First of all, I apologize for taking so long to finally get this post up. As many of you know, Heather and I left on a road trip a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure if I’d get the chance to blog during the trip, and obviously, I never did. My plan was to write about the trip as soon as we got home, but then we had to dive into the launch of our new facility, and last week was simply a blur.

So, here we are, a week after we got home, and I’m finally updating y’all.

It was another amazing trip to the Southwest U.S. I’ve said it many times, but if you’ve never experienced the Grand Canyon or Sedona, or that area of the U.S., you are missing out on some of the most spectacular beauty imaginable.

As you pull walk up to the Canyon you are caught off guard at the beauty. Even though I was here a year ago, that first glimpse took my breath away. You stand silently, knowing that words will not do the moment justice. It is that stunning a view. Unlike last year, this time we spent a few hours at the Canyon, taking in the view from a number of vantage points along the south end. It’s incredible how you can stand on a rock and just look out at the vastness. No barriers, no rails, nothing to keep you from falling over. Of course, that means idiots like me try to get as close to the edge as we can. Something that Heather wasn’t all that thrilled about!

Still, she did get this picture of me peering into the openness.

When I did the trip last year, I explained to Heather (and others) that the pictures simply don’t do it justice. Heather said the same thing this year when she would show someone the pictures from the trip. It simply has to be experienced first hand.

This year we used Chandler, Arizona as our home base. Jase & Kelly opened their home to us and we had an amazing time with many of our Arizona friends. It was great introducing them all to Heather and having the chance to be together in person again. I’ve said it many times before, but I’m amazed how Twitter & Facebook have been used to bring together this group of people from around the world. I truly consider these people friends and have an emotional connection to them.

After the Canyon, we headed to Vegas where I officiated at the wedding of a couple of other twitter friends, Fred & K2. It was such an honour to do their wedding and so very cool to be able to officiate a wedding IN VEGAS! Really … a blast.

We had planned to go to the West Coast from Vegas, but the weather was so hot and there were potential storms coming in, so we decided to spend an extra day in Vegas before heading back to Arizona. Good decision … sort of. By waiting the extra day, we allowed the storm to catch up to us in Vegas. We left around Noon and managed to get an hour south before being told by truckers not to go further. The storm, they said, was so bad, it was forcing them off the road. Motorcycles would be no match for the winds. We called it a night.

The next day we headed out and almost made it back to Chandler. Then storm #2 hit. In fact, storms came all day long. It was one of the worse weather days in Arizona history. And yes, we were on our bikes. We saw the storm coming in and we knew we needed to find shelter. We almost made it before the rain hit. Then came the hail. We managed to pull the bikes into a parking lot and ran for cover against the side of the building. Cars were pulling over everywhere, and I was positive the bikes would be damaged with the force of the hail. So much fell in such a short time period. We learned later that the hail was so powerful, it put a whole in Jase & Kelly’s garage door. Fred & K2’s place had windows shattered. And yet, no damage at all to the bikes.

It took us a few hours to get back to the house (since we had to pull off every few miles and wait for the next wave of the storm to pass). Once we got back into the safety of the house, we enjoyed nature’s display for the rest of the night. The lightning and thunder was some of the most intense I’ve ever seen and heard. Incredible stuff.

Over all, it was a great trip. This time, it was the people (and having Heather’s company) that made it so special. I’m thrilled that she connected with everyone as easily as I did. We both know we’ll be making many more trips to Arizona in the future.

In a previous post, I shared the story of meeting Paul, author of www.themotoworld.com and a serious podcaster.

The night I spent at Paul’s, he recorded a podcast with me. You can listen to that podcast here. The interview with me begins around 17 minutes in.

I encourage you to subscribe to his podcast so that you can listen to some great interviews with far greater motorcyclist than I.

Hope you enjoy the audio.

Well, it’s been a few days now since I arrived back home. Over the course of my trip, I thought of so many simple things that I wanted to pass on to those of you who have been following this journey with me. Of course, now that I’m home, I forget half of them! So, this might be part one of a number of post-ride submissions.

I must say that the trip was amazing. So many commented on how envious they were about this trip. Many bikers dream of taking a lengthy road trip, and yet few actually do it. There are a number of reasons why many don’t ever take the time, but if we are really honest, they are often just excuses. It is possible for most bikers to do something close to what I did. Maybe not twenty five days, or even three weeks. But most could jump on their bike for a couple of weeks and explore at least part of the country. It may take a few years to plan. But I can’t encourage it enough. If you can make it happen, then do it. Plan for it. Work it into your long term schedule. And do it. It is something you’ll never regret.

