Planes, trains, and automobiles (and a motorcycle, a ferry, and maybe even a Slip ‘N Slide, too) – Prologue

The plan:  Ride the smallest, and least comfortable (for a long ride), of my motorcycles about 2000 from my home to Maryland, where one of my kids will be enduring a summer internship.

The route:  From my home in Utah, I will travel through (or at least cross the state line into, no matter how briefly) thirteen different states.  In addition to my home state of Utah, the other states I will visit are Wyoming, Nebraska, a brief detour into Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, a brief detour into Illinois, Wisconsin (where I will board a ferry to cross Lake Michigan), Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and finally finishing in Maryland.

States I plan to visit on this trip.

The motorcycle:  As I mentioned above, of the several motorcycles I own, I have chosen to ride the one that is the least suited for this trip.  I will ride my 2009 Kawasaki KLR650, a bike barely alive.  People, I can rebuild it.  I have the permission.  I have the capability to make the world’s first bionic, uhhh, oh, sorry…

(Can you hear the theme music for The Six Million Dollar Man in the background?)

This is my 2009 KLR650 in its natural environment.

I will have to make some changes to the bike.  It shouldn’t cost six million dollars, but there will be some money spent on this upgrade.  I will add a new windshield, some more storage space in the form of a tank bag and a handlebar bag (the motorcycle equivalent of a fanny pack), a new GPS with maps that are less than 8 years old, and a few comfort devices to help make the bike less likely to cause me pain over the course of the trip.

The return:  To get home, I will take a train to Pittsburgh and then fly home to Utah.

This trip will be happening soon, so stay tuned…