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Summer on the Harley

March - October 2021
A 198-day adventure by Nancy Webb...Pat Bonetar Read more
  • 192footprints
  • 1countries
  • 198days
  • 1.0kphotos
  • 19videos
  • 48.4kmiles
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  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 1

    Summer on the Harley...On the Road Again

    March 20, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” -- Anthony Bourdain

    The past 12 months of my life have been the worst of my life. Worse than high school. Worse than my first car crash. Even worse than Afghanistan. I'm retired and supposed to be living it up! Now I find myself wallowing in self-pity and loathing to get out of bed. I am absolutely sick of this. The loneliness of being separated from my friends😩. The frustration of canceling months of international travel plans🤬. The unexpected and devastating loss of my father💔. But that's it. Enough is enough. I refuse to continue this way.

    Today, I throw off the past 12 months and forge ahead, just me and my 2018 Harley-Davidson FXBB Street Bob. I think I'll call him Willie. Just me and Willie on the road again.

    Last year, he took me on my longest motorcycle trip yet, lasting 40 days across 14 states and covering 10,000 miles. This year, over the next 7 to 8 months, I plan on guiding him through all of the Lower 48 and rolling roughly 40,000 miles. 😱

    Here are my trip goals:

    - Ride all 10 of Harley's "10 Rides for 2021" [https://members.hog.com]

    - Attend 12 of Harley's HOG rallies [https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/content/h…]

    - Ride 48 of Harley's "50 Rides, 1 Nation" [https://members.hog.com]

    - Complete all 50 stops on the 2021 Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas challenge [https://motorcyclegrandtouroftexas.com/]

    - Take a photo in front of all 45 Texas Harley-Davidson dealerships because they're in Texas 🤘

    - Take a photo in front of the 356 Harley dealerships plotted on the pictured map for the Harley Dealership Check-In Challenge [https://members.hog.com]

    And most importantly, have fun, keep smiling, and don't crash!

    Maybe these goals aren't realistic. Or maybe they are. What I know is that I have to go somewhere. I have to do something besides sit here. Sitting here isn't comfortable. Most of the time it hurts. It has even broken my heart. Tony, you did leave something good behind. Your spirit. And in that spirit, today I leave the bad behind. Today I'm taking ME back. Today my journey begins.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Starting mileage: 16,440 😁    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 2

    My Brother's Birthday

    March 21, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Yesterday, on my way to visit my mom before leaving Texas, I completed two stops on the Motorcycle Grand Tour of Texas (see photo captions). Then to my mom's for a quiet evening.

    Today, my little big brother has a birthday, so he and his wife have come to Mom's for a barbeque dinner and cake and ice cream. Yummy!

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 1 mileage: I'll roll this into the next real riding day.
    MCGTTX Stops: 2 (total 2)    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 3

    New Phone

    March 22, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Well, after too much birthday cake and ice cream last night, mom and I watched Matthew Mcconaughey's YouTube fundraiser for Texans devastated by the winter storm in February. Lots of great music and plenty of donations. I don't know what the final total came to, but Camping World ponied up half a million bucks. Awesome!

    Today, I got a new phone. It always seems like something goes wrong with my phone right before I begin a long trip. So, that done, now I'm setting it up and repacking to hit the road tomorrow. I'll be in between two very wet storms (it's raining here now) and expect the second one to catch me. I hate wearing rain gear, but it's too cold to not. Anyway, wish me luck.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 2 mileage: I'll roll this into the next real riding day.

     [No pics today.]    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 4

    Heading East on I-20

    March 23, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Willie and I have hit the real road this morning and we're heading East. I usually don't take the Interstates because of all the truckers (and drivers in general), but the weather is pushing me. So I-20 today. Only two close calls because of 1) a trucker changing lanes on top of me...shocking; and 2) a texting driver almost veering into a trucker in front of me...dumbass. [Did you hear Jeff Dunham say that in Walter's voice? 🤣🤣]

    Now, I've stopped at the HD dealership in Bossier City to take an "official" picture for the HOG Dealership Challenge. You have to have one of the HOG publications in the pic, which I've never done before, so despite about 140 pics in front of dealerships, this one will be my first official pic 🤦. But with my luck, this dealership won't be participating 🤣😭 🤞.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 3 mileage: I'll roll this into Day 4. I keep forgetting to check 🤭. Oh, and BTW, since I post these at around noon, my mileage is (or will be 🤭) for the day before. Daily mileage tracking tomorrow. I swear.