I learned a lot on this trip. At the top of the list was what I learned about America. I’ve mentioned often that I am a proud Canadian, and prior to this trip, America was, well, just there. I’ve never had the “hate on” for Americans like some people do, but I wasn’t one to fall all over the U.S. either. Canadians are often seen as the “forgotten cousin” to the States. Even though our countries are closer allies than any other countries, we seem to just get lost in the shuffle. For some Canadians, this is a sore point. For me, it’s no big deal. I don’t mean this in an offensive way, and those of you who met me during this road trip will take this for what it is, but Americans (and I’m generalizing here) really don’t understand much beyond their borders.

Again, it’s not meant to be offensive, it’s just reality. Canadians, it seems, are more like Europeans in that they take an interest in what is happening in the rest of the world. Perhaps it’s out of necessity. We’re a pretty small country (population wise), and we depend on other countries for our sense of well being. Americans don’t have that need. They are a fairly independent bunch. Their actions affect the rest of us, not the other way around.

Having said all that, some of the bikers I met on this trip had a very decent understanding of issues that affect not just Americans, but the rest of the world. I loved the discussion I had with some people over a late night meal on Freemont Street in Vegas (you know who you are). I was impressed with the intelligence and depth of the discussion that took place regarding a number of issues.

I fell in love with much of America on this trip. While there are still different countries that I would love to visit at some point in life, I could see myself taking in some of the more incredible American places again. I have to go back and spend more time at the Grand Canyon. I would love to rediscover Death Valley with family and friends. I want to do the Pacific Coast highway again, hopefully with a little less fog. One of the comments I made often to those I visited with was how incredibly diverse is the American landscape. To ride mountain ranges and flat valleys in the same day was amazing. I had more than a few people respond by telling me how long it had been since they had enjoyed those very roads, even though they were doable in a weekend trip. Folks, get out and enjoy the incredible scenery God has blessed you with.

American people are, for the most part, incredibly friendly. Everywhere I went, I found myself engaging in conversations with strangers. I would check in at a hotel and spend fifteen minutes chatting with the staff. Gas station attendants, waiters, and customers standing in line were all quite willing to engage is quick, polite conversations. I wondered if my appearance would cause some to keep their distance, but I didn’t sense that at any time (well, other than the hotel dude in the Rockies! LOL). This might sound funny to some, but I really like Americans a lot more now than before.

So, what about the ride itself? Let me offer some simple tips and ideas for those who might plan a trip like this one.

• Ride your own ride. I mentioned this in one of the first posts, so I wont go into much detail here. But, know your style, your bike, etc. and do it your way. Don’t change things just because you’re going on a longer ride. I am so glad I didn’t add the windshield, etc. to my bike like I had planned. I was as comfortable on the first day of my journey as I was the last day, because I knew my ride.
• Load up your bike. Then get rid of half the stuff you are thinking of taking. I read this in another blog and wished I had listened more closely. I thought I was packing lightly. I packed for a week. A week’s worth of underwear, socks, t-shirts. An extra pair of jeans, two long sleeve shirts, a sweatshirt. Too much. Way too much. Yes, I needed that much underwear and socks, but I ended up picking up a few t-shirts. In fact, half way through the trip, I mailed home most of the shirts and one of the long sleeves. I just didn’t need the stuff, and it was taking up room on the bike. Yes, you need the essentials. You need a rain suit (even if I didn’t really use it). But you can always buy an extra sweatshirt at WalMart or Target if you get cold.
• If you are camping, plan ahead. When I started out, my thought was to camp almost every night. I figured I’d hotel it only two or three days and camp the rest. I ended up hoteling it every night but a few. In fact, while in Vegas, I mailed home my camping gear just to take all the useless weight off my bike. Why didn’t I camp? For one, because of the time of year I did my trip, it often got chilly in the evening. After riding all day, I didn’t want to sleep outside. At the same time, I had difficulty finding campsites. It’s amazing how many campsites are for RVs only. Finally, I was surprised at the cost of campsites. The cost to pitch a tent was almost always within $5 of the cost of a local Motel 6. For $5, what would you do? Sleep outside on the ground, or enjoy a hot shower and a bed? If you are going to camp, I would suggest spending a little extra time mapping out your route and finding campsites before you leave.
• Decide what you want to accomplish. Look, there were a lot of things I didn’t see on this trip. I skipped L.A. completely. I rushed through the mid-west, pushing through the flatlands until I hit Colorado. I rode the interstate right beside the Blue Ridge Mountains, skipping Deal’s Gap. I had decided before I left that the best riding would be on the West Coast (because of the time of year I was doing this trip). So, I pushed it hard until I got there. And then, I slowed down, took my time, and enjoyed the West.
• Don’t feel the need to prove anything. Maybe this one is just for me. I’m riding a 94 Wide Glide with 200,000 kms, no windshield, doing a trip that will end up being 13,000 kms long. And yet, when I put my full face helmet on, I had to fight the insecurity of wondering what a “hard core” biker would think. How stupid is that? There were days when I just felt like wearing the full face. My eyes appreciated those days. My burnt lip thanked me. My peeling nose enjoyed the break. In fact, there were a few times when I was riding through a state with no helmet law that I found myself putting on the full face along with my headphones so that I could enjoy a few hours of music. This is probably true whether you are riding across the Nation or across the city, but if you are riding your bike in order to prove something to someone else, then you should park it and take your car.

