Day 23 (July 20, 2008) Alaska Adventure Over---Lots of Memories

Day 23 (July 20, 2008) Sunday

Good morning,

I have been hesitating to make an entry on my last day as I guess I am in denial that my adventure is over.

I started out early from Lewiston, MT (stayed at the famous Yogo Inn which is named after the famous Yogo Sapphire mined exclusively in Central Montana and the only American gem found in the crown jewels of England) and covered the 450 miles home in record time with 75+ mph on Montana roads. The closer I got to Bismarck the more bugs my windshield picked up. Amazing.

Now that my Alaska adventure is over, I have lots of memories, photos and video to share with my family and friends.

Why did I do the Alaska ride...it has been a goal of mine for quite some time...to take a trip to a land that is one of the last frontiers. And I love to ride. The wind in your face, the openness of the road, the freedom are all good answers. It was also the joy of being alble to experience a part of the country that has only recently been explored. I had less stress, which we all know contributes to heart disease and heart related deaths every year. Riding is one of the best remedies to combat stress!

And Sharon Stanly, editor of WingWorld says it best, "Riding is such a contrast to the way ones's senses feel when riding in an enclosed vehicle or sitting behind a desk all day or cleaning house or watching tv. In a way, riding is a way of taking one back to his or her younger days of playing outside ---back when one's senses were more important because allowing the senses to encounter all the outdoors has to offer brought so much joy, back when one's body felt so alive."

The smell of fresh mowed hay, barnyard smells, decaying animals, smell of the air after a rain, etc. are all benefits of riding. And you meet the nicest people on a motorcycle. I met dozens of people on my 6,000 mile ride. People I would not have met had I not gone out of my way to say "hello, where are you from".

So that's why I am sad this trip must come to an end. I hope you have enjoyed the blogs...it took at least two hours to get each entry ready to post, but by the comments I have heard back, it was an enjoyable experience for you as well.

One other thing that you all did not know was that I expereinced an incident early on in the trip. At Dawson Creek I serious sprained my lower back as I was putting the Wing on the center kickstand. I thought my trip was over but the next morning I made the decision to move on with the back pain. And then on the ferry to Bellingham, I had my sciatic nerve in my left leg act up causing extreme pain. Needless to say, it cut my trip short by about 3-5 days. On Monday I went into the Bismarck emergency room to have it taken care of. As many of you know, sciatic pain is PAINFUL! Many of you have been praying for me and I coveted the prayers. I am on the mend but it takes time to heal.

Again, I trust you had a great time reading and coming along with me on this trip. As I look back at the stats, I had over 2,000 hits of people who took time to read the blogs. Thanks to all of you. I will leave your names on my subscription list so when I undertake my new venture, you can come along with me again. Until then, may God richly bless you in your endeavors.

In my style, here's a synopsis of the trip:

Three Canadain Provinces: Saskatchewan. Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon
Four northern states: North Dakota, Alaska, Washington, Idaho and Montana
Traveled over 8,000 miles. 6,000 on my Gold Wing and 2,000 on ferries

The Gold Wing performed flawlessly...no mechanical issues other than a tire cupping (which was my fault for not carrying enouth air pressure). Honda recommends oil changs at 8,000 mile intervals. The oil was just as clean as the day it was changed. BTW, I do run a K&N filter.

My son Chris, helped me clean the Wing and get it back to factory standard! The bra and plexiglass protective cover for headlights and running lights proved worth every dollar I spent on them...aside from a couple of small rock knicks, the bike is in showroom condition.

Now it's ready for my next goal: Ride all lower 48 states on my Wing. Anybody want to come along with me? We can do it in 2-3 summer trips. Let me know.

Two motorcycle events coming up...

Sunday, July 27 is Motorcycle Sunday at Evangel Assembly of God in Bismarck. Ride your bike to church at 10:00 am and the noon meal is free. Pastor Doug will be speaking about Evil Knievel and challenging all of us. Hope to see you there. Weather permitting, we will have a ride after the noon meal. We expect lots of bikes.

AND

4th ANNUAL MEMORIAL MOTORCYCLE RIDE IN REMEMBRANCE OF ALL FALLEN SOLDIERS
WHEN: Saturday, August 16, 2008
WHERE: STARTING AT THE JAMESTOWN CIVIC CENTER PARKING LOT
REGISTRATION: FROM 8:30 - 10:30 AM; LEAVING AT 10:30 SHARP
FEE: $15/BIKE $5/PASSENGER
HOSTS: DAKOTA SONSHINE RIDERS, JAMESTOWN, CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLISTS ASSOCIATION
INFO: JULIE BYRON (701-952-8966); MARK MCMAHON (701-952-8355) OR STEVE GEIGLE (701-952-8920)
IN MEMORY OF : ALL FALLEN SOLDIERS

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