I woke early again, loaded up the bike and crossed I-90 for the umpteenth time, heading back to the Glacial Drumlin Trail. (A drumlin, by the way is a landform left by a glacier. Now you don’t need to look it up.)

I rode into the rising sun and it was cool enough to wear a long sleeved layer. The trail is a tunnel in the forest – through deep, green woods, and so silent. I rode due east and saw no other person for over twenty miles, without a single turn.

Had a bite to eat and coffee at Mama D’s in Wales and chatted with other bikers. About 14 miles west of Waukesha, the trail became paved, a sign that I was entering a more urban landscape, and which also began slanting down to the lake.

I was thinking about the BoDeans, the pride of Waukesha! And, then, I crossed a road called Les Paul Parkway – he was from here, too. My brain, such as it is, began playing “Fly Me To The Moon” on repeat for quite a while.

I went from a lonely, green tunnel into a sunny exurban landscape, angling southeast through western Milwaukee County, along the Root River, most of the streets wide and with little traffic. As I got closer to town, the route got increasingly busy and, finally, I was jostling with traffic on Douglas Ave heading towards the waterfront.

I was very happy to check into a beautiful room on this penultimate evening of my trip, after an 86 mile day. After cleaning up, I used the hotel computer to figure out how I will make my way south into the Mag Mile tomorrow afternoon. Lake Michigan will be on my left all day, happily.

Lisa will be taking the train to Union Station tomorrow, a much more civilized way to travel long distances. I can’t wait to see her.