Day 13 - The Road Home

SOUTHWEST ADVENTURE - Day 13
Starting Point: Franklin, TN
Destination: Winter Garden, FL
Day 13 mileage: 669.7
Cumulative mileage (GPS): 6728.6
Cumulative mileage (Odometer): 6859.5

In terms of a trip narrative, all that remained was the ride home. Randall and Elizabeth headed for the west bank of the Mississippi River at New Orleans, and we headed for our home in Winter Garden, Florida, just west of Orlando. We... Lindsey, our youngest daughter, along with husband Bryan, were headed home to Orlando, as well - so Annette bailed on the bike and jumped in their truck. Cooler, more sleep-friendly, and sheltered from any rain we might encounter... this made perfect sense. So I headed off on my 670-mile solo ride, knowing there were no sights to see - just the long ride on the super-slab to get home.

The final trip mileage, after pulling into
the garage at home safe, sound - and dry.

Final SPOT Tracker Gen3 satellite tracker map of the entire adventure.

And that makes the epic motorcycle adventure of 2015 - a ride back to the great Southwest, focusing on Arizona, Utah, and Colorado - a wrap.

Having been home for a while now, and just having time to reflect and write, I have several observations:

1. We are blessed to have the freedom in our jobs to be able to set aside time for adventures like these. While this trip was a little shorter than the previous three, as it was squeezed in between a very special wedding and a post-honeymoon celebration with friends and family - we were away from home three weeks in all. That's a really nice break from the normal pace of life.
2. Trips like this are expensive. Many room nights in hotels across the country, meals, and countless tanks of fuel for the motorcycle... New tires, brakes, and maintenance on the machine before the trip, as well as service upon returning home... We do not take for granted the blessing of God financially that affords us the opportunity to experience adventures like this.
3. I am a blessed man in that my wife not only ALLOWS me to dream dreams about trips like this then APPROVES the idea - but she actually ACCOMPANIES me in the madness. Yes, I am blessed with a woman who is my best friend and who is the real-life expression of God giving me exceedingly abundantly more than I could have ever asked for, dreamed, or imagined. (Ephesians 3:20)
4. I love to travel internationally, and have been blessed to see a lot of beautiful places in the world. I'll be in Africa twice in the coming months, and will cruise the Mediterranean this fall. These will be exciting adventures - but I have a new sense of appreciation for the wonder and beauty to be experienced right here at home in this great land we call America.
5. Speaking of the beauty in our land - I never cease to marvel at the creative genius of our God. We have been privileged to ride the highest of mountains and the lowest of valleys... lush forests and barren desert... May we never lose the wonder of the manner in which the heavens and the earth declare the glory of our great God.
6. There are things that frustrate each of us about our government. Here's something government got right: In 1872, Congress established Yellowstone National Park "as a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." This started a movement that has resulted in the establishment - and, more importantly, in my opinion - the protection of more than 400 areas covering more than 84 million acres in all 50 states, D.C., American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands. The parks I have visited are beautiful, are well-maintained, are easily accessible - and are national treasures that should be preserved. This is something our government got right, and continues to get right.
7. The gift of friendship is something to be cherished. I have been privileged to ride thousands of miles with men who are more than riding buddies. They are true friends with whom I can laugh, share real concerns with... who genuinely care for one another... who I am confident will be the kind of men I can celebrate with in the best of times and depend on in the worst of times... Godly men who will pray together and pray for one another... Yes, this is gift to be celebrated and cherished.
8. Safety is not taken for granted. We know that the sport we have chosen is dangerous. There were  a total of 4,381 motorcycle fatalities in the United States in 2013. The federal government estimates that per mile traveled in 2013, the number of deaths on motorcycles was over 26 times the number in cars. Oh, yes, we know the risks. I know every time I throw my leg over that machine that I could experience injury or worse. But we will not live in fear. We WILL pursue excitement and challenge. We will continue to search out the most challenging roads we can find and ride those roads at the limit of our ability - because this if FUN - and because we are invited to live life to the fullest. (John 10:10) But again - safety is not taken for granted. We have ridden all 48 states in adventures that have encompassed thousands and thousands of miles over many days, riding in all kinds of conditions, and we have done so without injury. We know the hand of God has protected us, we are grateful - and we give thanks.
9. Once again in 2015, we experienced exceptionally good weather. This is something else we are grateful for. We remember the rain and cold of 2013. We know that the forecasts for this year - with the torrential rain that blanketed Texas and much of the southwestern United States right up to our departure - could have made this journey uncomfortable if not dangerous. Yet we experienced nearly-perfect weather. We pray. We ask for good weather, knowing full well that James 4:2 says, "You do not have because you do not ask God." Silly? Too simple? Not to us? And we don't ALWAYS have good weather. But we ask - yes - and God has granted His favor in this more often than not. MUCH more often. Yes, we are grateful.
10. Our machines have performed flawlessly on these trips. Once again, we rode the entire 6,000-plus miles with no mechanical issues at all. Not even something simple like a dead battery. No flat tires. (The front speakers on my radio did quit working - but that was a mere inconvenience, and not a trip-stopper.) The BMW riders in particular would say it is a miracle that the Harley Davidson motorcycles performed so well. They would say they were surprised no parts flew off of these great American motorcycles. We joke around about these things, for sure - but the reality is we have been blessed in this respect, too. We give this credit to God, not to HD and BMW!

I love the journeys we take. The planning, the coordination, the preparation... all of this is energizing and rewarding. I am convinced we all need adventure. I am convinced men need to time with other men - in part to be boys again, and in part because we live in a culture that has minimized the value of meaningful relationships. Most of all, I think we all just need to get away at times. I am certain we need breaks from the routine that help us appreciate normal. Writer and filmmaker Ransom Riggs wrote, "I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was." For me, it is indeed good to get away from the routine of work and responsibility - but it's good to get back to work, too. One of the great privileges in life is to work in a job that aligns with the calling God placed on my life... with the gifts I have been entrusted with... that I know makes a difference in our community and our world...

So as much as I love to be away, I love to come home. Maya Angelou, in All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes, wrote, "The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." Home is refuge for me. It is sanctuary. Yes, it's good to get away. It is equally good to look forward to coming home to all that awaits me here. Yes... it's really good to be away. And it's really good to get... home.

Day 12 - Goodbye, Friends. Hello, Nashville!

SOUTHWEST ADVENTURE - Day 12
Starting Point: Hot Springs, AR
Destination: Franklin, TN
Day 12 mileage: 419.1
Cumulative mileage (GPS): 6058.9
Cumulative mileage (Odometer): 6176.5

Day 12 was the last day the five of us would ride together. Randall and I were headed to Nashville to re-join our ladies, who had flown to Nashville from Colorado Springs. A party celebrating the marriage of our daughter awaited us there - and not reaching our destination on time was not an option. The rest of the New Orleans gang was headed home.

Before we said goodbye, however, we enjoyed a quick visit with an old friend. Bill Chappell grew up in New Orleans and attended church with four of us. A resident of Arkansas, Bill came to our hotel to say hello before we headed out. We enjoyed a good time catching up and laughing together. Friendship is a good thing!

From left to right: me, Bill, Trent, Randall, Matt

Leaving Hot Springs, Randall and I had one thing in mind: get to Nashville on time. The adventure of finding exciting scenic routes was in the rearview. We set the GPS to route us to our hotel, made our way to I-30, then on to I-40, and headed east. Gas stops and a stop for lunch were all this morning and early afternoon had to offer. Nearing our hotel, we tried to find a place to clean the bikes up a bit, but we didn't find any good options. Finally, we headed to the Drury Plaza Hotel in Franklin, TN with our bikes looking like this:

Friends from east Tennessee and Birmingham had already arrived at our hotel, so though we were nasty from the fast, hot ride, we visited with the very special people, grabbed a shower and a quick nap, then headed for the post-wedding party with Jaimee, Travis, and friends. I could post a bunch of pics of this time together - but I won't! Here are just a few:

