From Wade:
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
I was stationed in 2011 in Umm Qasr, Iraq. When I came back, I wanted to do something special for my "PTSD" (Post Tramautic Stress Disorder) Trip. One of my "trainers" at Combat Airman Skills Training said that he would take a long motorcycle trip when he came back from deployments and it REALLY helped his attitude.
All of my annual leave (vacation) was deferred to 2012.... - but I decided (with my boss's okay) to take the period from Memorial Day, 2012 to the week after the 4th of July (technically 9 July)....but we decided to take a LONG motorcycle trip during that time....going from Springfield Ohio - through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan - and back to Springfield. Right now, the trip is scheduled to go over 5200 miles. It will also mean that Jeanette and I (together) will have visited all 48 contiguous states in our lifetime (and done something significant - like spent the night or had a meal) in each of those states.
We will be visiting relatives, sight seeing and taking all back roads (we will try and avoid freeways, but there may be some times we have to - but we will minimize those times)....we also want to do some side trips (for example - Wall Drugs, Little House on the Praire, The Corn Palace) and any other interesting places we can find. We will NOT go over 300 miles per each driving day.
I should also tell you that Jeanette and I are relatively "late comers" to the motorcycle riding scene - we got our first "serious" bike in 2009. At first, Jeanette would not ride on it....but after taking numerous relatives and friends out for a ride, she climbed on back and we went out to breakfast (at a very close restaurant)....she LOVED it. I slowly took her out for longer and longer trips - and eventually, we made an 1100 mile round trip excursion to visit Tiffany and our grandkids in Atlanta Georgia. It was a great trip and we immediately started talking about a "dream trip" around the country.
So we will use this site to chronicle our adventures....I will also discuss how we got everything ready for the trip. As part of my "reward" for the Iraq deployment, I bought Jeanette and I a brand new 2011 Kawasaki 1700 Vulcan Voyager. This was a HUGE step up from my Kawasaki Classic 900 LT. The Voyager is a MUCH bigger and heavier bike. After I had driven it a few miles, I talked to the salesman (who sold me both bikes) and told him that I am glad I bought the smaller 900 first - as I had not realized how much harder the bigger bike was to ride. I have had to use "proper" techniques - I can not "horse" this Voyager around as it weighs almost 900 lbs (empty) and I have also had to start working on my upper body strength (luckily, we are having a "fitness challenge" at work, so I am using this as an excuse to start working on getting a little bit more "fit" so I can handle the challenge of driving the bike for the entire trip).
Right now, I am just getting ready to start "outfitting" for the trip. Since we will be leaving in late May, we are expecting to hit any and all types of weather. We will have to pack for rain, cold, and hot weather. And since we have limited space, I am going to look at how we can reasonably pack gear in and around the bike. One of the first things I want to do is add a "trunk rack" to the bike (which will entail drilling four holes into the top of the trunk) - so we can put a large duffel bag onto the top of the rack. this will be where we "stow" most of our extreme weather gear (so we can easily get to it - and we can easily remove it at the end of the day.)
I will also be discussing my "search" for the "perfect" gps unit....I do have a "tank bag" with a "clear map holder" that I am hoping I can put a small computer tablet with a built in GPS unit - such as the samsung galaxy 7.0 or something similar - to help us with our daily journey. I LOVE Google maps - and have already "semi-planned" our journey - so I am hoping I can plan each day's travel ahead of time - and then follow the gps directions - along with knowing (and studying) each route for the day ahead while we are relaxing each night.
There are some other things we will be looking for - a nice mesh riding jacket (and pants) for Jeanette, lighter "rain suit" for me and a few other goodies. One funny thing - since this new bike is so big, I had to buy "elevator boots" from "Tallmanshoes.com" - they were on sale and they raise me up about 2". Of course, I still can't quite stand flatfooted (until Jeanette gets on the bike - then our COMBINED weight lowers the bike - do not try to get me in trouble here....it is our COMBINED weight that lowers the bike) - but that was fun to "research" those type of shoes....
Of course, being "part okie" I am always trying to find ways to save money or look for deals - so it is not about going out and buying something - it is "can I find something that I can adapt" or "can I find a cheaper way to do this?" Of course, this occasionally drives Jeanette crazy and she will tell me to "just go buy XXXX and quit spending hours trying to save a buck or so." So a lot of times, I will simply go buy something (ESPECIALLY if it has anything to do with safety - we won't scrimp on that)...but a lot of times, the "research" or the "hunt" is part of the fun.
FYI - safety is a big thing for us. We always go the speed limit - and we ALWAYS wear helmets (we have a great wireless intercom system so we can communicate), boots, gloves, and long pants. (Dress for the crash). We drive defensively and we also know that we have someone who watches over us. We also do NOT drive with rage. If someone tailgates, we try and find the first place to pull over, etc. While Jeanette does not "drive" the motorcycle, she is an engaged passenger - always looking for potential problems and having an extra "set of eyes" as we drive along. We are a team.
When we finally get under way, we will be taking lots of photos and trying to stop at "local" eating establishments and trying out the food. We hope you will enjoy sharing our adventure. I will try and show pictures of the various modifications, purchases or whatever.....until we start the actual trip.
So with that said.....
(Cue music)....these are the adventures of the "Starship WadenJeanette Voyager". It's 5000 + mile mission - to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations.....to boldly go where we have never gone before!
