Life is an adventure and I am all about it!
On Wednesday, June 5, 2012, I will be hopping on my Honda VTX1800 and riding over 1000 miles in two days to Upland, Nebraska for the 11th Annual FACES Rally. My goal for the first day is to stop in St. Louis for a meet and greet with the craniofacial team at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center, where FACES client Aiden gets his treatment.Day two I will hop back over into Illinois and take the Great River Road / IL100, which runs along the Mississippi River, until I get to the border of Iowa. My good friend Scott, who has ridden out West every year for I don't know how long, helped me pick this inspiring road. I'm looking forward to this route!
I'll come into Iowa around Keokuk, Iowa, and then head west on Hwy 2, until I get to Nebraska City. From there I hit 136 west towards Upland.
Of course there's some other highways mixed in with this to get where I want to go - but that's the simple version. I'll be posting a map soon.
Once I get to Upland, I'll rest up and get ready for the FACES Rally festivities, which begin Friday afternoon with the opening of the beer garden, vendors, and entertainment. The big run and fun will be Saturday, and then Sunday I'll hit the roads back towards Chattanooga. I'm not sure about my route home yet.
Before all this happens though - I will be working hard at FACES: The National Craniofacial Association in Chattanooga, getting ready for our other big fundraising event, FACES Ride 4 Smiles, on June 2. This will be the 7th year for Ride 4 Smiles and my first year to work it as a FACES employee rather than a volunteer. The FACES Rally was a big inspiration to start the Ride 4 Smiles. Two great events which benefit FACES and the wonderful work they do helping children and adults with craniofacial differences.
Lots to do to get ready for this trip. Pull the right gear together. Find a comfortable seat for my bike! FYI - Honda stock seats are HARD and frankly bite it! So it's time to shop on ebay for a Mustang seat. Then I've got some minor things to do like change the oil, check my tires when it gets closer to see if I'll have the tread I need for 2000 miles of travel. Oh - and I need new saddlebags too! We'll see on that.
So life's an adventure! I can't wait for this ride! Stay tuned...More to come!
