WE DID IT!

I can't believe it, but after 10 days and 48 States we just crossed into Oregon, our last state.

Where we are right now!

Check out our GPS location by clicking here

Day 9 Recap - May 21: The Beautiful West

It was very apparent that we entered the west today. The plains of South Dakota changed into rolling hills and trees. We entered a small town called Aladdin WY, population 15 and, just in case you were wondering, the entire town is for sale. It is all old school, old gas pumps, old store, old folks.

The drive to Devils Tower was phenomenal and one of my favorite rides of the trip. I highly recommend going out there.

While at Devils Tower we met some interesting people filming for the Travel Chanel while going over the mechanic of the bikes:

Day 8 Recap - May 20: A Whole Lotta Straight

Written by Cami and Grant:

Day 8 was refreshingly short in mileage (600 miles feels short to us now) so we decided to take a late start, which all of us appreciated. After eating a hot breakfast at the hotel, we set off on the long, flat, straight road of Iowa. We were very excited to have warm weather, enabling us to take off a couple of our (sometimes even 4) layers.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant in South Dakota where we had good conversation about concerts in the 80s while we ate loads of popcorn. Steve just kept refilling our popcorn baskets before they were even empty and I don't know how much of that stuff we ate! We had an impressively quick waitress also (a huge improvement from the pizza place in Chicago) so lunchtime was very enjoyable. The downside to how full we were after lunch is that it makes the driving after feel very long. We made it up to North Dakota though, where Andy took an awesome picture of the gas station worker, a spunky old man, on his motorcycle. That guy was loving it, and we told him we would recommend his gas station to anyone we knew who was coming to North Dakota. 

In the evening, the sunset was beautiful to watch as we rode over to Minnesota and back down to Aberdeen South Dakota. We finally made it to our destination before doing any riding in the dark and got Steve a nice bowl of soup (just what he wanted) at the Millhouse Family Restaurant before retiring to the comfort of our beds.

By Jared:

Although they call them the Plain states, I was surprised to find they were not as plain as I thought they would be. Today we cruised through Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. Each had their own beauty. A little piece of heaven can be found right on the corner of ND, SD and MN where there is a large lake there that we got to ride around. It was beautiful. Everyone really enjoys getting off the highway and onto back roads for a bit where the scenery is much better and the riding more engaging. Nonetheless, today's ride was a lit of straight, flat backroads. But at least we got to make good time!

Day 7 Recap - May 19: Chicago, My Kind of Town

(By Marc Menlove): Erie to Waterloo

Who would have thought that southern Wisconsin/Northern Illinois would be so amazing.  The rolling hills, farm houses, barns, and dairy cows were breathtaking. It makes you want to up root the family to a small town and live a simple life with far less worries and more time with family and doing the things that are truly important.   As we came off the smaller road out of the country and into Dubuque we crossed the Mississippi river headed west.   As we rolled through town I could smell baked goods baking somewhere. 

We have been heading west now for two days and the thoughts of getting home to see badly missed family are looming.  The miles are getting shooter and easier as time goes by. 

Our country is truly diverse and exciting.  I have found many places off and on the beaten path that I would love to bring my family back someday to explore.  Suddenly the vacation hotspots seem dull as there are so many places in our very own country left unexplored. 

We’re on our way 2 more days!

SEE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW!

Day 6 Recap - May 18: Beautiful New England

I asked Steve Peacock to write up the Day 6 Recap:

Today we started our ride with a different 'feel' concerning what we have been and are doing.  So far we have spent half the time of the ride and traveled over half of the distance - over 4,800 miles of an expected 6,600 miles.  We have struggled through the adjustment to the long days in the saddle.  We have handled the pressures of being split into two different groups for two days with four or more hours separating us. And now on this, the 'over the hump' day we enjoy a leisurely short day heading homeward, and reflecting on the beauty of New England and the heritage/history we find here.  We have smiles on our faces and renewed energy as we're "Hammer Down - Homeward Bound"!

