The title for this extenuating 43 miles biking day means "the hexagonal reward".

The morning began with a bigger-than-usual breakfast of cereals, sweets, yogurt, coffee and waffles. A loud television sound with the news of the separation of immigrant families at the border greeted us in the breakfast lobby. We overheard two loud older guests talking poorly about foreigners in the USA. It is difficult for us, because no matter where we are, at least one of us is going to be a foreigner. Jay switched to Italian. After that we only heard grumbles from the older couple about how they did not like it if they could not understand what other people were saying ;)

We left Big Rapids and headed south on the White Pine Trail again, towards Grand Rapids.

The trail we loved yesterday turned to gravel, and did not improve for 20 miles. Some stretches were actually really fun, with mowed grass growing everywhere but in two narrow lines shaped by bikes. We were quite slowed down by the terrain changes, so we only stopped for water and snacks.

Purtroppo il percorso ciclabile peggiora di nuovo. Alcuni tratti, molto ben curati, sono lasciati a prato, fatta eccezione per i due solchi tracciati dalle bici.

Then we get back to pavement, and we get very easily through the last 23 miles. Toward the end the trail becomes very panoramic, with nice overlooks to the river. We reached Rockford at 16h40 and celebrated our early arrival with ice cream.

Quando il percorso torna ad essere asfaltato, il morale migliora notevolmente e Anna riprende il gioco di equilibri del provetto osservatore ciclabile.

Short after, Justin arrives with a happy smile and a big truck. He immediately sees us (tough to miss the two bikers in the small town), we shortly greet and we fit both stinky bikers and bikes in his truck.

Riusciamo a raggiungere Rockford in orario, Justin ci raggiunge e ci scorta alla casa esagonale. Nella foto, uno dei gatti di Justin ed Amber si accomoda a fianco del binocolo di Anna.

Our reward is to get introduced to the hexagonal house. A ranch-looking property with a fresh touch, the house is not dominating the space around, it is blended into it.

No place like this should be photographed, it is like a book: you have to imagine it.

To know more, wait for our next adventure chapter!

Biking:

Big Rapids - Rockford

43 miles --> 69 Km

Birding: few new cool species today!

Eastern Towhee - Pipilo erythrophthalmus Great egret - ardea alba red-shouldered hawk - buteo lineatus blue-winged teal - spatula discors