Final Comments
Lee Alberts
August 13, 2010 - Lee's Comments:
Touring on the Harley motorcycle almost everyday for 49 days is truly a unique experience. Time seemed to almost stand still for me while I was away from home.
The trip starts out like a typical vacation. Somewhere during the second or third week it became a lifestyle. Each day was a new adventure. There was always another winding road to ride and a location to find. Each scenic view we passed seemed to shouted out, "Stop here and take a picture of me." America is filled with local, state and national parks that seemed to invite our motorcycles to enter as we neared it's entrance. There was always a welcoming smile from a park ranger or a friendly "Hello" from a campsite host.
Traveling via motorcycle offers a view that is difficult to replicate from inside of a car. One's sense of smell is activated to a new level. Fresh cut hay, cedar tress, clean flowing water, farms and even the scent of something decaying near the highway adds to the experience. There's no temperature control on the instrument panel of the motorcycle. Nature sets it's own thermostat and we adjust our clothing as best we can to stay comfortable!
Many of my favorite places were experienced on the open road while we "headed down the highway." Mt Rainer was a good example. It seemed to rise powerfully out of the earth to display its coat of white snow and majestic beauty from miles away. Even before we neared the base of Mt Rainer, the sight brought a smile to my face. Mt Rainer can be seen for miles away whether you approach it from the north, south, east or west.
Mountain peaks were not the only sight to bring a smile or a feeling of owe. The vast plains of South Dakota, the rock cliffs of the Canadian Rockies and the fast moving streams along the roadways in Washington state did it to me as well.
Many people hearing about our trip have called it "The Trip of a Lifetime." I choose not to accept that statement. I plan to do this again only next time I hope my family members will join me. In America there are still thousands of places to visit and thousands of sites to see from the seat of a motorcycle. I don't want to let life slip by without seeing each one.
Touring on the Harley motorcycle almost everyday for 49 days is truly a unique experience. Time seemed to almost stand still for me while I was away from home.
The trip starts out like a typical vacation. Somewhere during the second or third week it became a lifestyle. Each day was a new adventure. There was always another winding road to ride and a location to find. Each scenic view we passed seemed to shouted out, "Stop here and take a picture of me." America is filled with local, state and national parks that seemed to invite our motorcycles to enter as we neared it's entrance. There was always a welcoming smile from a park ranger or a friendly "Hello" from a campsite host.
Traveling via motorcycle offers a view that is difficult to replicate from inside of a car. One's sense of smell is activated to a new level. Fresh cut hay, cedar tress, clean flowing water, farms and even the scent of something decaying near the highway adds to the experience. There's no temperature control on the instrument panel of the motorcycle. Nature sets it's own thermostat and we adjust our clothing as best we can to stay comfortable!
Many of my favorite places were experienced on the open road while we "headed down the highway." Mt Rainer was a good example. It seemed to rise powerfully out of the earth to display its coat of white snow and majestic beauty from miles away. Even before we neared the base of Mt Rainer, the sight brought a smile to my face. Mt Rainer can be seen for miles away whether you approach it from the north, south, east or west.
Mountain peaks were not the only sight to bring a smile or a feeling of owe. The vast plains of South Dakota, the rock cliffs of the Canadian Rockies and the fast moving streams along the roadways in Washington state did it to me as well.
Many people hearing about our trip have called it "The Trip of a Lifetime." I choose not to accept that statement. I plan to do this again only next time I hope my family members will join me. In America there are still thousands of places to visit and thousands of sites to see from the seat of a motorcycle. I don't want to let life slip by without seeing each one.
Darrel Alberts
August 16, 2010 - Darrel's Comments
In many previous years of traveling out west in the Rockies with our kids when they were growing up, I would always comment to my wife Jan about how great it would be if I someday I could travel through these mountains on a motorcycle. She obviously remembered my "dream ride" as she let me, even encouraged me to do this which I started out planning already late last summer. I was glad when Lee sounded as though he would really like to join me.
Since being back, I have been asked more than once, what was the highlight of your trip? My answer is first and foremost, the riding, thousands and thousands of curves and of course thousands and thousands of miles. For me, 9,629 miles to be exact. Second, would be, the "in your face" scenery especially the mountains. Imagine all the cascading rivers and streams next to the road we were riding on, or riding Hwy. 101 next to the ocean from Washington, Oregon and California. Imagine how small you feel in the Redwoods in California which are 10-15 ft. across and some over 300 ft. tall.
I have been on most of these roads and in most of these areas before with Jan in the past, but a new area Lee and I visited which I had not been to before, was Crater Lake in southwest Oregon. It was truly worth the stop. I believe it is the deepest fresh water lake in North America at 1,900 plus ft. deep. Also, it has no rivers or streams running into it nor does any water flow out of it.
As you can see, we took hundreds of pictures but nothing can even come close to seeing it for yourself.
The Lord truly Blessed us , first with allowing us to do this trip, but also provided complete safety, good health, almost always stellar weather and no mechanical problems with the bikes.
Lastly, I thank Jan for letting me go on this trip and Her taking care of the home-front while I was gone and I thank all of you for your prayers for our safe return and your interest in follow our travels on this website. I say "thank you" to Lee for creating the website and adding to it as we traveled.
I would encourage you to see some or all of these area for yourselves if at all possible.
In many previous years of traveling out west in the Rockies with our kids when they were growing up, I would always comment to my wife Jan about how great it would be if I someday I could travel through these mountains on a motorcycle. She obviously remembered my "dream ride" as she let me, even encouraged me to do this which I started out planning already late last summer. I was glad when Lee sounded as though he would really like to join me.
Since being back, I have been asked more than once, what was the highlight of your trip? My answer is first and foremost, the riding, thousands and thousands of curves and of course thousands and thousands of miles. For me, 9,629 miles to be exact. Second, would be, the "in your face" scenery especially the mountains. Imagine all the cascading rivers and streams next to the road we were riding on, or riding Hwy. 101 next to the ocean from Washington, Oregon and California. Imagine how small you feel in the Redwoods in California which are 10-15 ft. across and some over 300 ft. tall.
I have been on most of these roads and in most of these areas before with Jan in the past, but a new area Lee and I visited which I had not been to before, was Crater Lake in southwest Oregon. It was truly worth the stop. I believe it is the deepest fresh water lake in North America at 1,900 plus ft. deep. Also, it has no rivers or streams running into it nor does any water flow out of it.
As you can see, we took hundreds of pictures but nothing can even come close to seeing it for yourself.
The Lord truly Blessed us , first with allowing us to do this trip, but also provided complete safety, good health, almost always stellar weather and no mechanical problems with the bikes.
Lastly, I thank Jan for letting me go on this trip and Her taking care of the home-front while I was gone and I thank all of you for your prayers for our safe return and your interest in follow our travels on this website. I say "thank you" to Lee for creating the website and adding to it as we traveled.
I would encourage you to see some or all of these area for yourselves if at all possible.