Spring is just coming to New England.  Many of the deciduous trees are just barely developing leaves.  The winters are harsh, but when spring comes it arrives with intensity.  The greens are so very very green!  Our travel takes us westward through southern New Hampshire and Vermont to Albany New York.  The forests have some evergreen, but are 90% leaf bearing.  In the fall the leaves are most brilliant with Orange, Red and Yellow that are so bright they almost fluoresce!  The evergreens serve as punctuation points.  They a green spots in a sea of brilliant color.  Fall in New England is magical! 

This beautiful Highway 101 wanders through small townships that have existed since the founding of the country.  It's a two-lane highway that follows the paths and trails created by the residents over two hundred years ago to get from one village to another. These hardy people live a simple lifestyle.  The homes are modest.  Mostly two stories and square.  Yards are simple.  Where flowering bushes have been planted the colors of the blooms are brilliant - purples, blues and reds to contrast with the green of the lawns and surrounding forests.

Every place the highway goes over a hill and dirt has been moved to flatten the contour the sides of the road expose layers of granite.  Good old New England granite (not dirt and gravel).  It's covered with lichen and moss, plants have grown in the seams, and it's most beautiful!  We stopped to purchase real maple syrup.  We notice at the old country store that the wooden threshold into the building has been worn by countless crossings.  How many stories of joy and tragedy have been told by those entering or leaving.  We pause to take photos of the 'Creamery Bridge'. 

The numerous lakes we pass have us looking for moose in the swampy fringes.  Passed over Hogback Mountain (2,300 feet above sea level) where you can see three states (New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont).  As we ride up and down the shady hillsides we have a chance to recall phrases of our early heritage;  "One if by Land - Two if by Sea", the "Green Mountain Boys", words on the revolutionary flag "Don't Treat On Me", and people and places like Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, Walden Pond, and the 'Tea Party".

This has been a journey through early Americana!  We moved through upstate New York enjoying easy riding on divided highway.  Along the way we paused to visit Palmyra and spent a few moments in the Sacred Grove!  WOW!!!!!  Part of our party wanted to see Niagara Falls - and did!  The sunset was particularly touching. The rest of the group just wanted to find a bed.  We stopped in Erie, Pa. for the night.  Lake Erie was off our right shoulder, and it's so huge you can detect the curvature of the earth's surface on the horizon of the lake. 

Tomorrow promises a challenge.  Almost 800 miles to travel, but the biggest concerns are the early start and the intense stress of negotiating the traffic around Cleveland, Toledo and Chicago!  In a car - no big deal.  But a group of 5 bikes trying to stay together with city traffic, speed up-slow down, DON'T CUT ME OFF!  It will be a stressful day.  But today - a bit of heaven enjoyed on two wheels with the wind in our faces and the sunrise at our back!  We're comin' home!

It happens to the best of us:

Riders #5 and 6 - Grant and Cami Sumsion

“How Crazy Are You?”  When I read the subject line of Doc’s e-mail last winter I knew he was working on another Ironbutt. My response after learning it was to be the 48/10?  “I just might be that crazy.”  My wife’s reply?  “Noooo.”

Maybe motorcycles suit me because they are a wonderful mix of the rational and the irrational.  So economical, so exhilarating.  So practical, so foolish.  I rationalized my way onto a Harley-Davidson nine years ago, when my pickup truck was bleeding me dry at the pump.  “Maybe I should start taking the bus.  But I would need something to get around during the day.  What happens when I need to run to court?  A bicycle?  No, too sweaty.  A scooter?  Sure.  Did you know that scooters are actually more dangerous than motorcycles?  They lack the power necessary to move with traffic at highway speeds.  Really?  Well, that’s what some guy on the internet said.  Works for me.  Plus if I have to go to Salt Lake for something, I couldn’t go on a scooter.”  Boom!  I had talked myself into getting a motorcycle.  Completely practical, right? 

From there it was a purely emotional step to get the Harley.  My grandfather was a Harley dealer 100 years ago.  Here he is with his “business card” showing him with a 1914 Model.

I rode some other bikes but they just didn’t feel the same.  When I took that first test ride on my 2005 Super Glide, I was hooked.  There was something of a connection there with Grandpa Hellyer.  More than that though, was the sensation I remember from a recurring dream from my childhood.  You may have dreamt, as I did, of flying.  My dream flight wasn’t the superman, fly over tall buildings kind stuff.  In my dreams I flew very low, almost as if I were hovering just above the ground.  I think I will never forget those dreams, nor the identical sensation I felt when I rode my motorcycle over Ironton hill.  Hovering just above the ground, the wind in my face.  Flying.

The next summer Harley-Davidson had their HOG rally in Billings, MT, where Grandpa had lived and I had graduated high school.  I had to go.  I talked my middle daughter, Cami, into joining me.  Despite frigid temperatures as we rode through Yellowstone after dark, she endured the trip cheerfully and was an ideal traveling companion.

She also joined me on my first group motorcycle tour, which was when I met Doc– my wife’s parents’ neighbor’s dentist (so we’re practically related).  My father-in-law had invited me to join them on a tour of southern Utah.   On the first night, at a grimy motel in Panguitch, Doc initiated the new members of the Bar-T Riders (a title I could not earn for several more trips).  Quite the showman, I thought.  I’ve since joined Doc on rides to Jackson Hole, Glacier National Park, Jasper/Banff, and the Black Hills – each time joined by one of my daughters.  A few years ago Doc and I did our first Ironbutt – a Saddle Sore 1000 across the Nevada desert and back.  There is a lot of show there, but even more “go”. 

Maybe because I had started to enjoy recreational riding so much, I felt a growing need to balance that fun time with something more useful.  In 2009, after I upgraded to a Road King Classic, rode to Glacier National Park, and got my first taste of huckleberry ice cream at the Big Dipper in Missoula, I helped to found the Ride Against Child Abuse (www.rideagainstchildabuse.org).  Now in its sixth year, we’re still trying new things to help it grow. I’m happy to find any chance I can to bring more attention to the ride and encourage more riders to support our efforts – including my participation in this ride.

Considering my schizophrenic desire to be involved in something at once beneficial and yet ridiculously impractical, when Doc asks, “How crazy are you?”  the only possible response is, “Just crazy enough.”

Day 5 Recap - May17: The Halfway Point!

A bunch of video recaps of Day 5 from Baltimore to New Hampshire. That includes New York City which was awesome and crazy, especially in a Goldwing. I particularly loved Maine and New Hampshire and look forward to coming back there and riding one year in the fall. Spirits are high especially since the ride day was shorter today and tomorrow. It's all heading west from here on out!
Check out our location right now at:

WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. CLICK HERE

Marc Menlove - Day 5

Steve Peacock - Day 5

Grant and Cami - Day 5

Jared Hansen - Day 5

Andy Eberhardt - Day 5

Breakfast - Day 5

Border Stops - Day 5

The Big Apple - Day 5

Day 4 Recap - May 16: The Reunion

SEE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. CLICK HERE:

Two Important things learned from our ride on Day 4:  One, there is power in numbers and two, GOD created the Western area of Virginia for motorcycle riders.

Jared and I left Rock Hill, NC early Friday morning as planned knowing the Steve, Marc and Grant were 2.5 hours behind us in Atlanta where they slept the night before.  All of the logistics required for a trip like this seemed to be getting better by the day.  We were all improving but still behind our schedules.  For Jared and I, it was keep with the schedule that Steve took three years planning.  For the other three, it was to make up time and catch up.....and so they did.  After fueling at our second stop and preparing to mount the bike, I saw three heavenly beings come toward me named riding a Victory, Goldwing and Harley.  We were UNITED!  The energy, love and emotion of us finally being together was electric.  For 36 hours the three were chasing the rabbits at great cost and succeeded.  Each of us had smiles ear to ear as we hugged, logged our books and headed out of Jenkins, KY as a united group.

