The Adventure Finally Gets Underway!

Currently in: Lodi, Wisconsin

At: Best Western Countryside Inn

Traveled today: 348.2 miles (a VERY light day!)

What an awesome start to the day and the trip. I teased my wife about leaving earlier and earlier, but ended up leaving the house at about 6:30am. First, I had to get a few shots of the bike all loaded up, my daughter (who actually got out of bed to see me go) and my beautiful wife.

Then hit the road. Stopped at the Circle K on State Street, where the clerk looked at me like I was nuts. She was quite interested in her fresh tattoo, which she had done yesterday. Elenora (I think) didn't seem to grasp the concept that I was going to Alaska. But I'll give her a break, she had just gotten freshly inked and it was early.

On to Valparaiso I went, where I fueled up again. The clerk at the Speedway I stopped at could not care less about my trip, my charity or my presence. I don't recall her name but I think she was the manager. Once she saw 'biker' she shut down the pleasantries. But it was interesting how the young lady in front of me was 'Sweetie' and the young dude behind me was "Honey". I was just "Is that all?" That's okay Ms. Manager, I can spend my money elsewhere. And I will from this point forward when it comes to Valpo. At least Mary came jogging by and was really intrigued about the trip and let me take her picture. She also took mine.

If you have a few twenties laying around doing nothing and you want to use them and get absolutely nothing, I suggest taking the Chicago Skyway and Illinois toll road system around Chicago. I've never been interrupted so many times in so short a distance and had to pay that much just to ride on their tar-snake and crack-infested roadways. Geez, I musta spent $25 just getting around Chicago. I did make a detour for Lakeshore Drive (because I love it so much, and then made a little jog through 'town' to go by Northwestern University.) I had to do that for my daughter because her heart is set on going there. Let's just hope that Mega Millions ticket I bought today works, otherwise I dunno how she's gonna pay tuition!

At a Rest Oasis (love that name) in Des Plaines, I met up with Neil from San Francisco. I approached him and interrupted his breakfast/lunch. He seemed interesting because he had a bike helmet (motorcycle) sitting on the picnic table next to him. So, being the really skilled genius I am, I deduced that the only other bike in the parking lot must be his. Looked new too. It was. He had just flown to Indianapolis, purchased the bike and was driving it back to SF. Cool trip! He was going through Glacier National Park too! I think he thought I was going to beg money from him at first. When I told him what I was up to he quickly handed me a 10 spot as if to brush me off (I really don't think he was rude, I just think he was hungry and I was stopping him from eating his Egg McMuffin!) I asked him to contribute through the blog instead and he said he would. Strangely enough, Neil works for a pharmaceutical company in SF called Genetech (I hope I got that right) and they make drugs for the treatment of both Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis! Talk about your small worlds!

I hope I meet up with Neil again (after he's just eaten something). He seemed to be a really cool story to tell, but I was getting anxious to get back on the road.

I was making great time (save for the 5 or 6 weird traffic jams that seemed to appear out of nowhere and have no discernable cause).

Anyway, the next worthwhile story for you comes from my lunch stop in Janesville, Wisconsin. Now, for some reason I didn't get her name, but a youngish Mom and her kids (and very cute puppy) pulled into a spot at Arby's just as I was getting ready to leave. She was kind and when I gave her my card and told me what she was up to she was very interesed. Even her teenage kids - who were more interested in getting inside Arby's, like most teenage kids- were very respectful and also seemed intrigued by the Alaska concept. The now nameless woman came back across the road after saying goodbye to hand me a $5 bill and said that even though she knew she could contribute online, she wanted to give me something NOW. That was awesome!

Stacy: (and I know you are out there Stacy), as my relatively frequent magician and agent (because you disappear so often), you gotta remember - $5 goes to CCFA on behalf of the 'mystery mom' in Janesville. I guess I could just call her "Jane". Duh.

The rest of the ride was pretty. Lots of farmland in Wisconsin and with the exception of it being more hilly, it looked a lot like Indiana. Corn, corn, corn, soybeans, corn, corn, dairy farm, corn, corn, dairy farm (phew!) corn, corn....

I'll post a review of my hotel in a bit. Gotta go clean off Cheeto and get her ready for tomorrow! She also needs her blanket (bike cover), even though it's 85 degrees now (and I started this morning at 61 degrees. It got hot quick!)

And Away We Go!

Forget the Countdown - It's Time to roll!

I never thought this day would get here, yet here it is. In a few minutes I'll head out the door, starting this crazy journey.

Weather is clear and it's going to be warm. This morning's Journal Gazette says the police will be all over the roads cracking down on speeders and such. This is a good news/bad news thing for me.
Good news- It keeps the idiots in check.
Bad news - Makes it harder for me to 'make up' lost time.

