Well, really it wasn’t. Friday, October 8th was a gorgeous early fall day, clear, sunny, and in the 70s. I envied anyone who did not have to be indoors today, and I looked forward to meeting Bill for an after work ride. I met him on Seven Mile, just west of Northville Rd., talking with another riding friend of ours he’d bumped into. After a while, we parted ways and continued out Seven Mile to Beck to North Territorial, and into the rural awesomeness as the sun was setting, casting it’s golden shine over the open fields. Nearing where Old North Territorial splits off, we passed a four wheeler on the road who popped a wheelie as we passed by, I laughed out loud and waved to him. Yeehaw!
Today we had planned to visit Hell, where we’d been a number of times before, very cool little place. We turned north on Hadley Rd. passing several parked trucks on the side of the road, bow hunters, I assumed. It was nearing dusk, and we were sure to keep an eye out for deer. Coming into Unadilla, we continued north on Unadilla Rd, then east onto Doyle Rd, which curves into D-32, or Patterson Lake Rd.
The Dam Site Inn, and Scream’s Ice Cream are on the south side of Patterson Lake Rd, in Hell. Today we rolled into Scream’s, also a year round Halloween gift store. I LOOOOVE Halloween, and have a hard time not coming out with half the store whenever I visit. I did find a very cool Damnation University spare tire cover for the camper, however. 🙂 The first time I was here, I rode out with my friend Heather on a hot summer day. She told me that all first time visitors have to go through the Lil Devil Door. Yep, I fell for it. I got down and crawled through this two foot tall door, getting my backpack stuck in the process. Heather got quite the chuckle out of it.
We walked around the store along with several other visitors looking at everything Halloween: décor, signs, flags, t-shirts, candles, candle holders, very cool stuff! A chocolate shake and a pumpkin cone later, we were out the door and into the cool October night with our Exit Visas from Hell. Bill thought he saw a bat fly across the parking lot, and the air smelled of burning coal. We rode east down Patterson Lake Rd., and south on Dexter-Pinckney, back to North Territorial.
Coming back on North Territorial in the dark, we catch up to a very slow moving SUV, doing 35mph in a 50 mph zone. Unable to pass, we remained behind this snail for several miles. Just as I was complaining silently to myself, a deer darts across the road in front of the SUV, and I think about what might have happened if we hadn’t been behind this car that was holding us back, cruising along at 50mph. Hmmm. Timing.
Our shortcut home is then Beck Rd. to M-14 to I-275. Though I was expecting it, the ride wasn’t yet cold enough for my heated gear, which arrived today, but I look forward to trying it out. I’ll have plenty of opportunity in the coming weeks, I’m sure. Check back for a full review!
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