Automobile Forum

Sounds like a good time...I hope you get a new job soon.

And it looks like I'm out. Accepted a verbal offer yesterday. Getting my official letter today... starting on June 5th and taking a week off in between.

Yay that's exciting!

You must've been getting worried, taking so long, I bet?

Cool. Nice part of the world. Nicer than Edmonton for sure!

That looks gorgeous. Congrats Wally

Two more days and I'm on the coast....


... apparently my wife has signed me up for a half marathon on the 28th. I haven't been training.

Its only a HALF marathon. How hard can it be?

I dunno, when I ran track in HS, I was used to short sprints like 100 & 200m. My coach thought it would be a good idea to put me in a 400m sprint and I almost died.

...well, I mean, not actually, but...

I don't feel like starting a thread. But we just met with a realtor. Putting our house up for sale. Then I guess I need to find a job. Easier for my wife. Time to start a new career. Hopefully done with cubicles. I sorta want to make wine.

So anyway, we're going to try to move somewhere near Traverse City. Back to the mitten but at least the best part. I will miss the mountains but it could be worse.

Tons of vineyards around Traverse City. It might be a pipe dream, but I think I'd enjoy it. Lots of good microbreweries too.

Met with realtor again looking at comps and houses in our area and price range are selling on average in a week or less. So this might go fast. House hits the market the 28th. Looking forward to having a nice down payment on the next house.

I just registered for the iceman cometh challenge, the mtb race pictured. 30 mile point to point XC race, 5000+ racers, including lots of pros. First weekend in November. I'll be racing against a college friend I saw listed in the registration for my age group, one of the guys I rode with when I was just getting into mountain biking. So that will be cool. Already reconnected with him after I saw his name.

Excellent area for sea kayaking, lots of rivers too but only one whitewater river that I know of with really only a couple rapids. So I'll evenually need a sea kayak or a SUP. Probably kayak though for long distances, but I think a river SUP would be great fun too. For sea kayaking there's the relatively protected arms of Grand Traverse Bay (aerial pic) the open water lake michigan, the manitou islands, and tons of beautiful big inland lakes as well. I could get into this: https://youtu.be/G9Nmmxd9BRk

Cycling is good there. We vacationed there last summer and I only took my road bike and enjoyed it. Inland hilly rides, plus long lakefront bike paths as well. Lots of gravel routes. Multiple groomed fatbike trails in winter and a fatbike winter race series. Lots of summer XC racing as well. Lift served DH at Boyne Highlands an hour north. Multi-day bikepacking routes on the North Country Trail.

House here in Colorado is under contract, closes on the 28th. Wen under contract in 2 days for above asking price. Making a tidy little profit. Enough to have a really nice down payment and be basically debt free except mortgage.

My wife got a job for a hospital in Traverse City, MI, doing in home speech therapy just like she does here so we had a little wiggle room on where to buy since she'll be driving around regardless.

Buying a house in Bellaire, Michigan. Its in the northern part of the lower peninsula, a little inland east of Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. About 3 hours north of home and all its sadness, but close enough that the kids can see family with some regularity. Also in the same general area where my dad plans to retire in a few years. Its a neat little town of about 1000 people. Home to Short's Brewing pub/music venue and a few decent little restaurants, a 2 screen movie theater, a bike/paddle/xc ski outfiitter. Hopefully that's enough. A couple ski areas nearby as well so its not completely dead in the winter. We are buying in a little development about a mile from the actual town. Wide enough shoulder to ride bikes to town safely. Nice place with common areas for kids to play, playgrounds, beach volleyball court, horseshoes, etc. Common beach on Lake Bellaire is about a 5 min walk. 1 mile from driveway to nearest trailhead at Glacial Hills trail network, which is as good as mountain biking gets in the lower peninsula. 31 miles of singletrack. Open in winter for snowshoeing and xc skiing as well as a groomed 8 mile loop for fatbikes. The lake is part of the chain of lakes, which is a bunch of lakes connected by little rivers eventually leading to grand traverse bay on lake michigan. So I'm already shopping for a sea kayak. Also smack dab in michigan's wine country.

I'm still looking for a job. Hopefully I'll find one related to bikes, beer, or wine.

Lake Bellaire

Looks nice. I've been hankering after living back in the countryside after so many years in cities

I'm mid move right now, staying at my in-laws until we close on the new place. in two weeks. ugh.

That sounds really cool though, making your own wine. I'm actually kinda excited for you. 'Specially for that view of the countryside. Gorgeous land.