Every year, I go on at least one major ride.
“Major” is something more than saddling up to get my hair cut in downtown Carbondale, and something less than taking a year to ride to Tierra del Fuego.
Major usually means a week, or two, or three on the road. Great destinations. Unhealthy food. Cheap motels. All things considered, these rides are about the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
Here is a compilation of two-wheel travel I’ve been on since 2009 — in reverse chronological order: most recent first, oldest last.
Vroom.
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2024: Sturgis. Why Not?
I haven’t been to Sturgis since 2021. To keep my resume complete, I’m planning another journey to the Black Hills of South Dakota. August 2024. Along the way, I’ll pass through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and spend a week in Montana — to see places I haven’t seen, and ride roads I haven’t ridden.
Here’s the itinerary for the 2024 trip.
- Sunday, July 21. Carbondale to Rangely, Colorado.
- Monday, July 22. Rangely to Afton, Wyoming.
- Tuesday, July 23. Afton to Big Sky, Montana.
- Wednesday, July 24. Big Sky to Choteau, Montana.
- Thursday, July 25. Choteau to Kalispell, Montana.
- Friday, July 26. Kalispell to Polson, Montana.
- Saturday, July 27. Poison to Helena, Montana.
- Sunday, July 28. Helena to Billings, Montana.
- Monday, July 29. Billings to Cody, Wyoming.
- Tuesday, July 30. Cody to Gillette, Wyoming.
- Wednesday, July 31. Gillette to Rapid City, South Dakota.
- Thursday, August 1. Rapid City to Rapid City.
- Friday, August 2. Rapid City to Rapid City.
- Saturday, August 3. Rapid City to Rapid City.
- Sunday, August 4. Rapid City to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
- Monday, August 5. Cheyenne to Winter Park, Colorado.
- Tuesday, August 6. Winter Park to Carbondale, Colorado.
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2023: Rocky Mountain High
Hey team! 2023 marks my 15th road trip. Time flies.
From Carbondale, we rode to Page, Arizona, where we met up with a reconstituted posse. From there, we notched 11 National Parks, 36 major mountain passes (31 of them above 10,000 feet), 11 crossings of the Continental Divide, and 22 Scenic Byways. All told, about 3,500 miles in 18 days. Best of all, Sarah was along for the ride — both on the back of the Harley, and driving the Boxster — the best support vehicle ever.
- June 2, 2023
- June 3, 2023
- June 4, 2023
- June 5, 2023
- June 6, 2023
- June 7, 2023
- June 8, 2023
- June 9, 2023
- June 10, 2023
- June 11, 2023
- June 12, 2023
- June 13, 2023
- June 14, 2023
- June 15, 2023
- June 16, 2023
- June 17, 2023
- June 18, 2023
- June 19, 2023
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2022: Icefields Parkway, eh?
If you love riding the fabulous roads in the Western US, as I do, and you hit the road year after year, you eventually begin to run out of new roads to ride, new mountain passes to conquer. So there’s no shame in re-tracing old tracks, or visiting familiar haunts. In 2015, I rode through the Canadian Rockies on a rented Harley. In 2019, I rode my own bike along the coast of Washington, Oregon and California. In 2022, I combined those two journeys: northward up the Pacific Coast, stopping just short of Canada before riding the San Juan Islands. Then, heading across the Canadian border and riding the Icefields Parkway, connecting Jasper and Lake Louise.
- May 26, 2022
- May 27, 2022
- May 28, 2022
- May 29, 2022
- May 30, 2022
- May 31, 2022
- June 1, 2022
- June 2, 2022
- June 3, 2022
- June 4, 2022
- June 5, 2022
- June 6, 2022
- June 7, 2022
- June 8, 2022
- June 9 2022
- June 10 2022
- June 11, 2022
- June 12, 2022
- June 13, 2022
- June 14, 2022
- June 15, 2022
- June 16, 2022
- June 17, 2022
- June 18, 2022
- June 19, 2022
- June 20, 2022
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2021: Sturgis or Bust!
