Day 1

S spent idle time at the firehouse for the past couple of months planning the trip. She mapped out the route so that we would ride each day around 400 to 450 miles. and longer only when necessary. 500 miles per day is a long day on a motorcycle. I figured I would well-trained for this kind of time in the saddle, since my profession requires me to sit at one place, staring at a computer screen without moving and with minimal breaks for upwards of 8 to 12 hours per day.

I was wrong. Turns out, I have a 300 mile ass. I am uncomfortable and cannot find a suitable seated position for anything over 300 miles. I guess the difference is that my office chair rarely reaches 70 mph or hits potholes.

S and K met us at our house Friday morning. We had breakfast together while we still had the use of a stove and dishwasher, and we compared what we had packed. L and I packed swimsuits, 4 pairs of shorts apiece, and one blanket. S and K packed one pair of shorts between them, no swimsuits and 3 blankets. S peered into our storage and said, “We’re going to Alaska. Where are you two headed?” I said, “We’re traveling to Alaska, too, but it’s JULY.”

We got all hooked up and on the road. I was wearing a short sleeved t-shirt and leather vest. Thirty minutes from home, before we even reached the Blue Ridge mountains, I was cold and had to ask the group to pull over so I could put on a jacket. So much for the “It’s July” strategy of packing for body temperature management.

Day 1 covered roads I have driven back and forth to my home time hundreds of times. We stayed the first night at my mom’s house in Columbus, Ohio, and she fed us homemade pizza. When I was in high school, mom took a job at a local pizza parlor to help ends meet and learned the art of making pizza dough to complement her already renowned prowess for bread making.

This was not a day of “roughing it.” Staying at your mom’s house and getting a home cooked meal is about as pampered as one can get. She sent us on our way with homemade banana nut bread, little packs of keebler cookies, and hugs. I’m not sure, but I think she tucked some gas money in my pocket.

Day 1 recap: 470 miles, stayed at mom’s house.
5 states: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio