Cruising for the Cure

Will the real Dave Clifton please stand up!

2008-09-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

What a difference a shave makes!!!

It is now coming up on two weeks since I pulled into my driveway on Captain America. As mentioned previously, I wanted to give myself a few days to decompress before I felt I could accurately reflect back on my entire Cruising for the Cure experience.

The first 48 hours after I got back to San Diego I was pretty much a zombie. Basically, I was worthless. It was like I could finally let down and relax because I no longer had to be “on high alert” from the moment I woke until the moment I fell asleep each day over the past 3+ months. I found myself no longer having to worry about weather, routes, traffic, road hazards, road closures, repairs, animals (live and/or dead), hotels, restaurants, etc., etc. Bottom-line, my body pretty much just collapsed once I took my shower and finished visiting with my family and the neighbors.

Since my return, I still find myself thinking about my journey each and every day. It brings a smile to my face and a sense of accomplishment that is hard to explain. Sometimes it is the big things and sometimes it is the smallest of experiences that literally gets me laughing out loud. No doubt this looks weird to strangers when I am by myself. The important thing is that reflecting back on my trip brings nothing but huge smiles to Smiley. Even the bad times were good in the end because they made me appreciate the good times that much more.

Yes, the weather sucked much of the time and I did have a few too many mechanical problems with Captain America for my taste, but most of these were caused by my aftermarket customizing of my “ride” and not related to Harley Davidson as a manufacturer. That being said, these “challenges” were all part of my adventure and honestly now I would not trade any of them for the world! They tend to tests one’s ability to think on his/her feet and to solve problems as they pop up. Hell, if you don’t solve them yourself, then who will solve them for you.

Many people have asked me if I have learned anything from my trip and were there any real surprises along the way. Oh boy, where do I start?

First, let’s focus on what I have learned and what I got out of making such a crazy journey:

1. I gained so much personal satisfaction from making the trip. First, this was the first time that I have actually taken an active roll in helping a charity out directly without just writing a check. I have always been “too busy with work or family, etc”. I found talking to people about their experiences with cancer of all types and raising money for Susan G. Komen made me feel really good inside. I highly recommend that you all get involved in some form of charity work. You too will receive much more than you give!

2. The trip totally restored my faith in mankind. I was blown away by the friendliness and generosity demonstrated by so many people all across the US and Canada. I was also taken back by the number of people who wanted to tell me their own or a close family member’s cancer stories. Most of these stories were incredible survival stories, but some were as sad as you can imagine. I was also amazed by the number of people who would make a donation to a stranger who looked like hell. People would approach me due to my prominent clothing and bike logos regarding the trip and ask me questions like, “Are you really doing this?” Which state aren't you riding to? (By the way, I had to do everything I could to keep from laughing when numerous people seriously asked me that question.) Are our citizens treating you nicely? Do you need a place to stay? “Can I help you find something?” This kindness and generosity was demonstrated by all races, genders, and/or economic classes. The people of America and Canada are good people and we should all be proud of one another!

3. The vast majority of the United States and the three provinces of Canada that I rode through were truly beautiful and I would put this scenery up against any in the world. Favorites included Idaho, Montana, BC, Yukon, Alaska, Alberta, Kansas, Nebraska, Main, New Hampshire, Vermont, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

4. Traveling by myself, I was forced to interact more with strangers which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. I have always enjoyed talking to all types of folks, but my journey opened a whole lot of new doors for me. It was obvious to me that the grubbier I got the more I was able to fit in with a much broader section of society than usual. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting almost all of people along the way and with very few exceptions they were “cool”. On numerous occasions I would come away from a conversation thanking my lucky stars that I did not judge the book by its cover!

5. I knew the trip would be mentally and physically demanding, but I really had no idea just how demanding it would turn out to be. No question that weather and the bike issues played into this, but upon reflection I now feel a major reason for the challenge centered on the shear length of the trip and my riding solo. Keep in mind this 23,500 mile ride was over 3 ½ times longer than my previous longest trip in the past.

6. Motorcycle camping is just not my thing! It is either too hot or too cold to camp. In addition, I felt my bike lacked the space I needed to really bring everything I wanted for a “good” camping experience. With hotel rooms averaging only about $90 a day, you will soon see all of my rarely used camping gear on eBay priced for a very quick sale. Any bidders?

7. Plan for anything and everything. Other than the camping gear that I shipped home from Montana, I feel that my pre- trip packing was just about perfect. I highly recommend that you never leave on any motorcycle trip regardless of the time of year or the duration of the trip without having with you great rain gear, warm cloths, a good towing package, your leathers, and a super easy going attitude. You will probably need and use them all!

8. Would I buy another Harley Davidson motorcycle? The simple answer is a resounding YES! During the trip I had an epiphany about my current bike versus the kind of riding I enjoy doing. As mentioned, I only go long haul and seldom ride around San Diego. Captain America is not a “touring bike” but more of a “neighborhood bike”. Over the next several months I will be looking to buy a 2009 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic. This Harley is really designed and built for the kind of riding I know and love.

9. The interest in my sponsor also surprised me. So many folks wanted to know about Titan Sports Media Group, the Olympics in Beijing, and the reasons why the Chinese are getting so motivated regarding living a healthy lifestyle. A day never went by without my engaging in a long conversation or two about these subjects. I enjoyed these conversations greatly and was amazed about the depth of knowledge that so many people have about this incredible country and the great Chinese people. There is no question that Titan should speed up the development of their English website due to the interest that I felt along the way.

I want to thank all of you for following me along my journey and hope you have enjoyed it half as much as I have. At this time I also want to thank those of you who have made a donation to Cruising for the Cure. If you have not yet done so, I sincerely hope you will in the very near future! You can click through on the Susan G. Komen name and it will take you right to their website where donations can be made on line and in the name of Cruising for the Cure. I can not tell you how much both Doreen and I appreciate your important participation in this worthy cause. I am more confident than ever that together we will find the cure and it just may not be that much longer before we can all celebrate.

I also want to thank Doreen and my two great kids for allowing me the luxury of fulfilling my life long dream. Without their support and love this trip would have never happened nor would it have been nearly as enjoyable as it turned out to be. And it goes without saying that I so appreciate Titan and Interval International for also making this journey possible.

At this time I already look back on my journey this summer and it seems like ages ago. No doubt as time goes by I will continue to be living up to my nickname (Smiley) every time I think back on the incredible Summer of 2008. What a "fricking" great adventure it was my friends!!!! Would I do it again? No question about it. I truly had a total blast and feel like I gained so much more than I gave during my Cruising for the Cure adventure. All of the above said, I am really glad to be back in San Diego and looking forward to getting back into the swing of things in Dubai during October. I miss the region and the people greatly.

Enjoy your autumn and be kind to one another. Signing out for now,

"Smiley"

Interesting people I interviewed along the way....

2008-09-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

While in Flagstaff, Arizona while I was riding down the main drag (street) I spotted an SUV with a huge surfboard on the roof. What made this unusual was the fact that I was almost 500 miles from the closest ocean waves. I could not tell immediately if it was a tandem surfboard built for two people to ride the waves or a surfboard built for one person who always stands on it and uses a large paddle to paddle into waves or to explore lakes, etc.

In the car were Minda Simmons (49 years old) and James Holeman (43 years old). They are boyfriend and girlfriend and have been dating for about 6 months. Minda is from Phoenix, but now lives about 20 miles outside of Flagstaff. She is a landscape designer. James was raised back east and he moved to Oahu, Hawaii 13 years ago. There he was the owner of a successful cigar store. He sold it late last year to come to Flagstaff to be close to his 80 year old mother.

The following is their individual views about their sporting lifestyle:

Minda has been an athlete all of her life. She was a big time runner until her knees finally starting to give her significant problems. She loves being outside and is an avid skier, mountain biker. She said she always has to be doing something outside relative to sports. She never goes to a gym. “Too boring and claustrophobic”. She never liked team sports because they were too competitive. She love individual sports that gives you the opportunity to compete against yourself. James and Minda were getting ready to go out to the lake for a two or three hour paddle that afternoon. Relative to diet she never eats fast food (nor does James) and they both eat very healthy. The do eat some meat, but mainly enjoy organic chicken, salads, and fish... She said she will always be involved in a sporting lifestyle because of the way it makes her feel. “It calms me down and makes me feel really good”. If she could have gone to the Olympics in Beijing she would loved to compete in the Long Jump and just being there would be great and the place she finished would not matter to her.

James feels a sporting lifestyle is the “fountain of youth”. He loves individual sports such as surfing, skateboarding, hiking, and also love running, but as he has gotten older he has moved onto to other activities. He too does not like team oriented sports. He recognizes that they are beneficial for many people, but he views them almost as a mob versus the serenity that one gets from doing individual sports. Both James and Minda do not particularly like big crowds so Flagstaff and their individual sports fit them well. Both he and Minda are beginning to get into “vamping” which is camping in his VW Camper Van. James said his sporting lifestyle makes him just feel good, calm, and helps to keep him centred. When I asked him about the Olympics in Beijing he said he would not even have enjoyed participating in any event due to the fact that there would be too many people there and too competitive. “Not his thing”. He is currently doing landscape work, but is planning on opening a cigar shop in Flagstaff by the end of the year.

Minda and James appear to be a perfect match for one another in their relationship based upon their obvious love of the outdoors, healthy lifestyle, and their focus on enjoying the same kind of activities. They were a lovely couple and I could see this relationship really lasting. Both looked very young for their respective ages. Maybe they are right that a sporting lifestyle is the “Fountain of Youth”!

I met a wonderful young sportswoman while I was in Boone, North Carolina. Her name is Amanda Greer. She is a 22 year old single mother of a darling 4 year old boy named Timothy. She is an avid lover of a wide variety of different sporting activities. Currently she works at a gas station and travel shop in her hometown of Boone.

With the encouragement of her father Amanda took up bow hunting about 5 years ago. She lives, breaths, and sleeps bow hunting in her spare time when she is not working or raising her son. For the first several years of her new sport she focused on archery practice and then began to hunt squirrels and rabbits.

Last year Amanda killed her first deer while on a bow hunting trip. She tracked the animal through the woods and her 40 yard shot was perfect (high behind the deer’s shoulder). When I asked her what she gets out of bow hunting she said that it gives her some badly needed alone time and she loves the concentration and patience it takes, being outdoors, and the sense of accomplishment when she makes a kill. Amanda wanted to make sure that I understood that her family loves venison meat and they now only hunt what they will eat. She is not real strict when it comes to her diet, but tries to avoid fast food and loves chicken and salads. She said she is very much looking forward to the start of deer hunting season again this year. Her entire face just beamed when she was talking about bow hunting.

Other sports Amanda enjoys include horse back riding, 4-wheeling, baseball, basketball, fishing and rifle hunting. She loves both team and individual sporting activities. Team oriented sports provide her camaraderie and the ability to meet new friends. She loves the competitive spirits of both individual and team sports.

I asked her why she seems to like only outdoor sports. She replied that she hates being indoors and loves just being outside every chance she can get. She said she is already raising her son to enjoy a sporting lifestyle and feels that being outside and enjoying a wide variety of sporting activity keeps her in shape and allows her “to embrace the wonder of God’s world”. Amanda feels that participating in all these sporting activities brings her peace in her life and gives her a much better ability to deal with the everyday stress of today’s world and life in general.

I came away from my conversation with Amanda feeling that she is very bright and squared away young single mom. I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with her.

Martin Bell lives in Big Sky, Montana and heads the ski academy at the very exclusive private community called The Yellowstone Club. He is 43 years old, married, and has two daughters. Martin has been a sportsman ever since he can remember. For those of you who do not recognize his name, let me refresh you on some of the history.

He was born into a competitive sporting Scottish family in Dec of 1964 at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. He started skiing at age 6 with his younger brother close behind him at the Karl Fuchs’ Struan House Ski School in Cairngorm, Scotland. His racing career started at age 8 and he went on to become the all time most successful skier in United Kingdom history. Some of his achievements include the following:

1. He was on the World Cup circuit from 1979 to 1995
2. Martin went on to compete in the downhill at 4 Winter Olympic games (1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996) and finished 8th in the 88 Calgary Olympics
On the World Cub Circuit, he has achieved 8 top 10 finishes, more than any other British skier. He won 4 national ski titles.
3. He represented Great Britain in 5 World Championships (1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993)
4. In 1986 he placed 5th in the World Cub race at Are, Sweden

The bottom line, Martin Bell is the best UK skier ever and I had the opportunity to sit with him for over one hour and talk about his version of the sporting life. Here is what I found out:

1. He grew up camping, hiking, and skiing
2. He also really enjoyed track and field events and international football a great deal
3. He loves skiing to this day for a variety of reasons including the serenity that he gets from looking out and seeing nature and not buildings everywhere…it is very peaceful
4. He loves to hike, run, mountain bike and he goes to the gym only when it is too cold outside – his wife Laura says that she will catch him on a really cold day lifting his ski boots to get some upper body exercise…she just cracks up
5. He likes ski racing because it is a hybrid between individual and team sports – it is all up to you and how you do, but you still have the comradery of being part of a team.
Conventional team sports are fun somewhat frustrating – he does not like to depend on others
6. When Martin is exercising, he feels alive and can work out his current frustrations – it is almost cathartic in nature
7. He does not watch his diet, but says the great thing is he has always liked eating healthy which included a lot of veggies and salads
8. A business partner and very close friend (Simon Carradan) and Martin developed a new ski aimed at the luxury tier of the ski market. These skies are state of the art, aimed at those who want the best ski and best brand, and will sell for prices starting at about USD$13,000. They will begin with three different skies including a pair for powder, a pair for all around, and a pair for groomed slopes.
9. As for his children, he will not force the sporting life on them, but will encourage them to participate in what ever sporting activities make them happy.
Martin knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that he will always be involved in a sporting life – it keeps him happy and sane and encourages others to find their passion outdoors and just do it! He knows he is happier and healthier because of it.

Michelle Blair is a 19 year old recent high school graduate living in Holdrege, Nebraska. Over the summer she is working selling sweet corn and at Pizza Hut, but in the fall will begin attending Hastings Community College, Hastings, Nebraska. She wants to study Human Services (social work).

Michelle is engaged to be married and feels she leads a very sporting lifestyle. In high school she played on the volleyball and track teams. Today she likes to go jogging (usually 1 or 2 miles every two or three days). Recently she has been going on long walks with her fiancee because it is both exercise and gives them a chance to really talk without all the distractions of their day to day lives.