The newly-weds - Jaimee and Travis Brown

The place - The Frothy Monkey

Some of the refreshments

From left: Son-in-law Bryan, daughter Lindsey, me, Annette,
great friends from Birmingham Donna and Lori, Jaimee, and Travis

More great friends - from Morristown, TN
Lindsey, Christi, Casey, Annette, me, Donna, and Jaimee

This friend flew from Orlando to be a part of the celebration
Lindsey, Jaimee, and Michel Lynn

Jaimee and Travis with Travis' sister Mallory

Day 11 - A Disappointing Turn

SOUTHWEST ADVENTURE - Day 11
Starting Point: Amarillo, TX
Destination: Hot Springs, AR
Day 11 mileage: 595.1
Cumulative mileage (GPS): 5639.8
Cumulative mileage (Odometer): 5749.3

At this point in our ride, we were without doubt headed for final destinations. Three of the New Orleans riders were headed home. Randall - long-time friend who, along with his wife Elizabeth, are like a second set of parents to our girls - had our sights set on Nashville, where we would celebrate a post-honeymoon party with daughter Jaimee and new son-in-law Travis. We had two days to get there, but we had to get to Nashville on time.

We had one more highlight planned on the way to Nashville: to ride the Talimena Scenic Byway in Oklahoma into Arkansas. This was another intended destination in 2012. That year - as was the case this year - we had to alter our plan to run from tornadoes, and we missed the Talimena. We were excited to get to finally experience this highly-recommended route.

The first order of business was to decide whether Trent, Matt, and Steve were going to continue on to Hot Springs with us or take a more direct route home. We finally decided to ride on as a group one more day and to experience the Talimena together. Needless to say, I was excited about this decision, as we really have a great time together. So off we went, headed east on I-40 toward Oklahoma City and beyond, knowing we had a lot of boring miles to cover before the scenic ride would begin.

Stopping for gas in Waterford, Oklahoma, we realized we were running parallel to Route 66. We had experienced some great sights on Route 66 in 2014 and couldn't resist deviating from the route to see what we might find. The break from the monotony of the interstate was much-needed, and we were rewarded with a couple of pretty cool stops. Check out the images along Route 66 below (but keep reading after the pics!) :

 

 

 

Leaving Lucille's and Route 66 behind, we jumped back onto the interstate and continued east on 40 to Henryetta, Oklahoma, where we turned south to get the Talimena Scenic Byway. This turn started a series of unfortunate experiences. The road south turned out to be a toll road - the Indian Nation Turnpike. We didn't mind paying a toll, but we quickly figured out there were no gas stations around, and we needed fuel. We explained out dilemma to the toll-taker, who directed us down a road to nowhere, it seemed. We found a gas station, decided to look elsewhere, only to find the second option was closed or out f business or something. So we headed back to the first gas stop, where some of us bought just enough gas to get us on down the road to where our GPS indicated we might find a better option. So on we went - to find more gas, to make our way through the town of Talihena and then into Talimena State Park. Finally, after a long day of riding, we made the turn onto Highway 1 to begin our ride on the scenic byway, only to see this:

It seems the weather system that had caused all of the rain and flooding we dodged early in the trip had wreaked havoc on this part of the country as well. Our plan to ride the Talimena Scenic Byway was foiled again, this time due to heavy rains and flooding. This was a disappointing turn indeed.

"What do we do now?" was the question of the moment. There was no place to stay where we were, and we remained committed to reaching our destination of Hot Springs, Arkansas. With this being the case, we made a decision to turn around and continue north on Highway 271 and set the GPS to route us to Hot Springs.  We ended up on a road that was not quite two lanes wide, which had no center line, and which I was sure was going to turn to dirt at any point. Surprisingly, we ended up enjoying a pleasant ride to Hot Springs. I saw six turtles, two snakes, and two deer (one dead and one expired). Anyway, our adventure-filled day finally ended at Baymont Inn and Suites, where we enjoyed a pleasant view of Lake Hamilton and a pretty decent dinner at Jose's Mexican Grill and Cantina before calling it a night.

