What's going on here?

So, what's going on here?

The IU Rugby Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary on September 8. The Mayan calendar "runs out of time" a couple months later, and some believe that this may portend the end of the World. Whether that's the case or not, we intend to make this a celebration for the ages, and have branded this event as the EOTW Celebration.

Being rugby guys, we've got some crazy plans for the weekend. Like a golf tournament, a parade, an "old boys" match against our arch-rival Purdue alumni, and a banquet at the IU Memorial Union, from which the rugby club was once banned. Just a guess, but I think that a couple of our favorite college bars might also see a spike in business.

I've always wanted to do another cross-country ride on my Harley, and just in case the World really does end, I figure I can kill two birds with one rock by riding my bike to the EOTW Celebration from Newport Beach, CA. The round-trip distance of my intended route looks to be just over 5,000 miles, and I'll be travelling through 13 states. So I'll give myself +/- 3 weeks to get'er done.

I plan on making some fun stops along the way, including 6 national parks, and will try and invoke my usual biker travel-habits as much as I can; like taking smaller roads when possible, staying away from chain restaurants, and starting a conversation with a local at each stop. I always learn some interesting stuff this way.

A lot of friends like to follow my travels when I do something crazy like this, and I've found these blogs to be a pretty fun way of sharing a story. If you follow this one, I hope that you enjoy the ride! If you'd like to read about some of my other adventures, just click on one of the links at the bottom right.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Finally Home, But Why Not One More Unique Event

When I got home last night, I figured that I'd be done riding for at least a few days. As it turns out, however, fog and bad weather have delayed the arrival of the space shuttle Endeavour until today. You know that it's going to be something you want to see, but that the crowds and the traffic at LAX are going to be huge. Fortunately, we can can "split the lanes" on a motorcycle here in California - that is, we can ride on the stripes between the lanes of traffic (it's not really legal, but not specifically illegal either). And, you can always find room to park a motorcycle.  



Pretty cool thing to see, but the shuttle wasn't as big as I had expected. Neat way to finish my tour, though.

All said and done, I did 6,294 miles over 23 days. I traveled through 14 states, stopped at 8 different state or national parks, went to a fun biker rally, stood in 4 states at the same time, toured the Budweiser brewery, scored a try in the rugby match, saw 3 Big Ten university campuses, and the very last space shuttle landing. I got to see every member of my immediate family, and I got to spend a lot of time and re-live some precious memories with some really, really great friends. And I think that I may have made a few new friends also. 

Looking back, I think that I underestimated just about everything about this trip - how hard it was going to be, how much it was going to cost, how long it was going to take, and how many miles I would have to ride.  But most importantly, I underestimated how much fun it was going to be. I would like to say that this has been the trip of a lifetime, but most of my friends know that I've been incredibly fortunate in my travels, and I have no intention of stopping here.

Here's to hoping that everyone gets a chance to take on an adventure of their choosing!!



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