My Trips

Every year, I go on at least one major ride.

“Major” is something more than saddling up to get my hair cut in downtown Carbondale, and something less than taking a year to ride to Tierra del Fuego.

Major means a week, or two, or three on the road. Great destinations. Fabulous routes. Unhealthy food. Cheap motels.

Here is a compilation of two-wheel travel I’ve been on since 2009 – in reverse chronological order: most recent first, oldest last.

Vroom.

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2026: The Power of Five

Ruby is shined up and all ready to go.

If one trip is good, five must be better.

So, in 2026, I’m hitting the road five times. Not long trips. Most are four days. One is six. The shortest is three.

We’ll be seeing a lot of Colorado, because it has the best riding on earth. One trip takes us to South Dakota’s Black Hills, but not during rally week. Along the way, I’ll ride to the top of two Fourteeners, completing the Colorado Pass-a-Palooza™ that I began in 2025.

In all, 4,600 miles over 21 days on the road. Twenty-nine passes above 10,000 feet.

Trip #1

  • June 21: Carbondale > Hotchkiss > Lake City > South Fork. Includes Slumgullion Pass, the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway and the Silver Thread Scenic Byway.
  • June 22: South Fork > Pagosa Springs > Durango > Silverton > Ridgway. Includes Wolf Creek Pass, Million Dollar Highway, and the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway.
  • June 23: Ridgway > Rico > Dolores > Naturita > Gateway. Includes Lizard Head Pass, and the Unaweeep Tabeguache Scenic Byway.
  • June 24: Gateway > Palisade > Hotchkiss > Carbondale. Includes Grand Mesa Scenic Byway and West Elk Loop Scenic Byway.

Trip #2

  • July 6: Carbondale > Eagle > Walden > Laramie WY. Includes Gore Pass.
  • July 7: Laramie > Lusk > Custer SD.
  • July 8: Custer > Spearfish > Deadwood > Sturgis > Custer. Includes Spearfish Canyon, Vanocker Canyon.
  • July 9: Custer > Keystone > Custer. Includes Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road.
  • July 10: Custer > Lusk > Laramie WY.
  • July 11: Laramie > Walden > Carbondale. Includes Gore Pass.

Trip #3

  • July 20: Carbondale > Hotchkiss > Meeker. Includes West Elk Loop Scenic Byway, Grand Mesa Scenic Byway.
  • July 21: Meeker > Craig > Steamboat Springs > Walden. Includes Rabbit Ears Pass, Gore Pass.
  • July 22: Walden > Stove Prairie Landing > Estes Park > Winter Park. Includes Cameron Pass, Milner Pass, Cache La Poudre Scenic Byway, Trail Ridge Road Scenic Byway, Colorado River Headwaters Scenic Byway, Big Thompson River Canyon.
  • July 23: Winter Park > Georgetown > Fairplay > Aspen > Carbondale. Includes Berthoud Pass, Guanella Pass, Red Hill Pass, Independence Pass, Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway.

Trip #4

  • August 3: Carbondale > Aspen > Leadville > Frisco > Kremlin > Winter Park. Includes Independence Pass, Fremont Pass, Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway.
  • August 4: Winter Park > Grand Lake > Estes park > Lyons > Nederland > Boulder. Includes Milner Pass, Boulder Canyon, Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, Trail Ridge Road Scenic Byway.
  • August 5: Boulder > Nederland > Idaho Springs > Georgetown > Fairplay > Buena Vista. Includes Mount Blue Sky, Guanella Pass, Red Hill Pass, Boulder Canyon, Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway.
  • August 6: Buena Vista > Gunnison > Hotchkiss > Carbondale. Includes Monarch Pass, West Elk Loop Scenic Byway.

Trip #5

  • August 16: Carbondale > Hotchkiss > Gunnison > Buena Vista. Includes Cottonwood Pass, West Elk Loop Scenic Byway.
  • August 17: Buena Vista > Hartsell > Woodland Park > Divide > Victor > Cripple Creek > Buena Vista. Includes Pike Peak, Gold Belt Tour Scenic Byway.
  • August 18: Buena Vista > Fairplay > Frisco > Minturn > Leadville > Aspen > Carbondale. Includes Hoosier Pass, Vail Pass, Tennessee Pass, Independence Pass, Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway.

