Howdy from Wheeling, WV! 563 miles and four states today! I left Pontoon Beach at 3AM and headed east on I-70 for the entire day. Those 563 miles took me 13 hours to cover, as my back has about had it with riding for a while. Towards the end of the day, I had to stop every 20 miles or so to get off the bike and walk around. A long and painful day to be sure but I made it to tonight's revised destination of Wheeling, WV. I met some interesting people along the way today. A gentleman working at a gas station in Indiana asked me about my bike and where I was headed. When I told him that I was tired, he laughed at me and said that us young people were soft. ... read more

Hello from Oklahoma City! Today was a short day, only 260 miles. I left Amarillo later than planned and it was HOT. I mean ball-meltingly hot. Oklahoma is an extremely flat, windy hot place. The winds weren't consistent, rather they came in gusts from different directions. This is the worst possible scenario for a motorcycle rider. Being violently pushed and pulled in different directions and having to make constant split-second course corrections is draining at best and terrifying at worst. Imagine this scenario: You are moving forward at 80mph in the left lane and the wind is coming hard from the right. In order to continue going straight you must lean the bike into the wind as though you are turning. Now imagine that the wind either stops or switches direction. What happens? Well, if you ... read more

Greetings from the road! I departed Los Angeles at about 5AM after a send off from my beautiful wife, Mrs. Alien. I arrived in Holbrook Arizona some 12 hours and 562.9 miles later. Yes, my butt hurts and I'm sore in places I didn't even know I had but AI am also strangely relaxed. I have always been a person who finds calm under pressure as long as I can focus and riding a motorcycle focuses me in a way that is all consuming: Right hand is working the throttle, front brake, starter and kill switch Left hand is working the clutch, turn signals, high/low beams and driving lights Right foot is working the rear brake Left foot is working the shifter Eyes are scanning... always scanning for the next hazard to be avoided. Ears are ... read more

Trip Plans The basic trip details are as follows; I will be riding my motorcycle from Los Angeles, CA (leaving 6/7/16) to Morgantown, WV (arriving 6/13/16) for a motorcycle gathering with about 350 other motorcyclists. This gathering, called INZANE will last for about 5 days. Then I will be heading south to Baton Rouge, LA (arriving 6/17/16) for a few days to see old friends before heading home. Sounds simple, right? Well, as anyone who has ridden a motorcycle long distances knows all to well, it's not simple at all. Road conditions, weather, potential mechanical issues and a myriad of other factors make this a serious undertaking. So, why am I doing it? That's the question that I get most often from friends, family and co-workers. The short answer is "Because I need to." The longer ... read more