If you have a motorcycle bone in your body, you need to drop everything and come ride the "Back of the Dragon" in Tazewell County VIrginia,.  Not only does this area rival Ireland's beaut, but the Motorcycle God's laid miles and miles of the most beautiful paved roads and integrated hills, turns and more turns......and then more turns.  Many felt riding the Dragon was the closest thing to playing a video game or being injected to the most recent Tron movie.  I felt it was the highlight of the trip and am still smiling.

From there we headed to Roanoke, Virginia for our first oil change and 90 minute break and then through Baltimore to Edgemont, Maryland to rest our heads at 1:30 am.

Grant and Cami (batteries died so it got cut short):

Some great ride videos:

Day 3 Recap - May 15

I asked Andy Eberhardt to take the reins for the Day 3 blog. Enjoy:

Jared asked me (Andy) to jot a few things down before I went to bed this evening.  It’s 2:30am in Flat Rock, NC.  We’ve been behind the clock all day today as a result playing catch up since separating from Marc, Steve and Grant the night before in Arkansas.  It’s hard that we are not all together but it’s a decision we made together.  Slowly but surely, Marc, Steve and Grant are catching up to us. Steve is very ill, make is playing support to Steve and Grant and Kami had to stop in Mobile Alabama for a mechanical stop.  It may see odd to most that we are not waiting for them but the show must go on as we each are shooting to complete our objective of the 48/10. All sun today, with 100% dry roads.  Jared and I covered nearly 800 mile todays through the South.  The other three covered more as they started the day 3.5 hour behind us.  The three decided to stay in Atlanta instead of Rock Hill and should be up early heading toward us as we will head out at 8:00am sharp toward Maryland tomorrow. 

Because of the lush vegetation, there isn’t a whole lot to see other than the small towns we fuel in.  By the way, we are up to 32 fuel stops through 30 day of riding.  In three days now, we are nearing 3000 miles of road behind up.  We’ve noticed the change in people’s personalities at the gas stops as clearly the South is full of charm and kindness like no other.  I’ve had several inquisitive people jump on my bike for a picture at our stops.  It usually comes at a cost of a brief explanation of our trip and a religious conversation about my beliefs and some kind of invitation to learn more.  I believe Marc brought several copies of the Book of Mormon and handouts.  Many might believe that this trip may get a little boring.  Not a chance!  Every second on the saddle a decision is being thought about.  It’s constant strategy, logistics, communicating, planning, anticipating and staying alive.  At the core of each decision…it’s all about how we move forward together, nothing more.

Here’s some math to consider that is staggering before I rest my vibrating body and ringing ears.  Since pushing off from St. George Utah 70.5 hours ago, it appears that I have had a total of 6.5 hours of sleep in that time period with the other 64 hours on a motorcycle at 60-80mph.  Being on the bike brings energy and life in a way that’s hard to explain.  There is no reason I should be standing upright and not asleep but the constant objective in our heads keep pushing us forward at a staggering rate.

By the way, whether Jared believes it or not….he snores as hard as anybody. J

Day 2, Part 2 Recap - May 14

We are a day behind on posts, but we will get caught up by tonight. Day 2 was long, and cold and sobering. Here is a video of us starting Day 2, in 28 degree weather in Trinidad, CO at midnight, video of some bike patches, getting in MS at 3:30am and another video recap from Andy the following morning:

Start of Day 2:

Trinidad, CO:

Bike Patching:

Andy's Recap:

Day 2 Recap - May 14th

So unfortunately, yesterday was very hard and long. Grant, Cami, Marc and Steve pushed as hard as they could and had to stop a little early in Pine Bluff, AR. But Andy and me (Jared) felt so good so under a full moon, we pushed on and ended the day at 4:14am in Vicksburg, MS. We had to be out again at 8:30am so we have not had any time to post things up. So tonight we will post up a Day 2 and Day 3 Recap with tons of photos, videos and stats. Make sure to check us out at the GPS tracker and share our adventure with everyone you know:

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW

Jared Hansen crossing into Louisiana at 3am:

Andy Eerhardt crossing the Mississippi River at 4am:

Day 2 Start - Check Out Where We Are

Take a look where we are right now by clicking on the link below:

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE WE ARE.