However, today should be a light mileage day of only about 350 miles or so and leaving this early should put me in Lodi WAY early.

I'm trying not to sound overexcited but it's not working inside my head. Giddyup!

Video Killed the Radio Star...

Countdown - 11 hours!

Finished taping an interview with WANE-TV's Alyssa Ivanson, the weekend anchor for NewsChannel 15. I guess the interview will air tonight at 11 and then again on Saturday morning and possibly Saturday afternoon/evening. When it's on their site, I'll put up a link. I'm a long way from my radio days, but it actually felt very comfortable being on the other side of the interview table.

Even though she's a Ball State grad (Magna Cum Laude, no less), she was still very interested and attentive. (Spoken like a true Western Michigan University Bronco!)

It was a much longer interview than I expected. Maybe I was more interesting than I have been in the few other times I've been interviewed for television (I AM a celebrity, you know! ha!)

Jeff, the videographer/cameraman was pretty fun to work with too. He seemed quite young. Or perhaps I'm just quite old!

In any case, it was an opportunity to talk about the cause (CCFA), the trip and even mentioned getting 'Hyderized' again! My daughter, Rachel, even got to be on television too as they shot background of us sitting on the porch and talking. She's extra cute when she's excited!

How in the world am I going to sleep tonight!?

More from The News-Sentinel here & Interactive!

Countdown - 18 hours!

Melody at The News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne really spiffed up the online portion of their story about me. You can see it here

There's an interactive map, links to this blog and a link to the CCFA, and even a link to my oft-forgotten Twitter account. I just haven't gotten the hang of tweeting as often as I should.

In any case, Melody did a fantastic job and she should toast herself with one of the many beverage containers she keeps on her desk.


That's what she looked like when she was just a child. Now she's significantly older (but still looks nearly identical....jealous!)

In any case, please visit their coverage and give her some feedback if you like it.


Could be some television coverage coming as well. Trying to work out the details now...

Stay tuned! It's practically just a matter of an overnight and we'll be underway together! (Although you get to sit in your air-conditioned comfort, I get to experience everything in person!)

Wanna know what's cool? Here are 5 things...

Countdown - 34 hours!

Want to know what will really make you feel good?

1. When my story hit The News-Sentinel (or more accurately, hit their website) on Wednesday afternoon, I was immediately contacted by Facebook friends and others who wanted to express their gratitude for what I was doing. Immediate and instant gratification!

2. This morning, when Frank Gray's column had barely been a few hours old, a dear old friend (in fact, my daughter's babysitter's mother) contacted me with all sorts of praise. First amazement at what I was about to do, then real gratitude. It would seem that two of her grandchildren have Crohn's.

3. I got a call at work from an 84 year old woman from Columbia City. She wanted to tell me how great my story was and ask me a little about my route. What a charming and dear woman!

4. Frank Gray calls me late in the afternoon to find out if there is some sort of 'send off' party for me. Apparently he had gotten a call about his column and some folks wanted to help send me on my way on Saturday morning. When I told him I'm just basically rolling down the driveway quietly (so as not to wake the neighbors) he actually sounded a little disappointed.

5. I got a call from a woman tonight at home who just wanted to thank me for undertaking this adventure. She -like many, many, many others- have told me about a friend or loved one that is suffering from Crohn's or Colitis. That's a recurring theme. It continues to show me how pervasive these diseases are. Now since we know many people are affected, let's work on getting a cure going!

Did I mention that I actually packed everything but my phone charger and laptop on the bike already? Am I anxious or what! Tick tocking it's way to -almost- 33 hours to go now!

Correction to a news story about the GVA -important!

Countdown - 45 hours!

Earlier I posted a link to a story from The News-Sentinel about my big adventure. There was a slight error in their story, and I probably should clarify.

Cindy Larson mentioned getting "Hyderized" in Hyder, Alaska. Getting Hyderized is the tradition of having a shot of pure grain alcohol, getting your official "Hyderized" card signed by the bartender and surviving the walk back to your hotel (I don't recommend driving after such a feat).

I'll be getting my "Hyder on" at the Sealaska Inn where the walk will be quite short (I'm staying at this same Inn compliments of the fine staff there). Cindy got the name of the place mixed up with another in the town. This wouldn't be a big deal to most of us, but when you are running a hotel and bar in a town of less than 200 people, name recognition is a big deal.


Cindy's error is probably my fault. I was explaining what getting Hyderized is, and mentioned a YouTube video. It's probably from that video that the confusion sprang. Perhaps I'll shoot my "Hyderization" there and post it to YouTube so there can be representation of the Sealaska Inn on YouTube as well.