    HD Dealership Challenge: 1 (total 1)    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 5

    On Through Mississippi

    March 24, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Yesterday, I hit a second dealership in Louisiana, then beelined to Mississippi. I spent the night at a dump of a Motel 6, but it was cheap and no one messed with the bike overnight.

    Last night after cleaning the bike (don't freak, Dano, it was just the windshield🤣), I walked to the corner Circle K gas station to grab a salad for dinner. As I was walking, I saw through the trees what looked like a monument of some sort, like one you would see in a cemetery. Turns out, I was right next to the Vicksburg National Battlefield. So, this morning, I drove through the park.

    The weather was a little gloomy, giving the dewy grass and rolling hills an appropriate aura for a place where almost 20,000 men bloodied themselves for their side of the Civil War. I was so thankful that nothing seemed to have fallen prey to the current trend of defacing or destroying Civil War history. It shouldn't celebrated, but it certainly should be remembered.

    After that, I jumped on I-20 again and hit two Mississippi HDs in Jackson and Meridian. I've stopped at Chili's in Meridian to warm up (the wind chill is nasty today) and eat. Coffee is a welcome lunchmate today. The interstate is soooo boring.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Days 1-4 mileage: 673.9 (total 673.9)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 3 (total 4)    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 6

    Across Alabama

    March 25, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    After yesterday's long lunch to warm up, I walked outside to find the weather completely changed. The sun had come out and it was quite warm. Nice!

    A little more of I-20, then I slowed down a bit to take US-80 across Alabama. I stopped briefly in Selma at the small Civil Rights Memorial Park at the base of the Pettus Bridge, a landmark in its own right. [More info: https://www.history.com/news/selma-bloody-sunda…]

    After hitting the Montgomery HD, I crashed at a Days Inn. I walked across Eastern Boulevard (yikes!) to eat at what I thought was a steakhouse but what turned into a seafood/barbeque place. With very loud R&B karaoke. 🤣 I ate and left before the place really got going, but it was only 19:00 and filling up fast. The food was really good! Yay to fried green tomatoes!

    Another storm rolled through last night, but I was able to park the bike in a slightly sheltered area and keep it covered, so I didn't have any issues rolling out this morning at 07:45. It was a bit chilly and the roads were still wet, so on went the rain gear...until 09:00 when I couldn't take it anymore. But by then, the roads had cleared and the sun was coming out.

    Now I'm East of Dothan after hitting that HD and making my way to Georgia.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 5 mileage: 337.9 (total 1011.8)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 2 (total 6)    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 7

    Back in Georgia

    March 26, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Yesterday afternoon I made my way to Naylor, Georgia, stopping at the Tifton HD. Along the way, I crossed the Ichawaynotchaway Creek. What a name 🤣!

    I'm with my BFF now. We met in 1995 when the military stationed me at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, GA. So awesome to see her and her son, who just graduated college with an Electrical Engineering degree. Smart kiddo!

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 6 mileage: 299.2 (total 1311.0)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 1 (total 7)    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 8

    Finally Florida

    March 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    I had a wonderful time with my friend in Georgia, but I had to keep moving. I left at 08:30 and cut through the bottom of Georgia to hit I-10 towards Jacksonville. I hit two HDs there, then turned south for St. Augustine. There I hit another HD and took a photo in front of a very important sign...for my trip. Castillo de San Marcos and down the A1A is one of HOG's 10 Rides for 2021, so only 9 to go! 😉🤣 [I've ridden every inch of and seen the majority of the sights on the Florida A1A while I lived in Georgia, so I'm just riding point a to point b right now.]