Michelle loves to fish for anything she can catch and she is learning to hunt for deer. She loves to watch basketball, American football (both the pro’s and college), and also professional volleyball.

Why does she like a sporting lifestyle…. it keeps her body looking great, reduces stress, and she just loves being outside. When she walks or bikes she just loves looking at nature. She would definitely go to the gym, but based upon her income, she simply can not afford it at this time, but plans to in the future as her income increases.

If she could go to the Beijing Olympics this year she would definitely like to compete in the tract and field events. Middle distance running would be her event of choice. What place would she be content in finishing? She does not care, just to go would be an honour and her intention would be to have a whole lot of fun as she takes it all in!

She loves team sports because it gives her an opportunity to become close friends with others and loves the companionship. Although her fiancee is not overly athletic, she will encourage her future children to find their own passion for a sporting life and to pursue it because it makes Michelle very happy.

Brian Backer is 26 years old and obviously into a sporting lifestyle. I figured that out when I walked into a liquor store and saw him working behind the counter. He too has been bitten by the sporting lifestyle bug.

Although very small as a child, Brian goes to the gym 5 days a week for a 1.5 hour workout. Although he used to be thin and kind of wimpy, today he is 6’3” and weighs in at 265 pounds. When not in the gym, Brian is always doing what it takes to get his exercise in. He eats very healthy, takes vitamins, and would rather have 5 or 6 small meals per day. This allows the body to process the small amount of food more quickly and keeps his body fat down to a very acceptable level.

Brian also loves to fish. He is not really a big team sports kind of guy. He loves the individual competition aspect of his sport. He really likes fishing…..man against nature and you only have yourself to blame!

Brian is single and loving it. He would also love to meet a nice Chinese girl to date. He will not force his future children into a sporting lifestyle, but feels it will happen as they see how much fun and enjoyment Brian is having with his life long commitment.

No doubt, if Brian could go to the Beijing Olympics he would like to participate in weightlifting. It is his life and his passion. He would only be satisfied with 1st place or why go?

What does he get out of his sporting lifestyle?

· Satisfaction
· Staying in shape
· And it releases all the stress and strain he is currently going through

Brian knows that he will continue to live this sporting lifestyle for the balance of his life because he remembers when he was thin and unhappy and now everything has changed for the better!

That's it for now folks, later gators!

"Bring it on home"

2008-09-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Waking up in Salina, Kansas was a bit odd. The weather had definitely turned cooler with the cold front from the north colliding with the remnants of Fey from the south. I got up early that morning and walked outside to check the weather first hand after listening to the Weather Channel in the early morning hours. I ended up starting the day wearing my chaps, a short sleeve and a long sleeve tee shirt, my electric vest and my heavy leather jacket.

My mood for the first time during this journey seemed to be more focused on making tracks and getting home to see the family and in time for my niece’s wedding versus just overcoming the current day’s obstacles. No doubt I would now be gearing up for some long days in the saddle and anxiously looking forward to pulling into my driveway. We have all had the feeling you get when you realize that your vacation is coming to a close.

As I pulled out of Salina that morning I could not help but reflect on the jerk hotel guy from the night before and a really nice guy that I had met at the Harley dealer in Salina the day before. These two guys could not have been more different. Thank goodness on this trip the vast majority of the folks I have met during my journey have been absolutely incredible as was this guy at the Harley dealer. Just nice, concerned common people with a real zest for life.

The weather continued to improve as the days ride went along. I decided that I would see if I could make it all the way to Colorado Springs or maybe even Pueblo, Colorado on that day. Although much of the ride was beautiful, by late afternoon the thunder heads were building, but I knew I was past the worst of the weather from Fey, etc. The Weather Channel that evening said that the temp was going to drop to a low of 45 degrees that night and rain was highly likely early in the AM.

I got cleaned up, got something to eat and hit the rack early because I really wanted to be on the road early due to the forecast for the day. The good news was the farther west I got the weather looked like it was going to be just fine. I woke up the next morning about 5:00AM and did load up Captain America in the dark and had some breakfast and did some work related stuff waiting for it to get light outside. Once daylight arrived, I motored!

Wearing full cold weather and rain gear I roared out of town early that morning. It seemed freezing cold to me and that was a bit of a shock to my entire system. One hour into the ride I was hoping and praying that I would see a place to stop and get a cup or two of warm java. When I saw a place I knew there was a God!!

By the time I got out of Colorado and into New Mexico that morning I knew the good weather was coming my way. At each stop I would take off more of my rain and/or cold weather gear and by Albuquerque I was in my full summer riding uniform…..one tee shirt and just jeans. Oh, did that feel good. I even broke out more sun block than usual. I decided to push onto Gallup, New Mexico before calling it a night. It was a long day, but definitely a good day of riding. I could tell that I was starting to anticipate the end was getting near and I was actually getting excited about that.

That night after studying the anticipated weather patterns for the next several days it became apparent to me that I would not need my rain gear or all the heavy clothing much past 9:00 or 10:00 AM in the morning.

I knew the next day was going to be hot and a long one. I jumped out of bed in Gallup, packed, and hit the road at just about daybreak. The day was pleasant until after I got through Sedona, Arizona… one of my all time favorite places. The elevation there keeps it much cooler than Phoenix and as I headed in that direction I began to drink a great deal more water and Gatorade. I decided to really push myself that day and see if I could make it as far as Yuma, Arizona. During the day I drank ½ gallon of water and a ½ gallon as the daytime temp reached 110 degrees.

There is no question that I pushed myself to hard that day. As I was nearing Yuma I could feel some weird changes taking place in my body and I realized that I was not that far away from suffering significant heat stroke. I thought I had consumed plenty of fluids, but apparently not. By the time I got checked into the hotel I was really dizzy and felt like I could vomit. All that evening I was unable to eat much or drink anything other than glass after glass of water. Also, my conversations that night with people in person and on the phone were not particularly coherent and I had a difficult time processing clear thoughts or articulating what I wanted to say. It was almost like a fog was over me. This is not a good thing under any circumstances, but riding a motorcycle under these conditions makes no sense at all!

The next day I really realized just how bad my heat stroke must have been the night before when I had to ask directions for the way to get back on the highway that I had just ridden in on the night before. Again, very dumb of me and I will try not to make that same mistake again.

Once pointed in the right direction, I jumped on Captain America and headed into the last leg of my adventure. Knowing that the vast majority of the motorcycle accidents occur within 20 miles of your home, I decided to be extra diligent on this the last day of my Cruising for the Cure journey.

The ride to San Diego and then north to Carlsbad could not have been more pleasant in spite of a brief shower that hit me early on that morning. It was amazing to me that there were very few clouds in the sky, but just enough to give me one last soaking from “the black cloud” that has been hanging over me most of the time since late May. Oh well, what else should I expect? The good news is that the rain ended as quickly as it started and my cloths dried out in short order, but I could not help but laugh out loud about this aspect of my trip.

As I headed into California and hit San Diego and then started on the 30 minute drive north to Carlsbad, I could not help but to think about how important it was to stay focused and diligent during the last hours of my journey. I also could not help but to smile about the fact that I was about to accomplished something that few others have ever done before me. I was tired, beat, but still grinning from ear-to-ear.

As I got closer and closer to home I found myself starting to realize that this incredible journey was coming to a close. I was both happy and sad. Happy that I made it and could now see my family and relax. Sad because this once in a lifetime adventure was now really wrapping up. I decided then to wait several days before making my last blog entry regarding the trip. I want do give myself a few days to absorb and reflect about the highs and lows and what I learned from my travels.

I hope you will tune in for my final entry. At that time I will also introduce you to some more of the great people I met along the way.

Hope you enjoy your day,

Dave

Flirting with Fey, Hanna and Gustav...

2008-09-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

As you probably know, I have had to face some significant weather issues along with some mechanical problems with Captain America since leaving San Diego on May 29. I can now confirm that a suspicious black cloud full of rain, hail, lightening, thunder, and God knows what else has been trailing me during most of my journey like a senior detective following a high profile crime suspect just prior to making the arrest. The main difference is that the detective would probably keep a little distance between the suspect and himself.

In reality this culprit black cloud does not just follow me, but dumps on me every chance it gets which is almost everyday. This dumping is kind of like the hazing that went on at the ZAE fraternity house back in 65 while I was attending “Harvard of the West” (aka San Jose State).

Now let’s talk about the oil light issue that I mentioned in my blog update on August 25. I took Captain America into the dealer as planned for what I thought was going to be a very minor repair based what the dealer told me the day before. As it turned out I was that I was stuck in Monroe (not that there is anything really wrong with Monroe) for two days as they worked through the “minor issue” that turned out to be a bad oil pump, a clogged oil pressure release valve, and some bearings that were about shot due to lack of oil. After two long days and $750, I was once again ready to “rumble” once again. The Harley guys even spit shined my bike which was a nice way to get back out on the road. I must say that these guys at the Harley dealer could not have been nicer and more helpful. I really liked them a lot.

While I was in Monroe I studied the Weather Channel and used my iPhone to access the risk of these storms and to develop the best possible route that would allow me to further my goal of hitting all 49 states while trying to shake or at least minimize the “black cloud demon”. After considerable analysis, I decided to alter my previously planned route again and head farther west to ride through Texas, Oklahoma, and then turn back east and ride through Arkansas before heading back to pick up Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, before turning West again for the last leg.

I have to say that I found Texas and Oklahoma somewhat uneventful on this ride. I usually really like riding through both of these states, but I felt a bit rushed knowing the amount of major weather systems that were breathing down my neck. It was not uncommon to hear the folks on the Weather Channel talking about storms that could produce 1 to 2 feet of rain. Needless to say, I wanted no part of any of them because I could be held up for a week or longer if flooding really hit an area that I was stuck in. Once I got into Arkansas my mood became more relaxed and the scenery improved as I rode throughout the state. Great state and great ride with decent, but deteriorating weather.

I also really enjoyed the journey through Mississippi and Alabama. The highlight came when I pulled into Tupelo, Mississippi one very late afternoon. I had planned on getting some gas and then finding a hotel and hitting the rack early that night. I always try to fill up Captain America at the end of the day so as to start in the morning with a full tank. Don’t ask me why I do this, but I think it may be because it is one less thing I have to do in the morning before I pull out of town. While in the gas station I said to the women behind the counter, “Isn't Tupelo the birthplace of the “King”. She smiled and said, “You bet it is”. I asked her, “Is his boyhood home still standing and if so, where can I find it”. She smiled and said, “Yes it is and it is only three short blocks away”. She gave me directions and I headed on over to take a look.

As you can see, there is no doubt that Elvis came from a very modest background. I must confess that I was never a huge Elvis fan when he was alive until his Hawaii comeback concert at Aloha Stadium, but I really grew to appreciate him more and more as the years have gone by. I have to say that I was in total awe regarding the fact that I was sitting on the porch of the home he was born in. This house was build by his father Vernon. Wow, that was “way cool” and it just goes to show you that in America anything is possible! Also, I must say that everyone I met in Tupelo was so nice and the city had a great vibe about it. I would definately go back again at some time and maybe hang around a bit more.

By this time Fey had done its thing and everyone was now focused on Gustav which looked even more menacing, but predicting where it was going to make landfall was less certain.

I decided to make a run for Florida via Alabama and see if I could beat Gustav, Hanna, Ike, etc., etc. I planned to enter Florida north of Panama City and then ride along the Panhandle before heading south to Orlando and then onto Miami. I wanted to visit with friends and colleagues from Interval International in both cities, meet with media, and say hello to the Dave Siegel and his team at Westgate Resorts. While in Miami I also wanted to meet up with my old friend (Fredy Dellis) from my RCI days.

Unfortunately, all these plans had to be scrapped due the Southeast experiencing a very active hurricane season this year. Bottom line, I rode the entire Panhandle in Florida from Panama City to Jacksonville, but never got farther south than Lake City, Florida. Once I hit Jacksonville I headed north and rode through the east coast of Georgia and on to South Carolina.

Although I got hit with on and off again rain, I thoroughly enjoyed my ride through Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. To top it off, my bike was once again humming like a church choir. My only real disappointment in Georgia was that the uncertain weather precluded me from going to see Heidi, Eric and their kids (my cousin Sharon’s daughter and her great family in Atlanta). Oh well, next time!

By the time I pulled into Walterboro, South Carolina last Sunday night the weather had deteriorated significantly. Fey was now raging and Hanna was looming in the wings. It did not take me long that evening to come to the decision that I had only one logical path. Doreen kept watching the weather channel over the last week and on Sunday she gave me some very good advice. She said, “Go high, go high!” With that great advice I decided to see if I could outrun the systems by heading northwest.

I ended up going through North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and I am now in Pueblo, Colorado. Over the past 5 days I have been in rain gear most of the time. By far the most challenging weather hit when I was leaving Columbia, Missouri on Wednesday morning. The news the night before said that Columbia was due to get 5 to 7 inches of rain in the next 48 to 72 hours as Fey was set to meet up with a cold front coming out of Canada. The temp was expected to drop from 90 degrees at 6:00PM the night I arrived and then the high for the next day was going to be in the mid 60's.

The storm hit that night about midnight. When I woke in the morning it was obvious that the rain had started quite a few hours before. After I jumped out of bed at about 5:30AM and looked out the window it was obvious that I had a wet day of riding in front of me. I loaded up and hit the road at about 7:00AM. Loading a bike in driving rain is never any fun, but that day it was obvious that it was going to get much worse before it got better. I had no clue if I would make it 10 miles or 300 miles, but my bet was on closer to 10 based upon the downpour and the quite high winds. Obviously, this makes for very dangerous riding conditions.

That day I made it about 280 miles that day (200 of which were in incredibly heavy rain). At times is was extremely difficult to see and I saw a really bad accident. A big tracker trailer rig going in the opposite direction had flipped on its side and was blocking one lane and the shoulder. The accident had happened prior me going by and the entire cab of the truck was totally engulfed in flames that shot above the cab by about 20 feet. I seriously doubt the driver of the truck got out alive due to the fact that his door was facing the pavement and how quickly the fire seemed to swallow the entire cab. A very scary site indeed and all I kept thinking about was that his family did not even know about the accident yet as I drove by!

To show you how hard it was raining, even with my rain gear on all morning, I had to stop at a rest stop during a huge downpour and open my bag and try to quickly put on two “dry t-shirts” because the ones I were wearing had somehow gotten totally soaked and I mean totally soaked. I went as fast as I could, but the fresh ones were damp by the time I got them on. They were still a lot better than the ones I had just taken off. Several people watch me do this form the comfort of their cars and I could tell that they were feeling real sorry for me by this time, but also real thankful that they were not as dumb as I am!