I do apologize for the error, and if I caused it I certainly meant no disrepect to the proprietors of the Sealaska Inn.

When you find yourself in Hyder, Alaska, make sure you visit the Sealaska Inn and say hello to Gary there! (And tell him I'm still sorry about the mix up!)

Read all about the GVA in the Journal Gazette!

Countdown - 47 hours! (I just couldn't write "1 day and change" when it's that close)

Isn't is strange when you read something written by someone you know (letter, article, online posting, email, etc.) you can hear their voice as you read it? Maybe it's just a mental thing for me, but I could hear Frank Gray's voice today as he wrote about my efforts.

If you know Frank, you can try it too - here's the link to the story in The Journal Gazette.
If you don't know Frank, you can still read it. It's not a weird test.

Frank did a great job of getting all the various distractions out of the way and getting down to the nitty-gritty of what this is all about. I think he made me sound a bit more 'tough' than I believe myself to be, but what guy doesn't like sounding a little macho from time to time?

To my knowledge I have only one scheduled interview remaining to air before I leave. I'm hoping for more along the road as I travel, but tune in later for the link to the WJON-AM story that will air on Friday in St. Cloud.

I'm down to just hours away now and way excited. I wonder if I could air up my tires with this adrenaline and these endorphins?

The News-Sentinel writes about the GVA!

Countdown - 2 days (and change)!

Although I sorta knew it was coming, I was still shocked to see the coverage today in The News-Sentinel about Gordo's Vancouver Adventure. Cindy Larson did an absolutely wonderful job shaking down my diatribe into a concise, yet insightful story. Great graphics too!

See it here: The News-Sentinel

The picture is a little large (and I need to learn to sit up), but kudos to my daughter Rachel for such a wonderful shot.

Still in a little hazy fog from this, it's wonderful to see my efforts paying off with such great reward. News-Sentinel readers are nothing if not intense, and hopefully they'll get behind my efforts. And if just one takes the time to learn more about Crohn's or Colitis...

Can't wait to get this adventure underway. Next couple of days of waiting will be tough!

Thanks again Cindy, Melody and Kevin at the The News-Sentinel! I hope to do you proud!

Coming to a radio station (not necessarily) near you!

Countdown - 3 Days and change!

Everything old is new again, sort of. Today I was interviewed by Terry Lee at WJON-AM 1240 in the St. Cloud, Minnesota area. Terry was really gracious and recorded an interview that they will air on Friday about the GVA (Gordo's Vancouver Adventure). I say it's new again, because it's been quite a few years since I was 'on the radio' and the last time I was the one doing the interviewing, NOT the interviewee. But I must admit, it felt quite natural to me, even though there was technically not a microphone in my face.

I got the usual questions: Who am I, what am I up to, why am I doing this, and where will I be going. Unfortunately, I had to re-route my trip so that an overnight wasn't happening in St. Cloud but Terry still felt his audience would be receptive to such a story. Of course, in my completely fair, honest and unbiased opinion, how could anyone NOT be receptive?! Ha ha!

Speaking of the media, one of tomorrow's Fort Wayne newspapers is slated to carry a story about me and this effort. It's probably bad luck to mention it ahead of time, so I don't want to go into too much detail. As for the other major daily paper in Fort Wayne? Yep, I'm told there will be something happening there as well. Again, keep your fingers crossed I didn't jinx it.

So by this time tomorrow hopefully the air will be abuzz with discussion about the GVA! Be sure to submit your comments about the stories right here!

Have you thanked your local (blank) today?

Countdown - 4 days (and change)!

Here we are closing in on the last few days before it's 'kickstand up'! Wouldn't you know it, I have a million things left to do, but really - in all seriousness- I'm ready. If I didn't do all the things I'm stressing about, I'd still be able to go without much of a hitch.

One thing I want to do before this even gets underway is thank those who have supported me thus far. Wait! Don't stop reading! You might be mentioned here!

First and foremost, my wife. I don't know how she puts up with me. One crazy idea after another. Most of the time she's supportive. The other times, she's also right. It bothers me a little that she isn't making this trip with me, but in her words, her "bum can't take that kind of mileage!" (Stephanie and others, you may insert your 'that's what she said' here). And my kids, who for some strange reason, find Dad's obsession somewhat normal.

