8/16 - Send-off Party - Visalia Harley Davidson
There are no words period to describe adequately the events of
this day. Even more indescribable are the feelings that come from
the show of support from the Central Valley for what we doing to try
to Make A Difference for MDA and show the value of volunteerism in
the process. If you were there, you know what of I speak and if you
weren’t there you missed something very special that I will not be
able to fully relate. Thank you to everyone who made this day
possible, Volunteers, the Visalia Harley Dealership, HOGs, Sponsors
and everyone who believed enough in the idea behind The Legacy Ride
to become involved in some way even if only to check out the
website.
The Send-off was fabulous and very well attended considering the
heat. We had over 200 bikes line up for the escort and probably 300
more cycle through the dealership parking lot throughout the day
(excuse the pun).
Our organization paid off as everything seemed to run soothly and
no major snafus whatsoever. Lexi, our MDA ambassador was on hand and
she sung the National Anthem and then Tim May of The Skinny Little
twits sung God Bless the USA to get things going. Everyone had a
great time and the dealership was rockin’, especially due to the
heat which kept folks moving indoors. We had great food from Pescado
Pete’s and Amigos among others and the Ford Trucks were impressive.
Thanks to all our vendors and Hometown Buffet for keeping the
volunteers feed for the set-up. The media was on hand; we gave a few
interviews and folks got some great pictures of the bike. I was
extremely busy trying to meet everyone and still prepare to depart.
As 1 PM approached the energy was palpable to me and it seemed that
the music was building to a crescendo at the same time.
We departed 18 minutes late, but not bad considering we had over
200 bikes escort us out of the dealership! We even had people come
from Salinas (that met us at the Hollister Independence Day Rally)
to enjoy the party AND ride all the way to Milwaukee with us!
Incredible. As we pulled out of the dealership with a huge lump in
my throat, I was struck by the power of the moment and nearly
speechless riding past everyone that had lined up to ride as well as
those well wishers staying behind.
The ride was without event and the CHP stopped traffic along the
route. We had 1 dead battery and after Visalia HOG Assistant
Director Phil Kemble stopped got the shop sending help tried to
catch up to the group and commented afterwards that it was the first
time he had passed a cop and not gotten a ticket!
The folks of Bakersfield Hog were very hospitable and had iced
water waiting in the parking lot of Stuart Anderson’s for us, thank
you! We ate, relaxed a bit and enjoyed good company before heading
out in the heat for the next leg. One of our group lost a small bolt
and we had someone go to Pep boys to get it.
Kay and Kelly from the Bakersfield CMA offered to escort us up
the hill to Tehachapi and we gladly accepted.
The rest of the ride went very smoothly and we fueled again in
Barstow and then Primm.
Approaching Vegas, tired and road weary we could see distant
lightning of the big storm that had hit earlier and the wind beat
the 100th Anniversary/MDA pins on my shirt against my
chest rhythmically reinforcing our reason for Riding Home and
keeping me alert for what was in store for us…
8/17 - Las Vegas Celebrity Ride
I’m not finding much time to write on the road which is good
because we are so busy getting the word out and fundraising. In
brief, today we rode in ht celebrity ride and were in the first
group of celebrities which totaled about 10 bikes. I was introduced
to Peter Fonda who gladly signed the sidecar and have video footage
of my introduction on stage to share when it is available. Nancy
Sinatra and Paul Revere also signed.
We attended the Exclusive
Party at the H-D Café and I briefly spoke to Willie G. and family
letting him know we were here. I had to attempt to talk in his ear
as I am losing my voice at present having had to speak so much
lately. Our contribution today to MDA was $1300. Awesome
day!
8/18 - Las Vegas Harley Davidson
Today we spent mostly at the Las Vegas Harley-Davidson dealership
(inside thank God). We met some very wonderful people and a number
of folks signed the sidecar for a minimum $100 donation in honor of
the 100th. We even met some Aussies that were part of a
group that had shipped 360 bikes over from down under for 560 riders
as part of The Homecoming Tour as they call it. (See the Photo
Gallery for each day) Nice people!