I had about fifty more things to put on that list, but I need my friend Michael’s photographic memory to pull them out again.

Let me conclude this post by sharing a little of what I learned about myself during this trip.

Before I left on this trip, I told Heather that I wanted to prove something to myself. That I could do it. That I could handle whatever happened on the trip. I wanted to overcome insecurities, doubt, fear. I think I accomplished that. Those who know me here in Ottawa will tell you that I’m not the best at navigation. I’m not sure I’m any better at figuring out directions after the trip, but I’m a lot more confident in trying. I’m more willing to explore new areas just because I can.

The funny thing is, I didn’t have any great revelation while on this trip. I realized that I am the person I thought I was before the trip. I didn’t come home a totally changed person. For the most part, I think I’m the same guy who headed out on this trip about a month ago.

Anyway, I do feel like I’m rambling a bit. This post didn’t go in the direction I planned for it when I sat down and started writing. But, what are you going to do? Sue me?

Over the next few days I’m going to go through my pictures and put together a bit of a slide show which I will post here for those of you who might want to see some of the places I travelled through. And, I plan on continuing to update my blog, focusing on motorcycle related stuff as well as ministry related things. I also plan on writing a e-book on here over the next while that might be of interest to some of you. So, hopefully now that you’ve found this site, you’ll check back often. Or, better yet, subscribe so that you don’t miss any of the posts.

Again, thanks for joining me on this journey.

I wasn’t sure if I should call today’s entry “Day Twenty Six” since technically, I wasn’t on the bike at all today. I did drive about 500 miles, but it was in the truck. Still, it was part of the trip across America, so here we go.

Heather arrived around 7pm on Friday evening. It was great seeing her, and we enjoyed hanging out and chatting about the trip. Since it was already getting dark, we decided to hold off until the morning to load my bike into the trailer.

Little did we realize the kind of day we were going to have.

It was a great feeling putting running shoes on rather than my bike boots in the morning. It was also nice to simply throw my stuff in the back of the truck, rather than take the time to strap it all on the bike. After loading my stuff, we looked around for an easy place to load the bike. I wanted to back the truck up to a hill so that it would be easier to get the bike on the truck with just Heather and I doing it. We found the appropriate place, and I climbed in my truck to back it up. I turned the key, and heard nothing but the rattle of a starter that wasn’t going to start. I groaned. Tried it again, and then again. No luck.

I rode 7,500 miles (12,070 kms) on a 94 Dyna Wide Glide with 125,000 miles (206,000 kms) and the only issue I had was a broken speedo drive and a burnt out headlight. First time I climb into my truck, and it wont start. Now, my 2002 Ford F-150 has 186,000 miles (300,000 kms), so it’s hard to complain, but still! I got under the truck and smacked the starter, trying to get it to disengage. No luck.

I called AAA and we went back into the hotel to grab breakfast. About half an hour later, Heather’s neck was hurting (from the accident), so I went out to the truck to grab her a muscle relaxer. I decided to try starting it again, and it fired up! I went in and got her, and we loaded up the bike and headed out.

