So Ann signed us up, recruited friends Jim and Betsy and Dean and Jan from the Keweenaw, and we began training. Which was almost as much fun as the century, as we ourselves live on a scenic peninsula wrapped in beautiful coastline roads and quaint harbors. Starting at around 30 miles, each weekend we increased the distance. And of course, for a full simulation, we had to stop regularly to eat. Stops in Eagle Harbor for the art fair, Lac La Belle for lunch, Lakes Dairyland in Lake Linden for ice cream, and numerous stops at the Jam Pot near Eagle River (run by local Byzantine Rite monks offering sinful baked goods and jams). When we got to 80 or so miles, and still wanted to stop for food again, we knew we were ready.
Jim Phelps and his wife Ena and dog Lola had been to this event before, and had a favorite pet friendly inn, Cottage Retreat - actually a series of interesting rentals set in field and woods, each unique. We shared an earth roofed duplex set into a hillside with shared entry stairs enclosed by a recycled church door. Very cool. We made breakfasts in our kitchen, hung out in the evenings, and spent the days out and about.
Door County has an interesting split personality. The spine is decidedly rural and agricultural, but the coast and harbors were obviously long time tourist haunts. We went to numerous restaurants with nary a stinker - all were great, and some, like Mr. Helsinki's, were excellent. Art galleries and boutiques abounded in the harbor towns ($7,000 needlepoint anyone? As gorgeous as it was expensive), as did inns and B&B's ensconced in old houses. The harbors were full of expensive boats, and much of the shoreline was lined with expensive private 'cottages' and parks. And pretty busy for being past Labor Day. Definitely a place to go off-season.
The ride started at the beginning of civil twilight, 6:22 AM. Betsy and Jim started early to get a head start - the rest of us started around 7 and worked towards catching up. It was a clear, cool morning, with riders leaving as they arrived. We got off at a pretty good clip up the west coast, and Ann quickly discovered the joys of drafting at speed. So we ran a little pace line, with other riders joining and leaving as our paces matched. The first rest stop was coffee, donuts, and fruit at the shore. Can you beat that? Though Jim and Betsy had been there earlier and Jim still hasn't recovered from the disappointment of no coffee yet when they arrived. 
Each stop had fruit, bars, drinks, and usually sandwich fixings. We caught up with Jim and Betsy at the second rest stop (rather they waited for us), and we continued on together, some riding ahead, others keeping their own company a little back. Jan drove to several of the rest stops to cheer us on and take photos and unwanted gear. They said between the 2,600 bikes and the tourists and rider supporters in cars, the traffic was terrible. It seemed great from a bike - never any problem. We stopped at a high lookout tower, and had to run up for pictures of the coast and the riders below. Several more stops and beautiful harbors, coastline roads hidden by nestled estates and cottages, and we climbed inland into farm country. A loop up near the tip of the peninsula, and back down. As the day progressed we noticed the wind rising. We came back down to the east coast and hit my favorite stop - strawberry shortcake on the harbor. Sweet. 
It was warmer now as we climbed back inland. Ann had challenged me to make the mostly flat ride more challenging at her pace by riding in a single gear, so I had chosen a 53:14 combination early on that worked well at our pace on flats, but we suddenly hit a short, very steep climb. I had ascended a few similar but less steep hills earlier, but this one was too much for my cleats and my shoes kept popping off the pedals. I had to jump off an run up the rest of the hill. In the corn fields it was blowing a pretty good headwind from the south. Jim Phelps and I pulled for Dean and Ann, Jim further back for Betsy. It felt good on the final gentle descent back to the shore as we entered the shade and wind break of trees and felt the cool of the lake. 
One goal left before the finish - the stop at mile 92 for cheese curds. This goal was particular (should I say peculiar?) to Ann. She'd never had cheese curds and decided that 92 miles into a 100 mile ride was the time to try them. I had never tried them either, but then I was bereft of that desire. Unfinished cheese didn't call out to me. But there we were at the historic Coast Guard station, in line for curds. In the end I had to try one. Salty, bland, chewy, and with an interesting squeak. Bleh. You could have them with pickles too (a local tradition?), but I passed in favor of a mound of orange slices. Then on to the finish through a nicely chosen route of residential streets that avoided the state highway crossing by going under the lift bridge and along the harbor to Sturgeon Bay and the county fairgrounds. There was a fun bike expo and pasta feed in the livestock barn (a much nicer space than it sounds), with free drinks, and yes, cherry pie for desert. That was good. Though in the end, it was the strawberry shortcake that I liked best. Maybe we shouldn't call it the Pie Century any more....Dinner at Julie's Cafe in Fish Creek Harbor was wonderful. The special was Czech roast pork with homemade spetzle, delicious cabbage (I ordered seconds there) and even Czech beer. Was that young waiter with the eastern European accent by chance Czech?
The rest of the crew headed home the next morning, but we hung on into the afternoon to explore some more with Jim and Ena. They took us back to Ephraim (only seen fleetingly by bike the day before) and we played in the water of the harbor with Lola (quite the water dog, Labradoodle that she is), and had a nice lunch at the Chef's Hat.
It was a great extended weekend vacation with friends, and it was nice to have experienced guides to Door County. It will be fun to go back some day.
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