The first Europeans to travel in this area were the explorers using the lakes and rivers as the pathway.  Fur traders followed trading knives, blankets and other goods for fur.  The fur pelts were taken to Montreal for shipping to Europe where they were greatly valued. Conflicts arose between the French and English for control of the trade.  Settlements increased following the War of 1812.

This section of Wisconsin is very obvious because it is a peninsula extending into Lake Michigan and Green Bay is on the other side.  This area is called Door County.  The name is said to originate  from Native American tales of the dangerous waters at the tip that would cause shipwrecks. (The Door of Death)

 Ragweed causes half of the Allergic Rhinitis in North America.  The late growing season up in this part of Wisconsin did reduced the ragweed infestation into the fields and this was very attractive to those hay fever suffers.   The area began to attract seasonal visitors in the later half of the 19th century.  This interest lead to the passenger ship business on the Great Lakes, which lasted into the 1960's.  I know of one ferry between Michigan and Wisconsin, but I found 18 ferries in Michigan. https://www.michigan.org/ferry-services#?c=44.4299:-85.1166:6&tid=141&page=0&pagesize=20&pagetitle=Ferry%20Services Most of these ferries now run to the islands located in the lakes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2TX0Mvwpw4 The first resorts in Door County.  This was a great getaway from the busy metropolitan areas of Milwaukee and Chicago.

 French missionaries arrived in the Milwaukee area in the late 17th century. Like most areas that grew it is on a river and here we find the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers. What do you think of  when you here Milwaukee? Beer? Laverne and Shirley? Wayne's World? Brewers? Bucks?

The name Milwaukee is derived from the Potawatomi Indians and means "council grounds" or "gathering place by water."

This cast iron tower raises to 74'. At one time it was relocated because the park trees obscured the  beam. The Oak Leaf Trail will lead you right to tower and living quarters. This position was to mark the entrance of the Milwaukee River.  Mineral oil was the first fuel and then coal gas and then electricity.  Like so many of the lighthouses a supporter group oversees the care. There is also a wonderful museum on site.

This light is unique in what I have seen about the lighthouses along the Great Lakes.  This light was built privately and was constructed  in 1981.  The light is 53' above the ground and sits on a bluff 120' above the lake, making it the 2nd highest light on Lake Michigan.

Are you satisfied with your workout results?  I bet most of us are not satisfied and if we are satisfied we tend to be humble.  Of course, we know a few braggarts, don't  we?

During my ride yesterday while I had to downshift to the granny gear to make it up the hill.  I was hit with a feeling disappointed. Luckily I quickly shifted by thinking, instead of my gears. I decided that I was pleased to still be able to do what I can.  This effort will serve as the  baseline for this year.

Throughout the riding months I will quite often do route multiple times.  Some sections will be timed segments on the Strava app and I will occasionally look and compare the last couple times on that section, but I am satisfied with self-assessing how I was feeling.

I just want to push myself as much as I can feel I can handle.  When I take my pulse during rides my range will be 90-110 beats per minute.   The chart at the fitness center described is range based on my age as the "Health Zone", 50-60%, which help fend off chronic disease like blood pressure and cholesterol.  I can also see benefits with helping these issues.  I got off the cholesterol medicine and now I need meds to help the BP. My pulmonary and asthma doctors say that my regular exercise help slow the decrease in lung function. In this zone I will be able to workout everyday.

When my heart rate increases during exercise to the point of the "Fitness Zone", 60-75%, I will start to wheeze and need to reduce my effort to calm my respiration down.  That is when I shift to easier gears.  If, by chance, I do a harder workout, I will do easier rides before I push it again.  

​I am happy to maintain what I have.  

In 2011 and 2012 I traveled along the Michigan shore on the Lake Michigan side during two bike tours. Earlier this year I did a virtual tour circumnavigating the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My next step was do the path from Whiting, Indiana on the Indiana-Illinois border up through Wisconsin to the corner of the the U.P.  In this way I can say that I will have gone around the Lake Michigan.

In recent weeks I see that the  large group bike tours within Michigan are postponed from 2021 to 2022.  I am comfortable with that I will go on many day rides and do some overnight tours on my own in the State.
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