Hi there. Welcome to my blog, Riding the Rockies with Gary.
For those of you who’ve wondered what happened to me since my last blogging extravaganza, I’m still Gary, the retired PR guy, golfer, pro bono communications consultant and Harley rider. You may recall my writing from previous years, as I shared my experiences on the road.
When we last communicated, it was Autumn 2012. I was on a Harley Hillbilly Holiday, riding more than 4,000 miles in 17 days – from Tennessee to Vermont and New Hampshire, in search of brilliant fall colors.
Along with my riding partner, Ray Sanders, I saw 12 states, Scenic Byways, Civil and Revolutionary War sites, lighthouses, islands, the Atlantic Ocean, river valleys and Carolina Lowcountry.
We rode ferries, explored historic landmarks, visited National Parks, stayed in cheap motels and consumed all manner of unhealthy food.
We had a splendid time. And now, we’re ready to ride again.
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As I write this, Ray is heading west from Farragut, Tennessee, riding his 2012 Heritage Softail Classic. If you’re wondering, yes, he’s on a Harley – just like mine, but 11 years newer.
Ray is on a five-day, 1,933-mile journey to meet me in southern Nevada. His route includes overnight stops in Conway, Arkansas (“City of Colleges”); Amarillo, Texas (“The Yellow Rose of Texas”); Albuquerque, New Mexico (“The Q”); and tonight, he’s in Flagstaff, Arizona (“City of Seven Wonders”). Click here to see Ray’s routing.
With Sarah’s blessing, I leave La Quinta tomorrow on my 2001 Heritage Softail Classic to rendezvous with Ray near Las Vegas, Nevada. There, we will begin our latest ride-of-a-lifetime. Think of Thelma and Louise on two wheels, only with more testosterone and a happier ending.
To commemorate our 2012 ride and prepare for my newest adventure, I’ve posted a few highlight photos from the 2012 journey on today’s blog entry. It’s a good reminder of what I have in store the next few weeks, and it helps me make sure the blog is functioning properly.
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Today is a final rest day before I hit the road.
Since I’ll be spending a great deal of time with him over the next few weeks as we ride some of the most spectacular roads in the Western U.S., I’d like to re-acquaint you with Ray.
Ray is married to Sarah’s first cousin, Tina. Yes, more than likely, everyone in Tennessee is a cousin of Sarah’s. It’s a good laugh line, and I’m quite certain it’s true.
Tina and Ray live near Knoxville, in Farragut, Tennessee, a short walk from the first tee at Fox Den Country Club.
Ray and I have been on four major rides together.
In 2009 and 2010, we rode from La Quinta to Lake Tahoe and back – through Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, over high mountain passes and barren deserts. In 2011, we rode the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park then visited some swanky golf resorts, including The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia – and The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
In 2012, our Harley Hillbilly Holiday took us to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Adirondack Mountains, New England ski resorts, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and the Harley Davidson assembly plant in York, Pennsylvania. Along the way, we endured 10 straight miserable days of rain.
At 83 years old, Ray is not your typical biker. A career engineer, he was the first in his family to get an education beyond high school. Ray earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Kentucky’s Lexington campus – in mining and metallurgical engineering.
As a student at Kentucky in the late 1940s, Ray bought his first bike, a James, for $400. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $3,820 today. The James was built near Birmingham, England, and had a two-cycle, 125 cc engine. With 3.5 horsepower, it went from 0-30 mph in 12.5 seconds! Pretty cool looking bike, for its time; click here to have a look. By comparison, the Harley he’s riding today has a 1,690 cc displacement, and does 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.
Ray has ridden hundreds of thousands of miles on Harleys, BMWs, Yamahas, Kawasakis, and Hondas. He is a certified instructor who has taught Motorcycle Safety Foundation riding courses. He understands the physics of two-wheeling, and approaches riding as you would expect from the mind of an analytical engineer.
Ray is a positive, steadying influence on me. Every time we ride together, I learn something new. About riding, about Ray, and about myself.
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Beginning tomorrow, each evening after we park the bikes for the night, you will receive a short e-mail notification with a highlight or two of the day’s ride, and a reminder to “click here” to visit my blog.
You are reading the first of many entries on this year’s blog. I look forward to having you along for the ride over the next few weeks – and I welcome your feedback. Feel free to comment on the photos, the route, the writing, the weather – whatever.
If, by some chance, you learn something from this blog over the next few weeks … you’re welcome.
What will tomorrow bring?
Riding With Gary 