Waiting for warmer weather.

I am really ready for warm weather. I have a picture of some bikers sitting on a porch in south texas in short sleeve tee shirts on my phone. I am envious. I've had the maps out, been on the internet, looked at magazines just trying to map out a trip as soon as the weather cooperates. There are so many things that go into planning a quality ride in new territory. It's a challenge. It's also a lot of fun. As I map everything out I look for unusual destinations. I look for lonely two lane highways that traverse the great expanses of this wonderful country. I know not all of our interests are the same but there hasn't been a single trip we've taken that hasn't had something to entertain and provide interesting opportunities for any of us. As I read the posts I put on here about our trip last year I see we had a great time. I know sleeping on the ground wasn't the most comfortable thing but it added to the character of the journey. We didn't always eat at the most interesting places but it was a one for one trade out on the interesting versus the non-interesting. Even the not so good places offered conversations with strangers that were entertaining. I need some warm weather.
Two years ago Glen and I loaded the Harley's and went to Canada. We actually had a goal of doing the "circle" around Lake Superior. We succeeded. It seems everywhere we went it wasn't about getting to the next point but taking the time to enjoy where we were. I saw things I never would have seen if we hadn't set a plan in place and followed through with the plan. We didn't have agenda's. If we rode 200 miles or 500 miles it was not about how far we went but it was about everything in between. I wish I had done this when I was younger. I got hung up with working instead of living. I prefer living.
Last year three of us went to the Rockies of Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. We also traversed the plains of Nebraska and Kansas. I can't say any of it was not worth it. It was 115 deegrees across Kansas and Nebraska. Comfortable? No. Worth the trip? Absolutely. It's the open road with great friends.
Once we got to the mountains temperatures dropped and things slowed down a bit. Every trip has it's highlights and its pitfalls. We were looking for swimming pools at every campground. After baking in the summer sun all day there was little that could compare with the cool water of a swimming pool. The refreshing coolness of the water brought our senses back to reality. It's one thing to experience life in an oven all day then take the plunge into a pool of refreshing coolness. Riding through the forests filled your nostrils with the smells of pine trees and mountain air. Riding in the plains we experienced the smell of heat. No kidding. We would ride past a burned up field of corn and swear you could smell popcorn. You could smell a pond or a lake as you passed one. Riding passed a field with circle irrigation spewing moisture to the crops lucky enough to be in its path brought a freshness and the temperature dropped probably ten degrees. The mountains brought rain but no complaints from us. I noticed an appreciation for things that if they had occured under different circumstances would have brought numerous complaints and aggravations. I am really itching to go.
The trip two years ago was just the opposite. We were looking for warm weather and no moisture dripping from the atmosphere.  We found ourselves in numerous situations that were extremely uncomfortable. We left the motel in Canada one morning in the rain. We rode all day on a two lane highway in a constant barrage of rain pellets at 70 miles per hour with Canadian tractor trailers twenty feet off our rear tires. Rainsuits were useless. We pulled into McDonalds just before crossing the international bridge back into the good old USA. Walking through McDonalds we left puddles of water with every step. Not just footprints. Puddles. Complain? No. It was part of the character of the trip. We crossed the international bridge and guess what? The sun came out and provided warmth and natures clothes drier to bring a really nice end to a tough day. Through the misery of the day we found a rainbow at the end that brought an extra measure of character to the journey. I'm ready for another ride.
Here's to building character. I like the details. I really enjoy the two lane by-ways of this great country. Had a friend of mine give me the nickname of "two lane Billy" back in my truck driving days. Must've been something to that. By the way, you're welcome to join us but... as we have learned character building beyond our wildest imaginations... you have to go along with our guidelines... I guarantee it will build character and you'll se a lot of things from a better perspective. We can give you the opportunity to open your eyes, ears, and mind and chase some really cool adventures. It's just an opportunity though. Only you can open your mind but we can sure show you a lot of ways to do that from the seat of a two wheeler. Put the wind in your face, smile, and smell life, it's pretty good!