Welcome, Let's Kick It Off!

Welcome to my world on wheels. I am building this site to showcase my adventures on my 2007 Harley-Davidson FXSTCI, Softail Custom. While this site was suppose to Kick off with a rundown on the 2007 Heart Ride to benefit the Angela Spence Foundation, Alas, Life gets in the way and I’m a little behind. So, to all those whom I’ve told to expect the site, I apologize. I’m on now and ready to roll.

Eventually this site will grow to include ride stories, interviews, advice (personal, mechanical, and practical) and hopefully feedback from other riders. Hell, I may even include some of my favorite recipes for Biker foods... Along the way if you have any ideas on how I could make it better, feel free to submit them to me by emailing. Click the link on the side.

I’m going to start off by bringing you in to the planning stages of my first major distance ride. I will leave on June 28 From my home in Carlsbad, Ca. on a trip to Kansas City, Mo, where I will putt around with family and friends before making the return trip. I should get home around July12 or 13. I cannot tell you how stoked I am about this trip.

Knowing that this is my first distance ride, and knowing that I’m doing it alone, I want to make sure that it is well planned out and all contingencies are planned for. So my first stop was, of course, the internet. I went to harleydavidson.com’s ride planner site and started typing in my stops. According to the planner, A wonderful tool if there ever was, the ride there should take right about 24 hours 11 minute, so I decided to break that leg into three days on the road.

Well, as I’m well aware, this is a long ass undertaking. So I wanted to make some stops, other than for gas. What better place to stop than Harley dealerships? So I added one dealership stop in each state along the way. Now, these stops take me a little out of my way, and undoubtedly add a little to my ride time, but this is a pleasure trip, so what the hell.

Now I’m looking at 25 hours 49 minutes plus whatever time I spend at gas stations, Harley shops, restaurants and any site-seeing stops along the way. I figured in the summer time, I should be looking at around 15 hours of day light a day, so I’m splitting the trip up to around 10 to 11 hours a day on the road. This should allow me to be settled in to my hotel for the night before dark falls.

I decided not to ride at night for a few reasons. First and foremost: Safety. I will be on unfamiliar roads and in unfamiliar places. I want to have plenty of visibility so that I can deal with any unexpected events. Also, I really don’t want to miss any of the sights along the way. I’m going to be traveling through some beautiful country; I want to see it all.

As for my overnight stops, harleydavidson.com has locations of Best Western hotels built in to the ride planner and even allows you to book rooms through the planner at a special rate for H-D riders. To get my timing close to what I want, I’ll stay in Green River, UT. And Hays, Ks.

My last day will consist of about 5 hours on the road, so I should arrive in town with some time to see family and friends and let them know I’m home.

I won’t bore you with the details of what I plan to do during my stay right now, But after the trip I’ll surely give you the highlights.

For the trip home I’m taking the southern route, and I’m going to expand that trip to include northern Arkansas. Beautiful country if there ever was.

From there, I’ll go through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and home through California. My overnight stops will be in Shamrock, Tx. and Flagstaff, Az.

Of course along the way I have to see some of the natural wonders, such as Pikes Peak, and the Grand Canyon, but I’d rather tell you about those after the trip when I have pictures to show you.

In the mean time, I’ll keep you informed of any changes that my plan goes through and I look forward to any questions, comments or ideas that you may have about the trip or the site.

Until we meet again, keep the shiny side up,

Camron