Wow - I get it. My whole life I've heard hype. I've heard braggadocio. I used to dismiss it as such, at least until now. Sitting here, taking it all in, I definitely get it.
Among the most fun series of articles I've written - and most positively received - are the cross-country motorcycle trips I have had the opportunity to take. For several years consecutively, buddy Stewbert and I would set off on a two-wheeled road trip. We rode our motorcycles to Vancouver, British Columbia in 2007. In 2008 we followed the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, visiting a U.S. Air Force friend in Panama City Beach, Fla. We drove into Manhattan, New York City in 2009, and in 2010 joined forces with my Dad and brother to ride all the way to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, clocking nearly 10,000 miles in three weeks. In 2011, we rode west to San Diego to visit my brother.
And, that was it. For the past two years we took a hiatus. There seemed to always be an excuse not to go, between the challenges of taking time off from a dairy farm, to work simply getting in the way. Particularly with agriculture, I fell into the trap where it is simply easier to just stay home.
Another unspoken challenge was the notion of having to top the previous year's trip. Riding a motorcycle into New York City was pretty darn cool, but I doubt I'll ever do it again. Touring Alaska and San Diego were both memorable excursions, and maybe someday we'll revisit each route, but not yet.
Of course, there were always ideas on the horizon - we dream of renting dual-sports and riding around Australia, and of taking a trip through the European Alps. Then, logistics and reality rears its ugly head, and we concede that such a trip, albeit the chance of a lifetime, is demonstrably out of anyone's current budget.
"Key West." I can't remember when or where I announced this destination to Stewbert, but sometime during the atrocious winter of 2013 - 2014, we both agreed that the southernmost point of the United States would be our next objective.
For a moment, think back to what it was like to be cold. This past winter was, undoubtedly, the most challenging experience of my life. Certainly, there had to be something positive on the horizon; something I could cling to, in the hopes of making it through the hard times.
Then, just as the weather turned and the earth began to once again warm up, Stewbert and I received a dose of good news. For the Key West motorcycle trip of 2014, we would not be riding alone. My cousin expressed an interest in riding along, and acquired a Kawasaki Vulcan as means of coming with. To this, my brother-in-law shook his head and laughed, "I can just imagine you three going down the road - two dudes on sports bikes and one on a big cruiser. I would love to see this - what a motley crew."
Over a couple beers and a series of evenings, Paul, Stewbert, and I hashed out a plan. We would depart Monroe and head due south to Cape Girardeau, Mo. There lives a good friend of mine who rebuilds airplane engines - we could catch up with him. From Cape we would head east to the Appalachian Mountains, stopping at the Meriwether Lewis Monument in Tennessee. Everyone has heard of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but very few know the unfortunate demise of Meriwether Lewis and his untimely death.
Turning south, we would head to Muscle Shoals, Ala. In terms of American music and culture, Muscle Shoals is a sort of mecca. I would highly encourage each of you to listen to the song "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Listen to the words, and realize that there really were the Swampers, who were actually known to pick a song or two. Also, Mick Jagger had an interesting experience in Muscle Shoals while cutting "Brown Sugar." All of this made the small town in northwest Alabama an obvious destination on our southward journey.
Next, we planned to visit Andersonville, Ga., the site of the infamous Civil War POW camp. Some 40,000 Union prisoners were crammed into the tiny stockade, resulting in atrocious living conditions and shocking death loss. As a destination, Andersonville has special meaning to me - a distant relative of mine is buried there.
We would only stop driving south when there was simply nowhere else to go, at Mile Marker 0 on U.S. Highway 1, Key West, Fla. After a brief respite we would turn north toward Tampa, where my brother is currently stationed with the U.S. Navy. All of this added up to make the perfect summer road trip - good company, and world-class destinations.
So if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to this rum punch. In terms of relaxation I am usually more of a whiskey guy, but given my current surroundings and circumstances, an exception is certainly in order. Besides, this is the perfect toast to my father, who passed away unexpectedly in January. The guides served us rum punch on our scuba dive trips, which was the ideal cure to saltwater dry mouth following a day of diving.