Matt, my riding buddy. Matt was all set to take this adventure with me, but then had to back off to take care of his family. Good thing, in a way. His father just passed on Sunday, which would have completely thrown his world in even more of a tizzy if he had this trip hanging over his head. Matt is the voice of encouragement and common sense. If he hesitates on an idea, it's probably wise to re-think it. Let's include Lorraine (Matt's wife) in here too. She knows I've rattled my helmet a few too many miles, but she puts up with me. And I'll take credit for teaching her to be quicker with the witty comebacks.

Sarah and Russ (aka Mara and Gus). They inspired me on the charity portion of this whole idea. It's their positive outlook and constant high-spirit that made the light bulb come on for me.

Stacy 'my agent' Baker. Never short on ideas (that means tons more work for me), Stacy is my writing inspiration. And at her young age, it gives me hope that after us old-timers have moved on they will take care of this world nicely.

My friends and colleagues at work and at play. Jennie, Toni, Greg, Natalie, Pam, Mark, Jessie "You're doing what?!" George, Jessica, Anna, Sheri, Lynn, Leslie, Kathy, Craig, Dennis, "Sharp-Dressed" Jack, Stephanie, Todd 'I got your back' Steele, Lindy, Chelley, Ed, Molly, Richard, Sherry, Johnny, Alex, Nikki 'I'm just lurking' Donlan, Nigel, Hollie(wood), Bob, Teri, Jeff 'The Jones Thing' Jones, Becky, Scott 'Preacher Man' Henwood, Rick, Kim "I'm tearing up" Chin, Jennie O, and Mark. You folks have already helped me in immense ways. Your support has been a steady wind to my sails.

Myles "You don't smell so good yourself" Hickman. Part of this trip should help rekindle a friendship born over beers in Germany about 25 years ago. I look forward to riding with Myles for a short bit and remembering why he was the 'voice of reason' for unreasonable youth.

All the hotels and businesses that have already stepped up. You'll see plenty more about the hotels as these posts continue, but a thank you to Monster Energy Drink for helping at least a little and really for just being available. I don't know how I survived without you, my liquid crutch.

The Journal Gazette, The News-Sentinel and FortWayne.com. These media sources have already committed some of their resources to help spread the word of my efforts. More media have inquired and will be thanked as their efforts get underway. Who says newspapers are dead?! Bollocks, I say, Bollocks! Changing certainly, but still the driving force of all media.

And to Julie. Quietly supportive and a true inspiration to those who really try to make a difference. She demonstrates by doing just that. And now, you ^still know! If and when I ever grow up, I want to be like her.

Next few days will be busy as one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. Then, believe it or not, the 'easy part' of just riding 6,500 miles. And oh yeah, telling you all about it along the way!

Pics of what's being packed

Countdown - 6 Days!

Here are some photos of what is being packed. This shows you how I always tend to overpack. But I did my best to limit all the non-necessary stuff. (sorry for the quality of the pictures, I had to use my camera phone).

Left to right, starting at top:

• Roll bag
• Collapsible cooler
• Main luggage bag
• Backpack
• Extra Biz cards
• Each day's clothing (pants, shirt, etc.)
• Vest and Leather jacket
• Computer and notebook cover
• Travel Atlas, printed itinerary
• Passport
• Boots
• Mocassins

5 ways to Stay Cool on the Road...

Countdown - 6 days!

Got my haircut today (yes, both of them), and realized how much cooler I was (both literally and figuratively) as I walked outside.

I was packing up my bags and making sure I had everything necessary,and deciding which clothes to leave readily accessible and which to bury at the bottom of my bags.

Even though high temps in Hyder, Alaska are only in the upper 50's right now (and lows in the low 50's), temps in Montana are expected to be in the upper 80's each day. Since I expect to spend many hours per day in that heat, staying cool is important.

So how do you do it? I can give you five ways:

1. Wear breathable clothing - the wick-away shirts and undergarments available today keep moisture away from your skin, and allow you to stay cooler. I've found that if you wear a wick-away shirt under a t-shirt you can actually feel just as cool as if you are wearing one shirt (even though technically you are wearing two).

2. Use water-soaked doo-rags around your neck - this is the cheap and easy way to stay cool. Keeping your neck cool will help your head feel cooler. Of course, this will create some humidity for you and will soak your shirt and other clothing too. Riding in wet clothing isn't the most comfortable ride.

3. Cooling vests - Yes, you can actually buy vests that circulate water or contain removeable frozen packs that actually keep you cool. Heck, you can buy anything. But I've been told that these work great. I haven't tried them but I can only imagine that they might actually cool you down too much. Nothing like a freezer pack stuck to your back for hours.

4. Rehydrate regularly - Even if you don't feel like you are sweating a bunch or seem particularly thirsty, you have to replentish with plain old water. My thing is to drink at least a full bottle of water at each stop. I might have a Monster energy drink as well, but I try to also drink water. If you find that you are having to stop more often to ...relieve yourself, that's a good thing. It means that you aren't getting dehydrated.

