jdgretz
Active member
Well, this one has been a long time coming.
In 2023 I had to quit riding my Goldwing due to an adverse reaction to long term statin use. For a while, it was doubtful I would ever have the strength to ride again, much less do the long solo cross country trips I so enjoy. Long story short, due to a couple of excellent doctors, my statin problems have been reversed and I'm probably in better condition than I was 10 or 15 years ago - not counting being 78 (growing older is not for the faint of heart).
In December of 2025 I purchased a used 2024 RT Limited and began outfitting it for Iron Butt rides and cross country work. I have completed a Saddle Sore 1000 (1000 miles in 24 hours), and I know the bike and I can do it. So now it's time for the kind or riding I really like.
I'll be departing Los Angeles on the morning of the 29th of July for a roughly 7,000 mile trip and will be back home the week of the 24th of August. The highlights for me are a reunion of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association in Louisville, Kentucky; a stop in Luckenbach, Texas (spent way too many weekends there when I lived in Texas); a visit to a Marine buddy in Florida; a niece who works at Monticello; an old Army friend in New Jersey; Vince Gill at the Ryman, a shop in Connecticut from which I got some wonderful preserves during a Secret Santa thing last year; Maine; and other NE States I have never ridden; the Iron Butt Iowa sign; a Riverboat Hotel in Nebraska (who knew?); before returning to Los Angeles. Additionally, I will be collecting bonuses (boni?) on the Tour Of Honor and National Parks for the IBA National Parks Tour Silver award.
OK, so here is the proposed route - subject to a lot of change. One real possible big change will be to pick up Route 66 after leaving the River Inn Resort. We'll see when we get there.
Here is a link to my Spotwalla tracking for this trip --> https://spotwalla.com/trip/92f1-2b5d34-f680/view. It will be active on the 29th. You can follow along if you are really bored and have nothing better to do.
I'll be updating this as I go along. Probably not every day, but every couple of days at least.
It's going to be interesting and fun.
jdg
In 2023 I had to quit riding my Goldwing due to an adverse reaction to long term statin use. For a while, it was doubtful I would ever have the strength to ride again, much less do the long solo cross country trips I so enjoy. Long story short, due to a couple of excellent doctors, my statin problems have been reversed and I'm probably in better condition than I was 10 or 15 years ago - not counting being 78 (growing older is not for the faint of heart).
In December of 2025 I purchased a used 2024 RT Limited and began outfitting it for Iron Butt rides and cross country work. I have completed a Saddle Sore 1000 (1000 miles in 24 hours), and I know the bike and I can do it. So now it's time for the kind or riding I really like.
I'll be departing Los Angeles on the morning of the 29th of July for a roughly 7,000 mile trip and will be back home the week of the 24th of August. The highlights for me are a reunion of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association in Louisville, Kentucky; a stop in Luckenbach, Texas (spent way too many weekends there when I lived in Texas); a visit to a Marine buddy in Florida; a niece who works at Monticello; an old Army friend in New Jersey; Vince Gill at the Ryman, a shop in Connecticut from which I got some wonderful preserves during a Secret Santa thing last year; Maine; and other NE States I have never ridden; the Iron Butt Iowa sign; a Riverboat Hotel in Nebraska (who knew?); before returning to Los Angeles. Additionally, I will be collecting bonuses (boni?) on the Tour Of Honor and National Parks for the IBA National Parks Tour Silver award.
OK, so here is the proposed route - subject to a lot of change. One real possible big change will be to pick up Route 66 after leaving the River Inn Resort. We'll see when we get there.
Here is a link to my Spotwalla tracking for this trip --> https://spotwalla.com/trip/92f1-2b5d34-f680/view. It will be active on the 29th. You can follow along if you are really bored and have nothing better to do.
I'll be updating this as I go along. Probably not every day, but every couple of days at least.
It's going to be interesting and fun.
jdg
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