Sep 20. Heading Home, Part 2

   Just a few miles into our ride, we went through the gate in the prison wall of the first state of Michigan prison, which was built in 1839 and the wall in 1841.  So it has been over 180 years that prisoners have been locked up at Jackson.


   From Jackson to Concord we traveled on another rail trail, the Falling Waters Trail. Both yesterday's and today's trail and some shorter ones in the city of Jackson are going to be part of the Great Lake-to-Lake Trails Route #1 from South Haven to Port Huron when the gaps between trails are completed.  It went through what we thought was an impoundment, but someone along the trail told us it was where marl used to be quarried and now is known as Lime Lake. 
 
                              Lime Lake
                       Tunnel of Trees          
                               Tree-Star           
   As we were coming into Marshall, we heard thunder so quick checked a map and found a park a couple blocks away.  Sure enough, it had a pavilion under which we took refuge just as the rain started to fall.  After about a half hour, the rain quit and we headed on our way again, dry.  Even though there was a chance of rain early in the evening, we still decided to camp at Ft Custer Recreation Area.  Thankfully, the darker clouds were off to the east as we set up camp, and on our last trip to the restrooms before turning in, it was partly cloudy with stars visible between the clouds, and flashes of heat lightning off in the southeast.  

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