The home base for the Amishland and Lakes ride is The Howe School (formerly known as The Howe Military Academy). The school campus provides many amenities that are perfect for the ride; it is in the middle of Amish country, it is a short hop to the lake country of Michigan, it has dorms, a gym for sleeping bag camping, showers, a dining hall, an auditorium and plenty of space for tent and trailer camping. There are also many hotels and B&B’s in the area to provide overnight accommodations for riders.
On Friday afternoon there are two warm up routes (14 and 32 miles) with the longer route going into Shipshewana. This year there will be a mini-SAG stop halfway between Howe and Shipshewana.
The Amishland portion of the ride is on Saturday when the tour heads south into the Amish countryside over scenic and relatively flat roads. Riders have a choice of 25, 36, 50, 63 or 100 mile routes. Over the years, the local Amish have become informal participants in the event. Amish children will sit in their yards along the route and wave to riders as they go by. Many Amish families set up stands to sell baked goods, drinks and even root beer floats to ride participants.
The Lakes portion of the tour is on Sunday when riders head north into the lake country of southwestern Michigan. Distance options are 22, 34, 47 or 59 miles. The 22 mile route is relatively flat, the longer routes do have some hills. This year there will be live music by Acoustic Justice at the Sunday Sturgis SAG stop.
SAG food is a highlight of the ride with an emphasis on locally grown fresh fruits such as blueberries, watermelon and muskmelon. After the ride on Saturday there will be an ice cream social with free ice cream and entertainment featuring the Goldmine Pickers, a popular bluegrass band.
For more information see the ride website: http://www.amishlandlakes.com/
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