With the proverbial “end of summer” behind us (though not the technical end of summer which is September 23) I’m wanting not to let go. We were robbed of the first half with all the rain, grey skies, and cool temps, so my fight continues.

So, to keep it going there’s a lot of summertime activity that can help us continue the spirit of the last season as we head into the next one.  So naturally, the “boys of summer” comes to mind, but let’s not kid ourselves, the Detroit Tiger’s season was over before Memorial Day.

Boating for sure, with the Great Lakes and all the inland lakes we have in Michigan. But the recent cold nights are turning the waters, well cold, fast, making this one a little less attractive.

Golf is a natural and Michigan has many amazing courses, but I’m staying away from this one. My swing is as effective as the Tiger’s third baseman Candelario. But Fall is a great time to play, especially Up North as the colors change. You can find the course right for you at  https://www.golfmichigan.com/golfcourses/.

For me, I’m sticking with my main summer activity, road cycling.  For September, I have a century ride in the Leelanau Harvest Tour to cap off (as of now) my organized ride season.  This comes on the heels of two great rides in August: the Bluewater International Granfondo’s 150-kilometer (94 miles) ride in Sarnia, ON and the Big Bear Butt Cruise’s 170 kilometer (106 miles) ride in Manistee County.

If you’re a road cyclist and haven’t ridden either one yet, I recommend both. The BIG is highly organized, capped at 1,000 riders, and has professional team participation which is amazing talent to watch briefly before they disappear into the horizon. The Big Bear is also well organized, but most notably a beautiful route with most aid stations on the water, and it provides the best post-race food I’ve ever had.

Don’t let the cooler temps drive you indoors to your trainer or worse yet, off your bike for the season! Check out all the rides across Michigan posted on the League of Michigan Bicyclists website https://www.lmb.org/events/ride-calendar/.

Enjoy the great offerings of Michigan before it’s time to strap on our skis and snowshoes!

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