In the spring of 2002, while in conversation with some friends of my lap was covered by ABC of Touring. The ABCs of Touring is a competition organized by HOG, the Harley Owners Group, where indicated, photos of your bike before a state or county sign a HOG rally banners or other events, all with a recent issue of HOG Tales in sponsored photographic evidence.
We talked about how nice it would enter the top ten finalists, because we do not think weactually takes place the first 3 points, one of the boys had the driver, who has scored 166 points a few years earlier, during the tour when it came to Route 66 through town, and that seemed unattainable a goal came at that time.
Someone else said that is not often that someone who had a lot of points, Hog Tales, and after checking the list for the past year we have seen that the Vice-list has been trying to reach, so it went.
My friends and I had several trips planned throughout this yearand we thought we'd begin to see just how many points we could collect. A trip led to another and before I knew it was up from 47 states and made the 3 rd place, and my friend Warren at 7.
It was published after the list of winners in 2003, I thought about how much fun I had to see the country and all the places I've never been that I decided to make a plan for the year 2004 and see many new places, I could go . And a little 'competition, Idecided to see if I can fit a total of 166 points could be that at the time I thought it was one of the best ever in what was later revealed that two people are turned on in 1990 in 172
I realized that the big difference is between a set of points and some really impressive how the 3-point total than the state had HOG rallies. So, if the January issue of Hog Tales came I sat down and began to plan everything around, even if those events were. Microsoft MapPointThe software and the list of events of Hog Tales and then the vote rally with the details of the area HOG members on the website, I came with what looked like a workable plan. With Rally 4, 5 and 6 all in the same weekend, I figured it would be a challenge, but it meant there would be a few weekends driving difficult. From Memorial Day weekend in Sturgis in August, there were more than 25 meetings and a lot of miles to go.
My first trip was to Louisiana State HOG RallyApril 1, where I spend my first film, what a clever way to April Fools Day The last photo I took in University City, Missouri, close to home, on December 11, when I realized that through all travel through most of North America did not want to stop and get that underground city. Fitting I think, as they call it in the St. Louis area.
Eight and a half months, 66 thousand miles, rear tire 6, 7 cases of oil, and lots of beautiful scenery andQuest finished. There have been some mistakes along the way, I've never been that danged county to find X, and I did not rally very well planned and I have not done that before 166, but note that always made my congratulations for the greatest number of points for a grand finale.
I started racing in 1971, and although I have a Harley at the time, as some of my friends, I enjoyed the wind. Our trips for a few hundred kilometers can not be compared with theThousands of Harley Dyna I on ABC for the 2002 and 2003 Ultra Classic that has seen most of North America this year have driven ABC.
The longest journey and adventure this year has driven the Alaskan Highway. I left my home with multiple pockets and a tire attached to the package edge over the top of my tour. When I came home almost 8000 miles later the tire was gone, but I bought two extra cans of gasoline.
The plan was in St. Louis on September 17 and leaving at the head of the OregonRally of State before my trip to Alaska. If you ever take the U.S. 20 in Oregon, is a beautiful drive, but make sure you keep your tank round, you never know when you're in a small town on horseback and said units that have sold gas yesterday. Many thanks for the cowboy with a gas can in more. I short the rally before it ended up in Bend, but I had to cross several mountain passes, I decided that night for fear of ice on the roads throughthe first cold snap. Everything went the next day and I stopped in part in British Columbia, where he and I talked with a friend who taught me how to watch for bears, moose and caribou, as I drove the Alaska highway.
The next evening, just before I did it for the way I began to see the snow and I heard on the radio before they were 18 inches in the area, just 48 hours. I talked to a trucker at a refueling stop, when I arrived on the main road and told me that the roads were freehowever, that the stations do not stay open late. It was just a little 'wrong with the gas, sometimes too close for the season. This was the second time I had to for gas on this trip please be mentioned in the next town, I bought these two gas cans I.
You also better highway, but luckily it did not rain while I was there because his idea of work is on the way, just pull up all the pavement and start from scratch, the soft earth I Streetwere impassable in the rain. But even with all the delays in the construction of gas and asking I finally get to Alaska, but since I now have a day and a half late, what I saw in Alaska on this trip was to sign the state when I came on board. It was pitch dark and the temps dropped and was throwing up a mist, so that I can take my picture and go south to the line in case Mother Nature has definitely changed my mind and evil.
My next part of the fun was when IThe stretch of 60 miles of highway in the north-west of the country, around an hour of daylight left to reach the top, so I thought I could at least get to see the light. But the cards are what really took place in the floor of gravel on the land line instead of gravel and narrow, just 15 miles down the road. So now I am responsible for the observations of the animals and try to ensure that this road is less than stellar. I finally got all the talks of many things to see Moose in the areaand fortunately he wanted to run only on the side of the road and not in him. And I also got to see a bear on the side, but not shown with the other to his mother. Needless to say that the territory was not looking at the light and the journey now on, aggravated road driving fun in the dark, but at least the animals stayed away due to travel to the main road. In all the thousands of miles I do not think I've ever been so happy to see concrete.
The rest of theTravel, now with the exception of scattered construction issues rather quiet, but I found out that Kansas is not alone when it comes to see nothing more. Alberta and Saskatchewan bore a strange resemblance to Dorothy and Toto were at home.
If you ever want to see the opportunity to build a variety of creatures on a journey, then I would recommend riding the Alaska Highway, I was chased by a coyote was one, three bears, a moose, caribou 4 , deer more than I could count, and Bauer Brown himselflet his goats and pigs wander, to see me on the roadside, and not for all those beautiful eyes that glow in the dark I could not decide what they heard accounts. And even though I was disappointed not to see the eagles, as I was crossing the Yukon was on the way to Alaska, I was just before I crossed back over the States in International Falls, Minnesota rewarded with spectacular views, has started a pretty eagles large bald and as close to a treeI went and turned to see what startled him. I think it was need of a home.
I want all of the organizers of the State Chapter HOG Rally and workers who helped me when I need help with photos of the banners gathering and there were many who held a flag in the dark, or brought a banner to replace a missing one to thank.
I want to thank me for my sweetheart, Mary for their support at the end of this little exercise of mine.
And last butBut most of all, I'd like the troops stationed throughout the world, thanks to freedom for me and all my friends who drive our Harley to the far corners of the country to give love to drive just for fun.
