The one thing I know for certain is that for every one idea there are 900 people that think they have the answer. Of those 900 people, you can write off half of them as being 100% undeniable whack jobs. This leaves 450 that think they have the answer. Of those 450, half of them plus one only think they know the answer because they are pretty sure that that answer is correct. This leaves 224 that think they know they answer. Of those 224, half of them have never really been right about anything, so they are throwing the dice about the answer – yup, drop ‘em. Now the remaining 112 people…. 60 forgot their spouses’ birthday, 41 went to church last Saturday thinking it was Sunday, 10 take mind altering drugs. So that just leaves me, and I have no freekin’ clue. Ok, now I forgot where this was taking me. Darn it. Stafford – bail me out will ya???

No seriously folks, where this was really taking me was down a long trip on Highway 66. Two of our members went a few years ago. They went with a group of people that departed from Chicago. As they told their story, I got to thinking – this is one trip that is on my bucket list, but I don’t want to do it like they did. They may have had the time of their lives and that is great for them. But for me…. Well, I have never been one to follow the crowd.

This is where the 900 people come in. Everyone has their story to tell. But it is just that – theirs. They can offer ideas, but it is up to you to separate what is for you and what isn’t.

I want to take a full 30 days. More or less – who cares? No hurry. I thought about leaving from Chicago just so I could watch and ride into the sunset every night. I thought about leaving from California so I could get through the heat in the morning and ease off in the evening (ya, that really did not make any sense to me either).

So, I kinda made up my mind to ride through the Rockies (in Canada), spend some time in Jasper, etc. and just enjoy some of our country first. Then skirt down the Rockie foothills to Salt Lake and then bee-line it to Chicago, taking a break in Iowa to take in the Victory factory at Polaris and then another one in Green Bay to take in the Harley Museum (visiting family along the way for cheap accomodations) and then once in Chicago, re-kit and ready for the 30 day journey to the Santa Monica pier.

During the Route 66 trip, I want to take the real roads. Yes, some are now dead ends and others are grassed over. But that is going to be half of the fun. Rely on the old timers and not those that “have done that” (they lie anyway ).

Once at the pier - - Hang the Madison for all to see

Now the million dollar question - when?