Departure!

Well the day finally arrived!  Months of preplanning, mock packing, and anticipation.  A bit of background on this trip.  I have always loved exploring on my bikes.  Coming from Iowa, there isn't much of anything to explore, but once I moved to New Mexico, there were mountains, and I loved riding through them.  The seed was planted.

Fast forward to the present...I guess this trip has been in the works for years, but with commitments to work and family, it just wasn't going to happen.  Then with retirement looming, the wheels began to turn.  I threw it out there, looking for a partner to ride along, found a more than capable compadre in Mr. Scott Boyle, who I've ridden with before, and who is also recently retired.  A plan was hatched, refined, and finalized.  So with out further adieu it's time to hit the road!

The bike was prepped, packed, and facing out of the G'Raj Mahal, ready for departure...

Destination for Day 1 (Sunday/7-27) was to Paradise, Ca where I would stay with an old friend and workmate, Scott Jeffers.  Scott retired 11 years ago, moved to Paradise, Ca and I hadn't seen him since.  

Road wise, this figured to be one of the longest days in the saddle and I wanted to be on the road early, as temps in Cali's Central Valley soar into the hundreds in the summer.

So up at 5 am, my lovely wife Patty, who I can't thank enough for allowing me to embark on this journey, prepared a nice breakfast to get the day started.  Then it was on to the G'Raj Mahal to saddle up...

Goodbyes and "I love you's" were said and then it was time to mount up...

The requisite departure photo and I was off...

...it took about 7 1/2 hours to get to my buddy Scott's home in Paradise.  No pics of the Central Valley travels, as there is nothing to see along Interstate 5/99 except the occasional cow pasture, with accompanying smell, and signs blaming politicians for California's water crises.

Here's my friend Scott Jeffers, fellow FAA retiree, and incredible host.  We reminisced about the 'old days' over perfectly grilled steak and twice baked potatoes...and of course plenty of Guinness!