Last night, I had a nightmare that someone stole my bicycle right out from under my nose.
I was at the movie theatre with my parents and had rolled my bike into the lobby while we purchased our tickets. For a moment, I turned my back to pay and when I turned around she was gone.
Panicked, I tried to move towards the spot I had left my bike, but everything was moving in slow motion and I couldn't move my feet from where they were glued to the floor.
Then, suddenly there were all of these other bicycles being pushed around the lobby. I kept trying to seek out my bike, but none of these other bikes fit the bill.
I awoke panic stricken, ready to discuss with husband, how best to go about rebuilding my fat bike for transport.
Thankfully, it was only a vivid nightmare, which I believe is a direct result of sleeping so many nights with my bicycle at the foot of my bed.
Not having it at arms reach since arriving home has to be the only explanation for such a bizarre dream.
Ugh...terrible...
So where did I leave off?
Oh yes...getting into the elevator at the Shoreline Inn.
I stepped into the elevator and dragged my bicycle in with me. We rode to the top floor and with a cheery "bing", the doors receded.
The hallway was richly decorated in ornate wallpaper, antique light fixtures and thickly padded chairs with claw shaped feet.
I felt slightly guilty rolling my dirty bicycle down the hall and double checked to make sure I wasn't leaving a trail of dirt behind me.
I found my room and slid the key card into the door handle.
As the door slowly swung open, I was dumbstruck by the beauty of my room. For the next twelve hours, this would be my temporary home.
A short hallway led into the main sleeping quarters. Upon the wall an oil painting hung, rich with swirls of color, accented by a thick golden frame.
The sleeping quarters held a king size bed made up in white linens and an army of fluffy down pillows across the back. The bed frame was a black wrought iron affair that matched the theme of the hotel.
Against the north wall was a mini kitchen complete with microwave, keurig coffee maker, refrigerator and sink.
The southern wall was made up of floor length curtains that partially blocked a sliding door.
Setting my bike delicately against the wall, I moved to the curtains and pulled them back to reveal a view of the harbor.
Sliding the glass doors open, the sounds of the live band playing below drifted up on the warm breeze.
Everything about this room was the perfect end to my long day in the saddle.
I quickly sent out an array of "arrived safetly" text messages and then went about the process of cleaning up.
Originally, my intent for this night in Muskegon involved going for a walk along the lake and enjoying the sunset. However, as I made my way through the tasks of washing my clothes, showering and reapplying clothing, I decided on a less adventurous path.
According to the website, "Hotel Chatter", the third most common item people do while staying in a hotel room (that they don't admit to) is "walking around nude".
Now, I prefer to always be ready to vacate the premises in case of fire or emergency, so I'm not going to declare that I was walking around nude. I will admit that in my relaxed status, I did enjoy the freedom of breaking out my new merino wool "dainties" and spiderman t-shirt for lounging around in in my uber fancy suite.
This was a vacation afterall...
With a fresh cup of tea in hand, I sat upon my giant bed and reviewed my route maps for the following day. I really had no idea what the last portion of my travels would have in store for me, but I was really excited about the ferry ride.
As the music became more lively downstairs and the evening air chilled, I slowly gave in to sleep and passed out on my giant bed.
The next morning, I awoke and rushed down to see what kind of breakfast the Shoreline Inn had in store for me.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, the smell of bacon and waffles overcame me.
I walked over to the breakfast nook and removed the lid off of each silver serving tray to find eggs, bacon, biscuits, waffles and fresh syrup.
My stomach let out an appreciative growl.
Loading up my dish, I retreated to my room and ate breakfast perched like a princess on my delicate white wrought iron chair.
As the sun rose outside, I gathered my gear and bid my fairy tale room adieu.
Downstairs, the morning concierge bid me a good day with a wave and I rolled out of the parking lot to make my way along the lake.
Following the shoreline, I grew more and more excited as I neared the port for the Lake Express.
Years ago, I traveled to California with my Aunt Maureen to visit my Aunt Roxanne and Uncle Danny. We went on an excursion to see whales in Mexico and while I knew this ferry ride would not involve any whale sightings, I was still excited to be out on the open water cruising along.
The check in process was quick and painless, I declared my pepper spray and emergency knife, but wasn't detained for either and then they slowly started the boarding process.
After tucking my bike in downstairs, I shot straight up to the sun deck and staked out territory overlooking the stern of the ship.
The sky was clear, the water smooth as silk and I was bubbling over with joy at being there at that moment.
As the ship pulled away from the coast, I marveled at the endless sandy beaches and the beauty of Michigan.
After we cleared the canal, we started to pick up speed and the wind began picking up as well. I hunkered down on the deck and laid on my back to watch the sky overhead, half napping as we plugged along towards Milwaukee.
This is about when I realized I left my lunch, leftover pizza from last night, strapped to my rear rack. I wondered how it was fairing down below and hoped it would still be edible when we hit the shore...
