Getting Ready for Sturgis 2010

I'm getting ready to ride to Sturgis, North Dakota, along with 8 other family members and friends, for the 70th Anniversary of the Sturgis Bike Rally. It should be a well attended rally this year. The event usually draws around half a million motorcyclists from all over the world. In years past I've met people from all over the US, as well as Europe, Australia and Japan.

My group of nine will be staying in the Roubaix Campground in the Black Hills National Forest, about 30 miles outside of Sturgis, away from all the noise and crowds. We'll stay there for four nights.

Looking forward to it. If you would like to follow our trip, check out our trip blog here: http://sturgistrip2010.blogspot.com/

After spending 18 days on the road and logging over 6,000 miles, through the Midwest, up into Canada, down through the Northeastern states, and back across the USA, I made it home without incident. I met a lot of interesting people saw some beautiful countryside, experienced some quiet special moments of contemplation, and arrived home, greeted by family.

I have now ridden my motorcycle in 49 states, leaving Alaska as my last challenge.

That will be another day.

I'm on my Canadian/Northeastern US Trip

I left this morning on my Canadian/Northeastern US Trip. I will be posting my daily travels at this blog site: http://canadianmainetrip.blogspot.com/

Thanks for visiting!

One Week and Counting

Well, I'm a week away from taking off on a 6,000 mile journey across the upper midwest, up into Canada, down through Maine and heading west to return home. I've been checking the 10 day forecast and it looks like I might hit rain my second day (Sunday). Nothing new for me. I'll just slow down and keep my tires to the pavement. I'm looking forward to experiencing new vistas and meeting new friends.

I'll keep a daily journal, with pictures, of my trip on the "Canadian and Northeastern State Trip Blog here: http://canadianmainetrip.blogspot.com/

Please join me on my blog. I'd love the company.

See you later!

Thanks to a nameless deputy!

It was a beautiful Monday--Skies were clear, temperatures were warming. I had a meeting in Provo, so I decided to ride my motorcycle down from Sandy.

Upon my trip home, traveling in the I-15 HOV lane in Utah Country, I passed through a construction zone. I wasn’t quite sure how fast I was going, but it appeared that I was going with the flow of the traffic. A Utah County Sherriff’s truck pulled in behind me with his lights flashing. I must have been going faster than the posted 55 mph. I pulled over, and was greeted by a very pleasant officer. He asked if I knew why he pulled me over? And I responded that I was probably going too fast. He kindly pointed out to me that it was a construction zone, with a posted 55 mph speed limit.

He then looked at my motorcycle and said, “nice ride.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“What kind is it?” he said

I said “An 04 Honda VTX 1300.”

I then shared with him that I’ve put about 68,000 miles on it, riding cross-country through just about every state in the union. He smiled, and asked to see my license, then walked back to his truck to check it out. Upon his return he informed me that I had a clean driving record. I let him know that my last ticket was about 30 years ago, and was pretty clean until today.

He said he wasn’t going to give me a ticket. And wished me safety, and sent me on my way. As I climbed back on my bike, I thought that perhaps my bike saved me from a ticket, but as I drove on, it became alarmingly clear why I was pulled over.

Getting back on the freeway, I had driven no more than a minute, when a Highway Patrol car sped past me with his lights flashing, and then started swerving back and forth in front of me across four lanes of traffic. With each swerve, he would slow down, until all the traffic behind him was to a slow crawl.

Looking ahead I saw another HP who was dragging a large piece of road debris that was lying across the HOV lane of the freeway. It looked like a large piece of metal.

It then occurred to me, that had the sheriff’s deputy not pulled me over when he did, I would have hit this large piece of metal and would have surely laid my bike down. This could have been a serious accident, and maybe even fatal.

Call it what you want—Good luck, timing, divine intervention. For me, I was grateful to a nameless deputy sheriff who singled me out and pulled me over, even though I may have been going with the flow of the traffic.

He probably saved my life.

Canadian and Northeastern States Trip Route

Well I'm starting my planning for a trip across the upper portion of the USA and into Canada. My trip will take me into Canada above the Great Lakes, but mostly through the upper states of the U.S.. I will be leaving around the first of June, and returning towards the end of June, traveling over 6,000 miles in three weeks.

After this trip is completed, I will be able to check the rest of the US states off my list, having ridden in every state in the USA.

I've thoroughly enjoyed every state I have ridden in. I've met a lot of great people and relived a lot of US history. We have a beautiful country, rich with gorgeous landscapes and majestic mountain ranges.

In spite of the challenges our country faces, both politically and economically, I'm proud to be an American. I'm grateful to our early ancestors that sacrificed much to build the foundation of this grand land. I'm thankful to the brave men and women of our armed forces who continue to protect our freedoms.

America is great!

Canadian and Northeastern States Trip

I'm planning my next cross-country trip for 2010, which will allow me to check off the remaining states, with the exception of Alaska (Planning this one for 2011), that I have traveled in. I'll be touring up through North Dakota, across Minnesota, up into Canada, then east, dropping down into Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

I'll be visiting a lot of historical places along the way, including the birthplace of Joseph Smith and Upper State New York again, to visit the Palmyra area. For my return route, I'll follow along the upper border of the United States, through the tip of Michigan, across Wisconsin, and then a beeline home.

I'm considering May or June for this trip, wanting to avoid cold temperatures, and of course snow. The trip should be a total of about 7,000 to 8,000 miles over three weeks.