Ride Review:  Michigan Upper Peninsula

We had intended for this ride to be "Around Lake Superior in 5 days" but everyone else that had planned to go along had to stay home instead...so we just bummed around the UP instead.

Val planned and lead the entire ride, although, I did offer to lead, but she denied my assistance.  Ok, so we were about 4 blocks from home when I made the offer, but still!  We left on Thursday night, after work.  I think we finally got out of town about 6, and at 6:01 I realized that Val's tail light was burned out.  Since I was behind her they'd have to run over me to get to her...I figgered she was safe enough.  Our plan was to go to Theresa's in Lakeville, have some mexican food for supper then spend the night in Mound's View. 

Next door to the food place was a BP gas station with a repair facility, so I went there after we ate to get a bulb.  I walked in, said:  "I need a light bulb." "Oh, uh, what kind?"  "1157"  "Uh, ok.  come on back, I'm not really a light bulb expert."  So we head back, he opens a cabinet and there are about 40 bins of bulbs, each labeled.  (they clearly buy them in bulk, which makes them cheaper than buying them blister packed 2 per pack)  "Uh, like, which one?"  "1157."  He finds the correct bin, and asks "is this a headlight?"  "taillight/brakelight."  $4.27.   "Holy crap!"  "yeah, well, beats getting a ticket or run over"  "how much would it have been if I had said it was a turn signal?"  $2.95

These bulbs are $1.59 or 1.69 for 2 on a card in most any other gas station.

Obviously, I was charged the installed price and got no installation.  It was then that I decided to boycott BP.  I'll post the letter that I write to them.  We burned approx 64 gallons of gas this weekend.  4 of them did come from BP, our friend Peggy that joined us in Houton did not know of our boycott.

Ok, so dinner was good, the bulb got changed, we made it to the hotel, somewhat of an eventful journey....Val got confused and couldn't read her directions in the dark.  But she didn't get flustered to the point of not thinking, she was able to logic out which way to go with a little help from me.  And directions from some smokers in a parking lot.

Friday:  breakfast at McDonalds, head up the highway.