5. Get some shade - Use the shadows created by other vehicles, notably semi trucks, to stay out of direct sunlight. Be careful though that you stay out of the "No Zone" which is directly alongside a semi truck. If he has to come over, he's got no where to go except to move you over. It's also a bad place to be when a semi loses a retread, or blows a tire. But aside from riding in shadows, use a tinted shield on your helmet, and clothing that will reflect light, instead of attract it. (Unfortunately, most chaps only come in black leather. Not much you can do about that.)

So, there's five ways to stay cool. And how often do you get to be cool like me?

Three things this trip has evolved into...

Countdown - 7 days!

Just a short update to give you an idea of my thoughts a mere week out of blasting off...

Stress levels are high - I want to make sure I have all my loose ends wrapped up at work so that I can fully concentrate on the trip and not worry about some ad campaign being missed while I'm gone. I want to make sure that I've taken care of all the things going on at home before I leave so that my beautiful and talented wife need not worry about getting household chores done (the few that I actually do). And I'll be missing my friends and family a bunch too. Notably, my riding buddy Matt, who couldn't take the ride with me. I feel some sorrow for the fact he's gotta stand on the sidelines and miss out on an adventure we planned for over a year together.

But there are thousands of fun things just down the road. I cannot begin to imagine the things I'll see (and share) and the things I'll see (and not share)!

Here's how it's evolved -
1. This trip started out as a simple 'vacation'. It was just an adventure that was planned for Vancouver and then back home through some portion of the US. It started out to be pure relaxation and exploration. As people learned about this trip, they asked lots of questions. Suddenly I had their interest and thought, "wouldn't this make a great book?" So the trip turned into fodder for a passion I still have to undertake. Still a vacation - even if it was an 'endurance vacation'!

2. Then, as people showed more interest, I figured I'd take advantage of their interest and try and kill a couple birds with one stone: I'd raise awareness and money for a charity as part of this trip. I mean, what's a little extra work if it can help those in need? So, quickly this went from a 'vacation' to a 'cause'.

3. As things progressed, the cause became much more important than the simple endurance vacation with a cause. It's now blown into a full "Mission" with all sorts of angles and features and high points and sidebars. The vacation portion is all but a distant memory. I'm hopeful that once on the road, some of that vacation momentum will return and I'll be able to turn down the energy level on 'cause' and turn up the 'relax' mode.

The whole process has taught me an awful lot: I can help others in more ways than I ever thought I was capable; I can use my wit and wile to get others to help my cause, and they can feel good about it at the same time; and I can put together the fodder that I need to set myself up for my next adventure, which will include re-telling this story in a different format.

I can't encourage you enough to feedback and tell me what you like and what you don't. I can't make any promises, but if you tell me what is most interesting and least interesting, I can do my best to bring it to you!

I warned you the route would change!

Countdown - 8 days!

So, those who have been faithfully reading know that this route has already changed a few dozen times. But to give you some reassurance, it's not changing much.

Day One is still Fort Wayne to Lodi, Wisconsin.
Day Two is Lodi, Wisconsin to Bismarck, ND. (This is new)
Day Three is Bismarck, ND to Shelby, MT.
the rest is pretty much the same.

The reason for this switch is because I never did get a Dickinson, ND hotel to take me in as part of a donation. So rather than try and go 754 miles from Lodi to Dickinson, I backed off a bit and planned a night in Bismarck, about 100 miles shorter for the day. It does make my Day Three a bit longer, but nowhere near 754 miles. That should give me some breathing room in case the weather turns ugly.

Lots of little items of note today:
1. I've been interviewed by both major daily newspapers in Fort Wayne. (For those of you who are skeptical because I happed to work for the agency that operates both of these: Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it's HARDER for us to get our own news and events in the paper because no one wants to risk looking like our coverage is self-serving or slanted.) I can't tell you what each is doing with the story, but I'm sure you'll dig it! Now, getting linked on their sites is my next mission.

2. Got another hotel offer today, but had to turn it down. Travelodge in Regina, SK wanted to put me up for the night, but I had to tell Shayla that I already had accommodations. I greatly appreciate their offer though! (Now, if I could just get the hotels in Bismarck, ND, Shelby, MT, Calgary, AB, and Grand Forks, ND to wise up to what all the others have done, I'd be set!).

3. Waterproofed my boots, leather jacket and chaps, and began packing the luggage today. Yeah, it's a week early, but I'm pumped!

4. And a shout out to all the folks who have recently 'followed' my blog. I'm feeling the love! Thank you!

Esthers Inn in Prince George comes through!