Since we were only a few miles from Hershey, PA, we decided we needed to go check things out there (and maybe pick up a little chocolate). If you haven’t read the story of Mr. Hershey, you should. It’s pretty amazing. He and his wife never had kids, and so one of the things they did early on was establish an orphanage to help children who may not be able to get an education. When they died, the Hershey’s left the majority of their estate, over $60,000,000 to the school, so that there would always be a place for less fortunate children. He was also cutting edge when it came to encouraging employee creativity. He facilitated an environment where anyone could dream up an idea for the company. Anyway, read up on the guy, he was an amazing leader and businessman.

When we left Hershey, we decided we’d go as far as Syracuse and find a hotel. There is an amazing biker bar in Syracuse called The Dinosaur. We figured it was a great night to enjoy some good food. The problem was, so did the rest of New York. The line outside the bar stretched around the corner, so we went elsewhere.

Now, when Heather and I were married, we decided to travel to the East Coast for our honeymoon. We left her homestead and just started driving, figuring we’d stop somewhere along the highway. We were a little past Watertown, NY when we decided it was best to crash for the night. However, when we pulled in to book a room, we were informed that there was a major event happening in Northern New York, and the chance of us finding a room anywhere between Watertown and Syracuse was slim to none. We ended up finding a “dirt bag” hotel that was the most disgusting, dirty place in New York. Yes, it was that bad.

I share that story for a reason. I also want to point out that during the past twenty five days, almost every night, I simply pulled up to a hotel and got a room. Not once was I told that there wasn’t any rooms available. (Okay, Heather points out that I was given the old head shake ‘no’ at that non-biker hotel in Colorado. The point is, they didn’t turn me down because there was no rooms, they turned me down because they wouldn’t rent for just one night).

Heather and I pull in to a hotel in Syracuse. I go in to book a room, and am told that there is something big happening in Northern New York, and there is no way I’m going to find a room anywhere in Syracuse. Not only that, but they have even received calls from Watertown, because there are no rooms there either!

Yup, it’s pretty clear to me who the “travel jinx” is!

We ended up driving the three hours from Syracuse to Ottawa and arrived home just before 1 AM. I’m glad we did. There truly is no feeling like climbing into your own bed after being on the road for almost a month. Same with jumping in your own shower the next morning. What a feeling!

By the way, it’s a high of 45 F (7 C) today in Ottawa. We have a frost warning in effect for tonight. Today will be the warmest day all week. It’s also the warmest it’s been in a few days around here. Yup, I’m back in Ottawa.

Anyway, I’ll update more early in the week. This is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, and I will be enjoying Turkey tonight with some good friends. Tomorrow, I’ll be seeing my sister and her family for some more good food.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for taking this journey with me.

Well, I’m here. Harrisburg, PA. 439 miles (706 kms) today. Heather is meeting me here in Harrisburg, and we’ll be driving home together in the truck tomorrow, my bike in the back.

As I pulled my T-bag off the bike, I smiled. It was a strange feeling knowing that I wont be putting it back on the bike tomorrow.

This has been a great journey. I’m not writing my final thoughts today, because I’ll save those for sometime over the weekend, when I do a couple of “after-the-fact” posts.

Oh, and no rain again today. Unbelievable. When I checked the forecast this morning, they were calling for 90% chance of Thunderstorms here in Harrisburg. Well, all I see is blue sky. It’s all I had all day today.

Actually, I probably wasted about twenty minutes today just stopping and putting on / taking off rain gear. I did it twice. I left the hotel this morning without it on, figuring I’d wait until it was necessary. About two hours into the ride, it looked like I was heading into some stormy weather. So, I pulled over and geared up. Twenty minutes later, I want around a corner and was back in sunny skies. Never got a drop of rain. An hour after that, it was so hot, I had to pull over and take off the rain gear. I was sweating! Two hours later, more dark skies. Another stop to gear up. No rain, and sunny skies a few miles later.

That was the kind of day it was for me. When you think about the kind of weather that much of the U.S. is getting hit with, it’s truly amazing that I only had one hour of rain this entire road trip. Twenty five days, in late September and early October, and no rain. Gotta love it.

Alright, I need to go relax a little before Heath arrives. I’ll be offline for a few days, but will update more later on the weekend.

This is the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, so Happy Thanksgiving everyone!