-No Return Ticket – Two People, Two Years, One Motorcycle

Where will we go? Where will I take her?

There are many miles and many roads to travel. There are many lives to live.

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Vision: Live a dream life of adventure and travel while exploring paradise and love.
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Of course skip all the dribble if you want but I hope there will be a few photos worth checking out soon!
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Disclaimer: AdvRider.com has been an inspiration vehicle for me and I appreciate it a ton. All the great and even not so great threads here have been really fun and informative. ADV has been my launch into cyber community and in some ways that scares the hell out of me. (Woow) Anyway, my goal here is to make YFFs enjoy this thread at least half as much as I've enjoyed yours. Your help and comments are appreciated. Fer-sure I'll need help, like now (WT_ am I doing?)

Focus: This internet thread will follow our real time adventure going as far as our motorcycle and spirits will take us. We are not experts but we enjoy learning the ropes and getting the job done. On our journey we will highlight the things we do right and the things we do wrong. Our goal is to find a paradise through adventure and travel and hopefully do some good along the way.

Background:
I always like to know a little about the people who do the ride reports I read, so here ya go. Tom and Heidi (CaveBiker & CaveGirl): On our first date Heidi told me that I wasn't the man for her, she said she wanted someone that would take her to live on an island. I said "You hang with me a few years baby and I'll sail you to an island" Six years later we sold everything, packed two backpacks and boarded a plane for the Dominican Republic. We spent two years living the life of beach bums; windsurfing, motorcycle adventuring and partying on the beach. (Report) That time on the island was filled with extreme highs, big lows, constant corruption and many challenges. The North coast of the Dominican Republic is a fantasy island scene with all the drama and action that can make a great adventure novel.

That was the mid to late nineties. Back from the Caribbean and back to our same jobs and another eight years later, we were feeling the need to do something again. We thought maybe the Dominican Republic “again” but after our motorcycle cruise to Belize in 02' (Report) we realized we had to check out some more of this big bad world. At the end of 04' I managed a nine month leave of absence from my job, Heidi quit hers. We rigged up our old rusty 1990 jeep Wrangler and went adventure touring through Mexico (Jeep Report) . What a blast, but it just went so fast.

After Mexico Heidi and I found ourselves looking at each other a lot and saying "We have to Do It again, Soon!" Again being whatever. It turned into a kind of a chant of ours. "We're getting older We have to do it now while we're both still healthy!" To build up our finances again we lived like college students. 2 years in a small apartment in Minneapolis using lawn chairs as our furniture. We were driven to get our act together and get going ASAP.

Preparations: Full preparation details for this ride are here on ADV. Check It! Preparing for a new life I first should have a graceful exit from the old. (Just in case I need to return some day) I started working at this company in 1982 (Wooh!) and the place feels like home. I love the people I work with and the work I do but if I want to pursue this dream there is no getting around it, I need to say it I Quit (Ahhh!) Now everything can just happen.

Start Date: July 12, our anniversary date, 18 years (I hope it's not our last) Ugh! (Inner voice: 'I need to pilot this expedition right' We waffled about the date for a long time. Heidi is always ready to go now (ya gotta love her!). Financially we should have waited for October first but that's too long a wait.

Enough buildup, on with the ride->
We are starting out lightly loaded while we tour Wisconsin to visit family and friends, after looping the state we will end up back at home base where we will do a final pack and take off.

Go:
The best worst day of our life:
I can't believe it. I finally think I can make up for forgetting our wedding anniversary the last couple of years by making reservations at a beautiful little motel overlooking Lake Superior, Bayfield WI. This is where I proposed and Heidi finally said yes. This can't go wrong; the reservations are on my credit card (I won't forget), the area is filled with magic, we're in love and this is the first day on the road of our adventure of a life time.


We tried to get on the road early so we could eat breakfast at Seeley, WI Sawmill Saloon. Too late for breakfast we decided to just continue on. It’s only a little over an hour to Bayfield.



Pulling into Bayfield early we proceed to get into the scene. We park the bike near the ferry dock and walk along shore to a favorite restaurant overlooking the lake. Everything is perfect. We can't believe this is happening. We time it just right and get to the motel just at check in time, 3:00. We haven't even pulled off the road and a guy is waving at us, I wave back. We park right in front of the room I reserved six months ago. Heidi is elated. The guy who waved at us greets us promptly. I tell him we have reservations for room 17 for tonight and tomorrow. He hustles me inside the office and I think said something like Impossible. The next thing I know he's telling me he has no reservations for us and asks if we have the right place. I go back out to the bike and return with my address book which has an entire page devoted to this reservation. My address book has Bayfield, SeaGull Bay Inn, July 11 and July 12. Room 18' I say "O! my mistake, I mean room 18" He says that's impossible, Caption Ron has room 18 all month. (Me, eyebrows up) He asks if I received a reservation card. I say I remember receiving the card but I don't have it. The clerk rambles back and forth that this can't happen but if I had my reservation card with me he would get us a room at another motel in town and pay for it. I say "I see, Caption Ron has room 18 all month so we got bumped on our anniversary" I knew we were hosed without the reservation card and no matter what we couldn't spend the night here. I come back out of the office and Heidi is gleaming" We have a screened in patio! she exclaims. I explain the situation. Heidi cries. I say S! Back on the bike we can't believe it. We pass a little motel in another town that has vacancy. Heidi says 's a dump, I'm not staying there on my anniversary! We need to get somewhere ASAP, we're loosing daylight and it's starting to storm. (Great) The clouds are dark ahead so we find a nice little pull off in the woods and wait for the storm to pass. We have fun talking about our situation. We plan strategies for communication while on the bike together, 3 quick taps means Heidi sees something in the road. One solid tap means Heidi needs a gear change, like it's going to rain now and we need to suit up. We had to wait for dark storm clouds several more times. Then I get one solid jab. Yes, time to pull over and put on rain the gear. Nice rainbow!



