Day 48 - Refocusing and Getting Lost

Day 48 - Saturday, August 16

Grand Haven to Grand Rapids —45 mi, 72 km

It was hard to leave my family at the Conference Grounds. This was the only day I had seen Coby during the summer, so I left late, just before the sweepteam left (they are the last ones to leave the camp). Coby is going back to Haiti in a few days. I had to refocus myself. For the first 4 weeks my goal was to get to Denver (and see Leon). My next goal was to get to the Conference Grounds in Grand Haven and see Coby, Ardjan, and Hanneke and her children. Now the end of the tour is coming close and the next goal is to get to the Atlantic.

Right when I got on the road I met a group of local bikers and started chatting with them about the tour. It was Saturday morning and then we often meet local bikers on the road. The weather was beatiful and the wind was good. The result of this was that I missed the first arrow and so I got off the route. I also had forgotten to pick up a map, so I was lost. I thought that the route lead over the bridge in Grand Haven, so I followed my gut feeling and went that way and after that, turning east in the direction of Grand Rapids. After biking about 20 kilometers I realized that I was really lost and had no clue where the official route was. I called one of the SAG wagon drivers, who had no map, and he advised me to go back to the Conference Grounds and start over again, but I didn't want to do that - I would have biked 40 kilometers just to get back to zero! I asked some friendly local people who gave me directions to Leonard Street, which would lead to GR. The scenery was beautiful and after a lot of biking, I saw other Sea-to-Sea bikers. They turned from a side street into the road that I was on, so the route found me back.

Because of all the extra miles I had done, I was in the back of the pack, but still ahead of the sweepteam. I stopped at several CRC churches along the road, who had all prepared food and drinks.


There are so many CRC churches in this area. After a few hours I got to Grand Rapids...


...and found my way to Calvin College. Upon arrival, I was found by the Feys. Mike and Deb Feys knew Hanneke when she was studying at Calvin College and they had invited me to stay at their house for the weekend. A real bed is a treat and I have some reporting to do for CRWRC. Another busy weekend.