Day 1 Recap - May 13

After the first day, my thoughts on this ride are very bi-polar. From beautiful vistas to freezing weather, 28 degrees, this has been a rough first day. We are all very tired after riding 20 straight hours with only quick gas breaks and a 30 minute break for dinner. Since we got in at 12:30 am on May 14th, these are just some short videos of a few of us:

Where Are We Right Now?

Click here tp see where we are right now:

Day 0 - Some Thoughts Before We Begin

Here is our first video on the thoughts of everyone on the team the night before we start this adventure.

Seemed Appropriate

To keep my lip warm on some of those cold mountain passes.

Packing Up Gear

For those who wonder what you can take on a trip like this and what you can fit in a Goldwing.

Day 10 Route - May 22: MT, ID, MA, OR

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Day 9 Route - May 21: SD, WY, MT

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Day 8 Route - May 20: IA, NE, SD, ND, MN

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Day 7 Route - May 19: PA, OH, MI, IN, IL, WI, IA

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Day 6 Route - May 18: NH, VT, NY, PA

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Day 5 Route - May 17: MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, ME, NH

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Day 4 Route - May 16: NC, TN, KY, VA, WV, MD

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Day 3 Route - May 15: MS, FL, AL, GA, SC, NC

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Day 2 Route - May 14, TX, OK, KS, MO, AR, LA, MS

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Day 1 Route - May 13: UT, NV, CA, AZ, NM

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Rider Numero Cuatro: Marc Menlove

Introducing our next rider, Marc Menlove:

From a young age I have always liked things that go fast.  My older brother as a teenager loved to build things including go carts, motorcycles and ATV's. My other 3 brothers and I were his test pilots. He affectionately gave us nicknames for my brother Matt "Matias", for myself Sparky, and for Mitch "Mitch the Stitch" and for Chad it was just "big bad Chad".  He was constantly taking things apart around the house to use on his next project.  I remember watching one of my fellow  test pilot  brothers on the lawn mower go cart trying to mow the lawn when the throttle stuck.  Of course there was no kill switch so just before running into a brick retaining wall in the backyard he reached back and pulled the spark plug wire off the spark plug as he slammed into the wall.  I remember the day my older brother brought home two very old, broken, not running motorcycles.  I asked him what are you going to do with those?  He said build one that works.  He worked for months in the shed and then finally emerged one day with a beautiful big blue motorcycle that we affectionally called "Big Blue".  

When about 14 years old two of my brothers and I convinced a teenage friend to sell us his Honda 120 endure. This began the love affair with two wheels.  It became a great way to get around until someone told us you have to be 16 and have a license to ride motorcycles.  I have a 94' soft tail that belonged to my brother Mitch.  After he very unexpectedly passed away in his sleep about 4 years ago I bought the bike from his wife.  I now ride his motorcycle as a way to remember him.  Every July near the day he passed I go for a ride on his motorcycle and remember him. It is just a motorcycle and has no eternal significance but it helps me to think of the things that do have significance as I remember my good brothers life, his example, where he may be and what he might be doing. 

