Week 1 - The First Days On the Road – Finding my Groove
/I was saying goodbye to Jeanette and pulling away from the house. It was a very surreal feeling. I recall it from the last two trips. What struck me was that I wasn’t thinking about how long I was going to be away. I felt myself slipping into the moment and my focus was just on being on the motorcycle.
The “Sameness” of the People There and Everywhere
Riding through the “South” I remind myself that the culture of a place is just one part of the story. It does not define the “sameness” of the people there and everywhere. It’s a good reminder. It’s very easy to see a place, the culture & the customs, and have that be the basis of how you see the people there. However, that’s just part of the story. All these externally observable things can inform, but they don’t completely define who the people are that live there. The “sameness” that connects us all, our humanity, our hopes & dreams, and our collective desire to live a life of joy and well-being is not a function of where you live or the characteristics of that place. Travel has the benefit of seeing new places, but also seeing individuals. Recognizing what unites us all.
Overcoming A Dark History
The South conjures many feelings and a very dark history in the USA, that of slavery. The Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact on the world brought hope and progress, although in 2019 the country seems to be regressing. I made a stop at the Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and now the National Civil Rights Museum. I was simply grateful to take a few moments on that corner overlooking the Lorraine Motel, to realize that the world was given someone so hopeful, courageous, and enlightened, albeit for too short of a time.
The Ozarks
I entered Mount Magazine State Park and the beginning of Ozark National Forest. The riding was more spirited, and the twists and turns were a welcome change from buzzing on the Interstate. I made it to Ozark, Arkansas for lunch and had some great BBQ. A wide range of people going about their day. A swatch of America, just like anywhere else, different and yet the same. It’s another good reminder that while there are differences on the surface, and some things about the people and the place are unfamiliar, that we’re all the same. Travel connects us and reminds us of the “sameness.” We’re all just human beings seeking the same things.
A Timeless Moment
A timeless moment. On one day I rode 473 miles and was on the motorcycle for 8 ½ hours riding through three states. The day was neither long nor short. It happened in what seemed like a blink of an eye and yet the ground I covered and the terrain I traversed seemed endless. I rode through thunderstorms for over 5 hours. The rain and wind carried me forward and most of my gear held up, except for the puddle of water in my left boot. The last several hours the blue sky appeared as I made my way west by northwest and then a final direct west turn onto I70. It was a day of extremes. The weather saw to that. At times the music in my helmet provided a soundtrack to my travels. Other times the music was the rain and wind pounding on me and the motorcycle. I was planning an arrival in Colorado tomorrow, I had an idea of how many miles I wanted to ride and how many to budget for. Yet, I felt no impending deadline. The second hand on the clock and the odometer on the bike had absolutely no control over my state of being. I was in the moment. I was in the Now. The environment was challenging, both physically and mentally, but I remained in the moment. It just happened. My mind quieted as I was intently focused on just the doing of piloting the motorcycle.
A Change of Plans
Just outside of Steamboat Springs, I gassed up, hydrated myself, and set out down the road. Within minutes the tire pressure indicator was down 7.7 psi on the rear! I pulled over, measured the air pressure manually, and confirmed it. As I turned my head to look at the tire, there was the screw. Most likely received at the gas station or within a couple of miles of it. I was only 25 minutes from Colorado Springs which was comforting, and I was deciding to plug the tire, but wait! I knew there was Pikes Peak Motorsports that serviced BMW motorcycles. I plugged it into the GPS and they were 20 minutes away. I called and they were ready to help out. A minor hiccup and I felt like I hit the lotto. All in all, not much of an inconvenience. Actually, the entire experience was a great thing. They were also able to squeeze me in on Saturday to do a full service on the bike, which I was going to get done in several days. It was an opportunity to spend two nights in Colorado Springs, rest up a bit, and get ready for some fun in the mountains.
A New Rhythm of the Road - Mountains and Twisty Roads
The conclusion of the first week of the journey was marked by a new rhythm on the road. It had to do with finding my groove traveling on the motorcycle and also the landscape had changed. Mountains and twisty roads put a big smile on my face. Riding through Garden of the Gods and the red rock formations then on to Pikes Peak, America’s Mountain was a great riding day. Pikes Peak is the highest summit in the Rocky Mountains in North America at over 14,115 ft. The sun was out, and the views were for miles. The ride to the top delivered a temperature drop of over 25 degrees, which I welcomed.
The People You Meet
It’s about the people you meet! Nature, riding, and the outdoors are aspects of the journey, but the people you meet and their stories, well that’s what traveling is all about. The wonderful thing about hearing other people’s stories and sharing my own is that very quickly it becomes clear how connected we all are and how “same” we are. There’s no politics, religion, or judgment. Simply, people are connecting around a common theme, travel, but the conversation turns quickly to the “story.” It’s an opportunity to get a glimpse into people’s lives and to share as well.
There’ve been other encounters and conversations as well across the last week. There’s always some common bound that is a doorway into the bigger truth that we’re all human beings, we’re all the same enlightened soul, higher-self, or whatever label you want to give to that part of us that transcends our mind, our ego, and is consciousness. All it takes is a little effort to listen to one another and to see without judgement. To have empathy and to recognize the human condition that is the same for all of us. Just a little effort is needed, and the rest is effortless. Sometimes all it takes is a smile.
Day 1 – Boca Raton, FL to Columbus-Fort Benning, Georgia for the night, traveling Fast on the way to the Ozarks
Day 2 - Columbus-Fort Benning, Georgia to Lonoke Arkansas via Memphis, TN for a total of 5 States
Day 3 - Lonoke, Arkansas to Eureka Springs, Arkansas passing through Mount Magazine State Park and Ozark National with a stop for lunch in Ozark, Arkansas
Day 4 - Eureka Springs, Arkansas to Hays, Kansas via Mark Twain National Forest in the rain, Arkansas, Missouri, & Kansas
Day 5 - Hays, Kansas to Colorado Springs, Colorado with about 25 min to Colorado Springs, a screw in the rear tire, and made my way to Pikes Peak Motorsports for tires and 24K service
Day 6 – Colorado Springs, Colorado Rest Day
Day 7 - Colorado Springs, Colorado to Evergreen, Colorado via Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak