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Manwohr 36 Tour

manwohr

New member
hello to all my fellow bmw riders. i am about to head out for the adventure of a lifetime on my r 1200 rt. i hope to create this blog to share my experiences on the road.
 
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for all of us who have talked about and dreamed about leaving the safe confines of what has crept up and become our everyday lives, i have come to the realization that there is more.

it has come time to refashion the "what if?" in my life, into the "why not?" i've gradually arrived at this change in attitude over the past several years as the primary caregiver for my loving parents. both were stricken with Alzheimer's decease and for anyone who has dealt with this type of situation, you can appreciate the introspection you go through of your own mortality. with this decease i am fully aware that my situation was no worse or no better than anybody else who has gone through it. i'm just saying, it really makes you think about the treasures you'll possess in your final hour.

my mom passed away december 27th, 2010, and my dad passed on memorial day, may 28, 2012.

he was sort of an athletic legend at the university of south carolina, particularly football, wearing the number 36; thus the 36 as part of this thread's title. he was inducted into their hall of fame in 1998. my dad and i shared the love of baseball especially, once having a catch at the "four corners". he would stand in colorado and toss the ball to me in new mexico, then utah to arizona, and so on. living in south florida, we went to superbowl II in 1967 without any tickets and managed to land a pair at face value, $12.50 each. and of course, we both shared a love of motorcycles. he was one of the first to own a 1969 honda cb 750!

so it is with all of this, and much more, that in a few days will pack my dad's ashes and head out across north america. i'll be leaving the secure safety bubble that i've created. i have faith that my dad will be watching over me.
 
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Safe Travels

+1 on riding with memories of those who have passed before! And I've known what you have experienced! I too will be looking forward to your account of your travels.

Mike Horne
76 R90/6
93 R100R Legend
 
Daja Vu

Small world. Our stories are very similar. My Mom passed a year ago in May and my Dad is currently living with my wife and I. In fact he is sitting next to me watching me write this post.
What an amazing coincidence. You have earned this ride my friend. No one who has not been here cannot begin to appreciate the emotional roller coaster you have been on.:wave
My heart a spirit are with you, God Speed and be safe. I will be following your travels and hope we can keep in touch.:wave:wave:wave:wave
 
Welcome to the forum

Ride safe and keep us updated on your progress. If you make it down to Texas and need a place to rest, just let me know via this forum. I have covered places to camp or an air conditioned office on the property to crash in if you wish. Also, I have truck, trailer and tools if you don't quite make it here.

DW
 
Please keep this post going throughout your journey, Ride safe and always look up and smile, I am sure both your Mom and Dad are along with you! :thumb
 
planning to depart this thursday, sept. 6th with the first stop to visit my daughter in tallahassee.

i want to thank the you guys for the wonderful posts and well wishes. totally surprising and much appreciated.

before i go, i would like to send out a thumbs up to all the boys who congregate at Everglades Holiday Park on saturday and sunday mornings.

here's to mort, hersh, robert, coach dunn, andy, ken, mal and the rest of the gang. i'll be thinking of you guys often on the ride.

i'm pretty much packed and hoping for good weather not only on my route, but here while i'm away. no hurricanes please.

most importantly, i will miss my son, my daughter, my wife. i feel as though they understand my plight. their support has been simply amazing.
 
Enjoy the adventure of your travels and let your internal compass guide you back to the great feeling of those warm hugs of your family on your safe return.
Looking forward to hearing of your journey.
John
 
tomorrow morning is the big day, departure day! my route will take me through tallahassee then to columbia, sc where i'm hoping the gamecocks will pay a fitting tribute to my late dad at saturday's home opener.

from there, heading west and picking up the blue ridge parkway north into virginia, maryland, pennsylvania, nj, ny, ct, ri, ma, nh, vt, maine, then into canada returning to the us in northern mi. my plans are vague at this point but i want to go through the badlands and head into the great northwest. then down the coast and maybe start heading east around san fran. across nevada, az, a little utah maybe and eventually arriving at the "four corners". into arkansas, mo, tn, "tail of the dragon", back through tallahassee and the home. after the badlands, it's totally up in the air. i'd like to do pikes peak and bonneville as well.

the whole country is fair game.
 
Good Riding! If you get close to Green Bay - give a shout or private msg, we've got a spare room!:thumb

Mike Horne
76 R90/6
93 R100R Legend
 
I made it to Tallahassee! 450 miles of 92˚F, 763% humidity and tons of love bugs. In other words, a fantastic start to the trip. No close calls, no issues with the bike, everything as planned.

It's amazing the thoughts that go through your head on the road. Every time I saw some buzzards flying over I would think, "Are they waiting for me?" Lol.

The one thing I was afraid of turned out to be my best friend, RAIN, just enough to cool my core.

Today also marked a personal milestone, 450+ miles on a single bike ride. I'm not sure if I'll break that mark for the rest of the trip. Got 370 miles to Columbia, SC tomorrow and then after that, no schedule to keep.

In case you were wondering, my daughter made me start capitalizing.
 
Finally

I made it to Tallahassee! 450 miles of 92˚F, 763% humidity and tons of love bugs. In other words, a fantastic start to the trip. No close calls, no issues with the bike, everything as planned.

It's amazing the thoughts that go through your head on the road. Every time I saw some buzzards flying over I would think, "Are they waiting for me?" Lol.

The one thing I was afraid of turned out to be my best friend, RAIN, just enough to cool my core.

Today also marked a personal milestone, 450+ miles on a single bike ride. I'm not sure if I'll break that mark for the rest of the trip. Got 370 miles to Columbia, SC tomorrow and then after that, no schedule to keep.

In case you were wondering, my daughter made me start capitalizing.

I thank your daughter; that was really beginning to bother me. :stick
 
It's been awhile since I've checked in so let me get caught up.

I departed Tally at around 6am on Friday headed for Columbia, SC, with a little light on the horizon. My GPS insisted that I take I-10. No. I'll take the back roads thank you. I crossed the Georgia state line around 6:30. I love the southern Georgia back roads; old farm houses, cotton fields, small towns. It was a beautiful morning so I decided to stop to take some photos only to find that my lens was broken. Not a good start to the day. This is the reason that I haven't been posting pictures but they well come.

Gradually, as I made my way north, the temperature started to climb and when I crossed into SC, the Beemers ambient temp read 96˚! Although this leg of the trip was shorter than the first, it was a bit more of a struggle. I arrived in Columbia at 2:30 to find tons of traffic and road closures preparing for the football game. I came real close to losing the protective riding gear and finishing in shorts and a t-shirt.

Eventually, I found a decent enough hotel with great A/C and with no time to waste, I hauled ass over to the Gamecock Athletic Department with my Dad's ashes.

Jack Wilson, with the USC Athletics really treated me and my Dad right. I was able to spread his ashes all over the east end zone, and surprisingly, all around the Gamecock logo and big "C" at midfield! He's at Williams Bryce Stadium forever.

The next day, in the stadium, walking to my seat was emotional for me and just as I felt a connection with my Dad's spirit, in a sea of thousands of fans, I recognized "Uncle" George Martin, my Dad's teammate and roommate at South Carolina. As a kid, we used to stay at his farmhouse before games, riding horses, feeding the cows, feeding the pigs, etc. A page right out of Green Acres.

Anyway, the Gamecocks won big, and later that afternoon, the rains came. Storms. Great weather for staying in the hotel and watching TV, and looking out my window at the Beemer just getting soaked. She needed a bath anyway. Yup, she's a sweet ride.
 
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