So what did I learn from this "disappointing turn"?

(1) The saying is true: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." It's not the norm for us on our trips - but it's actually kind of fun when you don't know where you are going, or what is around the next turn.

(2) I should probably learn to check road conditions each day before we ride.

(3) It's a privilege to ride with the friends I get to travel with. Nobody got ticked off. Nobody complained. We all just embraced the adventure together.

(4) Life throws us curve balls - disappointing turns - all the time. We'll enjoy the journey a lot more if we expect the unexpected and focus on solutions rather than problems.

(5) Standing around talking about things might seem like a good strategy. I prefer to start walking... putting one foot in front of the other... or, in this case, twisting the throttle and moving on.  We've all heard it said, after all, that we're never lost. We're just finding new roads...

So when faced with disappointing turns - ride on, enjoy the scenery, and most of all, enjoy those who are on the journey with you.

Yep - ride on!

Odometer and GPS mileage at the end of Day 11

Day 10 - A Change in Plans

SOUTHWEST ADVENTURE - Day 10
Starting Point: Vail, CO
Planned destination: Colorado Springs, CO via Rocky Mountain National Park
Revised destination: Amarillo, TX
Day 10 mileage: 559.7
Cumulative mileage (GPS): 5044.7

Our plan for Day 10, was, like many of our days, an ambitious plan. The original ride summary said this: I made an aggressive adjustment on this day. Instead of riding south on the other leg of the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway, I routed us east on I-70 for a while to get us to US 40, where we head north to Granby. Here we begin our ride to Estes Park on Trail Ridge Road. From Estes Park, we’ll head south on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. There are easier and faster ways to get us headed toward Pikes Peak – and we can alter the plan if time becomes an issue – but BaseCamp indicates we might be able to keep this in the plan.

Part of the daily routine for me is to monitor weather conditions both where we are and along our intended route. This day in particular I had been watching the weather closely and saw forecasts across much of Colorado for heavy rain, large hail, and tornadoes. Not of these were conditions I wanted to be encountering on a motorcycle. To add to my concern, we had to get the girls to Colorado Springs for their flight to Nashville, and I had to get to Nashville on time for our daughter's post-wedding party. With this being the case, I knew we could not risk getting delayed in northern Colorado. So I made a strong recommendation to the rest of the riders that we run south to get under the weather system that was creating all of the issues in Colorado. This idea was embraced by all without reservation.

We began our day with a pleasant breakfast at the Westside Cafe and Market, a favorite of locals and visitors alike. The breakfast was excellent. Not long after heading west on I-70 toward Denver, we encountered rain and stopped to climb into our rain gear. This proved to be the right decision, as we rode through rain until we stopped for lunch - and the temperatures were lower than we anticipated. Fortunately, everyone had the proper gear, and we were good to go.

Rather than spend the night in Colorado Springs with the girls, we grabbed a quick lunch, dropped them off at their hotel, and continued our run south to keep the weather behind us. This proved to be another wise choice, as tornadoes were moving from north to south just behind us. We set our sights on Amarillo, TX as a destination that would leave us with a challenging but manageable ride to Nashville. We rode through rain part of the way, but all in all had a good ride to our dinner stop at the 287 Roadhouse in Dumas, TX. There was a brand-new Best Western next door, and we probably should have stopped here, but the girls had called ahead for us and made reservations for us in Amarillo. So off we rode again, doing something we don't do often on these trips: ride after dark. We try to ride in daylight hours so we don't have to worry about encountering wildlife - but this night, we pressed on. In retrospect, I will admit we might have ridden a bit fast given the conditions. We were tired, ready for sleep... and didn't exercise the best judgement. Lighting up the road with my Daymaker LED headlights and Randall's Clearwater Darla driving lights, we arrived safely in Amarillo and called it a night, well ahead of the weather we had run from.