By the time I got to Salina, Kansas the weather had improved a bit, but it was still not all that great. Once in Salina I wanted to get a hotel room quickly and get checked in, warm, get cleaned up, relax a bit, get something to eat and maybe hit a show. The hotel was the Americas Best Value Inn and apparently it was owned by the South Asian Indian fellow who “reluctantly” checked me in. He kept looking at my beard, my hair, and then my bike before starting over again. I could just tell he did not like what he was looking at. I felt it was kind of weird, not real comfortable, but I tried to be nice and he finally gave me the room key. I have to admit I was looking a bit scruffy after riding the wet ride, but little did I know what was about to “come down”.

After he gave me my key I headed to my room. I always turn on the Weather Channel as soon as I get in the room to start figuring out my route for the next day as I unpack my bike and get settled in. First off, the remote control did not turn on the TV. I figured that the batteries may be dead so I turned it on from the set itself. Just then the motel owner was walking by the open door to my room and I explained to him that the remote did not work. He walked in and took one look at it and started yelling at me saying that I broke the remote. I was so surprised that I just started laughing. I asked him politely if he would just get another remote from another room or change my room since I had not even taken anything off Captain America at this time.

The guy went absolutely “nuclear” on me and told me to, “Get out of my hotel because I have had to deal with people like you before”! He would not even give me my signed credit card slip back unless I gave me my credit card again which I was not about to do. I called the police from the front office and told them about the discrimination this guy was pulling on me. The police told me that it was a civil mater and the cop told me to just leave the hotel and call your credit card company. Before I left the hotel I walked back over to the room and took photos of the way I was leaving it to make sure this wacko did not try to tell Visa that I destroyed the room. Keep in mind, I was not in the room for 2 minutes before "Mr. Personality" came in and starting ranting and raving at me.

For the first time in my life I felt first hand blatant discrimination. I kept asking the guy why he was discriminating against me and why he was being such a jerk. I think I actually used another word other than jerk, but by this time I was ready to drag the guy over the counter and open up a giant can of "woop-ass" on him, but my better judgement kicked in and I ended up leaving and just calling Visa. What a jerk! Now I know I don’t look my best at this point after being on the road since May 29th, but discrimination is discrimination! Would you rent a room to a guy who looks like me?

I ended up going up the road about three miles and found a great hotel, did my wash, had some dinner and got ready for my westward blitz. Weather looks like it is going to be a challenge to the end, but I was now really starting to look forward to wrapping this trip up. I figured some 400 to 500+ mile days were now in order.

The adventure continues and no doubt it will until I pull into my driveway!! Have a great weekend guys.

The Poole's "Sporting Life"

2008-08-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Part of what has made my journey so enjoyable and interesting is that, as many of you know, I am interviewing people that I meet along the way about their version of a "sporting life". This is in conjunction with my sponsorship assignment with China's largest sports media group (Titan). I thought it would be interesting and fun for you to have an opportunity to read about some of my new friends that I have met during my adventure.

While riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia I met Richard and Maggie Poole. This 48 year old couple is from Youngsville, North Carolina and have been married for 29 years. Richard and Maggie met while working in a local restaurant while back in high school. Richard currently works for the Materials Division of the Electrical Coop for North Carolina. They have two sons ages 25 and 28 years old (they did have a middle son, but he passed away).

The couple have always enjoyed a sporting lifestyle. Richard is a former baseball player and coached their sons in the sport until they entered high school. They enjoy hiking, fishing and anything that will get them off the couch!

Now that the kids are out of the house, their sporting lifestyle tends to be focused around their bright yellow “T Bucket” (picture attached). It started as a 1923 Ford pickup truck. Maggie calls it “Richard’s Mistress! He found it about three years ago sitting in someone’s front yard. He asked the person out in front of the house if it was for sale. At that point there was only the shell of the body and the frame (no engine, radiator, or transmission). He made a deal with the guy and bought it for $1800. Over the next two years be put another $6200 into it and today this canary yellow T Bucket is the center of their sporting lifestyle.

No question that it is a work in progress, but they now belong to the NTBA (National T Bucket Association) and travel the country to events, shows, and exploring small wineries they find along the way. In the trailer they carry tools, suitcases, camping gear, and Maggie always leaves room for a case or two of good wine they find along the way. Richard admits that he has not yet convinced Maggie to camp, but he said that will come around soon. She just laughed!

They both love their “ride”, being outside, and enjoy all the people they meet along the way. They feel their T Bucket is a great way to stay active, meet new friends it gets them out of the house and away from all of their everyday hassles. They stop frequently along the way to view the scenery and to take short hikes. They both said they never are in a bad mood or have any stress after a nice long ride in the fresh air.

Both Richard and Maggie are so proud of their T Bucket and what this does for them. Richard says that Maggie is always asking him to take her for a ride. He even let’s her drive it, but more often than not he is the captain and she is the co-pilot. They said the car makes them feel young and hip! He said it will do over 100 miles an hour, but he keeps in within 10 miles per hour of the speed limit. They will even take it out of the garage for a spin in the middle of winter assuming it is nice day without snow. They bundle up and hit the road both grinning from ear-to-ear for an hour or two and then carefully put her back in the garage until next time there is a break in the weather.

The current trip they are on will cover over 1,500 miles. Both felt strongly that this is one of the best things they have ever done, but were only able to afford it once the kids were gone. Maggie felt it was a great $8,000 investment and a super way to reconnect with her husband after so many years with the kids living with them. Seeing them both climb up on the rear tire to step into their T Bucket was a real treat for me.

They are already planning on building another T Bucket that will be nicer, faster, and even more fun. They both commented that it has revitalized their marriage, gets them out in the fresh air, and gives them something to really look forward to doing together. Richard said, “It beats TV by a mile”.

The Poole’s feel this new hobby will keep them young and allow them to enjoy a sporting lifestyle for decades to come. Their exercise these days consists of working in their one acre garden that surrounds their house. Both love this work in progress too and said that they get plenty of exercise keeping the grounds up.

Relative to diet, they will pretty much eat what ever they like, but Maggie added that it has to be cooked (no sushi for this kid) and they both love plenty of veggies and chicken. Meat and pork are also high on their list. They seemed to be more interested in living than dieting!

The Poole’s were a great couple for me to meet during my journey and I thoroughly enjoyed the hour we spent together. I saw them two or three other times during the day and we always waved as we passed one another along this scenic highway.

Loved the Northeast! Dodging Southeast storms!

2008-08-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

As mentioned the Northeast has been one of the highlights of my journey to date. I anticipated that parts of this leg of my adventure would be good, but I honestly had no idea just how incredible this part of America really is. Any trip to New England is not complete without stopping at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Rutland, Vermont.

One of the cutest towns I have come across was Woodstock, Vermont (not Woodstock, New York). While riding through town I saw three little kids on the other side of the street selling lemonade for only 25 cents a glass. You could just tell that they were dying to have a customer stop and take them up on their offer. I rode past about thee blocks and then decided to turn around and go back to buy a glass from them and to talk to them for a bit about their new business. I don’t know about you guys, but as kids, we had many of lemonade stand and would actually go door-to-door trying to sell soft drinks and/or collect refundable soft drink bottles or extra coat hangers and then sell them back to the cleaners. As I pulled up it was so obvious that they were all so excited to have one of their first customer of the day. There was no doubt that these two brothers and their younger sister were three aspiring entrepreneurial Donald Trump types looking to get on the Apprentice. They were so much fun to talk to and were also so polite. When I gave them three dollars and told them to “keep the change” you should have seen them yelling to their Mom and Dad with such joy. The parents were really cool too. I thought you might enjoy seeing them manning their battle stations like the staff at Starbucks.

The ride through New Hampshire and Main was difficult to top even though weather was working against me much of the time. After spending my first night in Bangor, Maine, I rode up state to Moosehead Lake which was absolutely breathtaking (a must see if you go to Maine). The next day I woke up early in the morning after spending the night in Waterville, Maine with the sun shining bright. This was the first day in quite a while that sun glasses were part of the “uniform for the day”. I was pumped up and decided to take my bike over to a do it yourself car was and get about three weeks of rain, dirt, and crud off of my dear old Captain America before a great day of motorcycling. I jumped out of bed and ever so confidently walk out to my bike only to find out that all my turn signals were flashing when I turned the key on and then I “tried” to start it. Only one issue, nothing happened. I had horn, lights, but no familiar sound of the engine turning over or the rumble of a cold engine could be heard.

What you could hear that early morning sunshine was Dave “going off”. I then paused and took a deep breath and started to determine my next step. I first called the towing service and had them order a pickup. Yes, there is a AAA type tow service for motorcycles. Second, I determined the closest Harley dealer which was about 25 miles away and waited the 30 minutes until they opened.

I got Ron (the service manager) on the phone at 8:31AM and told him that I needed a 10,000 mile service and a new rear tire and then I dropped the bomb on him about having to be towed into his dealership in Augusta, Maine. I described the problem and he casually asked me “if it was possibly that I had my security system turned on”. I said, “No way, I have not had it turned on since the day I bought the bike”. He suggested that I take my keys while keeping him on my mobile phone and that “we” walk out to the bike and hit the alarm button twice that is on my key chain”. By this time I would agree to try anything other than the dreaded “tow truck of shame”. I agreed and then hit the alarm button twice and then hit the starter button and the familiar sound of the roar and rumble quickly returned. Ron just started laughing over the phone. Thank God he could not see my red face over the phone! Apparently the ton of coins in my pocket hit the alarm the night before and disabled the start system. Oh well, you learn something new everyday. Did I feel like a fool? You bet, but what else is new? I was so grateful that decided to ride my bike to Augusta anyway and have the service and new tire put on even though it was a rare sunny day.

From Augusta I took Hwy 3 over to Hwy 1 and had a wonderful ride down the Maine Coast. I ended up spending the night in Brunswick and then headed south on Hwy 1 through Portland, Maine and into Massachusetts. I rode through Boston and out onto Cape Code. Sorry to those Boston readers, but I simply did not “get” Cape Cod!

The ride through Rhode Island, Connecticut, Eastern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey was deeply forgettable. The scenery and ride started to turn back into a more the positive light once I got into to Maryland and then nature’s eye candy returned once I entered Virginia.

For the next three days the weather could not have been better. Highs in the mid 80’s with sun galore. One of my major goals for this trip has been to ride the Skyline and Blue Ridge Parkway from Front Royal, Virginia (the Shenandoah National Park) to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Virginia was everything I had expected. Warm southern hospitality, incredible green mountains and rolling hills, and the Blue Ridge Parkway had great views around almost every sweeping turn and plenty of tree canopies covering the entire roadway. This is a motorcyclist’s dream.
I had a somewhat bizarre experience in Asheville, North Carolina. As I was pulling into a mom and pop type motel there were a couple of guys sitting in front of the check in office having a beer. One was sober and sane, but the other guy was three “sheets to the wind” and you could tell “a bit down on his luck”. I excused myself as soon as possible once the “three sheets to the wind” guy jumps up in a very aggressive fashion and demands that 8 migrant workers return the $3.00 that the guy had given to them the night before to buy him dinner. The sane guy (who had just met the drunk too) and I looked at each other and concluded that this guy is about to get into a major “UFC throw down” with these guys over $3.00. The situation calmed down after about 5 minutes of yelling.

I ended up going into my room to get cleaned up and then headed across the street for dinner and a beer at a sports pub. As I arrive at the pub I see the sane guy and we talk about the idiot who for $3.00 could have been seriously hurt had these 8 guys decided to shut him up. That being said -within about 10 minutes the drunken guy and one other guy covered in prison tattoos came into the pub. I thought this could be interesting. The drunken guy took off shortly thereafter. The other guy was a really nice guy, but I could tell he had a flash temper… what a story this was about to become.. You know me, I wanted to ask him some questions so I did over a beer. His name was “Tattoo” (surprise, surprise!). The guy was 31 years old and had gold front teeth like the guy in the James Bond movie. He had a medium to thin build, spiked hair, and tattoos everywhere… neck, arms, legs, back, stomach, etc. Here is what I learned from my conversation with him:
1. He has spent just under 25% of his life in prison (7.5 years)
2. He has been arrested for assault 14 times, robbery once and convicted of manslaughter
3. He said in prison you learn to fight or you die! His hands were mangled from all his fights.
4. He has 9 children by 9 different women
5. He has less than 2 years to live due to a rare disease that has destroyed his kidneys
6. He is hoping to stay alive for the two years because he has some insurance policy that will allow his kids to be taken care of when he dies
7. He works as a railing installer and “makes good money” and is trying to do right for his children
8. He has a lot of regrets in his life and would like to have a second shot at it
9. His former girlfriend hit him in the face with a beer bottle in February of this year causing multiple fractures and requiring 75 stitches. He has had to have three follow-up operations since then to try to repair the damage. I asked “Why did she do it?” He said that he took a sip out of her “wine cup” and “she just went off”! He then lifted his shirt and showed us three other healed wounds where she had stabbed him in the past on three separate occasions. He said he is now done with her.
10. He next showed us his forearms… he is what some would call “a cutter” kind of like Angelina Jolie in the old days. He must have had 15 or 20 bad scars on each arm where he said that he used to like to “cut himself”.

11. I asked him how do you do tattoos while in prison? He said that you take a piece of the heel of your shoe and light it on fire with a piece of paper or cardboard held above the flame. The soot sticks to the bottom of the cardboard and this black soot is the basis for the tattoo ink. You then get a paper clip or pen and use it as the needle.

12. He is now having the black tattoos removed (really just neutralized) and then covered up with new colour tattoos (everyone knows they are prison tattoos).
13. He really wished that he never had gone the tattoo route. Why? “Because when I walk down the street do you know what it feels like to see people run in their homes, lock their doors, and close their blinds? He then followed it up by saying, “Do you know how this makes me feel?”
14. He was quite intelligent and I could tell at one time he was a very nice looking guy. He does not read and the only TV he watches is UFC which he loves.

Tattoo was a really a nice guy and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to him, but I could not help but wonder what roll environment, versus heredity, played in making him who he turned out to be. No question he had some real regrets in how his life has turned out. This was quite an experience for me and thanks to my scruffy look these days I was able to talk with Tattoo without him feeling I was judging him. I decided to call it a night when the drunken guy returned and kept butting in and when Tattoo almost snapped and called the guy out. I felt it was high time to get the heck out of Dodge (I mean Asheville).

