XC Day 3 - Holland MI to Marshall MI
Today was the first day that really felt like how I remember the 2019 Cross Country trip. The reason was both a combination of the routine and the ride itself. The first two nights, we stayed in a nice hotel in Madison, then we spent the night at a nice hotel in Milwaukee. Last night, we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Holland. Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inns were the most common hotels we stayed in during the 2019 trip. Getting up and eating breakfast at the buffet with the same choices as 4 years ago brought back the rhythm and the memories.
We rolled out in the morning with a bit of haze and the sun still relatively low in the sky. The temperature was a very comfortable 60 or so.
While the sun was still low, I got this nice backlit shot of Ruth.
The scenery and riding today was varied. We went by numerous farms such as the one above.
However, there were also periods of gentle rollers with trees lining the road. In the afternoon as the temperatures climbed into the mid to upper 70s, the shade was welcome.
We spent most of the day on rural roads, so scenes such as this were common.
Periodically, we would pass by a lake such as the one to Ruth and Paula’s left here.
That being said, corn crops were the most common sight on our ride.
I suspect that part of the reason this pond does not have any buildings along its shore is because the entire pond seemed filled with lily pads.
I liked this old gospel church. We have also started to see a few trees showing autumn colors. I expect we will see more and more of them as the next two weeks progress and we eventually work our way into northern New England. Hopefully, the weather can remain as nice as today.