It’s a short 13 mile day today from one town to another. It’s a mix of trails, bike paths, and sidewalks. Let’s call it a recovery day.

I wake up early and eat breakfast, but lounge around the room for several hours. I don’t need to leave until 10 today. I spend the time going over my food stash and planning where I will camp for the next few days.

By the time I leave the hotel, it is still overcast and windy – perfect hiking weather. I only need to hike a little over a mile to get out of town into the first trail section. It is called the dunes section, but I don’t see any dunes. It is mostly pines and cedars with some swamp hardwoods and meadows mixed in.

After a few miles of that, the trail drops me out on the main highway to Manitowoc. I will be on a bike trail for the next five or so miles into town. By now the clouds are gone and the sun is out. The cool breeze makes it pleasant hiking. I take a break by the shore of Lake Michigan to eat my lunch of leftover pizza.

The path through town twists and winds all over the place. This is an official route marked in blue on the map. I have to follow all the twists and turns. Green marked road walks you can pick your own route.

It doesn’t take long for me to figure out the method to their twists. They are taking us to the city’s highlights. Starting with the waterfront downtown. Then moving uptown to Union Park. Then by the side of the river. Followed by a pass along evergreen cemetery and the final crossing of the river.

Now we are back to trails. It is about one and a half miles through a park and then another one and a half miles to where I will diverge from the suggested route. The park is along the other bank of the river and wines along its banks and up to a lookout point high above the river.

Trespassers will be consumed by vegetation

I stopped to chat with a local, in fact the first local that I’ve met that even knows what the Ice Age Trail is. She lets me know about a Mexican restaurant that is just a few blocks from my hotel.

I finally find a convenience store just after 3:00 and stop to grab a Coke. Since when did a coke cost $2.50. I sure am glad I don’t normally drink these but I think this will be my coffee substitute for today.

I checked into the hotel, got a quick shower, then checked out my potential stops between here and my next resupply point. There are more convenience store and restaurant stops along the way then I thought. Instead of buying three full days of food I really only need to buy two breakfasts and two lunches.

With my shopping list in hand a head over to the Mexican restaurant. It was worth the stop. The grocery store is just a few blocks further. With all my chores done I head back to the room and pack the food in my food bag. Food and water weight creeps up on you very quickly.

I will start out tomorrow light on water and then pick some up at a convenience store along the way. If I stick to the route I have planned it will be a 27 and a half mile day. Plus one extra mile if I decide to stop at a restaurant along the way that’s about a half a mile off my path.

Emotion of the day, Relaxed

I really enjoy getting an early start, so purposely starting late feels kind of weird to me. But it sets the tone for the entire day. Instead of a hiker striving to get to the destination as quickly as possible, I feel more like a tourist.

I take the time to stop and read the various plaques at the parks that I pass by today. I amble along at a decent pace, but without urgency. I feel relaxed because I have plenty of time to complete my day. Tomorrow will definitely be different. The calm before the storm.