It's Wednesday evening and that's potluck, $2 cheese burger night at the VFW post in Springbrook, WI. We're hoping maybe our friends Don and Colleen will be there. They weren't but everyone there was super nice and friendly to us. We told our story and everyone had a big laugh. This was for sure the best worst day we ever had.
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Hold on! This is just the start. We have two years......

Yeah Baby!!!..Maybe our paths will cross again, like they did in Todos Santos a couple years ago during your Jeep trip. Have a safe trip Tom and Heidi

Tom-You're an inspiration dude-rock on! (does Heidi have an equally cool single sister ) I'm a toatal noob to this site and am hooked.

Living the dream, there Cavebiker. I met you briefly at the Horizons Unlimited meet in Creel, in 04 I think, maybe 05. If you come through San Antonio on the way south you have a place to stay. As a former cheesehead,I've been to the sawmill a few times when I was living in Madison and doing some mountain bike races in NW wisconsin.

The fun has begun, or should I say continues for you 2 I'm actually closer to you than to Lake Superior,1 mile from the Birkie high line, 1st food stop, Cable. Really looking forward to following your trip and seeing the pics, your story is very positive. Give me a shout when you get back in town. Paul 3218

Looking forward to seeing where time and chance takes the two of you!

Love the title -- No Return Ticket!


I've been looking forward to this...

Hey Tom,

Glad to see you got your trip started

Do the two of you always play "Stone, Paper, Scissors"?

Nice report, thanks for posting!

Go, you crazy kids and don't look back. The bike looks well set up. Nice job. News and pics will be much appreciated. Ride easy my friend.
Warren and Carol

Cavebiker and Cavegirl,

I've been out of town for about two weeks and anxiously looked for this thread to make sure you'd really started the trip. It deserves a bump! Check in once in awhile. PM me if its faster, and I'll let the gang at work, er, where you used to work, know where you're at and how its going! They are all interested.

Mrs. Bike4ever and I head out on our trip to Italy on Thursday. We're pumped too!

Be safe.

B4Evr

Nothing much to report, we just finished our Wisconsin loop. We had to cut it short, my back was talking to me. We both had fun, long one on one time with our mothers and sisters. Finally after a few enjoyable days in Milwaukee visiting Heidi’s brother / family I called ‘Time Out’ My back needs attention ASAP. We missed seeing my brothers and a best friend but I had to focus on my back.

We’re at the cabin now, staging and doing everything to build up our core strength preparing for the ride. A stronger body can endures more stress. I’ve bounced back this way before, I can do it again. Diligent training, nutrition, rest and recuperation.

The weather out west has been hotter then H this last week. A good time for this delay. In a couple more weeks the weather should be perfect and the tourist crowds will be a fraction. Expect the unexpected and make the best of it. That’s what we’re doing and you can Count on being updated as soon as we have something good.

A few pics of the beautiful Marinette, Menominee, Sturgeon Bay area.
Menominee Port:




Menominee light house:



Sturgeon Bay light house:



Sturgeon Bay, Door county:


A ferry that runs between Marinette and Sturgeon Bay, the Captain of the let me take the wheel on the way back to Marinette. He explained all the on board electronics along with some history and navigational lesions.


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My 90 year old mother just underwent emergency open heart bypass surgery. Heidi and I raced down to Green Bay Wisconsin after a brother of mine called with the news. We’re camped out at the hospital now helping my mother deal with her recovery. The first 36 hour after the operation was the worst. I have never seen anyone ever in such pain, not even depicted in a movie. We are at the start of the fourth day, My mother is smiling, walking and moving around. Wow, what a surreal happening. My mother keeps saying “This is Unreal!” I keep assuring her that every day will be a marked improvement and thank God it has. Well she just got washed up and we are going to watch “Sunday morning” show together. I am one F’ing lucky dude!

Don’t have time to respond to the replies except thanks all for the good words!

Speedy recovery to your mom!

great pics.

When you get the chance, please keep the ride report going.

Thoughts and prayers for your Mom.

Good luck, CaveMom.

well wishes to your mom..

pm me iffin you need a place to stay or chill in GB..