By MIKE NORTON
In the world of cycling, Emily Taphouse does not consider herself a particularly fierce competitor.
The view of Glen Lake and the Sleeping Bear Dunes from Inspiration Point (known to cyclists as Perspiration Point) is one of the scenic highlights of the Leelanau Harvest Tour, held this year on Sept. 19. |
"I'm more of a stop and smell the roses person," says Taphouse, a school secretary in Traverse City, Michigan. "My husband is the Lance Armstrong of the family. We don't often ride together ‹ and when we do he's usually circling back for me all the time."
But husband and wife will be riding together on Sept. 19, along with more than 500 other cycling enthusiasts who'll be participating in a noncompetitive event called the Leelanau Harvest Tour. Each fall, hundreds of riders flock to this idyllic corner of northern Michigan to enjoy the spectacular lakes, hills and forests of the Leelanau Peninsula and to sample some of this region's equally impressive cuisine.
Long treasured for its scenery, which includes the breathtaking Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the picturesque port villages of Leland, Northport and Suttons Bay, Leelanau County is also known for its award-winning restaurants, wineries and food shops. The September Harvest Tour has become an increasingly popular way for cyclists to enjoy both these pleasures simultaneously.
Gourmet-style food stations featuring delicacies from such local providers as Cherry Republic, Stone House Bread, and Kejara's Bridge are spaced out along the tour route, which meanders through the hills, woods, orchards and meadows of the peninsula in sections that range in length from 25 to 100 miles. Each food stop is located at one of the region's prime beauty spots, usually overlooking one of the peninsula's splendid glacial lakes.
Now in its twenty-first year, the Harvest Tour attracts cyclists from Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and some from as far as Colorado and Texas. Cyclist Bob Otwell thinks it's the combination of mellow autumn scenery and good food that makes it such a popular event.
"People got tired of putting out the usual food‹you know, water and a dry bagel ‹ that they serve at a lot of these events," said Otwell.
"Instead, they got the area's restaurants and suppliers to donate good locally made food, and that's how it's been ever since. By the time you've reach the end of the ride you haven't lost any weight, but you haven't gained any, either."
The tour begins and ends at the Glen Lake School in the hamlet of Burdickville, about 20 miles west of Traverse City, and participants can choose from a good mix of easy, intermediate and challenging routes. All the routes, however, include a not-to-be-missed climb to Inspiration Point‹a splendid Glen Lake lookout known among cyclists as "Perspiration Point."
"It's a great time to be riding in Leelanau, too," says Taphouse. "The air is usually a little cooler and the fall colors are just starting to appear here and there, and with that blue, blue water behind them it's really very beautiful."
Riders who have burned off all the calories from the various food stops can refuel yet again at the end of the tour, when volunteers put on a farewell meal of pasta and salad at the school. Funds raised by rider fees are donated to TART Trails, Inc. a local organization that builds and maintains several cycling, hiking and ski trails in the Traverse City area.
For more information about the Leelanau Harvest Tour and other events and attractions in the Traverse City area, and for help with lodging and dining options, entertainment, activities and vacation planning, contact the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-TRAVERS or visit their Web site at mytraversecity.com.
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