I have always enjoyed anything that goes fast and connects you to the outdoors.  I also enjoy a good challenge and the excitement of gearing up for a challenge.  This is what intrigued me when a friend Andy came to pay a special visit at my home.  Several months ago Andy comes to my house and says " Marc I need to talk to you privately in the living room"  immediately  I new that this might be something big.  As I sat and listened to him roll out and pitch the  48/10 and tell me that he just bought a Goldwing.  I thought to myself "he's gone nuts, poor Nikki, and A GOLDWING! why would you ever want a Goldwing, actually that sounds kind of fun, when do we go".   I still at that point walked Andy to the door not thinking that I would ever attempt a ride like the one he was explaining.  However in  the days and weeks to come I found myself dreaming of the bike and route and the adventure.   After my wife agreed to the trip I had no choice but to buy the bike and make the trip.  

I'm excited to see the sights, meet the people along the way and learn something new.  I'm grateful to be along for the ride with Steve, Andy, and Jared and trust there preparation and judgement. (especially Steve's)  I look forward to getting to know them well, hear them snore, whine, and laugh.   There are many life lessons to be learned on the road I hope to learn many of them on this adventure. If in doubt ride it out. 

Ride on my friends!

Rider Numero Tres: Jared Hansen

Introducing me, Jared Hansen:

"I think, subconsciously, it’s all about Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli.

"For every Halloween from age 5 to about 11, I cuffed my jeans, greased my hair, slid into a white t-shirt, and donned a pleather jacket before I took off into the neighborhood. When every door cracked open I popped out both my thumbs, and in the best Fonzie voice I could muster at an adolescent age, I crooned out “Aaayyyyyeee!”

"Most likely, it may just be the repressed child within me still looking to be as cool as Fonzie. But as I grew and appreciated more of what riding motorcycles meant, a few things stood out:

"Get Lost - There is something about the break from the structured monotony of our daily grind that dissipates the minute you fire up a motorcycle. Open mind. Clear thoughts. Liberation. Riding on a road that nobody would ever travel on, would have no reason to travel on, unless they had a motorcycle. Gliding on two wheels in the middle of nowhere with only the asphalt in front of me as if it had been scratched into the open range only moments before I arrived. Only the persistent nagging thought of “What if I just kept on going?” interrupts my quiet. The open road provides clarity unattainable within the commotion of the suburban streets.

“When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

"Dominion Over Steel and Fire - There is a power that  every rider holds over the machine they ride. With the rotation of my wrist, I control fuel, fire and steel, a team of nearly 100 horses. I decide when to turn, when to stop, and when to move forward. Yet in the same moment, I also realize that I am at the mercy of everything around me to bring me home alive. It is the perfect balance of power and submission.

"Unison - Part of my love for motorcycles also comes from my love of restoring old motorcycles. Take a thousand small, insignificant and useless pieces on their own, combine them specifically, and you can travel at 100 miles an hour. I am fascinated that all these can come together and work in unison perfectly. Thousands of moving parts all fulfilling their individual purpose, combined to fulfill one greater.

"Or….maybe at the end of it all, it is really just about the Fonz." 

Rider Numero Dos: Steve Peacock

Introducing the man who put this adventure together:

"The seeds were planted as a little boy.  My grandpa would time me, and Boots (my Shetland Pony) and I would see how long it would take to tear around a full city block and return to the front yard.  With visions of Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger passing in front of my eyes Boots and I would be 'off'!  With vicious savages in pursuit we would cut the corners, kick up some dust, sit low in the saddle, and enjoy the wind!  The ability to run with the wind without having to use my own leg power (either to run or 'pump') projected me into a whole new sphere.

"As a mid-teen I had a German made 50cc motorbike.  I rode it to the fields in the summer to haul baled hay for local farmers.  I rode it to the lakes to fish and camp.  I rode it into the mountains, and by using a larger rear sprocket it was possible to climb slopes that were absolutely terrifying when it was time to come back down.  I visited herds of elk in areas that would have taken hours of hiking.  I  hunted rock chucks, pheasants and mourning dove.  On summer evenings I would take young ladies for a ride that were seeking a thrill.  Well, they weren't the only ones seeking a thrill.