Guess what happened on my forth day of cruising the Shenadoah Valley? The day started with very dense fog and then it turned into what else… rain, rain, and more rain! By this time tropical storm Fay was raging in Florida and headed my way. I decided to go south and west and pickup Alabama and Mississippi and then head back to Atlanta, Georgia to spend the night with Heidi and Eric (my cousin’s daughter and son-in-law). It would be really fun to see them after the great time we had together in Montana back in July. Unfortunately Fay now had moved up into the entire Southeast section of the U.S. and my plans were again foiled. After riding 430 miles in the pretty heavy rain I ended up in Jackson, Mississippi and the weather was worsening by the hour. The next day I realized that Georgia, South Carolina and Florida would have to wait a bit due to Fay hanging around like a bad habit.

One of the first Coca Cola bottling plants in America (1894) located in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

I decided to try to head west that morning and pickup Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma before heading back east to Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. My plan did not work out too well. I made it only 15 miles when the steady heavy rain turned into a fire hose type event. I quickly realized two things. First, this was dangerous and second that it was no fun. I pulled off and got a hotel room for the night and did some work yesterday and again this morning before heading down the road.

Today the weather forecast was poor at best, but I loaded up Captain America by about noon and hit the road. The rain was heavy most of the afternoon until I got about 20 miles from Monroe, Louisiana and then the skies opened up with the full fury of Mother Nature. As I was pulling off the highway after only doing about 107 miles, I noticed my oil light came on again when I was idling. This happened a few days earlier when I was up in Nashville, Tennessee. At that time I had dismissed it because I checked my oil and it was fine. This time I could not dismiss it again. Something was obviously wrong with Captain America again!

As it turned out there was a Harley dealer only about 2 miles away. I rode over to it in the driving rain and talked to them. Unfortunately their service department was not open today, but the parts guy strongly suggested that I should not continue riding until I sort out this latest “challenge”. I am now scheduled to take in my bike tomorrow at 9:00AM and see if they can get me out back on the road by the afternoon. I sure hope they can so I am not stuck in Monroe for the next few days. After all, I still have a lot of territory to cover.

Oh no, I just got word that another tropical storm (named Gustav) has now formed south of Cuba. Currently winds are already over 60 miles per hour and it could be classified as a full hurricane within the next 24 to 48 hours. They anticipate at least very heavy rainfall and maybe once it passes over Cuba it may well turn north just as Fay did. Here we go again! The adventure continues!

That is about it from here folks. Have a great week and enjoy one another,

Smiley

Dog of the Week - 18 August 2008

2008-08-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Micheal Phelps has nothing on our Current Champ.

Attached is a photo of Sophie working out for the Doggie Summer Games. I am pleased to report that Precious swam away with 9 Gold Medals at this year's competition. Needless to say, doggie paddling is her fastest event! Wow, can you believe she is this good looking and such a super athlete as well?

Well folks, I wish I had better news to report about Annie’s performance in Dog of the Week, but the facts are the facts. She simply didn’t have what it takes to become “America’s Next Top Model or Dog of the Week”. Personally I think it could well be the Atkins Diet that Sharon and Jon have put her on or she has just aged so much after having to open up a can of woop-ass on all those bears living in Montana.

So, once again, much to my surprise, Sophie has retained her crown as Dog of the Week. That being said, this week I have TWO Contenders this week for her title.

First up is Kodiak Sugar Pants

I would first like now to introduce them to you. First up is a scruffy little scraper called Kodiak Sugar Pants. As you can see from her picture she has little going for her other than the fact that she knows how to sit in a bicycle basket without looking like a total dork. Honestly I have seen a better looking coat on a homeless person in South Philly! This “little jewel” belongs to my brother Andy and his wife Leanne.

I would not ordinarily include in my Dog of the Week competition a 10 year old mix between a tea cup Pomeranian and a Dingo, but I have gotten so tired of all of the whining e-mails and phone calls that I decided to bite the bullet and give her a “legacy driven” shot at the Champ. I think you will agree that Kodiak Sugar Pants is a prime example of why Hermosa Beach California needs to immediately adopt a mandatory spaying law of stray bitches within their city limits.

The Next Contender

The second Contender this week is a pooch with a real problem. Her owner obviously had a bit of a lead foot and “Katie No Pockets” found a womb like hiding place to help get her over her fear of riding with such a maniac. The issue now is that she is spending all her free time at the chiropractor's office!

Well gang, the choice is yours to determine who stays and who goes. Will Sophie retain her crown or will Kodiak Sugar Pants or Katie No Pockets finally be able to do what no other dog has been able to do and that is to unseat the Reigning Champion?

Only time will tell and it is now totally up to you. So, please vote only once and help us all determine “Who is the fairest of them all?”

Greetings from Waterville, Maine!

2008-08-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well gang, over the past several of weeks I have done more moving than the Bekins Van and Storage guys. Since leaving Kansas, I have “cowboyed up” and really started to motor. A typical daily ride is now running 325 to 425 miles per day. This may not sound like much to most of you, but when you are travelling the back roads on a motorcycle in less than perfect weather conditions it is amazing how physically and mentally exhausted one becomes by the end of each day. It is one thing to do it for one or two days in a row, but it is a whole different story when you are on an extended journey such as mine.

I am currently in Waterville Maine and have now ridden through 29 states so far. Today I had a super ride up past Moose Lake which is northwest of Bangor. A lot of rain, but still a ten plus for beautiful scenery and viewing of some great homes. Since surviving my near death experience in Kansas, I have travelled the scenic roads of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and I am now in the “Pine Tree State” of Maine.

I would like to say that the weather has been great, but it hasn’t. For the most part the days have been much cooler than I expected (today the high hit only 66 degrees) and I have hit much more rain than anticipated. What is that old expression about “a cloud seems to be following me most of the time”? Don’t get me wrong, I am still having a total blast, but there is no question about it that so far this has turned out to be more of a spring ride than a summer ride. As one motorcyclist told me, “We knew we were not buying a sedan when we bought these things”. I laugh about his comment every time the rain starts to really come down. I am just amazed in this part of the US how quickly a few scattered clouds can turn into a viscious thunder storm. I mean I am talking in less than 15 minutes a “ride in the park” can turn into a dark, black, wet, windy nightmare from hell.

Most days I have tended to start riding later in the day due to work related commitments in the mornings and then I end up riding much later into the late afternoon and early evenings in order to keep making tracks. My cardinal rule though is to never ride at night. I feel the risk of doing so is simply too great to be out after dark. Interesting fact…..Did you know that a moose’s eyes do not reflect the light at night the way other animals do so seeing them is almost impossible?

Now for the journey…. Nebraska was one of the most enjoyable rides so far on this adventure. The sunny late afternoon sun on my back, the rich yellows, greens, and browns made the scenery and the ride just about perfect. No question that the terrain lacks mountains, but as I have mentioned previously I just love the plains of the Midwest as much as I enjoy riding through the higher elevations like the Rockies. I know a lot of people won’t agree with me about beauty of the Midwest Plains States, but I find a real peacefulness in roaring across the rural roads of Middle America. It reminds me of simpler times that most of us enjoyed as small kids growing up in the bigger coastal cities. I just love seeing the young Midwest boys running around the small towns barefooted in nothing more than a pair of old cut-offs. When we were kids my two brothers and I would chuck our shoes in the closet after the last day of school in June and not put them back on until that dreaded September day came around when we were sent back to “prison”. Our tender feet and stubbed bloody toes of June would turn into callas hardened instruments capable of fire walking by early September. Those were truly great days….the best morning of the year was the last day of school in June and the worst day arrived a short three months later!

I also love seeing the farmers working the fields, hay rolled up in round bundles as far as the eye can see, and the empty streets of most of the small towns I ride through. The funny thing is that it does not seem to matter what time of day or the day of the week that I ride through many of these small towns, the people never seem to be on the streets or outside of their homes. It always reminds me of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone that aired on TV in the late 50’s and early 60’s. I always ask myself, “Where are all the people?”

From Nebraska I headed up to South Dakota. Although the world famous Sturgis bike rally was not due start for another two weeks I wanted to hit Mount Rushmore again and ride the Black Hills while I was in the neighbourhood (only 200 miles away). Boy, has that monument gone commercial since my last visit (distant parking structures, huge gift shops, buses galore, tourists everywhere, etc.), but the stone carving is still absolutely breath taking. In addition, the motorcycle riding of the Black Hills is some of the best and most enjoyable found anywhere on this planet. Wide sweeping turns on great roads, dark soil and green trees everywhere, and the views in all directions makes this a real treat. This is especially true when you get to enjoy this part of the country prior to when a couple of hundred thousand of your closest friends show up in early August for the Sturgis Rally.

North Dakota was uneventful and weather was starting to turn nasty on me again during this leg of my journey. The scenery in Minnesota improved, but weather and the roads were less than perfect. Outside of Fergus Falls I experienced some additional mechanical problems. My gear shift linkage broke and thanks to my trusty duct tape and plastic ties (a must have for all long distance motorcyclists), I was only broken down for about 45 minutes. The patch job worked great and allowed me to get on my way versus being stranded and having to wait for the tow service.

A great late afternoon..............perfect light and sunshine!

Next up was Iowa. What would a trip through Iowa be without visiting Winterset (south west of Des Moines about 35 miles)? First, I went to the home of Marion Michael Morrison (aka John Wayne). He was actually born in the house just over101 years ago. It is now a museum and gift shop and you can tour the small 700 or 800 sq ft home that is basically identical to when he lived there, see the room he was actually born in, and buy every imaginable piece of John Wayne memorabilia from shot glasses to belt buckles.

Second, I wanted to visit the Bridges of Madison County (ala the book of the same name by Robert James Waller and the 1995 movie that featured Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep) again. Although I had been through here one other time, I enjoyed the day just as much this time through. I had a great time and I highly recommend that you visit Winterset if and when you are anywhere close to Iowa.

Shortly after leaving Iowa and heading into Missouri I heard from my office in London that they had arranged for me to meet with the Harley Davidson folks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to tour their new museum and to be interviewed by the Fox News network there. So I motored through Missouri and Illinois to make sure I got to Wisconsin in time for the interview.

Fist I was impressed with the riding throughout most of Illinois until I got close to Chicago. What a zoo Chicago was as it was related to the traffic and the roads were not much better. I did get caught in an incredible flash thunder storm that was a bit scary. Inside of 30 minutes, the skies turned from puffy white clouds to black ominous ones that turned the daytime skies into the dark of night. Within a ten minute period of time the winds went from zero MPH to about 50 or 60 MPH gusts. It was everything I could do to keep the bike upright and get to the next off ramp to hide under a gas station awning until the thunder cell moved on through.

Wisconsin had some beautiful scenery, but the roads were one step better than Alaska and that is about it! This was a big shock for me with it being the home state of Harley Davidson and all. By the way, the Harley Museum turned out to be incredible as I expected it to be. Also, the interview with Fox News was really fun and went well. I spent a couple hours with the news person and her cameraman. Both were really nice and they filmed me riding and talking about Cruising for the Cure, etc. The spot ran on the 6 o’clock local news.

The next day I headed for Green Bay to try to straighten out the Bret Favre/Green Bay fiasco. Needless to say, I failed in my attempts to get reconciliation between the two parties as evidenced by the recent trade to the Jets. I found Green Bay itself to be less than I expected and after spending one rain soaked night there I headed south in order to find something to do, some dry weather and hopefully some decent roads that would not shake every bolt loose on Captain America! A couple of hundred miles south of Milwaukee a car passed me and then slowed down and rolled down the shotgun side window. As we rolled along, a young guy stuck his head outside of the window and asked if he could take my picture and said that I was now famous because he and the guy driving saw me on Fox News the night before. We both laughed and then proceeded down the road.

Riding in Ohio was terrific and the highlight for me was going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. This is truly a must see museum. I was in total awe of the quality of the exhibits and the broad cross section of music covered. It had the actual costumes, advertising posters, etc. from all of your favorite acts. In addition, the museum even had cars, motorcycles, etc from the likes of Elvis, Janis Joplin, Jon Bon Jovi, and others. At first I thought there was only one floor to the exhibit and felt I had gotten my monies worth ($22) after spending about 2 hours pouring over all the 1st floor exhibits, but then I discovered as I was getting ready to leave that there were 4 additional floors. The items that I enjoyed the most were seeing the original written lyrics to some of the most famous songs in history. Some were written on things like the back of paper bags and others on Ramada Hotel stationary. Lucy in the Ski with Diamonds was one of these and seeing certain words scratched out that did not work and then the new ones added that did was a real treat for me. This was way cool! Wow, what a treat and I will definitely come back again (next time with Doreen) and spend much more time pouring over all this great history and attending all of the video presentations!

Weather really turned south on my while I was headed for Indiana. I was forced to pull off the freeway twice due to high winds and incredible rain. My rain gear seems to be my standard outfit for the day these days! Once I got to Indy I had an opportunity to have diner with two old friends from my RCI days. It was wonderful to see Steve Miller and John Reinhardt again. Although I had not seen them for several years it was as if no time had past at all. We talked and laughed for several hours over a great dinner and a couple of drinks. Simply great guys and a perfect evening!

The riding through Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and now Maine has been way beyond my high expectations. Although I have had some real weather challenges, the beauty of these states are second to none. If real estate looks good on a lousy day, can you imagine how great it would look on a perfectly warm sunny summer day? I was very surprised by West Virginia and Pennsylvania due to the fact that I felt for some reason that the scenery would be mediocre at best, but it wasn’t. I expected the other states to be great and they have all far exceeded my expectations.

The people I have met along the way have been equal to or better than the scenery! Kind, helpful, interested in Cruising for the Cure and my sponsor (Titan Sports Media), and they are also so proud of where they live. A trip like this has really opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of incredible places to live throughout our country without having to be within 10 miles of either coastline.

Early last week Doreen found out one of her friends in San Diego was diagnosed with breast cancer and last Friday she underwent major surgery. I dedicated my ride that day to her. It turned out to be a great day from a weather standpoint (a nice exception to the usual all day rain that I have been seeing). I had a beautiful day of blue skies, white clouds, some shorts showers, and then bright blue skies and white clouds again with stunning scenery in every direction as I rolled through the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

I am happy to report (knock on wood) that Captain America is running like a top….dirty, but running like a top. I can’t wait to get some decent weather so I can give her a bath! I will need to take her in for a major service and new rear tire some time in the next few days. Tomorrow afternoon after I get some work done, I will start heading south which should be a kick. I hear weather over the next few days may even get better…I know this is hard to believe, but I so want to believe the weatherman!

