In its 26th year, the Tour da UP bike tour in the upper peninsula of Michigan caught our attention. Hosted by Teaching Family Homes (TFH), a non-profit organization that helps fund programs to benefit victims of violence and trauma, we thought we would share a review of this tour for you to check out.
Riders of the 2015 Tour da UP gather for a group photo.
First we looked at their website
Looking over their website we read that this 5-day tour allows you to set your own pace with the assurance that SAG support would be there if you ever needed assistance. Followed by what you will see and experience on this ride:
- The scenery of Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula
- Opportunities to walk the beaches along three of the Great Lakes
- Visit numerous historical sites and Mackinac Island
- See the largest waterfall east of the Mississippi, Tahquamenon Falls
- Plus, the camping, food and support while on the ride.
So we asked to contact a past rider for their viewpoint of the Tour
Here is Cheryl Sina on her bike enjoying the flora and fauna of the U.P.
Given the contact of a past rider, we interviewed Cheryl Sina, from Oshkosh, WI. who is returning for her 5th Tour da UP. So we asked her what makes this ride so special?
Cheryl shared how she got involved in the Tour
“It started with my first tour in 2012. With my car loaded with bike and camping gear, I headed off alone, I would not know anyone on this ride. As riders filtered in for registration, I could tell that many of them had been on the ride before. There was a constant chatter of familiar greetings and getting reacquainted – who had arrived already, who was still coming, and have you heard from him/her. Little did I know that as I waited my turn, I was about to be embraced by the TFH Family.
Another rider asked if I’d been on the ride before, if I had anyone riding with me. I explained that I hadn’t and just set off on my own for this little adventure. He said, I was going to have a good time and began introducing me to other riders. He was right – I made a lot of great friends, starting that very moment. I’ve rode every year since and I’m signed up for the 2016 ride which will be my 5th year.”
Some of the new friends Cheryl has enjoyed meeting on the Tour da UP.
Then we asked her why she keeps returning each year to the tour?
“Over the last four years participating in these tours I’ve kayaked on Lake Superior, paddle-boarded for the first time, and have seen some of the most amazing sights that nature has to offer. I’ve made lifetime friendships as a result of Tour da UP. It’s not a large group of anonymous people shuffling from stop to stop. You get to know your fellow rider. You are spending time around a campfire, enjoying a beautiful sunset, and sharing experiences with new friends.
But… let’s not forget that ride participants registration fee helps to support the work that Teaching Family Homes does for kids and families. Meeting the kids that TFH is helping is always special moment for me. To hear even one child tell how TFH has changed their life, taught them the skills they need to make better choices and showed them their self worth – can there be any better reason?”
For more information on riding check out their website: Tour da UP
Riders stop for a photo op in front of a historic artillery structure along the U.P. Coast. (Cheryl is on the lower left)
The Tour da UP is an annual event hosted by Teaching Family Homes (TFH) that helps fund programs to benefit victims of violence and trauma. TFH is a 501c3 non-profit that provides intensive in-home services, juvenile justice diversion and reintegration services, and residential group homes. Our goal is to facilitate self-sufficiency through the enhancement of self-esteem, skill development and inter-personal relationships. www.teachingfamilyhomes.org