The Pere Marquette trail continues for 30 miles from Clare to Midland, and since Roger opted for a later start time, I blasted down to the trail and across to Midland in less than two hours. I did slow down to give a shout out to the Unawheeler:
And then I was in Midland – where Dow Chemical emerged from the bromine:
Though I gather the HQ is no longer there, Dow still has a commanding presence in town. There’s a funny sort of park celebrating chemical equations:
and a statue of the man himself, Herbert Dow:
But all is not bromines and bromides; I took a couple of pictures of some of the chemical plants:
and got chased off by a security guard who didn’t like me nosing about. He called me to come over to him but I didn’t think he wanted to ask me how far I was riding so I exited stage left.
On the way out of town, I passed further evidence of the downturn’s grim toll. Despite the primal appeal of the concept and the clever naming, somehow this restaurant is with us no more:
Born in Baltimore and raised in Cincinnati, I have lived on both coasts and driven back and forth across the country a number of times. I now have the "midlife opportunity" to do so on two wheels.
Even Robert Irvine couldn’t save the “Chug ‘n Chew.”
That security fellow wanted to admire your photographic skills and examine your film selection… Heavens to Midland!