Day 20 - July 11 - Racine WI to Belgium WI - almost all day on bike trails against a headwind

Weather - generally another coolish day. 72F (22C) and moderate humidity at 9am.  The flags were flying straight out as a brisk NE wind off Lake Michigan meant that it would be a headwind for me all day.  The wind got event stronger in the afternoon as the temperature reached 84F (30C)  and it was very sunny.   The forecasr looks ominous for the next week as the temperature forecast for Tuesday is 104F (40C) on my route.

Distance: 70.5miles (113kms)

Elevation gained: 1463 feet  (446 meters)

Average moving speed: 12.4mph (20kph) but this is misleading since the speed through Milwaukee was stop/start at the lights and the views, and on the trails, I had to slow at the many street crossings to avoid being hit by the vehicles crossing the bike trails.

Calories expended: 2147

Estimated sweat loss: 4.97 liters (168 fluid oz)

Shvitz Index: 4/10.  Though it was a warm day, the head wind cooled me consistently and I did not feel particularly thirsty.  I stopped at a cool local store in Brown Deer for3 cans of sparkling water and also drank 4 liters of water with electrolytes. 

The route took me in a NNE direction just inland from the western shore of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, it also took me into the teeth of a wind off the lake that strengthened in the afternoon. It is taxing, both mentally and physically, to fight the wind all day.

While I was bike trails/bike lanes for about 90% of the route today, there were some ups and downs that ended up in a sizable elevation gain.  Many of theclimbs were over Interstate 43 which paralleled my route.

I was unsure what to expect of the transverse of the Milwaukee metro area from the far south to the far north, but it turned out that almost of the day's riding were on bike trails or marked bike lanes on the streets.  It it quite remarkable how bike friendly Wisconsin is compared to states in the south that I was over the past couple of weeks.  Even on the streets without marked bike lanes, there is a large area near the curb that moving vehicles should not use. 

The last time I was in Milwaukee was in 1975 and it was a depressing place (though it was in April and it rained constantly).  The downtown area now has many new large huildings but maybe the biggest change was the rediscovery of the waterfront on Lake Michigan and now the area looks a lot like the Chicago waterfront (though a lot smaller).  Before I got to downtown, I passed by the back side of the airport 

There was also some areas close to the old port that I would expect t

o be reclaimed as part of the expanded entertainment district

A big summerfest was in progress at the central fun zone on the waterfront, today "La festa italiana".  Even before noon, it was in full swing and crowds were gathering in the shadow of all the new high rises.

Lots of white buildings dazzling in the sunshine today.

The really impressive feature of the bike paths is how well connected they are, and the one heading to the north goes on for dozens of miles.

Near the center of Milwaukee, the path was very busy with people strolling with small children and  lots of teenagers on electric scooters.  Once i got away from the center, the path moved through suburban to exurban to rural areas.  It was busy all the way to Port Washington, about 30 miles north of the center.  A great variety of recreational users were evident - birders, walkers, runners, bicyclists (on all sorts of machines),  and kids selling lemonade and making lots of money at their stands.   One nice feature were the signs indicating spots (near marshes) were birds were especially plentiful.

All along the trail were many historical signs, all of which I stopped to read. This one in Cedarburg (which was  busy with appeared to be day tourists) was especially interesting.

Further north, the trail goes through a rural area with plenty of barnyard smells and north of Port Washington, it took on the appearance of an Irish country road (though a lot straighter).

Tomorrow I'll head away from Lake Michigan in a northwesterly direction.  It will be warmer but hopefully, I won't have to fight the wind all day.

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