This 18-day trip begins and ends in Carbondale, with stops along the way in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and South Dakota. Eventually, we end up in Sturgis, joining about 700,000 other riders for the 81st annual Harley rally in the Black Hills. The exact same trip was originally planned for 2020, but cancelled due to the pandemic. F*#k Covid-19!
- July 23, 2021
- July 24, 2021
- July 25, 2021
- July 26, 2021
- July 27, 2021
- July 28, 2021
- July 29, 2021
- July 30, 2021
- July 31, 2021
- August 1, 2021
- August 2, 2021
- August 3, 2021
- August 4, 2021
- August 5, 2021
- August 6, 2021
- August 7, 2021
- August 8, 2021
- August 9, 2021
- August 10, 2021
- August 11, 2021
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Summer 2020: Trip Cancelled due to Coronavirus. F*#k Covid-19!
The Posse (Dave, Jim, Randy, Dan, Sarah, Gail and I) had planned an 18-day ride over some of the most fabulous motorcycle roads in the US, including Lolo Pass, Going to the Sun Road, Beartooth Highway, and Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. We were going to spend four days in the Black Hills of South Dakota, ending at the world-famous Sturgis motorcycle rally.
As you can see in the photo below from 2018, social distancing is just not gonna happen in Sturgis. So we cancelled the 2020 ride and will try to do it in 2021 instead. F*#k Covid-19!
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July 2019: Riding to Canada, eh?
This three-week adventure heads north through the Sierras, Siskiyous, and Cascade mountains, through the San Juan Islands to Victoria, British Columbia, and down the coast of Washington, Oregon and California. Meat and potatoes heading northward; seafood as we roll south past the Pacific Ocean. Country fried steak for culinary balance, as needed.
- July 5, 2019
- July 6, 2019
- July 7, 2019
- July 8, 2019
- July 9, 2019
- July 10, 2019
- July 11, 2019
- July 12, 2019
- July 13, 2019
- July 14, 2019
- July 15, 2019
- July 16, 2019
- July 17, 2019
- July 18, 2019
- July 19, 2019
- July 20, 2019
- July 21, 2019
- July 22, 2019
- July 23, 2019
- July 24, 2019
- July 25, 2019
- July 26, 2019
- July 27, 2019
- July 28, 2019
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June 2018: Rocky Mountain Rib Rally
This ride features two worthy goals: riding Colorado’s most spectacular Rocky Mountain roads, and sampling the state’s tastiest ribs along the way each evening. Twist the throttle and savor the flavor! Vroom, vroom. Yum, yum.
- June 17, 2018
- June 18, 2018
- June 19, 2018
- June 20, 2018
- June 21, 2018
- June 22, 2018
- June 23, 2018
- June 24, 2018
- June 25, 2018
- June 26, 2018
- June 27, 2018
- June 28, 2018
- June 29, 2018
- June 30, 2018
- July 1, 2018
- July 2, 2018
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July / August 2017: Sturgis!
I don’t have a bucket list, but if I did, it would include riding my Harley to Sturgis, South Dakota. In an epic three-week trip that covered more than 4,000 miles and nine states, we found our way to the Black Hills, eventually riding with a posse of six, including a couple of motorcycle mamas. The journey began at my old home in La Quinta, California — and ended at my new home in Carbondale, Colorado.
- July 27, 2017
- July 28, 2017
- July 29, 2017
- July 30, 2017
- July 31, 2017
- August 1, 2017
- August 2, 2017
- August 3, 2017
- August 4, 2017
- August 5, 2017
- August 6, 2017
- August 7, 2017
- August 8, 2017
- August 9, 2017
- August 10, 2017
- August 11, 2017
- August 12, 2017
- August 13, 2017
- August 14, 2017
- August 15, 2017
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May / June 2016: National Parks Tour
Twelve days, twelve National Parks and Monuments. Three Harleys, 2,839 miles, 108-degree temperatures and both rims of the Grand Canyon. Selfies galore and artistic photobombing. And, enough chicken fried steak to last a lifetime.
