July 7 - Devil's Creek State Trail - Manitowoc - Two Rivers loop

Larry has been busy creating bike routes and came across a state trail called Devil's Creek. It is only about 8 miles long and begins a little south east of Maribel. He has plotted a circuit that will be about 40 miles beginning with the trail and then riding on road. Before the trail ended we road by a community called Frances Creek and then by this fertilizer plant on Rockwood Rd.

We rode county roads into Manitowoc and stopped in at "West of the Lake" gardens, right on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is a beautiful place to visit and open to the public at no cost. We both really enjoyed the various garden settings.

From here we rode the Mariner's Trail along the lake shore to Two Rivers. It was a perfect day to cycle and the slight cool breeze from the lake was wonderful.

We stopped for lunch at a diner in Two Rivers and then picked up the Ralston Point Trail that leads through the forest of the Point Beach State Forest. It is a fun ride with small hills and curves. The biting flies and mosquitoes were abundant but only a problem if we stopped cycling in the forest.

We did not swim but cut out from the park onto the county road and cycled over to Mishicot for ice cream . Disappointment reigned when wee learned the ice cream shoppe had closed and we had to settle for a gas station packaged ice cream. I so look forward to a good ice cream to reward me for my cycling efforts :-)

On our way back to the head of the Devil's Creek trail we cycled a couple of substantial hills and saw this game farm - I think they are elk?

The shadows were getting long as we made it back to the car - but it was a good cycling circuit - 42 miles in all.