Now how would I rate the trip so far on a 10 point scale? How about a solid 15? It has been a real challenge and so fulfilling as I meet people along the way and spread the word about Cruising for the Cure. I am handing out more of my Cruising cards than does a strip club hawker in Vegas!

I am really hopeful that I am heading into some really hot weather. For those of you who know me, I hope to get a lot of 100+ sunny days coming up in my near future. I know this may sound terrible to some of you, but who cares….this is my journey and I love scorching heat. As I always say, “How can you be in a bad mood on a really hot day?”

Later guys,

Smiley

A taste of days gone by...

2008-08-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

An old Phillips 66 pump that still reads 26 cents a gallon....those were the days!

Well folks, during the last couple of weeks I have covered a lot of territory since Colorado Springs. This segment of my journey has been filled with the good, bad, and the ugly. As promised, I would tell all just as the Enquirer does every week! So here goes.

As I left Colorado Springs my confidence was high, my spirit was soaring, and I could not wipe the grin off of my chops. I stopped at a petrol station to fill up, look at my map, and asked directions to make sure I was headed in the right direction toward Bob Dole’s home state of Kansas. I honestly do try to eliminate errors and risks whenever possible when riding Captain America. After this intensive route review “Mr. Genius” departs with the confidence of the defending Super Bowl Champs (Eli Manning and his fellow team mates) embarking on the 2009 season. There were few signs and all the roads seem to twist and turn and trying to determine one’s true direction was not an easy task....honest! The long and short of it, after about two hours of riding I somehow ended up back within three miles of where I started from. I found myself saying, “Dave, you idiot!” over and over again and then just started laughing. With this “slow start” I decided to stop for lunch and regroup. Over 3 hours after I left town the first time I was ready to give it another go. Oh well, so much for my great idea of sending my GPS system home with the camping gear!

The Plains of Kansas

As I roll into Kansas I do know what to expect. I have been through the entire region many times during my past rides. A lot of people feel that they need to see tall mountains to feel the beauty of nature. I personally do not share their belief. I feel some of the most wonderful scenery is the farm lands of the Middle America. This is especially true in the late afternoons when you have the warm summer sun, contrasting shadows, a cornucopia of yellows, greens, and tans to focus on in all directions depending on the crop and harvest schedule. This is especially true when you are riding a 96 cubic inch Harley Davidson and can smell everything that the countryside has to offer (both good and bad). Also, because the spaces tend to be more wide open and the roads straighter than the mountain regions, riding is more relaxing and you can focus more on the scenery.

An abandoned farmhouse in the midwest

I made it only as far as WaKeeney Kansas that first day after my fiasco of trying to get out of Colorado Springs. The next morning I decided to drop by Ellis Kansas to visit Walter P. Chrysler’s boyhood home. I was going to give him a piece of my mind about the poor gas mileage that our new Jeep Overland gets, but unfortunately he moved away back in 1897! I think he is ducking me.

Walter P. Chrysler's boyhood home

I decided to stay in WaKeeney because I wanted to visit a town that I had been in before. In 2007, my buddy (Bill) and I rode through Greensburg Kansas approx. 6 to 8 weeks after the town was virtually destroyed by an F-5 tornado. Although there were only 18 people killed in this disaster so many others had their lives turned totally upside down as 95% of the buildings in the town were totally gone within a few minutes after this natural disaster hit at about 9:00PM. This tornado came out of nowhere and the residents had only a very short 15 minutes warning before all hell broke loose.

I decided to go back this year to see the progress and how the residences were dealing with the aftermath of this life changing event. I have attached some pictures from last year and some from this year so you can see the difference that 12 months has made. I think you will agree that some progress has been made, but I was surprised at how little has been rebuilt to date.

An Internet photo of Greensburg just after the 2007 F-5 tornado hit

A photo I took in 2007 6 to 8 weeks after the devistating F-5

Photo of Greensburg Kansas taken this year during my journey

I also wanted to try to talk to some of the locals to see how they were coping. While getting gas in a nearby town I did speak to one young wife (maybe 28 or 29 years old with three children) who had lost her home and all of their belongings in this disaster. Here is what amazed me about this conversation:
· Her deep belief in God
· Her optimism about the future
· Her lack of bitterness
· Her focus on the future and not the past
· Her incredible appreciation for the Red Cross and United Way (literally they put cloths on their backs, fed them, and provided a place to sleep)
· Her obvious disappointment in FEMA – surprise, surprise!
· Her family’s desire to earn enough money to be able to rebuild their home back in Greensburg - home is home!
· The total sense of calms that this young lady exuded in every breath she took

For the first 100 miles after I left this gas station I found myself utterly blown away by what I had just heard. She and her entire family had their lives turned upside down in a period of time less than a couple of minutes and yet she seemed to be focused on a brighter future. She mentioned that later that afternoon after getting off at the gas station she had to take her daughter to dance class. Life goes on! Wow, I was in awe of this young women and what she and her family had been through and are continuing to go through. I think there is a real life lesson for us all in her story. I find myself still thinking about her almost everyday as I am motoring along the back roads of America.

It is always fun for me to go through Dodge City, Kansas for a couple of reasons. This is called by many (or at least me) “ground zero” for the old TV westerns that I watched religiously when I was a kid. In a gas station I ran into a guy riding a brand new 105th anniversary edition Harley and he also had all new Harley cloths, etc. I said, "it looks like you are sporting a new bike and all new gear here. What is the occasion?" The guy was in his late 50's and he looked me dead in the eye and told me, "My old lady just ran off with another guy so the first time in my life I am doing what I want to do when I want to do it!" He said he called the guy on the phone and thanked him for "taking out the trash"! This truck driver was a biker back in the 70's, but he said that "marriage, kids, and work had gotten in the way and that he was now finally alive again". Bitter, yes, but I felt this guy was truly happy because he couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he roared out of the parking lot as he headed east toward his home which was about 100 miles away. I then decided to head north toward Nebraska on Hwy 83 North. Little did I know what was in store for me on this next leg of my journey?

“Almost Dusted”

It was in the late afternoon on Hwy 83 North (about 15 miles north of Scott City) that my life once again flashed before my eyes. For some reasons during my first 62 years on this earth I have had a number of very close calls with death, but this one was as close to all the others and maybe even closer.

Hwy 83 is a two lane rural road (one lane each way) and on this late afternoon there was very little traffic in either direction. The speed limit is 65 miles an hour and I was travelling north at about 70 MPH, but my speed was a non issue to the event that was about to take place.

For those of you who have not been in Kansas before, the roads are very straight, relatively flat, but there are always some small hills and valleys that are barely noticeable. As mentioned there was very little traffic coming south as I was headed north. As I was nearing the bottom of one of these small valleys, I noticed several trucks coming in the opposite direction over the hill that was not that far off into the distance. No big deal until I saw a car passing them. The car soon ducked back into his lane in front of the trucks and although I felt it was a little close, it was not really a big deal. Just then I could now see that a second car was also passing right behind the first car. This guy immediately ducked in between the first double semi and the second 18 wheeler that were rapidly approaching me at about 70 or 75 MPH.

Now, here is the real problem. There was a third car (a white pickup truck) also passing the trucks and he must have been doing about 85MPH. Within a fraction of a second, both he and I realised that this was a very serious situation. I was able to break to only about 55 MPH and he was able to break to about 65MPH. It was key decision time for the two of us. I decided to keep going straight (not that I had a lot of choices) and at the very last second he decided to go around me on the shoulder to my right ride! Yes, I ended up threading the needle between these two vehicles!

So folks, I have the double semi going by me on my left at about 75MPH and this jerk going around me on the right shoulder at about 65MPH. There was a huge drop off (about 10 or 15 feet) just off the right shoulder and I can remember seeing the pickup truck’s left front and rear tires kicking up dirt as his wheels were fighting to stay on the shoulder pavement. I was not sure if he would roll the pickup into the ditch, turn it back into me, or shoot the shoulder so we could all make it through this total mess.

This entire situation started and finished in less than 7 to 10 seconds and virtually everything was out of my control…..except for me flipping the guy the bird as he went by me. I vividly remember seeing the whites of his eyes and he had a look of total terror on his face as he flew by me. No question he knew he screwed up big time!

It took me about 5 minutes to really assimilate what had just taken place. Needless to say, I figured it was just not my time! Since that near disaster, everyday I find myself wondering if the guy in the white pickup truck even thinks about what he almost did or is he just one of those people who is oblivious to everything other than his own wants and needs. I will never know the answer to this, but will no doubt I will reflect upon that afternoon's event for the rest of my life.

Meeting Some Great People Along the Way

Michael Brown

During my travels I have met some amazing people. I would like to tell you about a special guy I met in a truck stop in Kansas. His name is Michael Brown and he is from Grande Cane Louisiana. Michael travels throughout the middle of the country stopping at all the truck stops to replenish their supply of magazines in the “free magazine racks” that are located just outside the front doors of gas stations and 7-11 type stores.

Michael is a hard working guy doing right by his family. We started talking about life, motorcycles, his job, and my Cruising for the Cure ride. Without me every asking for a donation, he walked over to his well travelled pickup (by the way, it was not the white one discussed above) and proceeded to open a file and pull out a $20 bill and then he handed it to me as a donation. I was blown away!

I told him that I would only take it if he would get on my bike so I could take a picture of him for my blog. He was so excited that he just about jumped onto Captain America. We ended up talking for about 30 minutes and I consider him to be one of the real jewels that I have found my journey. I hope you enjoy his picture on my bike as much as he and I did as we took it.

Michael was a real gentleman and I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent just talking about life. I hope one day to run into him again at another petrol station or if I ride through Grande Cane. Guys like Michael really help me to restore my faith in mankind!

More to Come

A lot of great things have happened since Kansas and I will provide a complete update to my blog within 72 hours. Please stay tuned and I hope you enjoy your week.

Dog of the Week - 29 July 2008

2008-07-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Current Champion ----Sophie (aka Precious) at Christmas

Annie.....The Contender or is she a Pretender?

Send in another gladiator! I think we have a real strong Contender for becoming The Champion this week in my Dog of the Week feature. First, she is a great little pooch and second, the $20 bucks her owner slipped me under the table won’t exactly hurt her cause for trying to unseat the current Champ (Sophie). Also, the fact that nepotism definitely played a part in this week's Contender selection won't go against this little little gal's shot either....or will it!!!

I would like to introduce to you a super dog. Her name is Annie and she is a two year old Yorkie. She lives in Big Sky Montana with my cousin and her husband (Sharon and Jon Holtzman). We met this week's Contender when Doreen and I were invited to their home for dinner just after we arrived in Big Sky. She (Annie, not Sharon) had just gotten her puppy cut for the summer and looked adorable and had a personality that would put Amy Winehouse to shame!

From the get go, Annie was so much fun. She has longer legs than most Yorkies (and even Paris Hilton) and this gives her the ability to pull a “Superman” now and then…..she can jump over tall buildings in a single bound. No doubt she has more vertical lift than did Dwight Stone in his heyday! At one point I thought she was a pogo stick with fur!

I also liked the fact that Annie has more energy and personality than just about any dog I have ever met. Sharon would stand at the top of her driveway and hit a tennis ball down their rather steep access road with her racket. In a flash Annie would run and get the ball and bring it back to Sharon and drop it at her feet. This went on for a few minutes until poor little Annie was dead tired. At that point, she would drop the ball and casually walks into their house as if she owns it….well, for all practical purposes she does! You should see her custom Lazy Boy!

The other thing I just loved about Annie is she is not afraid to show affection on the first date. I think she would French kiss a porcupine if she thought she had half a shot at it! Her feistiness further demonstrated by the fact that when bears come around the house Sharon and Jon have to keep her in doors because this little ball of fire always wants to go out and open up a giant can of “woop-ass” on them! I seriously think Annie could destroy the current UFC Welterweight Champion (Georges 'Rush' St-Pierre) with half a chance. I am telling you that this dog has more heart than Mike Eruzopme and his 1980 Miracle on Ice teamates ever had!

Now, despite what Sharon and Jon's son-in-law (Eric) says, I think we should give Annie a shot at the title………..What do you think?

Back to the Lower 48...

2008-07-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Something seemed different as I was motoring down the road from Edmonton toward Calgary and then on into Montana. Part of riding a motorcycle is the habit one develops to periodically glance in your rear view mirrors and to take a quick peek at your bike pack (called a T-bag) and saddle bags to make sure everything continues to be fastened onto the bike the way it should be. In addition, when I stop for gas I always try to walk around the bike and make sure that things are the way they are supposed to be. Each time I went through this exercise during this phase of my journey I found myself feeling that my Harley was a bit naked in the rear based upon the fact that my saddle bags, along with all my tools, were sitting on a UPS truck headed for Belgrade, Montana. Being a bit of a perfectionist, feelings would come over me each time that my bike was not complete and my pride was less than totally intact. Oh well, that is part of the sport.

In riding, anticipating the unexpected is part of the game and thrill that I get out of the motorcycling. As mentioned previously, I always try to put on my rain gear before the storm hits. Trying to do so after the rains comes, especially if it is a thunder storm, simply does not work. For some reason it is much harder to put it on then and you usually get totally soaked by the time you finally do. In addition, during this mad scramble everything else often gets wet as well. Putting on the rain gear too early, especially if it does not rain, can make you feel like you are in a sauna and you end up looking like a dork! What I am trying to say is; you end up a goat or a hero!

Well my friends, I decided to push past Calgary in the late afternoon since the Calgary Stampede was going to be starting that weekend and most of the hotels seemed to have no vacancy signs already hanging in their windows by 4PM. I decided to push on for another 100+ miles and spend the night in Fort Macleod, Alberta. As I passed through the center of Calgary I noticed that thunder clouds were forming, but I felt I had plenty of time to strap on the rain gear if I needed to. “Mr Cool" made another wrong decision! Within 30 minutes what started out to be a few thunder clouds developed into a totally black sky with buckets of water falling from the sky. The good news was my rain gear was safely tucked away in my T-bag where it would stay nice and dry. The bad news was that I soon looked like a fire hose had been turned on me from about 20 feet away. In case you don’t know, most rain hurts when you are going 70 MPH and not wearing a face mask. Going slower does not really seem to help either because you are just prolonging the agony.

