BITTER/SWEET

Day #22

Date: Friday, August 14, 2015

Departure: Rexburg, Idaho

Destination: St. George, Utah

Miles: 546 (non motorcycle miles)

BITTER

Unloading

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SWEET

Grandma hugging her bike

Grandma hugging her car

Her bike is all Washed...all Polished...

ALL BETTER!

SWEET SWEET

WIFE

Aka: Blog Queen

I OWE HER......

This helped a little bit.

I have been gone since the 22nd of July.

24 Full Days!

We have three bathrooms.

I was gone long enough that every bathroom went through one roll of toilet paper!

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OUR CHEERLEADERS

All of my granddaughters

who were not invited....

this time!

Jae was in Mexico!

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

IN REFLECTION

Words cannot express what a privilege it was to embark 

on this adventure with my oldest son and my three grandsons.

Total bliss would have been to include every single grandson 

but....

Jaden is serving an LDS mission in the Atlanta Georgia North Mission

If you don't think that was hard to be within 10 miles of him when we went through Georgia 

you just have no idea!

Parker was at a Timberline Leadership Camp this summer.

Carter is just a tad-bit young to sit on a bike for 10 hours a day every day for 22 days

and 

Aiden's 3-year old energy would never had survived it!

This has been one of the most difficult adventures for me.

Typically, Honda motorcycles are maintenance-free during the trip.

I spent weeks getting my bike in tip-top condition for this 48-state dream.

I purchased new tires

and replaced the oil.

On my wife's bike 

I purchased new tires,

changed the spark plugs,

changed the air filter,

and changed the oil.

I polished them both up and checked every wire and every bolt.

In the early part of the journey, the rain was relentless in the northern mid-west states.

The moisture did a number on my electrical system 

(possibly because my bike is getting a bit older - along with me).

Anytime you spend time in a repair garage when you are on a trip does not bode well.

Even though the two 14-year old boys were nobody's bother

and absolutely hilarious and fun to be with

it was still a bit of a worry knowing that they were part of the team

and their welfare was my responsibility.

I constantly monitored Ben and his bike in my rear-view mirror

and then scanned further back for Jason and Jon's progress.

I was with Jack 24/7/24

24 hours a day/7 days a week/ for 24 days

I thought it was going to be hard but he was so considerate of my needs.

He helped me load and unload.

He made me laugh all day long.

He listened to my music without complaint.

He helped me follow the routes and offered advice.

He monitored and helped me navigate with the team.

He was a great companion.

Coupled with Jon,

those two were a delight to have along.

I can't imagine this trip without both of them together.

Ben's character traits 

were illuminated on this adventure.

His maturity as a 17-year-old would rival any admirable man.

He concentrated on his driving 100% every minute - every day.

He did what he was expected to do.

He never made a mistake and

never a wrong lane change.

He always checked his blind spot for traffic and

watched my every signal.

Without complaint, he rode a motorcycle that really wasn't made for touring

and was a bit small for his large and tall frame.

He is soft spoken and a thinker.

If any man were to follow his example it would be well with him.

Jason's time with Jon

Jon......

Likes to make his own decisions.

On this trip he discovered all of the things that he likes 

and 

all of the things that he and his dad like that are the same.

He found out that he is no longer a young boy but a young man.

He learned that he can be strong when setbacks take the front seat.

His confidence in his ability to choose and make decisions increased.

He, not only grew taller on this trip

but he grew inside as well.

Back to Grandpa's Reflections

Jason's burden was a bit heavier on this trip:

In his absence,

he left and delegated major big responsibilities with others.

He kept in close contact through cell-phone and e-mail service throughout each day.

His concerns were not with just one son but two.

Ben's maiden voyage and welfare were front burner.

His patience level exceeded magnitude proportions.

He put his trust in everything to keep his wife and two young girls safe at home.

He managed to keep Jon and himself upright and safe on two separate occasions.

It took courage, strength, stamina and divine intervention

to be able to come home without serious consequences. 

He paid attention, learned some new skills, made some new friends and new memories

during his time at the repair garage.

I just hope he had some fun in the middle of all of this.

He is also soft spoken

A deep thinker and

not too demonstrative 

so is a bit hard to read

but 

HE IS MY HERO.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

The heat

The cold

The wet

The length

The worry

Getting up the courage to face each day

Time away from my wife

The cost of an extra week

Was almost bigger than me!

That is a hard thing to admit.

I am not certain that it has anything to do with age.

This was a really big thing.

REALLY

For the rest of my life, 

if I ever hear about another traveling to all 48 states on a motorcycle 

on one single trip

 that person will have my total admiration and respect.

It was a monumental experience that I am so proud to have accomplished.

I didn't do it alone.

I could never have done it without the strength, courage and encouragement 

from my son and those grandsons.

I am not afraid to confess that I could never have done it 

without the guidance, protection and help from my Heavenly Father. 

WE never could have done it!