Countdown - 9 days!

Big shout out to Esther's Inn in Prince George, British Columbia for hooking me up with a complimentary hotel room on my return trip. As a reminder, the money I save by getting 'comped' at hotels will go directly to the CCFA. So every little bit helps. Bonnie at Esther's was gracious enough to work with me on getting the right day scheduled. By the way, this is one hotel that I'm certainly anxious to visit. It's got a 'South Seas' theme, nestled about as far away from the actual South Seas as possible. Looks like a fun place (and not exactly tiny...118 rooms!) See for yourself here.

Other exciting news: I got my 'business cards' back from the print shop today. Impressive! Now, the next time I do this, I've got to be a LOT less wordy. Randy in the print shop is a great guy, and he's a biker too (that gives him extra brownie points) and Lisa R (jr.) did a bang up job on the design of my cards. Kudos to both these professionals!

Started passing out my cards right away, and unfortunately people seem to feel pressured to donate. PLEASE note: donations are just that - donations. If I can get you to think a little deeper about Crohn's and Colitis and help shed some light on these diseases, then I've done my part. IF -and only if - you choose to donate, that's YOUR choice. You can always do so by clicking the link at the upper left hand side of these pages. These diseases won't just 'go away' or cure themselves. It will take lots of research and study and trial and error, and all that means money. But don't feel pressured by me. Give if you can and if you want. All I ask is that you think about it, share my story, and spread the word that Crohn's and Colitis have big targets on their backs. And hopefully your donations and my efforts will become arrows, of sorts. (Strangest analogy I can recall ever making).

Let the games begin! Book that hotel room!

Countdown - 9 days!

Here's the top 5 things to check when booking accommodations for your travel. I'm sure there will be plenty more as I learn through my errors...

1. Check all the available mega-sites - Priceline, Hotwire, etc. Priceline has treated me well so far. Quick information, and rapid results. I haven't been successful at the 'name your own price' option yet. Perhaps I'm just too cheap. But start with these sites to get ideas on what hotels are where and roughly what you should expect to pay.

2. Check the websites for individual hotels as well - Sometimes the hotel website will actually be cheaper than what you find on the mega sites. Doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. The hotel sites will sometimes give you more accurate information about what room options are available.

3. Don't forget the Mom & Pop hotels - these are harder to find, but I use Google Maps and find my destination, then enter 'hotels' and see what pops up. Many times these hotels don't have a website, so phone calls may be your best option. Other times they'll have rates online, but no way to check availability. Again, a quick phone call may be faster.

4. Check the reviews - clearly there are far more negative reviews out there than positive ones. That doesn't mean hotels with negative reviews are all dumps. It means that people who write negative reviews typically far outnumber those who write the positive ones. And most people who have an acceptable stay don't think at all about writing a review about it. In any case, you can still use the reviews to get an idea of what might happen when you visit a particular location. You can decide for yourself if there are far too many negative comments to 'risk' your stay there. Tripadvisor.com is my favorite review place.

5. Expect to get what you pay for. If you are able to book a room for $50 a night when all the surrounding hotels are charging at least twice that, keep in mind that there's a reason that they'll rent the room to you for such a discount. Don't be 'surprised' that you don't have all the amenities that you see at other hotels (with much higher room rates).

4 last minute preps

Countdown - 10 days!

A bit of mixed emotion today. First the good news: Only 10 days and a few hours to go. Things are really getting down the to wire. On the bad news side: My buddy Matt (who was originally going with me on this trip) had a family emergency today. We're praying for him and his family.

Since we're on the "T-minus 10 and counting" schedule, here's four things I accomplished today:

1. Notify your credit card companies that you are planning on traveling. That way they won't put a temporary hold on your card when you least expect it. As you may know, sometimes credit card companies will notice unusual activity and shut down your card. But if you notify them of your travel plans, they'll be prepared.

2. Safety and maintenance check your vehicle. In my case, today was the final oil change and all-around safety check. Things like air pressure in the tires, visual inspection of the various hoses, cables and wiring.

3. Test fit your gear, and make sure you have all of it gathered together. In my case, I simply had to put my battery charger in the saddlebags, and strap down the luggage where it will go when fully packed. Everything else was done. But you may want to remember spare wiring and connectors, tools, electrical tape, siphoning tube, extra bungees and perhaps duct tape.

4. Prepare your loved ones. I printed out a complete itinerary/schedule of where I should be each day and phone numbers of hotels as well. In case anything odd or unusual happens while I'm away, at least she will know where to start to reach me.

A little Pre-GVA warmup!

