On The Road Full Time Rving

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Pere Marquette Rail Trail Midland MI

The Pere Marquette Rail Trail is 30 miles of paved trail that runs from Midland,MI to Clare,MI. The trail passes through Sanford, Coleman, and Loomis. I started my ride in Midland and turned around in Coleman covering 20 miles of the 30 miles of trail. This trail is one of the best rail trails I have used. The scenery may not be the most spectacular and the trail surface may not be in perfect condition but overall it is a great trail. In the 20 miles of trial I rode there were no hills to climb just flat smooth trail. The towns of Midland, Sanford, and Coleman has setup parks that offer trail heads with parking and restrooms. I did not make it to Loomis or Clare and based on the trail map they too have parks setup around the trail. In addition to the town parks there are break areas along the trail and some with restrooms. All the rail trails I have used are great trails well maintained but the Pere Marquette with all the trail heads and rest area makes it a great trail experience. Along the trail between Midland and Coleman there are two restaurants and one wine tasting facility that are on the trail and a bike rental kiosk in Sanford.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

If you are in the Savannah area this is a must visit location. The majority of the pictures were taken along the auto tour. The Tupelo Trail section in the pictures posted is about a mile from the parking lot along some waterways. I rode the bicycle on both auto tour and the tupelo trail a great afternoon bike ride.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, established April 6, 1927, consists of 31,551 acres of freshwater marshes, tidal rivers and creeks, and bottomland hardwoods. About half the refuge is bottomland, composed primarily of cypress, gum, and maple species. Access to these areas is by boat only.

The 3,000 acres of freshwater impoundments managed for migratory waterfowl were formerly the rice fields of plantations dating back to the mid or late 1700's. Many of the dikes enclosing these pools were originally built during the rice culture era.

All dikes are open to foot and bicycle travel during daylight hours, unless otherwise posted, and provide excellent wildlife observation points. Waterfowl are most abundant from November through February, while alligators and other reptiles are frequently seen from March through October. Birdwatching opportunities are good all year, but are best from October through April when temperatures are mild and many species of waterfowl and other wintering birds are present.

Motorists are welcome on the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, off of S.C. 170, which meanders along four miles of earthen dikes through managed freshwater pools and hardwood hammocks. Many hiking and biking trails are also available to the visiting public. Visitors can also enjoy other wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities such as hunting and fishing which are allowed at certain times of the year (please refer to hunting and fishing regulations).

The Savannah NWR Visitor Center is located on U.S. 17, seven miles north of downtown Savannah, Georgia or seven miles south of I-95 at Hardeeville, South Carolina.

WARNING: Please do not use Uber, Lyft, or any other ride share service as transportation to Savannah NWR. The wildlife viewing areas of the refuge are over 3 miles from the Visitor Center via public highways, and there is no transportation available to take visitors from one area to another. Also, cell service is very inconsistent out here, so you may have trouble making a call to get a return ride.

Auto Tour

Tupelo Trail