This is the last day and I am ready to return home to my little family and business. This has been the longest I have ever been away from Aimee and I miss her company.
I got up at 4am to depart before the heat. According to the weatherman, it should be almost 100f by 8am in Phoenix so I am anxious to get home as early as I can. Leaving Flagstaff, my temperature gage showed just 50f. 20 miles further it was already 90f as I dropped off the rim into the lower desert. There wasn't any traffic to speak of so I made very good time. My GPS said that I should be home by 7:15 and I thought that would let me miss the daily traffic jam at the junction of the 101 and 53. I almost made it and was only held up 5-10 minutes so I was lucky. It was now over 100f and I still had my riding suit on. It was getting hot!
I pulled into the driveway at 7:20am and just like that, my adventure was over. My GPS claims that I travelled 11781 miles in 4 weeks and 2 days, an average of 392 miles a day including the days I didn't ride at all. Not bad for an old guy! I wore out 3 tires on the trip and had to make a few repairs to keep the bike going but in all it was a terrific experience. I learned quite a bit about myself and my surroundings. I was tested by circumstance and weather. The bike performed flawlessly as did all of my support equipment. I was especially impressed with the riding suit Aimee gave me for Christmas, a Kilimanjaro over pant and jacket combo. As well as being waterproof, it is made of Kevlar and has rubber body armor built in at strategic spots to protect in a fall. I can attest that all worked as advertised.
Was the trip worth the time and expense? A resounding yes to all! I had a wonderful time. I met and made new friends and I visited places I had only read about. I rode into the Artic Circle and went as far west as the roads permit in our great country. America is truly beautiful and vast. These last 30 days have led me to a new appreciation for all around me and I am thankful to all who made it possible, especially to Aimee, my wife, who held down the fort so ably while I was away playing in the North.
I'm thinking that 65 should be the PanAm down to Rio de Janero.
I got up at 4am to depart before the heat. According to the weatherman, it should be almost 100f by 8am in Phoenix so I am anxious to get home as early as I can. Leaving Flagstaff, my temperature gage showed just 50f. 20 miles further it was already 90f as I dropped off the rim into the lower desert. There wasn't any traffic to speak of so I made very good time. My GPS said that I should be home by 7:15 and I thought that would let me miss the daily traffic jam at the junction of the 101 and 53. I almost made it and was only held up 5-10 minutes so I was lucky. It was now over 100f and I still had my riding suit on. It was getting hot!
I pulled into the driveway at 7:20am and just like that, my adventure was over. My GPS claims that I travelled 11781 miles in 4 weeks and 2 days, an average of 392 miles a day including the days I didn't ride at all. Not bad for an old guy! I wore out 3 tires on the trip and had to make a few repairs to keep the bike going but in all it was a terrific experience. I learned quite a bit about myself and my surroundings. I was tested by circumstance and weather. The bike performed flawlessly as did all of my support equipment. I was especially impressed with the riding suit Aimee gave me for Christmas, a Kilimanjaro over pant and jacket combo. As well as being waterproof, it is made of Kevlar and has rubber body armor built in at strategic spots to protect in a fall. I can attest that all worked as advertised.
Was the trip worth the time and expense? A resounding yes to all! I had a wonderful time. I met and made new friends and I visited places I had only read about. I rode into the Artic Circle and went as far west as the roads permit in our great country. America is truly beautiful and vast. These last 30 days have led me to a new appreciation for all around me and I am thankful to all who made it possible, especially to Aimee, my wife, who held down the fort so ably while I was away playing in the North.
I'm thinking that 65 should be the PanAm down to Rio de Janero.
1 comment:
A resounding "NO" to the PanAm to Rio at 65! I am seeing you and I on a secluded beach somewhere! I'm glad you're home. I missed you.
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