CHAPTER ONE: THE RIDING DROUGHT IS OVER

 

Thinking back over the past 18 months or so as we all went through our various stages of isolation, quarantine, shut downs, mask wearing, arm poking, and etc. I wonder how many times you, like I did, sat and thought “I have nothing to do”?  And possibly, to some degree as covid is still causing havoc, here on July 22^nd some of you may still be thinking those “nothing to do” thoughts.  I want you to know that I am here to serve and am taking it upon myself to give the masses an escape from this virus induced boredom.  Yes, I can hear what you’re saying.  You are wondering how in the world I can make such a statement.  I am willing…JUST FOR YOU….to sacrifice myself and partake in a motorcycle road trip so that I might journal the travels which, in turn, will give you something to read to help you to either A) pass the time, B) cure your insomnia or C) inspire you to jump on a motorcycle and head across the country.  Regardless of your reason I hope that you, my fellow travelers, to read on.

 First of all, you should know that I have been suffering right along with the rest of you.  I am quite certain that there has been no 18 month period in the last 51 years of motorcycle ownership that I have ridden less miles than this past 18 months.  Since March of 2020 there have been stretches of many days in a row where the poor motorcycle has gone untouched.  Nevertheless, my trusty steed has remained tough and kept its emotions in check.  I know that fact because I constantly look underneath for signs of leakage ( aka..tears ) but there has been none…………..meaning that the bike either has no leaks or that it has no fluid left in it at all.

 Before I get all emotional and can no longer see to type (unlike a lot of people I actually NEED to see in order to be somewhat successful in putting my fingers onto the correct keys and in the proper order) I think it my duty to let you know what is in store for you as you read ( skim ) through all the words that will fill this blog.

 After several years of doing annual rides from Daytona Beach to Michigan I made my last run up there in 2016.  I announced to my kids and grands that it was now time for them to visit me.  I mean, for Heaven’s sake, I live in Florida and they live in Michigan……so it only makes sense.  Right?  Over the course of the following five years, I did two rides to Washington, DC, a couple to Georgia, one to Texas, and a ride that followed the entire coastline of Florida and, keeping with my aforementioned proclamation, none to Michigan.  However, the expected non-stop parade of visitors from Michigan just didn’t seem to materialize.  Oh sure, there were a couple of visit but not quite to the measure I expected.  Something needed to be done and I figured that I was just the guy to do it.

 It was apparent that what needed to be done was for ME to ride to Michigan.  Given that realization, I will, in fact, ride to Michigan if the Good Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise.  I haven’t been up there on the motorcycle for 5 years and I think that it is about time, don’t you?  I will get to see old friends ( the emphasis is on “OLD” ) from my home turf.  I will get to travel into Northern Michigan and visit with the next two generations of my cherished offspring.  This will allow me to see and do things that will stir up the memories and emotions of decades past.  To top it all off, I am going to share most of everything with you.

 Starting now!

 As I write this, I have traveled hundreds of thousands of motorcycle miles over the past 5+ decades.  Trust me, I am truly thankful.  I am now OLD…..I know this fact because I have been told that my birth certificate was etched on a cave wall.  I am not ashamed of being OLD and even though being OLD has its share of hardships (like getting out of bed in the morning) I also know that being OLD is a gift.  It is a gift that many people do not get the chance to experience.  I also know that because I am OLD, and apparently I am getting OLDER each and every day, my days of riding a motorcycle are numbered.  That number may be small or it may be large.  There is really no way of knowing.  I could wake up any day (or not) and realize that my riding days have come to an end for any variety of reasons.  Due to that fact, I will continue to ride as long as I can, be it just one more day or 40 more years.  I do have a dream of riding a motorcycle on a 4,000 mile road trip to celebrate my 90^th birthday……so stay tuned.  I’ll type a journal of the trip as long as I don’t fry the keyboard by drooling all over it.

 

That dream is 17 years in the future.  So right now, in July of 2021, I am preparing to hit the road for 18 days or so.  I will let you peek in as I prepare the bike, plan my route, and pack up.  Some of you have read through some of my past journeys.  I appreciate you and welcome you back.  Some of what you read will be much like what you read in previous ramblings but I will try to make it “seem” new.  For those of you who have never followed me on a road trip……WELCOME.  Be prepared to be astounded, amazed, awestruck, bowled over, floored, and…..oh wait, that is what they say before a Penn and Teller show.  I just hope that you will be, to some degree, entertained as I take you along with me.  If you are a motorcyclist, you will see how one person prepares for a trip and how life is on the road.  It will be a different story for every rider.  This is MY story.  If you are not a motorcyclist…………WHY NOT?  Oops, sorry.  If you are not a motorcyclist maybe you’ll come to understand a little what is going on inside our heads, which, according to a lot of spouses, is not much.

 

It has been the same over the decades that whenever I prepare for a road trip.  I always think back to my motorcycle beginnings.  My first bike was a 1970 Honda CL350 Street Scrambler.  I rode that bike all over the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.  There were two or three times when I picked up my girlfriend at 5:00 AM, rode two-up 150 miles to Cedar Point in Ohio, partook in amusement park rides all day,
and rode the 150 miles back home that night.  I recently sat on an old CL350 and I’m not sure that I could ride today the mile to Walgreen’s to pick up my blood pressure meds let alone two-up for a 150 mile ride to do roller coasters all day long.  My brain still thinks it is 25 years old…..the body, not so much.

 I did a little bit of agonizing about the route that I would take and my stops.  I didn’t want to do all interstate and slam the whole trip.  At the same time, I didn’t want to do all U.S. highways because of the time required.  I have decided to mix the two….some interstate and some not.  The plan is for a 3 day trip north from Daytona Beach to Waterford, MI to begin on July 28^th.  Then there would be a 4
day trip south back to Daytona starting on August 11^th which will have me pulling back into my driveway on August 14th.  I’ll also fill you in on details as the trip proceeds and keep you up to date on all the traveling excitement….or lack thereof…..as each day passes.

 Now comes the prep period.  First I have to pack.  This is a challenge because this will be an 18 day trip.  As I will explain in my next post this will mean that I have to have enough clothing to last me the entire 18 days when the trip starts.  That is a LOT of clothes to be packed on a motorcycle.  I might have to stuff socks into all my pockets.  I have been reminded that I can use underwear two days  if I turn them inside out….I am electing NOT to do that.  I have faith that I will have everything loaded on the bike by the morning of July 28^th.

 My bike, which is a 2019 Suzuki Boulevard C90T, is pretty much ready to go.  I do have to change the oil in the next couple of days but other than that it is ready to hit the road.  I will give it a once over with my favorite bike cleaner, Original Bike Spirits Spray Cleaner and Polish.  That means that when I pull out of my garage early in the morning of July 28^th the bike will be shining.  That can change at any time over the following 432 hours.

 So, buckle up and join me on this excursion across the country.  View the sights through my eyes, meet some of my friends, enjoy my time with my kids and grandkids, and visit with me some sights and sounds from my past.  I hope that you enjoy.

Feel free to comment on my trip and how I go about it.  I will sprinkle my blog posts with photos and there will be photos for my Facebook followers.  Stay tuned for the internet address to ALL the photos of this trip ( and, for that matter, all my other trips of the last decade and a half ) that I will share with you in the final blog entry for this trip.