THE ROUTE
Actual
= Green ... Planned = Blue
THE JOURNAL
The Album
Miles=278
Temperatures=70 to 95
Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
The travels come to an end. The actual route followed
is shown on the map above in green.
So ends the adventure. Today is mostly a race
for the coolness of the air conditioned home and the opportunity
to do nothing but remember the ride. We can already feel the
brutal Texas heat building when we launch at sunup this morning.
Still, the rushing air on the open roads of the panhandle gives
us relief as we ride to the southeast out of Big Spring.
The skies are clear and the sun, rising above
the horizon, is bright and often an uncomfortable interference
to our riding. But the freedom of the road returns to me in spite
of my growing weariness and I feel life again course through my
being and was glad to be alive and on the road.
I swerve the bike from shoulder to shoulder like
an untrained new rider on the deserted road in my happiness. I
follow the swing of the soulful music I listen to on the XM
radio. In keeping with the beat of the music, I tap the fingers
of my left hand on the clutch handle and dreamed of all the beauty
I hae seen over the previous three weeks.
I am still in awe of what this country has to offer in both physical appearance and resouce but moreso the hope of freedom for other countries not so fortunate. It is this hope we hold for others that is our ultimate beauty and the single most important thing about our existance. It is a hope bred of the sweat and tears and lives of all those who have gone before in the many facets of travail and conflict against those who would stiffle the freedom I hold so dear.
And in this hope I have concerns that there are some who would take that freedom from me in an ill conceived belief that they know what is better for me than I do for myself. I pray we can resist the efforts of those who would tell us where we must work, what we must not do by edict, and how we must think within their framework of governing.
A brief wash of the growing wind filled with a
remaining pocket of cool morning air tilts my bike and brings
me back to the ride and the journey home. We stop in Junction
for lunch, our last supper, so to speak. After that, we make a
high speed dash down Interstate 10, one of our few Interstate journeys,
and one by one each of us turns off toward our individual homes.
I feel a moment of sadness as each of us goes our own way to our
own homes after so many days as a group. But the memories will
remain and some will grow as time passes.
The Northwest Passage was over 6729 miles. A long
trip but in retrospect a very short time. I want to start a new
adventure again soon. It is exhilerating to be on the road.
|
MAP AND SCHEDULE
BIKES
AND PARTNERS
CONTACT
INFORMATION
ALBUMS (ALL)
DAILY ENTRIES
May 24 - Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Journal
May 26 - Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Journal
May 30 - Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Journal
June 1 - Big Spring, TX
Journal -
Album
June 2 - Dalhart, TX
Journal -
Album
June 3 - Pueblo, CO
Journal -
Album
June 4 - Aurora, CO
Journal -
Album
June 5 - Craig, CO
Journal -
Album
June 6 - Salt Lake City, UT
Journal -
Album
June 7 - Salt Lake City, UT
Journal -
Album
June 8 - Montpelier, ID
Journal -
Album
June 9 - Twin Falls, ID
Journal -
Album
June 10 - Salmon, ID
Journal -
Album
June 11 - St. Regis, MT
Journal -
Album
June 12 - East Wanachee, WA
Journal -
Album
June 13 - Seattle, WA
Journal -
Album
June 14 - Long Beach, WA
Journal -
Album
June 15 - Florence, OR
Journal -
Album
June 16 - Arcata, CA
Journal -
Album
June 17 - Sparks, NV
Journal -
Album
June 18 - Las Vegas, NV
Journal -
Album
June 19 - Blanding, UT
Journal -
Album
June 20 - Santa Fe, NM
Journal -
Album
June 21 - Santa Fe, NM
Journal -
Album
June 22 - Santa Fe, NM
Journal -
Album
June 23 - Santa Fe, NM
Journal -
Album
June 24 - Big Spring, TX
Journal -
Album
June 25 - Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
Journal -
Album
|