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2025: Colorado Pass-a-Palooza™ 

Cottonwood Pass is part of the Colorado Pass-a-Palooza™, a ride that will include 29 of Colorado’s 31 paved passes above 10,000 feet. It’s the highest paved mountain pass over the Continental Divide. Also along on this trip: Brittany Kuhn, Sarah Murr, Dan Gilbert, Mark Thompson, Gary Griffin, Clarence Blackwell, and Jim Ingraham.

Summer of 2025 marks my 17th Harley trip. And, I turned 75 a few months before hitting the road. That’s a good excuse for an epic ride. Colorado has 31 paved passes above 10,000 feet. This trip hits 29 of them.

Colorado Pass-a-Palooza™ ? Yes, palooza is used to describe an exaggerated event, more of a slang term designed to create interest. I’m very interested.

Two thousand, eight hundred seventy-nine miles. Fifteen days. A true Rocky Mountain high. First week with Sarah and Brittany. Second week with the guys.

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2024: Walter Joins the Posse

Walter, the Gray Wolf, at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota’s Black Hills. He was a great addition to the posse. Besides Walter, I was joined on this journey by Clarence Blackwell, Randy Suhr and Mark Thompson.

I hadn’t been to Sturgis since 2021. To keep my resume complete, I made what could be my final journey to the Black Hills of South Dakota. August 2024. Along the way, I passed through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and spent a week in Montana – to see places I haven’t seen, and ride roads I haven’t ridden. And I brought my new comfort animal along – Walter the Gray Wolf.

Here’s the itinerary for the 2024 adventure.

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2023: Rocky Mountain High

For the first time, Sarah rode along. She was right at home at Forrest Gump Point, in Monument Valley. Also along for the ride on this trip: Mark Thompson, Dave and Gail Bowman, Scott and Jackie Donaldson.

Hey team! 2023 marks my 15th road trip. Time flies.

From Carbondale, we rode to Page, Arizona, where we met up with a reconstituted posse. From there, we notched 11 National Parks, 36 major mountain passes (31 of them above 10,000 feet), 11 crossings of the Continental Divide, and 22 Scenic Byways. All told, about 3,500 miles in 18 days. Best of all, Sarah was along for the ride – both on the back of the Harley, and driving the Boxster — the best support vehicle ever.

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2022: Icefields Parkway, eh?

With Randy Suhr, Jim Ingraham, and Dave Bowman – at Athabasca Falls, on the Icefields Parkway.

If you love riding the fabulous roads in the Western US, as I do, and you hit the road year after year, you eventually begin to run out of new roads to ride, new mountain passes to conquer. So there’s no shame in re-tracing old tracks, or visiting familiar haunts. In 2015, I rode through the Canadian Rockies on a rented Harley. In 2019, I rode my own bike along the coast of Washington, Oregon and California.

So in 2022, I combined those two journeys for an epic three and a-half week adventure: northward up the Pacific Coast, stopping just short of Canada before riding the San Juan Islands. Then, heading across the Canadian border and riding the Icefields Parkway, connecting Jasper and Lake Louise. This ride included three routes from my Top Ten list.

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2021: Sturgis or Bust!

Sturgis 2021. We’re back! Also on this trip: Dave Bowman, Scott Donaldson, and Randy Suhr.

This 18-day trip begins and ends in Carbondale, with stops along the way in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and South Dakota. Eventually, we end up in Sturgis, joining about 700,000 other riders for the 81st annual Harley rally in the Black Hills. The exact same trip was originally planned for 2020, but cancelled due to the pandemic. F*#k Covid-19!

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Summer 2020: Trip Cancelled due to Coronavirus. F*#k Covid-19!

The Posse (Dave, Jim, Randy, Dan, Sarah, Gail and I) had planned an 18-day ride over some of the most fabulous motorcycle roads in the US, including Lolo Pass, Going to the Sun Road, Beartooth Highway, and Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. We were going to spend four days in the Black Hills of South Dakota, ending at the world-famous Sturgis motorcycle rally.

As you can see in the photo below from 2018, social distancing is just not gonna happen in Sturgis. So we cancelled the 2020 ride and will try to do it in 2021 instead. F*#k Covid-19!

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This is social distancing? It is, if you’re in Sturgis during Rally Week!

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July 2019: Riding to Canada, eh?

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Victoria, British Columbia: a long way from Colorado, but well worth the ride. (With Dave Bowman, Scott Donaldson, Randy Suhr, John Tracy and Jim Ingraham)

This three-week adventure heads north through the Sierras, Siskiyous, and Cascade mountains, through the San Juan Islands to Victoria, British Columbia, and down the coast of Washington, Oregon and California. Meat and potatoes heading northward; seafood as we roll south past the Pacific Ocean. Country fried steak for culinary balance, as needed.

