15 Summers: Planning 2017

15 Summers: Planning 2017

“Never trade the thrills of living for the security of existence.”………unknown

          Being that I turned 60 last September, 15 Summers is my reality. And, being that spring officially starts in two weeks, it’s time to start planning this summer’s mega-adventure. Not some half-bake wimpy-ass adventure but something with teeth. Something badass. Something epic.

          In truth, the basic planning started several months ago but is still in the defining and refining process.  BTW, planning is as much a part of an adventure as the adventure itself. And done correctly, it’s a fun part and helps one to become enthusiastic about the adventure.

Last September, my father passed away. I decided that I am going to take his ashes and spread them in all of the places where he has lived. He was born in Clinchmore, Tennessee; Raised, for the most part, in Emlyn, Kentucky; Lived many years in Sierra Madre, California; Did a stint north of Sandpoint, Idaho; Lived out the rest of his life in Milton Freewater, Oregon.   

If one were to draw lines from each of these locations to the next, it creates a big circle that runs through a major portion of the country. With that kind of distance and considering the locations, there is so much to see and discover along the way that needs to be incorporated into the plan. I also have a few military buddies that I’ve kept in touch with over the last 40 years that live in the eastern part of the United States so seeing them is a must too.

I’ve also learned from the last couple of long distance Harley road trips that just because it’s hot in SoCal when I leave here, it might still be cold in other parts of the country. With that in mind, timing is crucial. I’m thinking that heading out should be around the first week in July to beat some regional cooler weather, of course that’s also the height of tourist season……just another part of the equation.

At this point, I’m thinking about heading (in order of the trip, more or less) to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Colorado Rockies, Texas Hill Country, Katy Texas, New Orleans, Bourbon Street, Mississippi Delta, Crossroads, Memphis, Beale Street, Nashville, Smokey Mountains, Ozarks, Appalachians, Blue Ridge Mountains, South Carolina, Emlyn Kentucky, Clinchmore Tennessee, Washington DC, Sandpoint Idaho, Coeur d’ Alene, Portland, Powell Butte, Sierra Madre……..and all places in between to visit people I know along the way.

So as the days, weeks, and months pass on, this trip will evolve, change, and become clearer. Of course, I’ll always leave the unknown possibilities as viable options. Stay tuned……..