Countdown - 11 days!

If you've ever wondered if you could undertake a trip of roughly 6,500 miles in about 14 days on a motorcycle, I'm hoping this blog will help you figure that out.

I wondered it too. Many times, repeatedly. I still wonder. The best answer is one that my buddy Matt offered up (in his quiet but simple and profound way): "We'll see."

Of course, I'm sure that 99% of the folks reading this aren't planning anything this crazy. The few that would consider it have probably already done things that are just this crazy. But perhaps those that wouldn't do it can live vicariously through me, and heck maybe they can learn about stops along my way that will be interesting for future vacation destinations (although I don't typically see "Shelby, Montana" on anyone's bucket list).

No one should go from a standstill to full blast. You have to warm up to these things. That's why athletes stretch before a big contest. It's why race car drivers do 'practice laps' and qualifying.

So, I used Father's Day weekend to do my 'practice lap'. Matt and Lorraine rode two up and Jannette and I rode one up from Dayton, Ohio area to Oak Hill, West Virginia. Since it's an extra 100 miles from our house to the Dayton area, we get to ride an extra 200 miles total.

We took a slower and more meandering route to get to Oak Hill, going through some twisties on WV-60 near Kanawha Falls and over to the New River Gorge Bridge. All told, the ride out was about 285 miles. The ride home was about 290, but it was far more direct and about half interstate and half highway. For Jannette and I, it was a total of about 800 miles. I'm counting the few miles we logged around the Oak Hill area, exploring.

The "warm" part of 'warmup' was appropriate. Leaving Friday, Jannette and I left our place later than we wanted and arrived at Matt's at about 10 am. We then left there at 10:45am to get to WV. The sun was warm right from the start, but it really heated up when we were about 2 hours outside of our destination. In fact, we saw a few time/temp signs that said 97 degrees. When you are in the sun and there's precious little cloud cover, that will wear you down in a hurry. In any case, we arrived at our hotel about 6pm. So with our leisurely 'stroll' it took about 7 hours to go 300 miles.

On the way home Sunday, we left at 8:30am (again, not in any rush) and arrived at Matt's about 2:30pm. So with a more direct route, less heat and quicker stops, that 300 miles took about 6 hours.

Then of course, Jannette and I still had 100 miles to go to get home, but we arrived back at our house about 6pm. Nine and a half hours for 400 miles (granted, there was about a 90 minute break in Ohio.)

So, with all the stops and breaks and talking (we weren't in any hurry - we were on a vacation day!) you can't really compare this to any of the days that I'll have coming up on the GVA. This was a restful, 'easy' ride after all, with no real timetables urgent need to get anywhere by a certain time. The Vancouver Adventure will be far different.

I figure if I haven't knocked down 150 miles by 9am each day, I'll be way behind. My plan is to get through 300 miles each day before lunch. Tough? Yeah, maybe. Doable? Certainly!
But the more miles I can put behind me in the morning hours, the more I can take it easy in the afternoons and early evenings.

If you just do the math and let all things be equal, I'll have to travel an average of 464 miles per day to get this 6,500 miles done in two weeks. Luckily, I'll have more than a few days where 464 will be done by 3 or 4 pm and I can start banking some rest time for later in the day. Since weather is a huge factor, this will play a part in how far I'm able to get as well.

And please, no offense is meant to my wife and riding companions this past weekend. We had a blast (sometimes it felt like a blast from an oven) and we relaxed.

Just what I needed to tune me up and get me a little R & R before the real 'fun' begins!

Why do this for the CCFA? Great Question!

Countdown - 15 days!

I promised a little background in my last post, and it's even more appropriate since quite a few folks have joined since then.

This isn't exactly an FAQ, but let me give you some insight as to why I've chosen the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. This is my charity of choice and the folks that I'm trying to raise money and awareness for. When I decided to change this trip from a pure and simple 'vacation' to a 'cause', it was because of my experience in learning about Crohn's Disease and Colitis.

Once upon a time a few years ago, a friend and co-worker got sick. We didn't know what was wrong with him, and even HE didn't know what was wrong with him (at first). All we knew was that he was out of the office sick a lot (highly unusual for him) and his weight started dropping faster than a prom dress at midnight. For the sake of the conversation, let's call him...Gus.

I don't know how much he weighed previously, but I'll guess at about 180 lbs. In practically the wink of an eye, he lost something like 60 pounds. Maybe not 60, but it had to be at least 40. In about 3 or 4 weeks. We all got scared.

Could it be the 'C' word? We've all had someone we know affected by cancer, so it wouldn't be all that crazy of an assumption. Finally I got up the cajones and asked him.