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
I was stationed in 2011 in Umm Qasr, Iraq. When I came back, I wanted to do something special for my "PTSD" (Post Tramautic Stress Disorder) Trip. One of my "trainers" at Combat Airman Skills Training said that he would take a long motorcycle trip when he came back from deployments and it REALLY helped his attitude.
All of my annual leave (vacation) was deferred to 2012.... - but I decided (with my boss's okay) to take the period from Memorial Day, 2012 to the week after the 4th of July (technically 9 July)....but we decided to take a LONG motorcycle trip during that time....going from Springfield Ohio - through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan - and back to Springfield. Right now, the trip is scheduled to go over 5200 miles. It will also mean that Jeanette and I (together) will have visited all 48 contiguous states in our lifetime (and done something significant - like spent the night or had a meal) in each of those states.
We will be visiting relatives, sight seeing and taking all back roads (we will try and avoid freeways, but there may be some times we have to - but we will minimize those times)....we also want to do some side trips (for example - Wall Drugs, Little House on the Praire, The Corn Palace) and any other interesting places we can find. We will NOT go over 300 miles per each driving day.
I should also tell you that Jeanette and I are relatively "late comers" to the motorcycle riding scene - we got our first "serious" bike in 2009. At first, Jeanette would not ride on it....but after taking numerous relatives and friends out for a ride, she climbed on back and we went out to breakfast (at a very close restaurant)....she LOVED it. I slowly took her out for longer and longer trips - and eventually, we made an 1100 mile round trip excursion to visit Tiffany and our grandkids in Atlanta Georgia. It was a great trip and we immediately started talking about a "dream trip" around the country.
So we will use this site to chronicle our adventures....I will also discuss how we got everything ready for the trip. As part of my "reward" for the Iraq deployment, I bought Jeanette and I a brand new 2011 Kawasaki 1700 Vulcan Voyager. This was a HUGE step up from my Kawasaki Classic 900 LT. The Voyager is a MUCH bigger and heavier bike. After I had driven it a few miles, I talked to the salesman (who sold me both bikes) and told him that I am glad I bought the smaller 900 first - as I had not realized how much harder the bigger bike was to ride. I have had to use "proper" techniques - I can not "horse" this Voyager around as it weighs almost 900 lbs (empty) and I have also had to start working on my upper body strength (luckily, we are having a "fitness challenge" at work, so I am using this as an excuse to start working on getting a little bit more "fit" so I can handle the challenge of driving the bike for the entire trip).
Right now, I am just getting ready to start "outfitting" for the trip. Since we will be leaving in late May, we are expecting to hit any and all types of weather. We will have to pack for rain, cold, and hot weather. And since we have limited space, I am going to look at how we can reasonably pack gear in and around the bike. One of the first things I want to do is add a "trunk rack" to the bike (which will entail drilling four holes into the top of the trunk) - so we can put a large duffel bag onto the top of the rack. this will be where we "stow" most of our extreme weather gear (so we can easily get to it - and we can easily remove it at the end of the day.)
I will also be discussing my "search" for the "perfect" gps unit....I do have a "tank bag" with a "clear map holder" that I am hoping I can put a small computer tablet with a built in GPS unit - such as the samsung galaxy 7.0 or something similar - to help us with our daily journey. I LOVE Google maps - and have already "semi-planned" our journey - so I am hoping I can plan each day's travel ahead of time - and then follow the gps directions - along with knowing (and studying) each route for the day ahead while we are relaxing each night.
There are some other things we will be looking for - a nice mesh riding jacket (and pants) for Jeanette, lighter "rain suit" for me and a few other goodies. One funny thing - since this new bike is so big, I had to buy "elevator boots" from "Tallmanshoes.com" - they were on sale and they raise me up about 2". Of course, I still can't quite stand flatfooted (until Jeanette gets on the bike - then our COMBINED weight lowers the bike - do not try to get me in trouble here....it is our COMBINED weight that lowers the bike) - but that was fun to "research" those type of shoes....
Of course, being "part okie" I am always trying to find ways to save money or look for deals - so it is not about going out and buying something - it is "can I find something that I can adapt" or "can I find a cheaper way to do this?" Of course, this occasionally drives Jeanette crazy and she will tell me to "just go buy XXXX and quit spending hours trying to save a buck or so." So a lot of times, I will simply go buy something (ESPECIALLY if it has anything to do with safety - we won't scrimp on that)...but a lot of times, the "research" or the "hunt" is part of the fun.
FYI - safety is a big thing for us. We always go the speed limit - and we ALWAYS wear helmets (we have a great wireless intercom system so we can communicate), boots, gloves, and long pants. (Dress for the crash). We drive defensively and we also know that we have someone who watches over us. We also do NOT drive with rage. If someone tailgates, we try and find the first place to pull over, etc. While Jeanette does not "drive" the motorcycle, she is an engaged passenger - always looking for potential problems and having an extra "set of eyes" as we drive along. We are a team.
When we finally get under way, we will be taking lots of photos and trying to stop at "local" eating establishments and trying out the food. We hope you will enjoy sharing our adventure. I will try and show pictures of the various modifications, purchases or whatever.....until we start the actual trip.
So with that said.....
(Cue music)....these are the adventures of the "Starship WadenJeanette Voyager". It's 5000 + mile mission - to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations.....to boldly go where we have never gone before!
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