June 6, 1997 Greensboro, NC

Well, the big event is now only one day away!! We've been preparing for this trip now for 6 months. Our homework done, the bikes are ready and all that's left is the preparation of the mind. Riding 7-8 thousand miles in 3 weeks is a tough task. Even tougher when done on a motorcycle. For those who ride, the task is less daunting as you understand the joy and memories that will reward us along the way. I've spent the last two months over-prepping my trusty Yamaha GTS1000. Replacing clutch plates that didn't need replacing, oil and filters that probably could have gone another thousand miles, tires, sprocket, chain. It's all been done. The bike would probably survive Armegeddon. Dave has struggled through his own anal retentiveness in preparing his Honda ST1100. Having recently married, I now struggle with the thought of leaving Marci for three weeks. Our souls have grown close in the past months as we've committed to sharing our lives together. I'll miss her smile, her love and her touch. Her cooking?.......I digress. The route is strategically plotted for the first three days. First Knoxville, Kansas City next, then Denver. Our thought is to reach the promised land....the pacific northwest, motorcycle nirvana. Dave and I both have seen much of the U.S., east of the Mississippi, in these earlier stages of our lives. We are truly blessed with our own beautiful rodes here in the great state of North Carolina. But as motorcyclist, the pacific northwest calls us!! We are about to answer that call!