In July 2020 I had the amazing opportunity to ride from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast, then back again. The trip took 23 days, covered 25 states, and 8000 miles. It was definitely the experience of a lifetime. I truly believe these are the experiences that make life worth living and test our mettle. They grow your soul, your strength, and your skills. This trip included several extreme storms and desert heat.
We took off on the 1st, in a rain storm, and pushed toward Lake Erie on the second day. We stopped at my Alma Mater (RIT) for a bit of nostalgia. Lake Erie provided a beautiful sunset at a reward for our arrival.
After Lake Erie we pushed west on I-90 through Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Chicago Il, Wisconsin, to Spirit Lake IA. I had the privilege of seeing the Indian Motorcycle factory (from the outside) for the 4th of July.
From there we continued heading west through South Dakota. SD definitely tried to kill me, twice. In Murdo a micro-burst with 70+mph winds and torrential rain hit. Conveniently I had to pee, and the storm hit whilst I was in the bathroom. Once this crazy storm passed, on to Custer State Park! A second storm with lightening all around hit as we pushed through Rapid City. Being the stubborn individual that I am, we decided to try to find our campsite anyway. After hydroplaning and getting lost down in the valley, we decided to back up tot he game lodge and wait out the storm. On the way back up I noticed the side of the road we just came down was covered in rocks from 2 small rock slides, a little too close! Once at the lodge they were kind enough to give us a dry room for the night. The next morning we found out it used to be the Summer White House! We spent the next day riding around the absolutely beautiful Custer State Park, Crazy Horse, and Iron Mountain Road. I saw prairie dogs, wild buffalo, got charged by donkeys, surrounded by baby goats, and enjoyed some wonderful riding weather. I cannot believe i am saying this, but South Dakota put it on your bucket list.
Once we left SD, we continued on into Wyoming, landing in Dubois for the evening, camping on the Wind River. Once again saw some stunning landscapes, including the epic Wind River Canyon. Riding through the canyon was so beautiful it fills your heart with wonder. Such beautiful land true to its creation. Dubois is filled with jackalopes! It was so surreal. There are few moments i wish i had a bike trailer, this was one of them. (to haul all the cool shit back to Boston)
The next day was a gorgeous ride through Tetons National Park and Yellowstone National Park. My heart is so full of the grand beauty of these places. If you’re ever out there, I implore you to ride through them. The next day we road through Idaho, stopping at Shoshone Falls upon a recommendation from some strangers in Dubois. Holy crap they were right! It is a cascading water fall with 7 ledges. It is absolutely wonderful. That day ended camping the desert in Nevada. A few wolves visited us in the night and I saw the most beautiful sunrise over the mountains in the distance.
I spent the next 2 nights in Reno catching up with some great friends. After that respite I was getting itchy to get to the coast. We pushed on around Lake Tahoe and up to Donner Summit. If you don’t know the history of the Donner Pass I seriously recommend you spend a little time learning about it. It is the quintessential adventure gone wrong story. The views were absolutely breathtaking.
Then off to Sonoma, CA. We rode through the vineyards at sunset, all the brands you see at the wine store! Camping just past all the vineyards was so peaceful. Day 13 we made it to the coast!!! Bodega Bay, CA was beautiful and so empowering to realize what I had just accomplished.
to be continued…
Moto Kinder 