from John and Ruth Riedeman
Editor's Note: The fourth annual Heritage Day ride was held Saturday, September 6, 2003. The ride
was held in conjunction with Heritage Day, a local celebration in Grass Lake, Michigan. Riders had the
opportunity to participate in the ride and then enjoy the activities related to Heritage Day, including
visits to the Coe House Museum, horse drawn wagons, and boat races. The ride consisted of routes of 17,
25, and 50 miles in length on roads in the area of Grass Lake and the Waterloo Recreation Area.
Proceeds from the ride were to support the Grass Lake Community School System's Nature Center.
John and Ruth Riedeman and their daughter, Roz, live in Grass Lake and attended the ride. John and
Ruth have been active in the club for a number of years. They currently coordinate the club's ride
calendar. I spoke with John about the ride. Below is some info about the ride in an interview format:
Editor: Can you give some general information about the ride. Which route did you ride?
John Riedeman: We rode the 25 mile route. Ruth and I rode our tandem bike. Roz followed behind us in
the bike trailer. Some of the roads for the Heritage Day Ride are the same as the roads included in the
Club's Wednesday night rides. [Editor's note: Although the Wednesday night rides have been discontinued
for the month of October, if you check a previous month's ride calendar, you will notice the rides on
Wednesday evenings. Ruth and John lead the "C" rides, starting at the Grass Lake Train Depot, beginning
at 6:00 pm.] It worked out to be a good length for us that day. We did happen to see other Club members
throughout the day.
Ed.: What about the weather? Was it favorable for the ride?
JR: The weather was beautiful for that time of year. It was a bit cool, but not so
cool that it would detract from enjoying the ride.
Ed.: Are there any other details about the ride that stand out?
JR: It was a good ride. As I mentioned, the roads were good and the weather was
good. We also managed to see some animals, including ostriches and cranes.
Ed.: Do you have any comments you'd like to mention about the refreshments, Sag
stop, etc?
JR: As their brochure mentions, they served hot dogs, baked beans, soup, and other
food. Roz was asleep behind us in the bike trailer when we approached the sag stop. We wanted her to
continue sleeping so we rode past it so I can't really provide any details about the sag stop.
Ed.: This is really a small point, just for my own curiosity, and our readers may
not share my need to know. You mentioned they served soup. According to the brochure for the ride, the
ride organizers claim they serve "the best homemade soup you've ever eaten." Anytime someone makes a
claim like that, it gets my attention. Was their soup really that good?
JR:: I remember that they served a tomato soup and a chicken noodle soup. It was
great soup. I won't argue with their claim about the soup; it was very good.
Ed.: What about the Heritage Day events? What events did you observe? Did you
participate in any of them?
JR: In downtown Grass Lake there were some things going on. There were artists
selling their works. The Coe Museum was open and available for people to view. On the lake there were
hypdroplane races. After the ride, we just kind of hung out downtown for a while and enjoyed the
afternoon.
Ed.: The brochure for the ride makes reference to the Grass Lake Nature Center.
I'm not familiar with the Nature Center. Do you know anything about it or where it's located?
JR: The ride is organized by Tom Baird, who is a teacher within the Grass Lake
school system. He is the one who is trying to set up the nature center in Grass Lake. The proceeds
from the ride go towards supporting the Nature Center. It is located on the land surrounding the new
Grass Lake High School. The Nature Center is actually still a work in progress. In the past, I've
volunteered time to assist with the work. Some of the work includes building bridges across wetlands
and planting grasses that are native to the area. Some of the existing vegetation is not necessarily
what would occur naturally. At least some of the trails in the Nature Center are intended to be used
by the cross-country runners.
Ed.: John, thanks for providing the information about the ride. It sounds like you
and your family enjoyed it. Based on your experience, when the ride is offered again next year, would
you recommend that people do the ride?
JR: Yes, we enjoyed it and I would recommend it.
