Day 2 biking in Wisconsin: 50+ miles from Sheboygan to Mishicot

Now we’re starting to see small-town Wisconsin.

Manitowoc (I know I pronounce it wrong). Two Rivers. And eventually Mishicot, population sub-1500 but hey there’s a hotel, even if we’re not sure what dinner options we’ll find.

Our second day of our Milwaukee-Door County adventure was just over 50 miles. Unlike day 1, this one was mostly trail-free, but the quiet roads were just as comfortable. We stuck close to Lake Michigan for as long as we could, avoiding Highway 43.

First, our farewell to Sheboygan includes the remains of this 1894 shipwreck. The Lottie Cooper was recovered almost 100 years later. We saw many markers for shipwrecks, a reminder of just how dangerous storms on the Great Lakes can be.

What do you think of the slogan? We learned that in Wisconsin, surfing is a winter sport. Better waves because of winter storms. Wetsuit required.

Then as we approach Manitowoc, we pass the Cedar Crest ice cream factory with a store attached. U-turn! It’s considered one of the state’s better ice cream companies. And doesn’t this count as a nutritious lunch for two? There’s even fruit (from the blueberries).

Manitowoc has one of the last of the many car ferries that once crossed Lake Michigan. A four-hour trip, either during the day or overnight. The S.S. Badger runs on coal, so in that sense not the most environmentally friendly. But how cool would it be to do a loop bike adventure crossing Lake Michigan that way? This one accepts bikes, and there’s another, more modern ferry that goes from Michigan to Milwaukee. The idea of a new Midwest bike adventure is starting to form…

We also discover that Manitowoc is where 28 of the submarines used in World War II were built. With no history of sub building, they nonetheless pulled it off ahead of schedule and under budget. The first took 10 months from the keel being laid to launch. Toward the end, workers could do it in as little as four months. Some unfortunately were sunk in battle, and some were passed on to allies in the 1950s. This sub — which was built in Connecticut — floats at the mouth of the Manitowoc River, open for tours.

Manitowoc has some lovely architecture downtown. I stopped for one of the murals:

Some other art, in Manitowoc …

… and then this one in Two Rivers, along the Mariners Trail.

And that dinner in Michicot? I think we could have found something, but we played it safe and stopped at a supermarket in Two Rivers.