The morning of July 7th dawned clear and humid. I broke a sweat as I completed packing my 2007 Harley Sportster 1200c. I had spent the last 60 day's planning this trip of a life time. Just me and my 13 yr old son traveling from Raleigh NC to Billings MT on my bike. No support vehicles, and no trailer to haul my bike. No preset reservations at hotels. Just us and the open road. I didn't say it was the best plan, just planned...
This opportunity had presented itself out of a couple of sad realizations I had in the past 12 months. It was a call home to MT to see my grandparents who are now in their 80's and of failing health, that had seal this trip. My father had been in Billings for 3 months trying to take care of them and nurse them back to health so that they could continue to live independently. We planned to meet my mother and father in Billings, and spend a week visiting.
The thought of a long trip was originally spawned when I got a call, from my best friends back in Calgary AB, notifying me of the passing of a friends father. My friends father, Steve, had been a biker since he was old enough to ride. Steve passed early at the age of 60, after years of the hard life had taken their toll on his body. I wanted to honor all that he had meant to me. His love for his children and his ability to be such a complete part of their lives and the lives of their friends made him one of the few adults I trusted. Steve's relationship with his daughter is what I've patterned my own parenting after. I've spent my years as a parent working on building a trusting relationship that allows a child to turn to Mom or Dad whether they have been good or bad and know that the parent will be there for them regardless. Steve rarely if ever judged his kids. They were always the twinkle in his eye, and they were always close.
This is a trip not for the feint of heart or the physically weak. I wish I had known the latter before I took off! Who knew it was going to be a summer of record heat? We originally planned 3 day's travel time to arrive at our destination which by all accounts was a time-line that not many could hold to; never mind a fairly new rider and child. I'd been riding just over 1 year at that time and had not been on any trip that had required more than 4 hours to reach a destination. Good thing I had some flex time! Our first stopping point was to be Champagne IL. On average that takes 12hours by car. For us the day lasted 17 hours. Okay, so it wasn't a great start. It tested our will, our skills riding together, and my last nerve with my child. But really isn't that what these trips together are about?
We did make our way there and back again. It took us 4 day's to get to Billings and 5 to get home. We got stopped in Peoria IL due to rain. The one thing that was consistent at all the stops we made along the way was the reaction of folks.
Perfect strangers approached us at almost every stop to tell us their stories of riding, and exchange conversation about Harley's in general. There were a number of folks that were really amazed that this trip was happening with no 'man' involved to escort us to and fro. That often humored me more so than my son. With each meeting my son was assured that this was a trip he'd remember for the rest of his life. His most common response was that his backside would remember it well into the next lifetime as well!
What this trip really brought to me was the opportunity to spend one last summer of 'quality' time with my son before he he makes his moves towards independence. It was the chance to prove to myself that I had become the rider I was striving to be and to let my son in on level of consciousness that is obtained when riding for hours. As I'd hoped it has strengthened my relationship with my son. He's also developed a stronger respect for me as a rider and for my endurance. However, as I had suspected he's reached that point in his life where riding the back of Mom's bike just isn't cool. He's good for a short trip or two, maybe even a charity ride, but The Home Coming is out for him. I on the other hand will be packed up and ready to roll, this time I'll be riding with my husband by my side.
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