As a note, I highly recommend a stop at this dealership in Las
Vegas just to see it, it is the world’s largest dealership (Vegas
style of course) and they even have inside the store a café where
you can relax and eat while you can watch your scooter being worked
on through glass windows nearly the length of the shop. They also
have a bleacher area where you can grab some popcorn and watch Easy
Rider play on a theater screen! Thanks to everyone there who made us
so welcome and put together such a great event especially Dawn
Schmidt and MDA District Director Pam Dimond. Today we contributed
$466 to MDA on behalf of the Legacy Ride.
8/19 - Flagstaff, Grand Canyon H-D
We ride again! We met at the dealership just after 6 AM on this
glorious morning to ride and try to beat the heat. We decided to go
over Hoover Dam and then through Kingman. Awesome ride except for
some tricks Mother Nature had up her sleeve. As we left the dam and
headed up the long grade to Kingman we had horrible headwinds that
not only slowed our progress but blew our gas mileage calculations
due to our large frontal area that we have to push through the air.
As we approached the final hill to Kingman the gas gauge was buried
on E and the low fuel light was screaming. I saw a sign that said
Cononco to the right 2 miles but is was downhill and with the wind
so said a quick prayer, turned away from Kingman. I rolled into the
gas station at the bottom of the hill and when I was done fueling I
had pumped 4.97 gallons in a tank advertised at 5! Thank God!
We had a nice breakfast in Kingman and split up for the day,
Richard and Lydia (the couple we met at Hollister) went to visit
friends in Kingman and Jesse (their friend) headed for Laughlin to
check it out while we continued to the Grand Canyon H-D dealership
in Bellemont (10 miles out of Flagstaff on Rt 66). Approaching our
destination, Evy (in the comfort of the chase vehicle) and I
approached a squall and it began to rain. I hunkered down behind the
windscreen and leaned into the throttle looking through the
splattering raindrops on the windshield and wondering just how cold
and soaked I would get if this didn’t let up.
Arriving at the dealership in Bellemont, we were greeted by my
good friend (and single largest private donor to date) George
Doerner who had rented a bike for the day and headed up from his new
home in Sedona just to share in the festivities for the day. He
helped us put up sign and banners and wipe the bike down despite the
continuing downpour that hadn’t let up. Cellular service has been a
bit of a problem and finally gave up and was able to get a phone
line from the dealer and managed to broadcast some live images from
inside the dealership. All in all, it was a good day and thanks go
out to Dick Doughton and Kyle for their hospitality and help.
As soon as Willie G. and entourage left, many folks started to
head for the barn and vendors began to pack up early due to the
inclement weather. We decided to pack up about 6pm and went into
Flagstaff to relax and allow me to catch up on the webwork. When we
arrived at the Hojo, I realized I had left my credit card at the gas
station in Williams where we last had fueled and decided to go back
for it in the AM. It poured that night complete with thunder and
lightning. I don’t yet have an exact figure of how well we did for
MDA there but we will be back for the pancakes in the
morning.
8/20 – Flagstaff Pancake Breakfast and Travel Day
The rain finally let up and we collected our things and headed
back to the dealership. We had wanted to leave at 9 AM to give up
time to set-up in Albuquerque and have a relaxed evening, but this
too proved to be optimistic. Once at the dealership, we ate and
waited for Richard, Lydia and Jesse. In the meantime, Bill Frazer
and his daughter Kristy showed up from Bakersfield and they wanted
to ride with us. I went to get my credit card and Evy waited for
them at the dealership. My buddy George showed up again with his
wife following in their van. We talked and I signed autographs while
waiting to hear about Richard and his wife and Jesse. We finally
waited ‘til 1130 to leave and called every Motel 6 in Flagstaff and
none had anyone left to check out fitting their description so we
decided the must’ve’ left before us and decided to go.
Seeing as how we now knew we wouldn’t now get to Chick’s H-D
before closing, we took a more leisurely pace to get there and
stopped at Meteor Crater on the way. They even had a Subway sandwich
shop there, how convenient!
Our ride from Flag was uneventful and we missed all the rain
thank God. We fueled in Winslow and then Gallup. Cellular service in
this area continues to be a problem for webcam uploads but our GPS
should be keeping track of our track, so to speak for when we do get
in range. Once in Albuquerque we dropped Bill and Kristy at a nearby
Motel 6 and went over to Evy’s uncle’s house for the
night.
