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.