    Riding through Georgia in the Spring is very special because of the way it feels. And not just because of the slight gagging of parfúm de roadkill either. I don't know if the high humidity contributes to more intense sensations, but regardless of why, it's pretty cool.

    The stomach rumbling past a peanut processing plant. The subtle wafting of giant azaleas ablaze in all their glory. The nose crinkling at a roadside swamp giving up its little delicacies to the wading herons. The runny eyes because of the pollen drifting like sifted flour over a rolled out pie crust. The dusty flavor of freshly harvested pine trees.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 7 mileage: 0 (total 1311.0)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 3 (total 10)
    10 Rides for 2021: 1 (total 1 of 10)    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    Day 9

    Down the East Coast

    March 28, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    After 11.5 hours on the bike yesterday, I stopped for the night in Satellite Beach. It was Saturday and all the hotels were full, but I found a little no name place that had a room.

    I left at 07:00 this morning to get a jump on the traffic, which worked out. Since then, I've been hitting more HDs. One really cool coincidence happened. When I entered Seminole County, the song playing on my iPod was "Blow, Blow, You Seminole Wind."

    Now I've stopped for a quick bite at McDonald's 🤢. This one only had a very basic menu, so no salads or grilled chicken. I got one of those new crispy chicken sandwiches. The best thing about it was the mayonnaise. Yuck.

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish! ✌️

    Day 8 mileage: 404.5 (total 1715.5)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 9 (total 19)    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarSummer on the Harley
    1
    Day 10

    Back to the Buoy

    March 29, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    After a gross McDonald's lunch yesterday, I was on my way to Key West. Very. Very. Slowly. Because of traffic, my GPS said it would take me 8 hours to go 120 miles 😱. It was bumper to bumper dead stop for 16 miles 😱. This is my third time to ride/drive to Key West. I am taking the ferry from now on.

    Anyway, I was able to ride down the shoulder to cut through much of the back up, so I made it in just 3 hours.

    I arrived at my friends' home at 17:00, but they weren't there yet, so I walked to the corner place for some dinner. Yummy mac & cheese with broccoli and grilled shrimp 😋.

    I took my leftovers back to their place and dumped my stuff in their guestroom. By that time another friend had showed up to drive us over to their sailboat race award ceremony. But this is Key West, people. Although all the sailing teams were at the restaurant (bar), and they had a video of highlights from the "race," no one ever made any announcements, so we left around 21:00.

    After a little of my friend's birthday cake, I said so good to see you, thanks, and see you later to everyone...because I would leave before anyone else got up 🤣. I was passed out by 22:00.

    I wanted to get an early start to miss traffic (HA!), so I was up at 06:00 and rolling at 07:00. I figured I would be the only one at the buoy that early (it was still dark!), but I was second in line with a couple of bikers behind me 🤣.

    I didn't miss traffic, but it wasn't dead stop either, so I made pretty good time for that stretch of road. I hit a little rain that slowed things down, but nothing like yesterday's nightmare.

    Now, I'm crossing through the Florida Everglades. There is so much wildlife to be seen just from the road! Here are some images I wish I got on film:
    - A cormorant perched on a log drying his wings in the sun
    - A great egret slowly wading through the shallows hunting for the next meal
    - A massive turtle sunning himself in the middle of the road (I really hope he didn't get squished.)
    - A great blue heron tossing a fish around on the bank so he could swallow it head first
    - A partially submerged alligator floating in his territory oblivious of a motorcycle idling nearby (my selfie buddy)

    So long [for now], and thanks for all the fish [and birds and reptiles]! ✌️

    Day 9 mileage: 409.3 (total 2124.8)
    HD Dealership Challenge: 3 (total 22)
    50 Rides, 1 Nation: 1 (total 1)

    P.S.: Did you know there are only two everglades in the world? The other is in Noosa, Australia.

    More info:
    1) https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/everglades…

    2) https://www.kanukapersaustralia.com/what-is-the…    Read more

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