You may be wondering why I am calling this my 49/49 trip so here it is. The map below shows the states I have currently ridden motorcycle in. When I have ridden in the states in white (from New Mexico to Florida), I will then have ridden in 49 states. The second 49 happens to be my age this year. So everyone immediately asks which state haven't you ridden in and as you can see by the map, the only remaining state will be Hawaii. So the next question everyone asks then is "Are you going to ship your bike to Hawaii" and the answer is no (but that is not how the story will end).
Next year my wife and I will both celebrate our 50th birthdays. In addition, we will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. So to celebrate these milestones, we have already booked a trip to Hawaii during January/February 2013 and during that trip, I will rent a motorcycle and complete the 50/50 (fifty states at the age 50).
The plan for this year's trip is as follows. I plan to depart on Friday, August 31. I am going to take the shortest route possible to northeast New Mexico (near Taos and Albuquerque). After some riding there, I will ride across the Texas panhandle and across Oklahoma (yawn). Near Oklahoma City, I will pick up part of historic Route 66. The next destination is the Ozarks in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. From what I hear, there is much wonderful riding in this area. The next leg of the journey will take me into Tennessee where I will pick up the Natchez Trace Parkway. This parkway is full of history because it is an important part of U.S. history. In the early years, when people from the southeast wanted to sell their goods, often times they would load them into boats and float down the rivers ending up at Natchez Mississippi. Here they would not only sell their goods but also their boat. They would then walk back what become known as the Natchez Trace. From Natchez Mississippi, I will go to New Orleans and across the great Lake Pontchartrain. The bridge across the lake is over 23 miles long. From there I will follow the Gulf of Mexico across the southern parts of Mississippi and Alabama and into the Florida panhandle. At this point I will turn north on the return leg of the trip but of course, I will need to take the scenic route. In Birmingham Alabama, I plan to see the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum (see I do like some museums!). I will continue north through the western parts of Tennessee and Kentucky. The next stop will be the Chicago area to see my daughter and her husband and then return back home. In all, I expect to ride between 7,000 and 8,000 miles in approximately 16 days starting on August 31. Below is a map with my intended route.
I am hoping the weather cooperates better this year than it did last year. For those of you that don't remember (I will always remember last year's trip!), it was very cold and wet for most of the trip. I returned early when in early June I got snowed out in northern California. When the air temperature dropped to 32 degrees, moisture falling, and a snow plow was coming on the same road I was heading in the other direction, I decided the smart thing to do was to cut the trip short and head home. Wishing and praying for better weather this time!
If you want to read the blogs from previous trips here they are:
Hope you enjoy reading and following along as I take part on this great adventure!
