On the Road Again

I've spent the last few weeks bicycle riding in the rain and against strong winds -- I love spring -- but Tuesday, the clouds parted to reveal the sun. The wind was under 10 mph away from the lake. A great day for a bike ride!

I headed south out of Fennville, down 57th Street. There's not much out this way. The road has wide shoulders as it skirts parts of the Allegan State Game Area -- a great street to just push the speed.

After 57th Street intersects at a T with 118th Avenue, I kept south on 56th Street. The best part of this route is that the wide shoulders continue and the several small towns pop up fast.

On track

The road parallels railroad tracks. These tracks defined this area of Allegan County in the 1800s through mid-1900s. In the 1800s, after some nasty storms on Lake Michigan, the piers at places including Pier Cove and Plummerville were damaged or destroyed, so the farmers and fruit growers switched from schooners and steam ships to the iron horse. Now, inland towns, including Fennville, popped up.

On 56th Street, the first spot you hit is Pearl. There was a creamery here for a while, but now it has the Fennville alternative high school and church.

The railroad tracks are on the right, but I didn't get the pleasure of racing a train Tuesday. Sometimes I've slowed to watch the coal trains chug along. The coal is destined for the Consumers Energy plant in Port Sheldon in Ottawa County. The empty cars are often left on a siding closer to Fennville.

The next tiny town is Bravo around 114th Avenue. Not much left here except a church and some structures that may have once been businesses. I don't have handy my Allegan County history books. I recommend checking out Kit Lane's books that have detailed accounts of these rail stops.

The countryside slowly turns from semi-open land to forest. The road is basically straight (a small curve south of Bravo) and there are no stops until you hit the blinking red light at 109th Avenue in Pullman.

Pullman is more substantial than Pearl and Bravo. It has several convenience stores, gas stations and other services. Turning west on 109th, you pass The Pullman Tavern. This site has a reputation of hosting some violent clientele. I've spent many a night listening to the police scanner as deputies subdue a knife fight or track down a shooting. In fact, police aften won't go into the bar until they have substantial backup or the brawls spill into the street.

Pullman -- an unincorporated area -- is in Lee Township. When I first moved to this area in 1989, I covered some recall elections in the township. Guess what? There's yet another going on today. The signs are everywhere reminding people to recall the township board in the August vote.

Rich and poor

Another aspect of Lee Township that hasn't changed is the disparity in housing. When I covered a few stories there, I talked with people who lived in shacks with dirt floors and no electricity or phones. I also talked to people in mansions surrounded by electric fences or stone walls with broken glass on top.

I don't know what caused this glaring split. It's evident from my ride the other day. There are still fantastic old farm houses with sprawling porches and wrought-iron fences, as well as new developments. There are also plenty of collapsing roofs and shattered windows with families inside.

Unfortunately, this area has a reputation for violent crimes and drug use. Meth is the drug of choice here and it's easy to see why: Easy access to chemicals on farms and lots of open space.

Back home

I turned north on 66th Street as my time was waning. The open farm land again turns to trees on a gently shaded road. Since I was just a few miles from the lake, the temperature had dropped by several degrees and the wind picked up -- but it was out of the southwest. Hooray for tailwinds!

I did stop for a snack at one of my favorite places, the Pioneer monument on 66th Street between 122nd and 124th avenues. A metal statue and historical markers note the first working farm in western Allegan County. The hill also looks out over farm land and a grove of historical trees planted from seeds from all over the world.

If I don't stop at the Mothers Trust/Mothers Place on 122nd Avenue for a chance at prayer and meditation, I stop here to stretch on the grass and let the lake breezes wash over me.

My time was really running tight so I chose the easy way home -- straight east down M-89. The state road is busy with heavy truck traffic, but the shoulders are OK and the pavement smooth. And I had that west wind at my back -- What a great way to end the 24-mile ride! I zoomed into town feeling great.

Thought: History is all around here, and I'll dig up some more details for future entries.