We have a guest writer for this section. Beth & David Knight, Robert Browning, Ed & I took a vacation in June that ranks up there as a top vacation in all my 56 years. Thanks for tons of memories, guys....Barbara
Have you heard the saying "It's not about the destination; it's all about the journey'? As we traveled with 3 bikes and 5 people through 11 states collecting 15 National Park Stamps, I realized that it really is about the journey.
Our escapade began with a 24 hour ride in a truck with 5 adults in a cab meant for 4. Barbara's butt got so numb that she had trouble feeling it for 2 days after we got out of the truck. We did stop along the way a few times, once at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas to see the infamous graffitied Cadillac graveyard. We did some singing (Little Bunny FuFu, 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, and 10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed), played some Family Feud to pass the time, and found out that each and every one of us snore (shocking!).
In Las Vegas, New Mexico, where we stopped to sleep for the first time in what seemed like days, we found out that the local Barber Shop provided more service than just hair cuts (wink, wink). The men exiting the upstairs of that shop had grins from ear to ear and the girls that met cars along the street to negotiate bent over the car windows so gracefully that, well, I should just stop there.
In Durango, the next night, we bought Robert's new mascot, a coyote we lovingly named 'Durango'. Since David & I had Little Bunny FuFu and now Robert had Spidey and Durango, it was time for Ed and Barbara to add a mascot to their bike. Mr. Ed, a black bear, soon came to perch on Ed's luggage rack and the bikes were somehow complete. That night as we sat around the crackling of the campfire telling stories on one another and of our travels, those furry mascots stood guard watching the motorcycles.
I learned that we all had a special fondness for animals when we met the mutt that we later affectionately named 'Monnie' in Monument Valley that guarded our room that night earning her a hearty breakfast of leftovers in the morning from our crew.
I can't say what the best part of the trip was for me. Swimming in the Colorado River (48 degrees) with Ed, cruising the Colorado River through Canyonlands NP on a jet boat, seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, laughing till my sides hurt, and sharing a room with 5 people for 15 days definitely top my list but naming just one thing would be impossible.
Barbara really is funny and really does have the patience of a saint. Robert can be moody but can also be the sweetest friend you could ever have. Ed has rear wind that scares teenage boys away at Bryce Canyon yet has the biggest heart and the best smile. David is a teddy bear and while he can seem shy at first, when he opens up he has quite a sense of humor.
Where did we go? We went west. We didn't really have one particular destination or an itinerary and it really didn't matter.
It truly is about the journey.
Beth Knight, June 2010
Just a few notes about what Beth was like for 2 solid weeks.
Well, she kept us connected with those back home. Beth was always on the lookout for water to get into. The Colorado River was so cold that I couldn't stand it even up to my ankles. I never heard Beth snore, I think she just wanted to make the rest of us feel better. I laughed till my sides hurt, too. Sometimes, the guys just didn't get it.
Where's the next journey going to take us?
Barbara
