bayview Inn in Petoskey, Manistee’s Ramsdell Theater, where James Earl Jones started his acting career, Earl Young’s Mushroom Houses of Charlevoix, magnificent 1890's summer “cottages” in Harbor Springs, the spectacular Mackinac Straits Bridge, and finally, the quaint and car free Mackinac Island with its iconic Grand Hotel, where you can view the straits of Mackinac while sitting on the world’s longest porch.

RIDE RATING: This is a 2B ride with 9 required riding days. Even though the average daily elevation gain is 1200 feet, the 2 rating reflects that there are some long and steep hills not normally encountered on a 1B ride. The terrain in this part of Michigan is mostly rolling, although it runs the gamut from flat to hilly. Average distance is 42 miles; the longest distance is 55 miles. The average ascent is 1200 feet. On most days there are options for more mileage and more climbing.

WEATHER: Average daily temperatures in northern Michigan in September are ideal for cycling. The daily high is 70 and nightly low is 45. However, Michigan weather can be quite variable. Participants should be prepared to ride in cold and rainy weather.  

LODGING: Lodging includes the first night in Mackinaw City and overnight stops in Ludington (2 nights), Onekama, Frankfort, Glen Arbor (2 nights), Leland, Traverse City (2 nights and guest laundry), Bellaire, Charlevoix, and Petoskey, finishing with a 20 minute ferry ride and two nights on Mackinac Island.

LOGISTICS: The nearest airport to Mackinaw City is Pellston (airport code PLN). Shuttle service is available from the airport. Private vehicles and bicycle boxes will stay in Mackinaw City for the duration of the tour. Bicycle rentals are not available in Mackinaw City. We can accommodate a limited number of tandems. If you wish to bring an electric bike, please contact the ride leaders.

COST & ADMINISTRATION: Minimum number of participants is 20, maximum is 24. Estimated cost of the trip is $2450 and $50 BAC fee and includes 15 nights lodging, 4 group dinners, 9 breakfasts, evening social hours, maps, cues and GPS routes, van and bus rental, ferry ride to Mackinac Island, luggage transport, tips, and organizational expenses. Three social hours are in locations where beverages must be purchased from the hotel. In these situations, participants will be responsible for purchasing their own beverages.

A deposit of $1000 is required upon acceptance. A second installment of $1450.00 will be due February 1, 2019.

SOLOS AND SINGLES:  A solo supplement for singles who do not wish to share a room is available for an additional $1000. This payment is due no later than February 1, 2019. Solo supplement payments are made by check, which is sent to the BAC office. Checks should be made out to "BAC" with a notation of the tour name included on the check.  They should be mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own.  However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until February 1, 2019 to find a roommate.  If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC fee and payment processing fee) or pay the $1000 solo supplement and stay on the ride.  If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary.  The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride.  

CANCELATION POLICY: The $50 BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost resulting from cancelations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancelation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.   All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP: To submit a request to join this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the Release of Liability (ROL) and pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($50) and tour deposit of $1000 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. Final payment of $1450 is due no later than February 1, 2019. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.