- May 21, 2016
- May 22, 2016
- May 23, 2016
- May 24, 2016
- May 25, 2016
- May 26, 2016
- May 27, 2016
- May 28, 2016
- May 29, 2016
- May 30, 2016
- May 31, 2016
- June 1, 2016
- June 2, 2016
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February 2016: Arizona Mountain Loop
From La Quinta to Wickenburg, Prescott, Jerome, Sedona and other Arizona mountain delights. First trip on my new 2016 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special. Celebrated my 66th birthday in February with a couple of Alaskans drying out and warming up amid Saguaro cactus and blooming wildflowers. Four days of beautiful riding.
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August 2015: California’s Pacific Coast and Sierra Nevada Mountains
Ten days, two-thousand miles, up the Pacific Coast Highway and across all four major passes through the Sierra Nevadas: Tioga, Sonora, Ebbets and Kit Carson. National Parks, monumental structures, spectacular vistas, world-famous steaks.
- August 19, 2015
- August 20, 2015
- August 21, 2015
- August 22, 2015
- August 23, 2015
- August 24, 2015
- August 25, 2015
- August 26, 2015
- August 27, 2015
- August 28, 2015
- August 29, 2015
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July 2015: Canadian Rockies
Arriving in Canada in a good old American F-150 trash hauler, following the Icefields Parkway through the Canadian Rockies. Five days on the road, less than 1,000 miles, but a darn tidy ride, eh?
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May / June 2014: Colorado Rockies
Seventeen days, 4,255 miles. From 225 feet below sea level to the highest paved road in North America: 14,265 feet above sea level. Engineering marvels and God’s creations. Red rocks, hoodoos, and roads considered dangerous, but apparently survivable.
- May 21, 2014
- May 22, 2014
- May 23, 2014
- May 24, 2014
- May 25, 2014
- May 26, 2014
- May 27, 2014
- May 28, 2014
- May 29, 2014
- May 30, 2014
- May 31, 2014
- June 1, 2014
- June 2, 2014
- June 3, 2014
- June 4, 2014
- June 5, 2014
- June 6, 2014
- June 7, 2014
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September / October 2012: New England in the Fall
Seventeen days, four thousand miles, twelve states. From Tennessee to Vermont, New Hampshire, and (almost) Canada. Chocolate theme parks, ice cream factories, Civil War sites and untold cheap motels with comfortable beds.
- September 19, 2012
- September 21, 2012
- September 22, 2012
- September 23, 2012
- September 24, 2012
- September 25, 2012
- September 26, 2012
- September 27, 2012
- September 28, 2012
- September 29, 2012
- September 30, 2012
- October 1, 2012
- October 2, 2012
- October 3, 2012
- October 4, 2012
- October 5, 2012
- October 6, 2012
- October 7, 2012
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June 2011: Blue Ridge Parkway
From Knoxville, Tennessee, rode the entire length of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway. Completed the week-long ride by visiting coal country in West Virginia and Kentucky, where Ray grew up. Eight days. 1,511 miles. Three rib dinners, one PoBoy, lotsa biscuits and gravy, two fancy-pants resorts, breathtaking sights beyond description.
- June 8, 2011
- June 9, 2011
- June 10, 2011
- June 11, 2011
- June 12, 2011
- June 13, 2011
- June 14, 2011
- June 15, 2011
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May 2010: Lake Tahoe (again)
The idea of an annual ride is now a ritual. Similar route as first Lake Tahoe Trip, but this time the route was reversed: up the west slope of the Sierra Nevadas to Lake Tahoe, then down the east side through Mammoth Lakes, Bishop and Lone Pine. Perfect weather every day, though froze our butts off in Sequoia National Park. A terrific week on the road.
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May 2009: Lake Tahoe
My first ride of any significance, other than going to the grocery store or getting my hair cut. Rode up the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Lake Tahoe, then down the west side, through Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. This seven-day trip was a great introduction to vroom vroom life on the road.
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