All in all, much of the day was wet and colder than expected - so I keep the camera packed safely away. These are the only pictures from the entire day:

Route at end of Day 10, as recorded by our Spot Gen3 satellite tracker.
The scribbled-looking section west of San Antonio is the Twisted Sisters.

Day 9 - Durango, CO to Vail, CO

SOUTHWEST ADVENTURE - Day 9
Starting Point: Durango, CO
Destination: Vail, CO
Day 9 mileage: 331.7
Cumulative mileage (GPS): 4485.0
Cumulative mileage (Odometer): 4571.5

Leaving Durango, we geared up with our heated jackets in anticipation of riding to 11,000 feet. Having ridden the east side of the San Juan Scenic Skyway in 2012, we knew what to expect on the Million Dollar Highway - and couldn't wait to experience it again. The weather was perfect, the ride did not disappoint, and we made our way to Silverton for a break and some shopping. Interestingly enough, our visit to the Harley Davidson merchandise shop (no bikes) proved to be our only visit to a dealership on the entire trip - and was the site of the single T-shirt purchase I made on this year's trip. Strange...

This part of the San Juan Scenic Skyway is one of those rides that every touring motorcyclist should enjoy at some point in their lifetime. Here are some excerpts from our ride summary that describe some of what we experienced on this part of our ride: The San Juan Skyway is designated as an All-American Road, a National Forest Scenic Byway and a Colorado Scenic & Historical Byway. The Skyway has been called one of the most beautiful drives in America, and has been described in an Alamo Car Rental advertisement as a place “where the road touches the sky.” The San Juans are the largest and most rugged collection of mountain peaks in Colorado with thirteen of the peaks above 14,000 feet. The San Juan Skyway travels over four mountain passes and through two National Forests, Uncompahgre and San Juan, and provides a view of many different climate zones. During the trip, the temperature will vary up to fifteen degrees between valleys and mountaintops with an accompanying change in flora and fauna at different elevations. The trip can begin at any point along the route; ours will begin in Durango. There are spectacular views of Pigeon and Turret Mountains that rise to 13,000 feet, and three fourteeners; Windom, Eolus, and Sunlight. The road continues along mountainsides providing gorgeous views up to Molas Pass’s summit at 10,899 feet. From Molas Pass you will descend into the active mining town of Silverton, which is also the northern terminus of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The town is a historical site and has the feel of the mining era still intact.

The section of the San Juan Skyway from Silverton to Ouray is known as the Million-Dollar Highway and the road climbs up Red Mountain pass at 11,075 feet at the summit and descends into Ouray. Red Mountain, a collapsed volcano cone that got its name from the lava flow and oxidized minerals within the rocky surface, was discovered to have gold in 1860. Miners rushed to the area and proceeded to obtain $850 million worth of gold, silver, and other minerals from its soil. The Million Dollar Highway was engineered and designed by a Russian immigrant named Otto Mears, who became known as the “Pathfinder of the San Juan’s.” His work through the Uncompahgre Gorge and over Red Mountain is still marveled over by engineers today. The Million Dollar Highway’s name comes from either the cost of construction or from the value of ore bearing fill used in the road, the debate continues on where the name came from, but likely will never be resolved. The Million-Dollar Highway ends in the quaint Victorian town of Ouray. Ouray is known for its large natural Hot Springs and picturesque views.

The All American Road is the highest designation, given by the US Department of transportation and was awarded to the San Juan Skyway because of the rich experience in culture, archaeology, history, scenery, and recreation the road offers to visitors. This skyway was one of the first six roads in the United States to receive this designation.

We stopped for a relaxing lunch in Montrose, CO, then headed east on Colorado Highway 50 on our way to the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway. This turned out to be a great experience as well, and took us almost all the way to our condos in Vail. We arrived in Vail in plenty of time to check in, clean up, then take the hotel shuttle into town. We were able to walk around Vail Village and enjoyed an excellent dinner on the river (Trent's generous treat!), then had ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery before calling it a night.

Here are a few pictures. More to come...