Now that we are well in to the riding season it is always interesting for us to query our customers about what rides they have taken or where they intend on going over the summer/early fall months.  Quite often we get the response that there is too much work, or honey-do's, or not enough money or something, but that somehow an extended ride will be sandwiched in to their lives.  The intention is always good, of course, but not always realized.  We experienced this last year.  For the past 20 years we have always taken a motorcycle trip of at least two weeks to some lovely spot (Alaska, Canadian Rockies, the American Southwest, California gold country, Australia etc.) but the economy caught up with us last year and we decided that we needed to buckle down and pay attention to business.  We did, and it was the thing to do, but we sure missed that motorcycle trip.  Hopefully for us it will be another 20 years before we have to forgo one.

The two periods that we particularly like to travel on two wheels in our part of the country are mid-to-late May and September through the first half of October.  The weather is usually delightful and the kids are in school so the traffic and accommodations are easier to live with. And we have learned to travel differently.  Our motorcycle trips used to purposely be about the ride---about getting there and back.  Some years ago we counted our across country trips on two wheels and came up with 17.  And we realized that we were blasting across the states and passing by some pretty incredible stuff. A lot of it we had, or have, seen but when you travel that far you just can not see it all in a few weeks.  So we decided to change our travel method.  Now we go to beautiful places in our back yard (the Rockies and West).  We travel for usually two to no more than three days and then lay-up at a nice resort for a few days and take in the sights, then repeat the process until we get back home.  We are now more relaxed and truly get to see the countryside.

Which gets us to the crux of this missive:  regardless how you do it---do it.  Too many of our customers say they have every intention of taking that dream trip this year, but work, or money, or something always seems to get in the way. Well maybe next year.  But next year may not be good either.  So just do it.  We have some of the most spectacular riding county in the world within a 500 mile radius of Seattle and it is just sitting there waiting for you.  So just block out a week or two and pull it off.  Incidentally, the BMWMOA national rally is in Redmond, Oregon July 15-18 and this would be a perfect opportunity to discover some of that terrain.  Central Oregon has twisties that won't quit and you can always count on the weather.  So perhaps we will see you there---or somewhere else this summer. 

Just do it!
 

Ann and Keith Thye