By the time I got to Fort Macleod I was soaked to the bone and my ego was once again bruised. I always say to myself that I will never let this happen again, but inevitably it does... I think it must be a “male macho thing!” The town was quite small, but quaint. I ended up staying in a small motel in the center of this one horse town. As I checked in I noticed posters for Brokeback Mountain everywhere in the lobby along with autographed pictures of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal were hanging behind the desk. As it turned out, both actors and much of the crew from the movie stayed at this motel for 3 months as they were filming nearby. Rumour had it that they both were really cool guys.

The next morning as I was loading up Captain America I noticed a very shiny ¼ inch wide fresh wear mark on the outside of my rear tire. I immediately knew that the inside part of the bolt that had sheared off (the saddle bag problem) no doubt was now rubbing on the tire. Needless to say, I needed to resolve this ASAP. I called the Harley dealer in Lethbridge which was about 30 miles away and thank goodness they had a new tire and time to put it on for me. I finished packing my bike and never rode over 45 or 50 MPH as I nursed my ride into the dealer. Within three or four hours after arriving they had me back out on the road headed for Montana with a renewed sense of confidence in my equipment and a swagger that would make John Wayne jealous.

As I was approaching the US border and the state I was lucky enough to be born in, I could not help but think about John Denver’s classic tune, “Country Roads”. As I was rolling down the road I even started to sing. It was so embarrassing because I had never seen prairie dogs put their paws over their ears before!

Although I left Montana as a young boy, I have always had a real sense of pride regarding the fact that I was born in such a beautiful state (so long as you are west of Billings), even though the city of Butte where I was born is considered the “hell hole of the world” by most folks in Montana. For me Montana is that special place that gives me an incredible feeling of great memories, heritage, tranquillity, familiarity, and comfort.
As I cross the border into “Big Sky Country” I know I will witness some of the most scenic views found anywhere in America, see more wildlife than one could ever imagine, and interact with some of the most genuine and down to earth people found anywhere. I decided to stay overnight just outside of Glacier National Park in Babb Montana. It was not that I was that tired, but I wanted to ride through this scenic wonderland first thing in the morning when all the animals would be more active and I would enjoy the ride more versus at the end of a long day.

This trip into Montana was even more special this trip due to the fact that I had just completed the first leg of my Cruising for the Cure journey (about 8,500 miles) and now I was back in the lower 48 and getting ready to spend two weeks with my family on the Gallatin River just 10 minutes from the entrance to the Big Sky Ski Area. Interesting fact... Big Sky was conceived and built by Chet Huntley of NBC’s Huntley-Brinkley fame back in the early 70’s.

The great thing about this two week break in my journey was that Doreen, Brendon and Denise (his fiancée) and Kelly and Ted (her boyfriend) all came up and we just relaxed and kicked around. The frosting on the cake is that my dear cousin Sharon Holtzman and her great husband (Jon) live about 15 minutes north of where we were staying. In addition their super cool daughter (Heidi) and husband (Eric) along with their two children (Will and John Jr.) were also visiting from Atlanta. We even got to know a great couple (Terry and Caroline) who we rented the cabin from. It was a great reunion and we laughed and enjoyed one another the entire time we were together. We spent our time river rafting, hiking, visiting Yellowstone, barbequing, and just cruising around the mountains. It could not have been better!

Here is the great cabin we stayed in on the Gallatin River.

During our day tour of Yellowstone we had great weather and saw more animals that you could shake a stick at….except no bear. I could “bearly” stand it! We saw moose, elk, deer, bald eagle, bison, and as you can see from the photo, I even got a great picture of “Bambi”.

The real "Bambi"!

On the Cruising for the Cure front, Sharon and Jon arranged for me to be interviewed by Laura Bell from The Big Ski Weekly newspaper. We talked a lot about the journey and the importance of finding a cure for breast cancer and raising the awareness about the importance of getting regular screening exams. She was an “absolute hoot”, so enthusiastic, and the time just flew by. She even mentioned that she was going to talk to her editor about including an article on Cruising for the Cure in another one of their publications called Forbes Life Mountain Time magazine. That would be so great!

Last Saturday morning at about 8:00AM I said good bye to Doreen and jumped on Captain America and headed down the Highway 191 toward Wyoming. I could not help but reflect about the adventure that I encountered during phase one of my journey and now phase two was just beginning. Although the roads should be better and the weather warmer, my mind continued to wander to thoughts about what lies ahead during the coming days and weeks. No doubt I still have a lot of ground to cover and the summer heat is definitely building. Remember, expect the unexpected!

The first day it was sunny, but very cool in the morning. I had my trustee electric vest on high in the morning as I headed toward West Yellowstone and the western entrance to the park. Things changed for the better as I headed into Yellowstone for the second time in a week. The park was a bit more crowded this time due to it being on a weekend and it was a little later in the day than when we toured it with the family. I saw more cars and fewer animals this time, but the beauty of Yellowstone could not again be denied. Even the portion of the park that was burned heavily in the 1988 fire is stunning with the tall dead trunks sticking out of the ground like toothpicks and all the much smaller emerald green trees starting to reach for the sky. Thank goodness that our forefathers were intelligent enough to protect this incredible resource as the world’s first national park way back in 1872!

That night I made it as far as Casper, Wyoming which turned out to be about a 370 mile ride. The hotel, meal, and evening were all totally uneventful. In addition, I tossed and turned all night trying to determine my best route choice for the next few days due to the huge rain storms that are due to hit much of the mid west this week. In the end, I opted to head toward Colorado, a state that I know well based upon my having lived just outside of Aspen (in Basalt) for the 72 ski season and my numerous motorcycle trips through the entire Rocky Mountain region over the past 15 years.

Last Sunday, it finally got hot for me, which I love. As I rode through Denver the temperature reached 95 degrees. I made it as far as Colorado Springs and knocked off early so that I could do some work. I did find that during this trip the drivers in Colorado all seem to think they are NASCAR professionals and the traffic coming into Denver was bumper to bumper for about 20 miles due to four major wrecks that I saw along the way. I thought I was in LA!

Colorado Springs is the home of the Air Force Academy and the town appears to be a bit more laid back than Denver. As I was checking into the motel, I found out that the manager is a 16 year survivor of breast cancer. She was over the moon about the idea of Cruising for the Cure. She was a lady about my age, so professional in her demeanour and adorable. In addition, as I was leaving the next day a young lady in a car next to me rolled down the window and wanted to know what the heck I was doing. I briefly told her and then made a couple of turns trying to find the UPS local store. I noticed in my rear view mirror that every time I made a turn so did she. The long and the short of it as I pulled into UPS she stopped got out of her car and asked me if we could talk. I said sure. She was a university student studying to be an oncologist and was in the middle of a creative writing class and felt my story would be perfect for both her major and for the writing assignment to complete the class. We spent about 15 minutes talking about the trip, the reasons for it, and I left her with my Cruising for the Cure business card so she can obtain more info. I sensed that my trip was now going to solve her summer creative writing class paper problem. Why did she want to become an oncologist you ask? Because her younger sister some years ago experienced a rare type of cancer and she decided at that time that this would be her career so that she could help others fighting this terrible disease.

No question that weather will remain a key factor in my directional route during the coming weeks. It will either be hot as hell, thunder storms or both, but compared to phase one this should be much easier…..famous last words! Captain American is purring like a new born kitten again, my saddle bags are now back on the bike, and I found myself trying to figure out what stuff can I send home via UPS due to the extreme heat that is headed my way. No doubt I will be riding in just jeans and tee shirts as the mercury starts to climb toward 100 degrees and possibly beyond.

This means the chaps, electric vest, and leather jacket now have to be tucked away on the bike at this point. Bottom-line, I am currently carting too much cold weather gear. But, rule number 47 in motorcycle riding, the weather can and will change, so sending the above three items home is not an option. I thought a lot about my options and decided to jettison things like extra tee shirts and even my camping gear… that’s right camping gear! I know some of you are laughing … especially Doreen who has watched me buy over the years: two tents, two ground mattresses, and numerous other camping gear only to have me camp only two nights during the last 15 years. I know I am going to take some heat over this decision, but my attitude is “bring it on!” Reasonably priced hotels and motels are too plentiful and easy to find, while finding camping sites that offer food service are not as plentiful. Bottom line, my motorcycle camping days are now a distant memory, just like worrying about getting asked for my ID at the liquor store before turning 21.

So my friends, it is now going on 10:00 PM and I am headed to bed. I am beat after doing a lot of work in the AM and then putting in another 300+ mile day. I have a bunch of calls to make in the morning and e-mails to get out, but after that, it is “varooom time”.

I have some other stuff to share with you and promise to update the blog again within the next 72 hours, so please stay tuned.

Enjoy your week and one another.
Smiley

A funny thing happened to me on the way to Saskatoon...

2008-07-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

I want you to meet my newest friend. His name is Brad Parker. He is a 24 years old single guy who lives in St. Albert, Alberta Canada (a suburb of Edmonton). He owns the local UPS retail store located in a shopping center close to where my hotel is located. I know you are trying to figure out, “What the hell is Dave still doing in Edmonton at a UPS store?” Well, " Houston, we have a problem!"

On Sunday night when I went to unload my bike I noticed that one of the brackets that holds my removable saddle bags onto the frame of my bike had sheared off and the bag was just barely hanging on. This is obviously not good! It was a miracle that the other bracket did not also break and ultimately the bag would have either just fallen off or banged into the side of the bike with the potential for a far worse event to materialize due to the potential instability it could have caused. When I noticed it, I just started laughing at first. My initial thoughts were that at least I made it to the hotel. After that I shifted gears (no pun intended) and starting to speculate about a far uglier outcome and then again back to how fortunate I really was. This ping pong match going on in my mind lasted about 5 minutes and then the reality of the situation set in. Like so many things in life, things like this don’t just solve themselves. You and only you must take the initiative to solve the situation which I did.

I quickly concluded that I was not going anywhere until I got this issue resolved. Thus, no Saskatoon today baby, but will pick it up after Montana. By now, no doubt you are asking how does Brad Parker fit into the picture? Well, here is the story and I am sticking to it! Unfortunately, both Harley dealers in Alberta were to be closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday for the Canada Day celebration (our equivalent to the 4th of July). This meant that I would have to hang around Edmonton until at least late on Wed and there were no guarantees that they would even have the parts that I needed or the time to solve my current crisis. I could easily be out of commission until next weekend and maybe even longer. This would be long after I am due to pick up Doreen in Bozeman on this Saturday.

What next? I decide to take matters into my own hands. Trying to tie the bags onto the bike was ruled out early on during this challenge due to the instability and risk associated with such a half ass approach. I called the dealer in Belgrade Montana since I was due to take my bike into them this coming Saturday for a major tune up and to get a new rear tire. No doubt it would prove to be less costly to do both things at once instead of having to remove the rear tire twice.

This is where Brad Parker comes in. As you can see from the photo, I decided to ship my two saddle bags to Belgrade versus running the risk that another bracket could be sheered off or my temporary fix was just that……too temporary to get me to Montana.

The long and short of it, after a great deal of personal embarrassment, I took both of my saddle bags to Brad’s UPS store and shipped them to the dealer in Montana. They should have plenty of time to solve this various issues since I will be on the Big Sky area for the next two weeks starting on Saturday. Brad could hardly contain his smile as he was collecting my $65+ Canadian! Seriously, I really enjoyed meeting him and I am confident that his parents are very proud of him. He is bright, good looking, loves sports, works hard, and owns his own business all at only 24. Oh yes, and for the girls reading this blog, he is truly single, but non-atheletic girls need not apply.

Today, minus my saddle bags, tools, and a number of other things, I left Edmonton and headed toward Montana instead of Saskatchewan. I am now planning on hitting that province now after Montana. I have about 900+ miles to cover between Edmonton and Big Sky based upon my revised plan. I concluded that the shortest distance between here and Belgrade is the prudent thing to do under the current circumstances.

Ah, for the life of a motorcyclist! It is kind of like owning a motor home except with only two wheels, a lot of wind blowing in your chops, and no pop-outs on the vehicle. According to both mybrothers something is always crapping out on their motor home and they are in a constant state of tinkering with them. No doubt it will feel a bit strange tomorrow as I pull out of here with nothing covering my rear fender other than my bruised ego!

Enjoy your day, vote for Dog of the Week, and it is so very important that you donate to this very worthy cause. We all need to work together to find the cure for breast cancer and to help to better educate both men and women about this disease.

Thank you again for your interest in Cruising for the Cure and spending the time to read my blog. Both Doreen and I sincerely appreciate your efforts and we want to wish you kind regards to you and yours,
Dave

You get a little goofy after a month alone...

2008-06-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe that I have been on the road for about a month. I am currently in Edmonton Alberta. Today I reached a milestone in my motorcycle riding career. Up until now my longest ride had been 7,200 miles which I did back in 2002. Today I have gone beyond that and I am loving every click of the odometer as I continue down this road of enlightenment and discovery. Tonight I find myself reflecting back over the highs and lows that I have experienced during this initial sector of my fund raising adventure. Some of more vivid memories and impressions include the following:

1. The People - No doubt my biggest surprise has been the incredible people I have met along the way. Although I have never seemed to have a problem meeting people, I have been blown away by the number of people wanting to engage me in conversation about what I am doing, the Cruising for the Cure cause, and asking question about Titan Sports Media (my sponsor). Even more amazing is the fact that some people approach me and hand me, a total stranger, money to help find a cure for breast cancer. With only one exception, these people have not appeared to be wealthy. They are just nice, down to earth, caring folks with a heart the size of a watermelon. These acts of kindness are so refreshing in a world that seems to be filled more and more with negativity and cynicism. I must say that I am much more optimistic today than I was just a month ago about the kind of world our children and their children will experience during the coming years. These contributions have ranged from $1 to $100 and I find myself in total awe of the $1 contributors just as much as I do the ones who donate $100. I think there is a lesson here for us all in these jesters of wanting to help others!

