Chiller Tek – You are right about living the dream and I consider myself fortunate to be in a position to do that. It is due mainly to the fact that my father died when I was a small boy and meant I had to work from the age of 16 to help pay for the family needs. Having to miss out on so many things when young gave me the single-minded determination to work very hard and be successful in my career so I could enjoy life when I (hopefully) retired early. That determination to do well shaped my life and has resulted in having my fun later in life instead of when I was a young man. Now I have retired early, I am determined to cram as many great things in as possible!
Congrats Gary. You are going to have too much fun. Can one have too much fun?
Now how will you contain your excitement until August? Have you begun the countdown? It will go from x number of weeks to x number of sleeps before you know it.
Gary - glad you'll be checking another one off the dream list, you deserve it. (Every time I hear Bonneville Salt Flats, I can't help but think of the Toyota driver I saw, sitting hubcap deep in the salt - everyone thinks they can race the flats. Don't walk where the signs ... say "don't walk.") Enjoy the dream - I hope my sons are able to do the same.
Guess I'll have to live that dream through you. I came close with a team but as it goes I haven't been. Cram it in man, cram all of it in while you can.
Trobairitz – The simple answer is no, one cannot have too much fun. I am still at the weeks stage and BTW, it is just a little over five to go. Wow, just five weeks….
VStar Lady – I read some guidelines for first time visitors to Bonneville and it said much the same thing - go only where you are directed. Have you been? I too hope your sons enjoy their dreams.
Wooley – I like that…. “Cram it in man, cram all of it in while you can.” I will drink to that tonight when I have a beer (at just before 8 in the morning here, it is still a little early yet….)
This blog was originally started to record a five month, 21000 mile tour of the US on my Harley-Davidson. I continue to use this blog to record my own motorcycling adventures, wherever they may be, along with my thoughts and opinions about motorcycling generally.
Having devoted most of my adult life to being a ‘company man’, the transition to the next phase of my life away from the construction industry was always going to include some challenges. Planning and then making my dream trip to explore America on my Harley-Davidson proved to be the ideal vehicle for clearing my mind of old ways of thinking and being. I rode 21,475 miles, in 27 US states in four-and-a-half months.
My motorcycling trips have continued, with journeys across much of Europe, New Zealand, North Africa and Cuba.
A few years ago, I set up and now run Tour1, which takes riders on Harley-Davidson Authorised tours across Europe. See www.tour1.co.uk.
I live just north of London in the UK.
A 2006 Road King called 'The Leading Ladies' due to the portraits of ten 1940's and 1950's actresses painted on the bike. This is the motorcycle I use to ride through America on.
My Custom Harley 'Tradewinds'
Called 'Tradewinds' this bike has a H-D engine but almost everything else is custom, made specifically for the bike.
My Custom Harley 'Amelia'
Built in 2012, this is a seventies style traditional chopper, with considerable engraving and a tremendous paint scheme
Please note all photographs on this blog are copyrighted. Do not copy or use, in whole or in part, any image from this blog either in its original form or altered in any way. If you do want to use one of the photographs, then you must ask first and I will almost certainly say yes! Thanks for your understanding.
US Tour - My Favourites Places I Went To....
It is difficult to choose, but here is my list of the highlights of my US tour, in the order I saw them in....
31. Back roads and small towns anywhere.
32. Meeting really nice people, in just about all of the places I have been.
33. The camaraderie of bikers. Everywhere, US.
10 comments:
Gary:
This sounds great ! I hope it won't be too hot for you
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Mate, this last couple of years you really have been living the dream.
Very cool. Also on my bucket list but I expect it won't happen for a while yet.
That sounds like it will be an amazing experience.
Is that the place Anthony Hopkins's character in "The World's Fastest Indian" ends up going to break a record with his bike?
Bob – I hope so too, but I suspect it will be.
Canajun – I sincerely hope you will be able to tick this one off your list one day.
David – It most certainly is. That is part of the reason I am going.
Chiller Tek – You are right about living the dream and I consider myself fortunate to be in a position to do that. It is due mainly to the fact that my father died when I was a small boy and meant I had to work from the age of 16 to help pay for the family needs. Having to miss out on so many things when young gave me the single-minded determination to work very hard and be successful in my career so I could enjoy life when I (hopefully) retired early. That determination to do well shaped my life and has resulted in having my fun later in life instead of when I was a young man. Now I have retired early, I am determined to cram as many great things in as possible!
Congrats Gary. You are going to have too much fun. Can one have too much fun?
Now how will you contain your excitement until August? Have you begun the countdown? It will go from x number of weeks to x number of sleeps before you know it.
Gary - glad you'll be checking another one off the dream list, you deserve it.
(Every time I hear Bonneville Salt Flats, I can't help but think of the Toyota driver I saw, sitting hubcap deep in the salt - everyone thinks they can race the flats. Don't walk where the signs ... say "don't walk.")
Enjoy the dream - I hope my sons are able to do the same.
Guess I'll have to live that dream through you. I came close with a team but as it goes I haven't been.
Cram it in man, cram all of it in while you can.
Trobairitz – The simple answer is no, one cannot have too much fun. I am still at the weeks stage and BTW, it is just a little over five to go. Wow, just five weeks….
VStar Lady – I read some guidelines for first time visitors to Bonneville and it said much the same thing - go only where you are directed. Have you been? I too hope your sons enjoy their dreams.
Wooley – I like that…. “Cram it in man, cram all of it in while you can.” I will drink to that tonight when I have a beer (at just before 8 in the morning here, it is still a little early yet….)
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