That's when Gus told me he had been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. I looked at him like a teenager looks at a job application. I was totally confused. I'd never heard of such a thing and didn't know what that meant. He was gentle, but explained that it had to do with his digestive system and that he wasn't able to retain any nutrients from the food he ate (that's putting it gently, right?)

I didn't know anyone else who had such a disease so I kinda figured this was something rare. Little did I know at the time how widespread it is. So I kind of chalked up this whole illness as a special 'one-off' and tried to forget about it.

After all, by now Gus had been to several specialists and was getting things under control. He was still rail-thin, but at least he had stopped losing more weight.

And the most glaringly obvious thing? He never once griped or moaned about it. Still to this day, you wouldn't have the slightest clue he has any problems whatsoever.

And yet, Crohn's Disease has certainly taken over his life. If affects and restricts what he can eat, when he can eat, how much he can eat. It determines what he does, when he does it, and how much he can do. His life revolves around this terrible disease.

But you'd never know it.

Enter another co-worker about 18 months ago. Let's call her "Mara". I learned pretty early on that she suffered from Colitis. Bang. Once again I had that 'deer in the headlights' look. What the heck was that? When she mentioned that it was similar to Crohn's Disease, I knew this wasn't as isolated a group of diseases as I thought. In fact, because of Mara, I started to pay more attention to what this terrible medical condition was all about. I wanted to learn more. She was happy to share once she realized my desire to learn wasn't some sick fascination, but a true concern for her well-being.

Mara's story was quite different. She had been diagnosed at about 21 years old. She's had over thirty operations since her diagnosis. She had her colon removed. She had huge portions of her intestines removed. She's had multiple infections and complications, and all sorts of medicine-related complications. Can you imagine more than 30 operations?

Oh, yeah. She's all of 27 now. That's just 6 years since being diagnosed. Let that sink in a minute. That's an average of 5 operations per year, or about one every other month.

She knows about 80% of all the gastroenterologists in this area. Most from having consulted each one at some point or another.

Again, this young woman is the picture of positive outlooks. Never a day goes by where she complains about her disease or it's affects. On some days you can tell that she's just having a rough day, but when you ask if she's feeling alright she'll respond, "Not so good today, but I'll get through this. Tomorrow is going to be fantastic!"

Mara has never shared numbers (that's not her way), but you can imagine that the medical costs for her since being diagnosed make a Harvard tuition expense look like pocket change.

When you look up the words 'courageous' or 'brave' in the dictionary, these two ought to have their photos included.

It's because of the determination each of these two share about dealing with this very personal, very destructive group of diseases that I chose to do something to help. If I could muster up even half of the positive spirit that they possess and share with the world, you'd think I was hopped up on happy pills.

Surely, Crohn's and/or Colitis have taken over and control their daily lives. There is no escaping the fact that their most minute daily routines revolve around how to deal with the flare-ups and complications. But what is most endearing to me is that they refuse to let these diseases affect their outlook on life. They will not be beaten by these afflictions. Instead, they will rise above them and make the very best of every situation.

Many would look at their situation and say, "poor me, look at all the things I can no longer do." They instead look at their own situations and say "lucky me, I can still enjoy so very many things in life, even with this challenge ahead of me."

Wouldn't you do everything you could to help these two find more comfort and potentially a solution?

Can you believe the generosity?

Countdown - 16 Days!

I got a wonderful call again today. This time it was from Tara at Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza in Regina (tee hee), Saskatchewan. She was letting me know the great news that they have decided to join the other 6 hotels and arrange to put me up for the night at no charge. In return, I'll make the donation of room costs to the CCFA.

This just made my day. After I revisited their website (http://www.hotelsask.com) I was even more overjoyed. This looks like one swanky sonuvagun! Even my most cultured and jaded friends would have to agree that this hotel looks like something Thurston Howell III and Lovey would stay in on their trips off Gilligan's Island.

As my daughter would say, "It's the bomb".

So that brings me to 7 out of 12 overnights that are being graciously donated to me so that I can make a more generous donation to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. I can hardly believe that these fine hotels are being so open-armed about the whole thing. Sure, it doesn't hurt them at all that I'll be telling you readers about their lovely establishments, but there's far more to it than that. They truly want to give back, and this is a way they can do it more easily.

In the next few posts, I plan to recap some of the basics here on who, what, when, why and where for this trip. Things like:

Why are you doing this again?
Why did you pick the CCFA to be the charity you helped?
What can I do to help you make a difference?
Gordo - what are you trying to achieve?

Sure it's riveting stuff, but stick with me. The best is about to come steamrolling your way. Once this baby gets on the road, you're gonna be in for a thrill!