First Trip on 2 Wheels. 10,000 miles. 21 years old.

In

Thanks for a nice job on the report. It makes all the difference when in addition to sharing the usual details of the day...you also share who you are.

A pleasure to meet you sir.

Good reporting and your photo skills are impressive. More please!

I just wanted to let you know a lot of us from the charlotte forum are following your report. It has been a very intresting read and I like the real life stories you are adding as you recount your adventures on the road alone, just you and your bike. I myself have experineced many of the same feelings while touring alone on the open road. It is something you can never explane untill you have been there yourself. Looking forward to the rest of the report.

Pretty awesome report so far. Just curious about any repairs or anything?? You're a couple thousand miles in and so far no mention of anything. As a beginner rider and someone wanting to make a long journey that's my biggest fear, what if this breaks etc.

This is a F-18 Hornet. Not sure what it's doing out there. This is a Navy/Marine Corps fighter/attack jet so I'm not sure what base this would have came from. But I'm sure they fly all over the place haha.

Anyway excellent ride report so far. I hope you were able to get off the interstates through parts of your journey though. You only get a small glimpse of the country on the interstates. The two lane state highways and country roads are where you really see what the country has to offer

Thanks to all who are following along and enjoying my ramblings.

To answer a few questions:

At this point, and not to spoil things, but at no point during the trip or while i've owned this bike have I had any mechanical problems. I oiled the chain every few gas stops and changed the tires and oil when I got to Northern California. That's it.

As far as interstates are concerned, yes, unfortunately I spent most of my time on them and not secondary roads. It was my first trip and most days I was more concerned about getting where I was going as quick as possible. Looking back, I wish I would have taken my time and some alternative routes, but I still enjoyed it very much and feel like I saw a tremendous amount of things along the way.

Next few stops include:

• Denver, CO
• Jackson, WY & Yellowstone
• Missoula, MT
• Kennewick, WA
• Salem, OR
• Willits, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Monterey, CA
• Orange, CA
• Las Vegas, NV

In!

I see you made it to Salem, Oregon... what date was that? I'm wondering if I was in town at the time...

Rob

I left Jackson, WY on 7/4 and had a day at each stop after that until Salem, so....probably 7/7 or so.

I forget -- was that last year or the year before? In either case, I wasn't there... I got back to Salem last year end of July, and was there from July-Nov of 2010.

Rob

Sorry, forgot to mention it was 2010.

I was wondering if the F18 was a Blue Angel by chance ?

Some of the best RR's are written after the fact. Good job!

Excellent RR! I'm enjoying your humble and transparent style of writing. The Lord does work in mysterious ways!
I'm curious, you've mentioned that you packed way too much. Did you at some time during your journey stop and
mail some of it back home?

Thanks to all who are reading along.

Yes, I sent a good bit home with my parents and fiancee when I met them in Vegas later on in the trip, and then more when I got to Kentucky near the end.

I am enjoying your RR very much. I am also a Christian, and I am very interested in hearing about your growth and learning on this trip.

I hope you don't mind, but I paraphrased part of your post for my sig line

Awesome. More please!

am enjoying your report and i like the way u write about your trip! hope this was the first of many great journeys!

Thank you for posting your ride report. I truly do find it to be an interesting and enjoyable read. My observations, with respect:

1. I found it totally ironic, almost humourous that you visited a pork rhine (sp?) factory in Ohio given your physical size.... Notwithstanding having many pictures and photos of unhealthful eating items along your journey. It leads (and feeds) to many stereotypes about America and its people to others from around the world who visit this site. (Although, I don't doubt you consumed many banana's and apples along the way too, and I agree they aren't too interesting to write about when you compare them to a Phili-Cheese-Steak sandwich, or a slice of pizza bigger than a grizzly's paw.)

2. I also found your observation at the border crossing totally spot-on. The bufoonery of the Homeland Security Officer, and many of her colleagues, is mind-numbingly insane in the Ontario/Michigan corridor! This embarrassment of an individual should be ashamed she is a first-line of defense. "Where is your passenger?" Are you kidding me? These occurrences are also all-to-common and you've continued to write and show stereotypes about the good' ole U.S. of A. I must conclude they are trained & coached to conduct themselves in such a manner.

3. Your religious awakening/$20 gratuity is also a perplexing experience to a guy like me. I am not religious. I believe in things I can see, touch, feel, taste - science. This trip on your bike is real. Your beautiful wife is real. Staying upright on your bike is real. I don't take things of faith, nor do I take the word of some stranger (emphasis on strange) coming up to me in a diner and telling me that God put something in her heart to tell you something. Again, it continues to present stereotypes and characteristics about life lower than the 49th parallel.

At any rate, I am humbled that you've had this experience, you have a lovely missus at home, and you are doing what we all wish/want to do ourselves.

Well I'm sure glad you prefaced that with "with respect"...

1. Always happy to give someone a chuckle. Or I guess it was only almost humorous. Oh well.

2. I agree. I feel like it should've been on a hidden camera show.

3. There's a lot I could say, but I won't.

I'm very glad to hear you're humbled that I had this experience. :huh

I spent a few days with my gracious hosts in Omaha. I was writing a blog periodically, mostly for the sake of tracking miles and reporting back to those at home where I was, but I had to share that story from my previous post. Of course, I've come to understand a great deal more if the significance after a while to digest it and get more perspective.

My hosts had a big finished basement they let me have all to myself, so I got some much needed rest after a long day on the road. I did some laundry, too, which was now a luxury, being on the move so much.

I departed one morning westward bound for Denver to meet some old friends from NC who had relocated there in the past year or so.

Some cool airplane monumnet in Nebraska here on the side of the interstate.



I snapped a shot of this motel called the Gable View Inn near Lexington, Nebraska for some friends of mine that have Gable last names.





I took some video of the windmills along the way. http://youtu.be/0X8LepU8-uU

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This was a very long day of riding for me, probably one of the most physically tiring ones so far on the trip. Very long, very straight, at high speed. I was very glad when I made it to my destination.

My friend Robert and Sarah lived in Denver at a church where Robert had recently been hired a the youth pastor. The church had a decent sized apartment right there on its for them, which was pretty cool. In addition to working at the church, they were both working a raft guides up in the mountains for a rafting company.

We went to a cool little place for dinner one night, and a "colorado style" pizza place another. The 4th type of pizza I'd tried so far (DC, NYC, Chicago, Denver). Hope it can give everyone a chuckle that the fat guy on the motorcycle ate pizza! Sorry I don't have a pic of the food, only the restaurant.



I had the days pretty much to myself while my contacts were at work. First day I rode around denver and explored a little. Took my tank bag in to a alterations shop and tried to have the zipper repaired, but no joy. Went by a motorcycle shop and tried to find rain gear. Nothing past an XL, but they could order me some to have in 7-10days! Yeah! I'd have to stick with my Levis and riding jacket.

The church hired me to photograph the grounds for the website, so that was a good chance to earn a little traveling money.







Also got a few shots of my friend's beautiful dog, Brighton.



One evening I had a chance to share about our non-profit and my trip with about 50 of the church members.

I spent part of my last day planning my route. I was headed to Jackson, WY next and decided to book a tour for Yellowstone. More later on that, but that was some of the best money i'd ever spent. Mary from NJ booked me 2 nights at the Parkway Inn.

I headed out July 2, 2010 toward Jackson, WY!

This was the plan, although not 100% in line with where I actually ended up going.