8/21 – Chick’s H-D Albuquerque
Evy and I got up early (me earlier than her to work on the
computer) and we headed to Chick’s H-D for the Dealer party. We got
there just after opening and found a Starbuck’s along the way for
future reference. We were greeted by a very helpful staff and Katie
Hawk got us hooked-up right away with the MDA booth that had already
been set-up by Angelique and Carrie.
I cleaned to bike from
the previous evening’s long ride and then we got to work setting up
banners and tables. Immediately the response to the 100th
Anniversary pins as well as our pins and patches and especially
t-shirts was very strong. Shortly after getting set-up Willie G. and
family arrived and went into the dealership. Mark Kienzle from the
American Way magazine then showed up to interview me and take some
pictures of the bike. We sat and chatted while I continued to
struggle with getting a good cellular connection to upload webcam
images.
As the day progressed, there was a steady stream of
traffic in and out of the dealership as the storm clouds from up on
the mountains surrounding Albuquerque began to gather their awesome
and imposing strength. As the gust front approached, a huge dust
storm kicked up in the parking lot and we began to prepare for the
coming rain.
We put the bike under an awning in the front of the dealership
and I went in to buy a rain cover for the seat. The staff at Chick’s
were all super helpful including Chick himself as well as Katie Hawk
and Karen. Thanks to all for a great day.
After the party we went downtown to Bike Nite more as spectators
than exhibitors and it was crowded. Over 5000 bikes were cruising or
parked and it was very busy but well organized. After getting greek
food we headed back to Evy;’s Uncles for the night to get some rest
for another early start. Our efforts accounted for a total
contribution to MDA Albuquerque of $2782!
8/22 – Tripp's Amarillo
Awesome day! There is no other way to describe today but Awesome.
We had a great ride out of Albuquerque and fueled twice. As soon as
we arrived at the dealership we were treated like royalty. The bike
and I were whisked into the back service area by Kenneth and
everyone got right to work getting our scheduled 2500 mile service
done. We were also met by Joe Jones, Amarillo HOG Director and he
was waiting with cold drinks for us as we arrived. The GM Shane even
came over to personally see if there was anything additional we
might require and to personally welcome us and thank us for being
there. What customer service, incredible!! We had them service the
oil with the new Harley Syn3 synthetic and take the lowers off in
preparation for the Parade of Heroes in Milwaukee.
After I finished the service order, I gave a quick on-camera
interview to NBC about The Legacy Ride and what it means to me and
then we proceeded to set-up. Where they had us was impressive by
itself. Tripp’s had taken the furniture store next door and redone
it completely to serve as their new HOG hangout complete with a
kitchen! Once set up, we got the laptop in from the car and
broadcast live images from the booth all day!
There was free water and soft drinks as well as 2 kaluaua pigs,
and the best hot dogs Evy says she had ever eaten. After a while, I
was honored to be introduced to Mattie, Amarillo’s Ambassador child.
He and his two brothers along with Mom came down to check out the
fun and I showed him the website we have created for The Legacy
Ride. Since I knew the bike might be done, I asked Mattie if he’d
like to check it out and so off we went to see The Legacy Ride
Motorcycle. The fast wrenches in the service department had already
finished our service by the time we got to the bike which had been
brought out and parked next to Willie G’s. I gingerly lifted Mattie
from his wheelchair and put him in the sidecar and told the security
folks to lift the ropes, fired up the bike and told Mattie the only
rule was that he had to waive, and we were off. We toured the
parking lot to waves and smiles as approving onlookers snapped
pictures of Mattie and his engaging smile that would take a while to
wear off.
After our brief "road trip" we parked the bike and I showed
Mattie how to work the radio and gave him the sign we had used on
the bike before we got our license plate LGCY HOG for him to keep
and put in his room as a momento of the day.
As we walked back to the HOG Headquarters, we were met by a clown
who stopped to talk to Mattie and his brothers. As he spoke to them,
he could sense that something special was going omn besides a couple
of kids having a great day at the dearlership, and he turned to me
and asked what was going on. I began to tell him what we were doing
with the Legacy Ride and as I told him the story, you could see the
make-up on his face begin to fail to hide his own humanism and it
didn’t take long before he was no longer a clown but a fellow human
being standing there who could not help but be touched by the
moment. He asked me if I took donations to which I replied yes and
he reached into his wallet right there and gave me a $20 bill right
from his wallet. What a truly amazing moment to witness and share
in.