One funny story is about a contributor (who will remain nameless). The guy was a total classic. I was in Fort St. John yesterday in BC. I was riding around town looking for a hotel, the visitor’s bureau, and trying to find a gas station. I noticed during this hour long ride through town that I saw a guy on various streets about 4 or 5 different times driving his hot red Mustang. Sometimes he would be going in the opposite direction as me, sometimes, perpendicular to me, and sometimes in my same direction. He was about 35 years years old and looking at my Captain America every chance he could get. Next thing I know he comes into the gas station that I am in. He pulls up right next to me and asks me what I am riding for and then I tell him. Without hesitation, he hands me $2.50 Canadian and says he would have given me a $20 if he had it on him. He went on to explain that he is an oil field worker and was born and raised in the area. What happened next almost knocked my socks off. No doubt I am looking a little scruffy at the end of the day after riding hard for 8 hours and being on the road for a month. He looks at me as he opens his glove box and pulls out a sandwich bag packed full of pot. I mean it looked like a Thanksgiving turkey crammed full of stuffing! He next offers me some by saying, “It will take the edge off after a long ride”. I just started laughing out loud and quickly said “no thanks”. I felt I could easily be staring on either Candid Camera or COPS and neither one had any great appeal to me. He was really a nice guy and I am sure he would have made a “special contribution” had my answer been different, but no way for this biker dude! Shortly thereafter, he peals out of the gas station with a smile on his face.

2. Weather – Today I finally had my first really warm day. High pressure is now building and I should have hot summer kind of days for the next 4 or 5 days anyway. It was in the low 90’s (31 or 32 Celsius) and should stay that way for the next few days. With the exception of Alaska where it was partly clear on some days, the weather up until now has been very cold, rainy, and pretty miserable. June is supposed to be the best month up in the northern BC, the Yukon, and in Alaska. Keep in mind, you take cold weather, then throw in a 70 to 75 mile per hour motorcycle ride for 8-11 hours and it does not take a genius to figure you that often you can be freezing your tail off. So, no doubt you are asking what have I been wearing each day for the better part of the last three plus weeks? Long underwear, jeans, and chaps below the waist and then above the waist the typical day would include long underwear, three short sleeve tee shirts, two long sleeve tee shirts, a long sleeve turtle neck, a canvas long sleeve shirt, an electric vest turned on high, my heavy leather jacket, and rain gear. No wonder I look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy in most all the photos.

People who know me know that I love hot weather and am longing for the days of 100 to 110 degrees that I hope to hit in the lower 48. The only issue with that will be where to store all the cloths that I have been wearing to keep warm. The space where I would ordinarily store these items is now taken up by the spare helmet and video camera that I purchased along the way.

3. The Scenery - Although I have ridden to British Columbia on my bike in the past, the beauty of BC, the Yukon, Alaska, and now Alberta has far exceeded all of my expectations. Not just the scenic mountains, rivers, and steams, but the farmland is nothing short of breathtaking. Even with very difficult weather in some locations, these places have been worth making the effort to visit. The variety of terrain, the wild life, and the great locals have been something that I will never forget.

4. Travelling Alone – It forces one to be more outgoing than one would usually be. I know some of you are saying, “How is that possible with Dave?” I have found myself often engaged in “Seinfeld” kind of conversations with total strangers. It has been a total kick getting to know the locals as well as the bikers and motor home folks. Most people are really interesting and fun to talk to assuming you only give them half a chance.

5. Cost of Fuel - Everyone is complaining about the cost of petrol. Most merchants are expecting fewer visitors this year than over past several years due to the current cost of fuel. The exception is that they feel that motorcycle traffic is definitely on the increase. I am seeing a ton of “Motorcycle Friendly” signs out in front of hotels, restaurants, and gas stations. I can’t tell you the number of people who have said to me while I am paying for my gas, “I wish my fill up was that cheap”. By the way, so far I am getting about 51 miles to the gallon. Gas prices have been running about US$4.25 to $4.75 per gallon and my fill ups are now costing me just north of $20.

6. My Harley – Although I have always been a long distance rider, this trip has caused me to begin to rethink my equipment. I am going to give serious consideration to moving to a new road touring bike for my next major trip. Riding a modern version of a Captain America chopper is fun, but it is obviously not built for the incredibly harsh riding conditions of parts of BC, the Yukon Territory, and Alaska. The thin front tire makes riding in sand, DG, deep water, over pot holes and in hail that much more difficult versus a bike with special suspension and a wide front tire. I smell a new bike coming on as soon as this trip is wrapped up... assuming this one makes it to the finish line!

7. Family – I can’t tell you enough how much fun it was seeing my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and all their kids, etc. in Anchorage. A real treat. Also, I am really looking forward to heading on into Saskatoon in Saskatchewan later this week. Why am I going to Saskatoon you ask? Because I like the name of the town!

A real bonus comes a week from yesterday when I pick up Doreen at the airport in Bozeman Montana. As mentioned, we are renting a great house on the Gallatin River (where they filmed the Brad Pitt movie called A River Runs Through It) and we are having our kids (Brendon and Kelly) come up with their significant others. In addition, no doubt we will spend a lot of quality time with my cool cousin Sharon and her great husband (Jon) along with their family during the following two weeks. Can’t wait!

My friends, that’s about it from here at this point. The trip has been a total blast so far. You sure meet some characters when travelling alone on a motorcycle, but that is no doubt what some of them, if not all of them, are saying about me!

I hope you all have a super week and for those of you living in Canada enjoy your Canada Day on the 1st of July and for those in America, enjoy your 4th of July.

Until next time, I will try to keep the rubber down and the paint up (a motorcycle saying). Ride on my friends, ride on!

Smiley

Dog of the Week - 30 June 2008

2008-06-30T07:11:00.001-07:00

I can’t believe it is Dog of the Week time again already.

In another close contest last week, Nimo lost becoming the Champ by only one vote. It can’t get much closer than that! This obviously means that Sophie (aka Precious) retains her crown for at least another week.

Before I introduce this week’s Contender, I must address a complaint that was forwarded to me by my blog’s Complaint Department. Donna from Carlsbad apparently feels that I am ignoring all the wonderful male dogs that I have come in contact with during my journey. This week I purposely set out to prove Donna wrong and I am pleased to announce that this week’s Contender is none other than a 2-year old male French Bull Dog named Charlie.

I met Charlie in Alaska at a wonderful bed and breakfast boutique historic property in the small town of Cooper Center on the way to Valdez. First, I must say that I wanted to make absolutely sure that this week contender was a male. You can see from my second “money shot” of this adventure (the first one being the mother moose and her calf at the lake) that Charlie is “all male”. I have to tell you that this pooch was hung like a chipmunk! If you don’t believe me, check out the picture that I took of his "hind quarter panel". No one will be asking “Where’s the beef?

Charlie was a true classic. He followed me everywhere I went on the property including into the restaurant to watch me eat my breakfast. Since I went the extra mile to find Charlie, I now expect all of you male dog lovers out there to support Charlie’s bid to become our new Champion. It is now time for you to cast your vote and then I will report the results next week once PwC tabulates the votes. Good luck Charlie!

Good evening from Fairbanks, Alaska!

2008-06-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

A one-room school in rural Alaska

The last few days have been packed with nothing but great things on my journey. First, by total coincidence my sister and brother-in-law and their entire family were in Anchorage while I was there. They were preparing to embark on a week long cruise back to Bellingham Washington. We had a chance to get together for drinks and dinner two nights in a row. It was really fun for me to see them all and to spend some quality time with family. We ended up eating at the same incredible restaurant both nights. A place called Humpy’s and if you ever make it to this part of the world we would all recommend it highly… especially the crab. Just be prepared for a crazy local spot that is busy all the time. No reservations taken.

After dinner, on the second night, while I was walking home I heard a huge commotion across the street and as I looked over I saw two restaurant security guards chasing a guy who allegedly pulled a “Smoky Tennis Shoe” (ran up a US$300 bill in their restaurant and bolted for the door without paying). As you can see, I am also now a member of the Anchorage CSI unit based on the photos I took. The police asked for my name and contact details so they could contact me if necessary. Of course, I handed them one of my Cruising for the Cure cards. I was not sure how they were going to react when I started playing Jimmy Olsen, but thought I would give it a shot. They were actually appreciative because I recorded everything and they felt this would counter the guy yelling “police brutality”.

In Anchorage I decided to go ahead and have a 5,000 mile service done on my bike. While there I met some great guys at the Harley dealer. There is something about motorcycles and the fraternity of people who are drawn into this sport. You meet people on the road and it does not matter the brand of bike, their city, state, country of origin, what the person does or used to do for a living. There is an immediate common bond and understanding as you talking to most of them as if they are old friends. It is truly amazing and a total kick to be accepted into this fraternity.

At the Harley dealer while waiting for my bike service to be completed, another guy and I wondered over to a motorcycle touring company that was located next door. The very experienced guy working there highly recommended that we take Hwy 7 east and then Hwy 4 south to Valdez. His comment was that “If you were only going to make one ride in Alaska, the Valdez run may be the one, but weather can by iffy at best”. That is all it took for me to change my plans… I canned Denali and headed for Valdez the first thing the next morning. He was spot on with his assessment of the beauty of this experience. Even better was the fact that I hit perfect weather both going and coming. Sunny and warm most of the both days.

The touring company guy also recommended that I take Hwy 4 north to Delta Junction which also was a great ride. From there I headed into Fairbanks just in time for the Summer Solstice Festival that was held last night. It was a giant street fair with bands, food stands, and junk for sale from hot tubs to jewellery and tee shirts. I finally called it off and went to bed at 1:00AM with it still light outside. What a trip it is trying to go to sleep when it is still totally light outside!

The festival brings out all type of individuals!

Today I hung around the hotel all day and did some work, some wash, and made some phone calls to Asia and to the Middle East.

Tomorrow I head to the Harley dealer here in Fairbanks due to a potential clutch cable problem that developed late yesterday. I would rather take care of it now than be in the middle of nowhere and find out that I have a real bad problem. I am cautiously optimistic that it is only a minor adjustment that I need. Will keep you posted.

That is about it from here for now. I will be going into a dead zone again over the next few days as I start heading toward Alberta and Saskatchewan and then on into Montana for the 4th of July. I am really excited that Doreen will meet me in Montana for a couple of weeks starting on the 5th of July. We have rented a house on the Gallatin River just outside of Big Sky. Our kids and their significant others will be joining us for part of the time and it will also give us a chance to visit with my cousin Sharon and her husband John who live close by.

The trip continues to meet and exceed all of my expectations. Saying good bye to Alaska in a couple of days will be difficult to say the least. No doubt I will come back to see more of this incredibly beautify state with all its colourful people. As one Alaskan resident told me when we were talking about the large number of men in comparison to the much smaller number of women living in this part of the world, “The women feel that the odds are good, but the goods are odd up here in the land of the midnight sun!”

Travelling alone and with Cruising for the Cure as my cause, I have had the opportunity to experience things that I never would have imagined had I done it any other way. I guess that is why they call it an adventure.

Enjoy your day and be good to one another. I will resurface when I can.

Dave

Alaska!

2008-06-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

A glacier in retreat
Everyone up here has a cause
Guess what they do up here during the winter?

Alaska Baby, Alaska!

2008-06-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Yep, I made it! Yesterday I left Beaver Creek in the Yukon at 8:00AM in the morning and rode all the way to Anchorage Alaska. The journey covered about 450 miles when it was all said and done. Ride time totalled about 11 hours. This was in large part due to multiple road construction delays, but that being said, the ride could not have been more enjoyable.

First, the weather was perfect. It was sunny almost all day and during the afternoon the temp hit about 70 degrees (21 C). Second, the scenery was everything I thought it would be and much more. I found the wide open spaces, incredible vistas, and a multitude on “one horse towns” (meant in the most positive way)… What could be neater than that? Third, wildlife encounters continue to be incredible. Check out my “money shot” of the mother moose and her calf at the lake. Ansel Adams would have loved to have snapped this one! And last, but by no means least, the people of Alaska could not be any nicer. No question that this is the land of the "individualists". I have already met some really great people up here.

Dinners tend to start late here due to the long summer days. At 11:00PM the sun is still not yet set and it seems so strange to go to bed when it is still sunny outside. I am really excited about being up here for Summer Solstice.

My reaction to my ride yesterday... We have all had those special days in our lives that we will cherish and remember forever. Well folks, yesterday was one of those days for me.

After Twin Falls Idaho, my bike now continues to run like a champ although it looked like it was about 40 years old after the last couple of days on the road with the accumulation of Yukon and Alaska road dust and dirt. To show you how bad it was, it took me three washes at the do it yourself car wash to get it looking good again. Notice I did not say great.

Tomorrow I take Captain America to the Harley dealer for a 5,000 mile service and to make sure my new tires are not old after the trip up here. I also want them to go over the bike with a fine tooth comb to make sure that every bolt is tight and that pieces are not ready to fall off…again!

Also, tomorrow I am going to be interviewed by KTUU TV here in Anchorage (NBC affiliate) about my Cruising for the Cure adventure. Should be fun! Thanks to the great folks at Interval and at Susan G. Komen for setting this up. We are now also working on several more interviews that hopefully will take place over the next couple of days

Although there is a HOG (Harley Owners Group) rally here in Anchorage this weekend that would be a kick, I think I am going to leave on Friday afternoon. A big weather front is due in over the weekend and I want to get to Denali National Park before the skies open up again. I have had my fill of rain, but so be it if it comes. My rain gear is also working like a charm.

That’s about it from here my friends. I can’t wait to see more of this amazing state and to meet more of the locals. Alaska is something everyone should experience in their life time and there is no better way to do it than straddling a 650 pound Harley Davidson. Whether or not you do it on a bike, as Nike says, "Just do It. I suggest that you put this destination on your “Bucket List” and scratch a line through it sooner versus later. After all, “these are the gold old days”!

Ride on my friends, ride on!

Dog of the Week - 19 June 2008

2008-06-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sophie (aka "Precious") and still The Champ

Nimo.... The Current Contender

In a very close contest, Sophie beat out the contender last week in my Dog of the Week contest. This week we have a new “contender” and this one is no “pretender”. Her name is Nimo and she is half Lapso Opso and half Basset Hound. She is about 2 years old and lives in Kalispell Montana with a great family. I met her in Bellingham Washington at my hotel. Nimo and her entire family were in Washington due to the Mom's need to undergo cancer treatment (not breast cancer). The family was very upbeat on the day that I met them because they had just gotten a very good prognosis just hours before regarding the Mom's condition.

Nimo told me that she loves being a dog, being hyper, playing with kids, and going to the parlor to get those curls refreshed. She had a coat the color of a light chocolate Milky Way and a personality that was equally as appealing! I would have adopted Nimo in a split second if I could have. Just a great pooch and one of my new friends that I have met on my journey!

2008-06-16T09:54:00.001-07:00

HWY 37 is behind me! Someone's graffiti describes it all!