"In the early '80's a Suzuki 850 cc 'ride' landed in the garage.  It had four cylinders with a shaft drive - smooth and responsive. It was unbelievably fast and smooth  with power to spare.  Rode it to California a couple of times, and all over Utah.  Fun and exciting was an understatement!  However a young family and growing practice took priority, and the iron pony sat.

"By 2006 the family was grown and gone.  Golf had consumed endless hours and provided a great excuse to travel the western states looking for beautiful spots and unusual golf courses.  Still there was an unmet 'itch' in my life.  I had friends that had motorcycles, and patients that had motorcycles.  The stories of travels, with wind and weather, small towns and twisty roads became too much!  Some time on EBay disclosed the possibility of buying used and revealed a great selection to choose from.  The mouse clicked, the purchase was made, and the new 'pony' was on it's way.  Now to tell Regina!!

"Arriving home after work  Regina asked "How was your day?"  I grumped and groused.  I sighed and let my shoulders droop.  She inquired ..  "What is wrong?"  With a heavy  exhale I said "I don't know what it is.  I think I'm having a mid-life crisis.  I think it's either another woman or a motorcycle!"  Actually the bike was scheduled to be delivered the following day, and I hadn't said anything.  I could wait no longer.  THIS WAS IT!  The time to try to explain had come.  Regina smiled, put her finger in my face and said "Trust me 'Bucky', the motorcycle is cheaper"!

"I took that as  a supportive statement in behalf of being economical, the granting of 'carte blanche' status to the project - AND WE WERE OFF!  We had fun adding custom paint and accessories.  We shopped for clothes and gear.  And then the riding started.  Well "WE" have ridden all over the western United States.  We even spent four weeks celebrating our 40th Anniversary in Canada, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, riding the highways and biways and enjoying the whole experience.  We had planned and were ticketed for a two week Mediterranean Cruise and a week in Rome, but decided we would rather 'ride'.

"For the last five or six years the bike wheels have rolled over 12,000 to 15,000 miles annually.  We have been to Mt. Rushmore, the top of Pike's Peak, the deserts of the southwest and the coast of Oregon.  We have traveled through snow, sleet, pouring rain and scorching sun.  There have been refreshing spring and fall days with colors hard to imagine.  The humidity and heat have occasionally made travel oppressive.  The endless views from peaks and passes, the feeling of ocean mist, and the chill of early morning dew has given us an appreciative connection with this good earth we live on.

"In the last several years I have been involved in long distance travel  Read an article in a motorcycle magazine describing an 'Iron Butt 1,000' - the flame was lit.  One year later the Iron Butt Association certified my first ride - a 'Saddle Sore 1,000'.  That's 1,000 miles in a 24 hour period.  The following year it was a 'Bun Burner 1,500" (1,500 miles in a 36 hour period) and a 'Border to Border' (Mexico to Canada in 36 hours).  But the 'crown jewel' - the '48/10' seemed huge!  Almost insurmountable!  Ride in all 48 states in a ten day period - what a challenge!

"After three years of planning.  Routing.  Adjusting.  Re-routing.  More planning.  THE TIME HAS COME!  At this point less than 100 individuals have completed this most challenging endurance ride.  Four of us will make the attempt beginning in mid-May.  This will prove to be a most difficult undertaking.  There has been untold attention to small details and arrangements.  Hotel reservations have been made.  We have tried to anticipate all contingencies.  The reality of this daunting task weighs heavily.  BUT - a new brotherhood has been born, and with anxiety and excitement we approach this together.

"Andy, Jared and Marc - couldn't find three 'buds' I would rather attempt this with.  We look to support one another, encourage one another, and when needed lift one another to this unusual accomplishment.  GOOD LUCK!  May this small 'band of brothers' be safe and successful.  I relish the challenge but find myself filled with questions.

"BE SAFE MY BROTHERS!  BE STRONG OUR PONIES!  BE KIND MOTHER NATURE!  GOOD FORTUNE - SMILE UPON US!"