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June 2018: Rocky Mountain Rib Rally

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With Dave Bowman in Estes Park, Colorado.

This ride features two worthy goals: riding Colorado’s most spectacular Rocky Mountain roads, and sampling the state’s tastiest ribs along the way each evening. Twist the throttle and savor the flavor! Vroom, vroom. Yum, yum.

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July / August 2017: Sturgis!

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In Sturgis, with Dave Bowman, Scott Donaldson, Randy Suhr … and other surprise guests.

I don’t have a bucket list, but if I did, it would include riding my Harley to Sturgis, South Dakota. In an epic three-week trip that covered more than 4,000 miles and nine states, we found our way to the Black Hills, eventually riding with a posse of six, including a couple of motorcycle mamas. The journey began at my old home in La Quinta, California – and ended at my new home in Carbondale, Colorado. This trip is my tenth epic journey on a Harley.

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May / June 2016: National Parks Tour

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At the Grand Canyon South Rim, with Randy Suhr and Dave Bowman.

Twelve days, twelve National Parks and Monuments. Three Harleys, 2,839 miles, 108-degree temperatures and both rims of the Grand Canyon. Selfies galore and artistic photobombing. And, enough chicken fried steak to last a lifetime.

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February 2016: Arizona Mountain Loop

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In Arizona, with Pastor John Carpenter and John Tracy.

From La Quinta to Wickenburg, Prescott, Jerome, Sedona and other Arizona mountain delights. First trip on my new 2016 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special. Celebrated my 66th birthday in February with a couple of Alaskans drying out and warming up amid Saguaro cactus and blooming wildflowers. Four days of beautiful riding.

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August 2015: California’s Pacific Coast and Sierra Nevada Mountains

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At Sonora Pass, with Scott Donaldson and Dave Bowman.

Ten days, two-thousand miles, up the Pacific Coast Highway and across all four major passes through the Sierra Nevadas: Tioga, Sonora, Ebbets and Kit Carson. National Parks, monumental structures, spectacular vistas, world-famous steaks.

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July 2015: Canadian Rockies

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At Moraine Lake, outside the Fairmont Chateau, with Randy Suhr.

Arriving in Canada in a good old American F-150 trash hauler, following the Icefields Parkway through the Canadian Rockies. Five days on the road, less than 1,000 miles, but a darn tidy ride, eh?

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May / June 2014: Colorado Rockies

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At the top of Mount Evans (since renamed Mount Blue Sky), with Ray Sanders.

Seventeen days, 4,255 miles. From 225 feet below sea level to the highest paved road in North America: 14,265 feet above sea level. Engineering marvels and God’s creations. Red rocks, hoodoos, and roads considered dangerous, but apparently survivable. This trip marks my fifth time on the road in a multi-day adventure.

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September / October 2012: New England in the Fall

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On the way to the Tail of the Dragon, with Ray Sanders.

Seventeen days, four thousand miles, twelve states. From Tennessee to Vermont, New Hampshire, and (almost) Canada. Chocolate theme parks, ice cream factories, Civil War sites and untold cheap motels with comfortable beds.

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June 2011: Blue Ridge Parkway

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At the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, where it meets Shenandoah National Park. With Ray Sanders.

From Knoxville, Tennessee, rode the entire length of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway. Completed the week-long ride by visiting coal country in West Virginia and Kentucky, where Ray grew up. Eight days. 1,511 miles. Three rib dinners, one PoBoy, lotsa biscuits and gravy, two fancy-pants resorts, breathtaking sights beyond description.

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May 2010: Lake Tahoe (again)

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At Big Bear Lake, with Dennis Johnson and Ray Sanders.

The idea of an annual ride is now a tradition. Similar route as first Lake Tahoe Trip, but this time the route was reversed: up the west slope of the Sierra Nevadas to Lake Tahoe, then down the east side through Mammoth Lakes, Bishop and Lone Pine. Perfect weather every day, though we froze our butts off in Sequoia National Park. A terrific week on the road.

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May 2009: Lake Tahoe

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In Yucca Valley, with Ray Sanders.

My first ride of any significance, other than going to the grocery store or getting my hair cut. Rode up the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Lake Tahoe, then down the west side, through Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. This seven-day trip was a great introduction to Harley life on the road.

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