I have now logged over 4,000 miles (6,437 km) since leaving San Diego. I am happy to report that Captain America is running like a champ. Dirty, but running like a champ. I try to clean her up when I can because riding a clean bike is much more fun for me… don’t ask me why, but it is.

I entered Canada 6 days ago at the Abbotsford crossing in Washington. For the most part, I continue to be living in rain and cold weather gear. I am really glad that I decided to get to Alaska on the frontend of the trip versus the backend. I am currently in Whitehorse (Yukon Territory) and will not even hit Alaska for another 2 or 3 days assuming the weather cooperates.

As I get farther North, the days are getting much longer. Last night I hit the rack at about 11:30pm after putting in 375 miles (604 km) of the most difficult motorcycle riding I have ever done in my life. The sun was still up… and I mean up at 11:00pm when I last checked. Now for the last 2 days of riding and why they were so difficult.

As you plan for a trip like this, you try to predict the unpredictable. The route I chose from when I left Prince George, BC was to take Hwy 16 to Hwy 37 North. The map of Hwy 37 North looked fine and as a motorcyclist you always ask locals advice about road conditions before you embark on roads that you don’t really know too much about. Several people told me “a little rough, but OK”. Well, I did both of these things and guess what? I had no idea of what I would be getting into on Hwy 37 North. First, why did I take this route? Scenic, rivers, wildlife, light traffic, and I wanted to take an alternate route on my return trip back to the US from Alaska… blah, blah, blah!

Little did I know what was in store for me on this 430 mile (692 km) stretch of journey. The weather was difficult at best. Rain and wind much of the journey, but that could happen on any route so that was not a big deal in of itself. Next let’s talk remote. Often I would ride for 30 to 60 minutes without seeing another car, truck or human being. Next up, I had over 30 miles (48 km) of dirt and gravel roads. Throw in some rain and you have very difficult riding conditions especially on a Harley loaded to the gills. These bikes do not have the suspension, etc. for that kind of riding. It was the most nerve racking 30 + miles of my riding career. I am really proud that I never dropped the bike because at times I felt like I was back on a Slip 'n Slide like when I was a kid.

I no sooner got beyond the dirt and the gravel “roads” and back onto pavement when the pavement pothole problems surfaced. This lasted for over 20 miles (32 km). They were about every 300 or 400 meters (328-437 yards) and many were the size of a basketball or bigger with many being 6 to 8 inches deep. Of course, there was never just one and no telling when more would appear. Hit one of these and you will drop the bike! The only choice I had was to reduce speed and ride the last 25 (40 km) miles or so like it was a slalom ski course. All of a sudden, looking for wildlife running in front of your bike was no longer top priority!

The next issue during the Hwy 37 North portion of the trip was that several gas stations that were supposed to be along this route were closed (two for lack of business and the third burned to the ground). Now running out of gas in a remote area like this is not high on my list. By the time I finally got gas at one station, I was on fumes and I mean fumes. I had enough to go another 50 miles (80 km) max (1 gal) and there was not way to tell when the next gas station was going to be open for business. Not a great feeling any time, but out here in the middle of nowhere is no picnic my friends!

Take all of the above and throw in two hail storms yesterday and constant on and off rain squalls and my adventure yesterday was just that. Seriously, I don’t want to have many more days like that on this trip!

That being said, now let’s talk the good. The scenery has been unbelievable as was the wildlife. I have now seen three bald eagles (two flew right over me – one at about 50 feet (15 m) above my head... so beautiful), two bears, a moose, deer, etc. Also, the people I have met have been truly incredible. It seems like every time I am in a gas station I meet some great folks. I continue to pass out by Cruising for the Cure business cards like crazy. I have had two more donations made in gas stations while filling up over the last several days and I have heard some amazing cancer stories over the last several days. Late yesterday I also met three motorcycle cops from Los Angeles who were just great guys. They had been in Alaska for over two weeks doing what? Riding motorcycles, what else! They experienced a difficult trip weather wise, but also had a great time. They really appreciated the Cruising for the Cure concept because one of their wives is a survivor.

A huge surprise for me on this trip has been how beautiful the Yukon Territory really is. I knew BC would be great because I have ridden parts of it before, but I had heard that the Yukon was so very empty and remote and I was expecting it to be much more like barren tundra that it is. In my opinion, it is stunning, simply stunning!

The people living in the Yukon are real individualists as you can imagine. A gas attendant/café worker was telling me yesterday that in the winter they don’t do much due to the cold temps and because it only starts getting light at about 11:00AM and dark again at about 1:00 to 1:30PM. During the summer and fall they hunt, fish, and do some hiking while during the winter they stay inside due to the extremely harsh weather.

So, all in all how is the trip going? I continue to have a great time, but I am really glad the last two days are behind me. The weather today looks very good for a change, but one minute it is sunny and the next you are in the middle of a driving rain squall. Now that I am on the Alaska Hwy things appear to be easier and much safer.

By the way, current gas prices appear to have the tourists in their motor homes and SUV’s staying away. Now that I am on Hwy 1 (Alaska Hwy) I am seeing more motorcycles than I thought I would. I have met people from all over the world. See, I must not be the only crazy guy in the world attracted to an Alaskan adventure on a bike.

I should make it to Anchorage within the next several days. Even though it is sunny at the moment the weather can turn in minutes so no doubt more rain gear is in order again.

As it turns out, my packing for the trip was spot on. I brought all the right stuff to deal with the elements. I must say though that I will be real glad to hit some short sleeve weather when I get back to the lower 48 states.

All for now my friends,

Smiley

Special moments and friends in British Columbia...

2008-06-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sunset in Smithers, BC at 9:30pm

DJ McKay, great bartender & outdoorsman in Cache Creek, BC

Alpenhorn - The best restaurant & crew in Smithers, BC!

Riding in BC on a rare sunny moment

2008-06-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

What a trip so far! First, I have now been on the road for two weeks already, but leaving VG’s Donuts in Cardiff by the Sea seems like a year ago. I have now travelled over 3,000 miles (about 5,000 km) with many more to go!

Oregon and the Cascade Mountains

Let’s get the bad out of the way first. First, let talk challenges - the bike… 5 mechanical problems within the first 1,000 miles. Do you know the difference between a mechanical problem and a breakdown? A mechanical problem is a pain in the ass, but you can ride it to the dealer to get it repaired. A breakdown - you tow it! The mechanical problems included the following:

Speedometer stopped working
Right hand turn signals stopped working
Rear break light stopped working
Deer alert alarm vibrated loose
Cover for entire electrical systems blew off while riding

Three Harley dealerships later (Reno Nevada, Lindon Utah, and Twin Falls Idaho) all but the speedometer is back operational. The dealers did not have one in stock, but the good news the speedometer is now back working most of the time (who knows why?). Second, the weather. It went south most days after I hit Tahoe with the exception of my great ride from Bend Oregon to Seattle. I have gotten to know my rain gear and my cold weather gear real well over the past week.

How does 51 degrees fahrenheit (10 C) and 30 mile an hour winds sounds to you as you are sticking your head out the window of your car as you are doing 70 mph sound to you? I thought so!

Now for the good. Please don’t misunderstand me because I am having a total blast! Hopefully the pictures will help convey why I like this sport so much. It offers me a sense of freedom, the ability to gain a better appreciation for all that nature has to offer, the opportunity to meet some amazing people and it gives me a real sense of adventure. All of that, coupled with my Cruising for the Cure cause, what more can anyone want out of life?

Shaniko Oregon City Hall, the mayor was in Sunday morning
Probably the most surprising and amazing part of my journey so far has been the outpouring of kindness and generosity of people I have met along the way. In a very small town in Oregon called Madras I had two of the most amazing gestures of generosity while stopping in a McDonalds for coffee one morning. They both totally blew me away. A man and a woman separately approached me and handed me donation in support of Cruising for the Cure. I could tell that both of these kind people were not flush with cash, but they wanted to help the cause. The first took me so much by surprise that I did not to know what to say or do. When the women approached me, I was on the phone to Dubai and was once again blown away based upon her deed versus her own needs. In addition, while in Bellingham Washington, I received two more donations. I met a man named Ron at the hotel and a woman named Karen at AAA while getting maps. Ron is a life couch and Karen works at AAA. Both heard what I was doing and reached into their pockets to donate. To all of these great people all I can say is “Thank you” with a big tear in my eye and a huge lump in my throat… just ask Karen who is also a survivor! This trip is really restoring my faith in humanity!

What is next? Unfortunately, more bad weather, a lot more miles, a half frozen man, hopefully much more out pouring of generosity, and no doubt a ton more smiles from “Smiley”!

Until next week, “Ride On”!

Crossing the border from Washington to British Columbia

Dog of the Week - 3 June 2008

2008-06-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

The Current Champ

The Challenger
(2-year old Silky Terrier named?)

I apologize for not getting more details on this week's challenger. The name was something like Briana and it was really cute as was the little girl who owned her. I met them at the Harley dealer in Reno. Note the pink leash harness.....wonder why she become The Challenger this week? What do you think?

Photos Taken May 30th, 31st and June 1st

2008-06-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

The first picture was taken just north of Bishop California looking at the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The second picture was taken a little later in the ride as I was headed toward Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Both of these shots were taken while travelling at about 65 miles an hour using my new camera mounted on the handlebars of my bike. The next two shots were taken of my friend's house in Squaw Valley California along the Truckee River. And the last shot I took while stopping for a cup of coffee at Lake Tahoe. Hope you enjoy!

2008-06-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

Note to self……I am already having a blast! It is now Monday June 3rd and I can’t believe that the journey is underway. So far I have travelled about 1200 miles since leaving San Diego last Thursday. I am now in Lindon, Utah. Why Lindon you ask? I will come back to that in a minute or two, but first things first.

Last Wednesday was brutal trying to get all the last minute things ready for the trip. The day was consumed by finishing packing, picking up my Cruising for the Cure banner for the launch and getting my fundraising business cards along with trying to accommodate the journalist from the San Diego Union and their photographer.

Although I consider myself an experienced long haul motorcycle rider, the packing for this trip was a bit more different than usual due to its length, the purpose of the trip, and having to bring some work stuff along for the ride. I figured that out when at 9:00PM on Wed night my bike was loaded to the gills and I still had about a foot and a half square pile of “junk” on the floor of my garage that I wanted to take. At that point I decided to call it an evening figuring that I would get up at 5:00 AM and finish the job by jettising some things while adding those additional must have items. As it turns out I woke up at 3:30 AM so excited that this day had finally come.

The morning was perfect… sunny and warm for this time of year in San Diego. In addition, the front page of the North Country Section of the San Diego Union Tribune carried the story about the trip along with pictures on its front page.

At about 7:00 AM I started my bike and headed down to VG’s Donuts with a neighbour on his Harley while my family followed in the Jeep. When we arrived people were already there. It turned out to be a great send off as you can see from the pictures. Everyone was so supportive and it was like one big party. Joe the owner of VG’s even provided the coffee and donuts….what a guy! My family, a number of friends, the great ladies from Susan G, Komen for the Cure, and some general well wishers were there to offer words of encouragement and to send me on my way. After about an hour of great conversation, I said, “I guess talking about the adventure is now finished (along with the BS) and now I have to do it!” With that I said my goodbyes and climbed on board Captain America and headed out.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I thought to myself about my great family and the fact that I had no idea what lies ahead of me over the next several months, but here I go... the journey has finally started.

I said I would describe the good, bad, and the ugly about the journey. Well, I was not into the trip but about 4 hours when I noticed that my speedometer stopped working as did my right hand turn signals and right side break light. And yes, I had the bike totally checked out before the trip so there is no need to ask that question. Mechanical problems and breakdowns are something that motorcycle riders are always dreading. By buddy Bill and I over the years have determined that these things are kind of like death and taxes…… they are inevitable at some point. Getting through a long distance trip without them is the exception versus the norm, but I did feel that day one was a bit much! That being said, I will take a mechanical issue versus a breakdown any day of the week. I figured that I would sort these issues out when I get to Reno.

My route was to ride to Victorville, Calif. and then head toward Bishop and stay on old Hwy 395 along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as I headed toward north toward Nevada.
My first night was spent in Bishop (about a 350 mile ride) and then on into Reno on day two. The Harley dealer fixed what they could based on available parts and the time they had to work on Captain America. They did introduce me via phone to another dealer located in Lindon, Utah that would be able to help with the items that Reno could not deal with on Friday. Thus, that is why I am now in Lindon.

I spent Friday night with two of my old college roommates (John Baker and Jim Dawers) at John’s home in Squaw Valley California (home of the 1960 Winter Olympics). John has a beautiful home on the Truckee River just one mile from the entrance to Squaw. It was just great to mosey up to a bottle of Grey Goose with two of my oldest and dearest friends. We laughed and stayed up until 2:30AM talking about the old days at San Jose State and what we have all been doing since we last saw one another about 6 years ago. It was truly a special night, but my head did hurt a bit the next day! I have attached a picture of John’s home which is truly breathtaking. I wish I could stay in places like that every night of this trip, but no such luck.

On Sat I rode around Lake Tahoe and then Sunday visited my brother Steve and his family at their new home in Truckee California which was also terrific. It was an all around great weekend. Sunday about mid day, I headed to Elko Nevada and then arrived in Lindon, Utah yesterday. Overall the weather has been dry, but quite a bit colder than I had hoped for at this time of the year. Just wait until I get farther north. I am sure it will warm up by the time I get to BC or Alaska! Yeah, right!!!

My bike repairs should now be finished and I hope to hit the road tomorrow morning, but a big storm is due in later tonight so we will see how it goes. Next stop, Boise Idaho then Sun River, Oregon and on into Seattle by next Monday… assuming everything goes according to my current plan. With any luck I am going to try to be in BC by Tuesday or Wed of next week as I start moving toward Alaska.

So far so good, but now I have to really start moving out and I now anticipate longer riding days and, unfortunately, more bad weather looks certain. I just hope my mechanical problems are behind me for a bit and that I don’t hit a snag with any kind of breakdowns… knock on wood!

I have been handing out my Cruising for the Cure business cards and encouraging people to visit the blog and to make sure that getting regular breast exams is put high on the to do list for all women. People have been great and really interested in the ride and the cause. In addition, they all seem to want to find out about my sponsor - Titan Sports Media Group which is also fun to talk about. I have already heard some amazing stories regarding people’s experiences with this terrible disease. I have also had multiple “thumbs up” from motorists and other bikers while riding or stopped for gas or food.

So far the trip has exceeded my expectations even with the minor hassle or two along the way. So, its time to ride on my friends… ride on!