We finished the day in Amarillo by meeting with Lynn Tripp and
thanking her for her and her husband Terry’s amazing hospitality at
the dealership. In fact, we couldn’t help be touched by everyone we
met in Amarillo who embodied the true spirit of Texas hospitality
and made a very lasting impression on us. We wished we lived closer
to Amarillo just to go to their HOG meetings which, if they are
anything like our day in Amarillo, have to be a blast. These people
know how to party and have fun! Thank you to Cary McDaniel and her
cadre of dedicated people in the MDA office in Amarillo for putting
an exclamation point at the end of our experience. Their help was
invaluable and helped us raise $1903 for MDA this day.
8/23 – Oklahoma City
We arose in the wee hours for another early morning launch and
crossed town to meet Bill, Kristy, Richard, Lydia and Jesse at their
hotel. Evy’s daughter Stacy had driven down from Oklahoma City the
night before and she also was in our posse as we headed out on to
the open road. The day started out humid which didn’t bode well for
the weather later in the day. As we rode it kept getting hotter and
hotter and by the time we reached Oklahoma City, those of us on
bikes we soaked with sweat.
As we arrived at the dealership we were directed around to the
side of the building where Christina, The District Director from MDA
was already set-up and waiting for us. We quickly got up our suntent
and placed it next to the tent that she had already been using and
we got to work selling pins and patches since we had run out of
t-shirts in Amarillo. Thankfully they had free water and soda being
given out which helped stave off the effects of the heat and
dehydration that could easily set-in with the themp well over 100
and humidity to match.
We met some great folks in OKC like HW and his wife who have two
bikes with hacks, a 95th anniversary model (see the
photos) and a 48 knucklehead! We also ran into Lance again who was
part of the Wisconsin group that shipped out to Vegas and was riding
the Southwest Route with us. He had just the day before dumped his
bike and fractured his leg, but true to bike grit, was riding and
looking forward to being able to hook his trailer back on his bike
and finish the ride as he started it. Christina and her crew left
about 3pm and left us to finish the day.
As the day wore on, the clouds began to gather and that sweet
heavy smell began to fill the air that usually preceeds a major
downpour. As the air started to hang heavy, the band finished, the
water ran out and we started to prepare for our exit by taking down
the tent and moving our stiff to the car. Just then the crack of the
first lightening signaled the beginning of the rain and did it ever
rain. Within minutes, it was pouring down so much that the gutters
were filled and visibility was limited. We managed to get everything
in the car before the heaviest rains set-in but we still had to ride
back to Stacy’s in the deluge. Stacy was gracious enough to let us
park our bikes in her more than ample garage and we were spoiled by
having hot showers ready, cold beer and our own beds. We thankfully
took advantage of her hospitality and prepared for our long (hot)
ride the next day to Kansas City by way of Dorothy’s hometown
Topeka. All told the rain took its toll on our fundraising in
Oklahoma City where we only raised $320 but still had a great day
with some great people.
8/24 – Topeka and Union Station, K-C
As we headed out on our ride we were missing Richard and Lydia
who had skipped Oklahoma City in favor of a detour to check out
Branson. We met up with Jesse at his hotel and we were off again.
The sweet smells of the morning we punctuated by the gently rolling
hills of the Oklahoma countryside and the farms that dotted those
hills. The ride was beautiful as we cut through the air that would
be at once cool with the mists of the morning, more nearly like a
cool fog, and then suddenly warm again, as if to remind us that we
were still in the throes of Summer and that it still had a firm grip
on the Midwest.
We stopped Double D’s Diner in El Dorado, Kansas for breakfast
and gathered ourselves before pressing on to Topeka. I had called
the dealership’s GM the day before to confirm our stop there and
only got a voicemail so we were unsure what to expect.
As we approached the dealership it was clear it was closed which
we had anticipated due to the Harley Drags going on that day and
also because this was not a pre-arranged stop on The Ride Home but
one we had initiated. We pulled up in front and parked the bike so
as to shoot it for the webcam with the dealership behind. As we
discussed our nest push on to KC, Ray the GM drove up and invited us
in for refreshments. What a sight for sore eyes and dry throats as
it was now well over a 100 again and the humidity had not let up
yet. Once inside we were blown away at the impressive shop that
Topeka Harley was complete with a café and a Museum down in the
cellar full of priceless heirlooms and Harley memorabilia from 3
generations of family ownership.