Our 19th annual SummerTour, The Thumb Tour, is a circle route in the Thumb of  Michigan. Our tour concept is to take the tour to a different part of Michigan each year and to have only two overnight locations at Michigan State Parks. This year, we are using a private campground for the first overnight stop. The tour starts at Caro High School in Caro, Michigan on Wednesday, July 9, 2008. We will ride for five days and return to Caro on Sunday, July 13, 2008.

This is a bicycle CAMPING tour with overnights as follows: Wednesday night – Lake Huron Campground north of Port Sanilac (63 miles); Thursday night - A layover day at Lake Huron Campground (53 or 31 mile options); Friday night - Albert E. Sleeper State Park at the tip of the thumb (65 miles); Saturday night - A layover day at Albert E. Sleeper State Park (76 or 40 mile options.) We return to Caro on Sunday (48 miles). All mileages are subject to change.

For this year’s tour, we have tried to keep the mileage short, but because we try to find activity destinations each day, the Saturday routes are a little longer than you would normally expect. We also continue the layover concept for more opportunities to explore the roads of Michigan’s Thumb.

SummerTour is a FUN tour with short days, great scenery and good roads through many small towns and tourist areas in Michigan’s Thumb area. We take the routes near parks and swimming areas where possible. At each day’s end, we will be camping with catered meals.

We have tried to show you on your maps where the beaches are along the route. If we missed a few, then this can add to your adventure each day. In general, the routes will be flat to rolling.

Because of the layover days on this ride and relatively short mileage each day, we hope you will stop to smell the flowers along the way and dip your feet into the streams, rivers, and lakes that you encounter.

If taking a motor vehicle and/or recreational vehicle on the tour, the vehicle must be registered with the tour and will not be allowed to be parked on SummerTour sites until 3:00 p.m. State Park permits and campground space for recreational vehicles at Sleeper State Park and Lake Huron Campground are the responsibility of the participant.  The basic fee includes tent camping privileges for registered participants only. Contact Lake Huron Campground at (810) 622-0110 or www.LakeHuronCampground.com for reservations and information.

SummerTour is open to all capable, interested bicyclists.  You need not be a member of any organization.  The first 150 entries were accepted. As of February 20, 2008, no further applications will be accepted.

For further information, send email to <summertour@biketcba.org>.

Included in the basic fee of $160 are your route maps, tent camping facilities for registered participants only, showers, evening meals (Wednesday through Saturday), morning meals (Thursday through Sunday), SAG service, baggage transportation, and long-term parking (at your own risk) at Caro High School. A SummerTour T-shirt is available for $12 if ordered on your application. We plan on having campfires with “S’mores” and munchies in the evenings.