The Ride and The Gift

I've been spending the last day or so in preparation for my upcoming road trip.  I'm doing my best to not "over-plan" as far as my route goes, as I want to remain as fluid as possible, only planning basic directions and rough areas I intend to be in on a given day.  I am securing all of the "things" I'll want to have with me.  Riding gear, Go-Pro Camera (this will be a new one for me, hopefully letting me capture some great images), guitar (of course), cooler and cutting board (road meals are the best meals), journal, Mad-Maps, etc.

As I plan, I can't help bet let my mind hearken back to my first real distance road trip.  24 years ago this month, my Dad rewarded me with the best High School gift a kid could ever receive, a bike trip out west with his Dad.  I'd been riding a couple years and had cut my road trip teeth on a Springfield Mile trip the autumn before on an old 4-speed, chain drive, '87 model 1100cc Sportster.  This time, I'd be getting my first big bike distance experience.  My ride would be on an '88 model FLHS Electra Glide Sport, the predecessor to the Road King.  The trip was epic, 16 states, mountains, plains, deserts....  More memories than I can count.

That trip also instilled something else in me.  The value of the written record.  I saw him doing it, but it would be years before its importance would really effect me.  My Dad kept a journal of that trip.

Nothing fancy, just a small spiral notebook of words describing things he wanted me to remember written with my Father's beautiful calligraphy-like handwriting, a style like no other I've ever seen.  He'd done this on his trip with my brother Dan back in '84 on what would have been, unbeknownst to us, Dan's last bike trip out west.  I remember the two of them reading it in later years, recalling the experiences they shared.  These moments of having the power to travel through time and reminisce.....those are what make me write.  This blog is just a little part of that, but my dogeared  journal holds mountains of past experiences, roads long since traveled, smiles and tears, and moments that I can revisit anytime I wish. And thank you Jeremy and Josh McCormick for the beautiful journal you gave me.

Basic words, capturing images of many years ago, making them come alive to me once again.  Precious few pages, with a wealth of memories.  While they may come off as a "you had to be there to know what I'm talking about", I hope you are able to see an 18 year old boy about to move away from home.  I hope you can see his dad, wondering if he's truly ready for a ride as grueling as what the American West has to offer.  I hope you can see the anticipation, wonder, and fear in both of their eyes.  I hope you can choke on the dust, and swelter in the heat.  I hope you can see the lines in the skin of wind dried and sun baked faces.   I hope you can feel the love and witness the majesty.  I hope you enjoy.

Wed June 20, 1990
     Left Memphis at 6:10 am, mileage 00030.  North to Chicago.  Rain from Cairo.  Arrived 5:00 pm.  530 miles.  Dinner with Dennis, Linda, Katie, and Scott's friend Matt.

Thurs June 21, 1990
Odometer 00560-860=300
     Got check-up on the bike.  Rode route 80.  Rain drove us in at Grinnell, Iowa.  We'll leave early in the morning.

     PS.... Don't eat the turkey at the Country Inn.

Friday June 22, 1990
Odometer 860-1269=409
     Left in rain at 8:00am, over within 60 miles but cold.  Visited SAC Museum at Omaha and my old base at Lincoln.  The base, and I, have both changed drastically.  So much for nostalgia.  We had a good time.  Spent the night at Kearney, Budget Inn.  Pizza in the room.  Tomorrow the Sand Hills and Rapid City.

Saturday June 23
Odometer 1269-1696=427
     Slept late 8:00am, beautiful day.  Up through the Sand Hills, to Valentine, Neb.  When we crossed into S Dakota, suddenly the radio had only Indian music.  Very eerie.  Only, the chanting was "Happy Birthday".  These are the people who killed Custer?  West toward Wounded Knee, ran into 14 miles of dirt and gravel.  Scott rode great.  Then through The Badlands.  Found Rattler in the middle of the road.  We each left the other alone.  Stopped for the night in Rapid City.  Holiday Inn.  Nice.

Sunday June 24th
Odometer 1696-1893=197
     Rode to Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Sylvan, & now everything has happened, hail as big as marbles.  Didn't last long luckily.  Visited Deadwood, Ft Meade, Sturgis, Belle Fourche.  Motel full, stayed at Myers Motel.  Not good, but dry.

Monday June 25th
Odometer 1893-2375=482
     On the road at 7:00am, had breakfast at Broadus, Montana.  Their menu said lunch would be Chicken Gorilla. Fortunately we won't be staying.  Rode through Cheyenne and Crow Reservations en route to Custer Battlefield.  Scott rides better each day.
      Strange, when we arrived at Battlefield, there was no charge.  Then I realized it was the anniversary of the Battle.  Something brought us here on this day, we had no plan.  Strange!
     Later we rode south to Douglas, Wyo. for the night.  Long ride very windy.  Scott did fine.

Tuesday June 26th
Odometer 2375-2779=405
     Rode to Ft Laramie.  Beautiful old restored Fort.  Bought gifts for Lee.  Planned to ride to Alamosa Colo for the night but wind and Denver traffic and finally rain forced us in at Pueblo.  We donned our rain gear 10 miles from Pueblo but successfully avoided the storm.  Our luck holding, we were wet down by the sprinkler system as we were getting off the expressway.

 Wed June 27th
Odometer 2779-3379=600
     Out early with ambitious plans to ride to Monument Valley.  Over the mountains to Alamosa was beautiful.  Visited the Harley shop there.  Disappointment!  No wonder we sell bikes.  Took pictures at Continental Divide, through Durango, out on the desert.  Hottest day in history.  121 in Phoenix.  More at Monument Valley.  We rode through small "dust devil" sand storm.  Hot, had to turn back at Kayenta.  Rode through "Many Farms".  Beautiful ride.  At Chinle, we rode into a huge dust storm.  We put handkerchiefs over our noses and kept riding.  Sheep were in the street, in the middle of town.  We rode through them trying to get out of the "Dust Devil"/  My hat was ripped from my head and blown away. I mean AWAY!  When we were clear you could look back and see the entire storm.  Camera wouldn't work.  Awesome sight.  Arrived Gallup at 10:00pm, dirty, tired, pizza in the room.  No beer.  Oh yes, we visited 4 Corners and bought gifts.

Thurs June 28th
Odometer 3379-3903=524
     We're in the home stretch to get back by Sat.  Left Gallup around 8:00am, Hot.  We can only go 50 or 60 miles without stopping.  We're using more Gatorade than gas.  We wet down our shirts, packed ice in our pockets, and made it to Shamrock Tex.  Windy difficult ride.  Dangerously hot, Scott handled it well.

Friday June 29th
Odometer 3903-
     On the road at 7:30am, nice morning, much cooler.  Breakfast at Cherokee Trading Post.  I was as much Cherokee as anyone else.  Arrived Okeemah at 1:00pm.  Marie drove us to Grandpa Renfro's grave.  It is at Okfuskee in a free Cemetery given to the community by Marie's father, Bud Collins.  It is on the corner of the property where Marie was raised.  Interesting to hear her talk of him.  We only know him by the stories.  It made me feel closer.  He chewed "tobacky" as he called it, and smoked a pipe.  He was in good health until 2 years before he died.  He had "Dropsy".  
     Stayed in Russelville Ark for the night.  Our last night.  It has been a good trip.  I enjoyed his company.
     It started as a gift to him, but instead turned into a gift for me.

     Thanks!

     Dad

Pop, the trip might've turned into a gift for you, but your short notes that you took the time to lay on an empty page and then give to me years later..... well, I think the gift has become mine again.

Memories die in your brain.  Put them on paper and they'll live. 

The road truly will go on forever.

Ride Safe and with Purpose.

SMB