To hitting the road with friends, and of course, making it safe and sound to Key West. I get it. I totally get it.
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Tuesday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
Among the most fun series of articles I've written - and most positively received - are the cross-country motorcycle trips I have had the opportunity to take. For several years consecutively, buddy Stewbert and I would set off on a two-wheeled road trip. We rode our motorcycles to Vancouver, British Columbia in 2007. In 2008 we followed the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, visiting a U.S. Air Force friend in Panama City Beach, Fla. We drove into Manhattan, New York City in 2009, and in 2010 joined forces with my Dad and brother to ride all the way to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, clocking nearly 10,000 miles in three weeks. In 2011, we rode west to San Diego to visit my brother.
And, that was it. For the past two years we took a hiatus. There seemed to always be an excuse not to go, between the challenges of taking time off from a dairy farm, to work simply getting in the way. Particularly with agriculture, I fell into the trap where it is simply easier to just stay home.
Another unspoken challenge was the notion of having to top the previous year's trip. Riding a motorcycle into New York City was pretty darn cool, but I doubt I'll ever do it again. Touring Alaska and San Diego were both memorable excursions, and maybe someday we'll revisit each route, but not yet.
Of course, there were always ideas on the horizon - we dream of renting dual-sports and riding around Australia, and of taking a trip through the European Alps. Then, logistics and reality rears its ugly head, and we concede that such a trip, albeit the chance of a lifetime, is demonstrably out of anyone's current budget.
"Key West." I can't remember when or where I announced this destination to Stewbert, but sometime during the atrocious winter of 2013 - 2014, we both agreed that the southernmost point of the United States would be our next objective.
For a moment, think back to what it was like to be cold. This past winter was, undoubtedly, the most challenging experience of my life. Certainly, there had to be something positive on the horizon; something I could cling to, in the hopes of making it through the hard times.
Then, just as the weather turned and the earth began to once again warm up, Stewbert and I received a dose of good news. For the Key West motorcycle trip of 2014, we would not be riding alone. My cousin expressed an interest in riding along, and acquired a Kawasaki Vulcan as means of coming with. To this, my brother-in-law shook his head and laughed, "I can just imagine you three going down the road - two dudes on sports bikes and one on a big cruiser. I would love to see this - what a motley crew."
Over a couple beers and a series of evenings, Paul, Stewbert, and I hashed out a plan. We would depart Monroe and head due south to Cape Girardeau, Mo. There lives a good friend of mine who rebuilds airplane engines - we could catch up with him. From Cape we would head east to the Appalachian Mountains, stopping at the Meriwether Lewis Monument in Tennessee. Everyone has heard of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but very few know the unfortunate demise of Meriwether Lewis and his untimely death.
Turning south, we would head to Muscle Shoals, Ala. In terms of American music and culture, Muscle Shoals is a sort of mecca. I would highly encourage each of you to listen to the song "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Listen to the words, and realize that there really were the Swampers, who were actually known to pick a song or two. Also, Mick Jagger had an interesting experience in Muscle Shoals while cutting "Brown Sugar." All of this made the small town in northwest Alabama an obvious destination on our southward journey.
Next, we planned to visit Andersonville, Ga., the site of the infamous Civil War POW camp. Some 40,000 Union prisoners were crammed into the tiny stockade, resulting in atrocious living conditions and shocking death loss. As a destination, Andersonville has special meaning to me - a distant relative of mine is buried there.
We would only stop driving south when there was simply nowhere else to go, at Mile Marker 0 on U.S. Highway 1, Key West, Fla. After a brief respite we would turn north toward Tampa, where my brother is currently stationed with the U.S. Navy. All of this added up to make the perfect summer road trip - good company, and world-class destinations.
So if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to this rum punch. In terms of relaxation I am usually more of a whiskey guy, but given my current surroundings and circumstances, an exception is certainly in order. Besides, this is the perfect toast to my father, who passed away unexpectedly in January. The guides served us rum punch on our scuba dive trips, which was the ideal cure to saltwater dry mouth following a day of diving.
To hitting the road with friends, and of course, making it safe and sound to Key West. I get it. I totally get it.
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Tuesday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
