4 Corners '05
Reflections
The term “great trip” does not come close to describing what we experienced and accomplished. "Great adventure" only gets a little closer. As the days go by since the end of the trip the realization of what we did sinks in deeper. Each day was its own adventure, its own mini trip that provided the complete range of experiences. Some days brought great challenges, some great beauty and some great frustration. We traveled through the complete spectrum of terrain, weather, road conditions and best of all, people.The pictures on this web site are priceless as they remind me of the individuals we met, the places we saw and the events we experienced. We traveled over 17,000 miles and never encountered a harsh word. Everyone, everywhere, from the tip of Florida at Key West to the last inch of paved road at Homer, Alaska, the people we met were downright friendly. I will always remember the spectacular mountains, glaciers, deserts, forests, coastal cliffs, lakes as big as oceans, wildlife and of course the muddy roads. But it was the people that really made the trip memorable. It was Pam and Alec flying out to Las Vegas to meet me and the visit I had with Mike at the Coast Guard Academy. It was friends and family and all the great people we met along the way who we shared our experiences with. It was the help they provided when we needed it. For the paper clip in Whitehorse, to the repairs in Calgary and the clutch adjustment in Bangor, I thank you all.
But my biggest thanks for the success and great memories go to Woody. Without Woody this trip would not have happened. His tireless pre-trip energy provided the planning. He shared his thoughts with me and adjusted the route for my benefit, excluding destinations he wanted to see. He shared with me his knowledge and experiences about good traveling gear and Pam gave it all to me for my birthday and Father’s Day. Thanks to both, because everything worked great. But most of all I thank Woody for being Woody. Before this trip Woody and I had never even had a drink together. We had met on a couple of work related occasions several years earlier and had expressed an interest in taking a motorcycle trip. Woody waited six years for me to retire so I could have the time to go.
So here we were, July 2, 2005, leaving Woody’s driveway in Orlando starting a trip of a lifetime hardly knowing each other. Our first day on the road together was sixteen hours long. It was the July 4th weekend and the traffic getting to Key West was a nightmare. We were tired, hot, thirsty and sunburned, but not one complaint from Woody. He kept his upbeat demeanor through thick and thin. I knew then that I had a terrific riding partner. Long cold rainy days and nights on the road never dampened his spirits. He took the numerous breakdowns of my bike in stride even though they caused delays and great uncertainty about the remainder of the trip. Freezing cold, rain, hail, mud, sand storms, 115 degree deserts, 600 mile days and breakdowns were just things to laugh about! We both had pre-trip expectations of riding until four or five pm, taking a dip in a pool, getting a bite to eat and walking around whatever town we might be in looking for a cold beer. Well, only rarely did we have a day like that, but again Woody was great. He rolled with the punches and enjoyed each moment for what is was. Woody is solely responsible for this great web site and I can not thank him enough for the countless hours he spent on the road and after the trip at home for its creation. It was a sad moment when we parted on the New Jersey Turnpike at the end of the trip. I wish we could have said our good-bys over a cold beer where I would have had the time to tell him how I much I enjoyed this fabulous trip and having him roaring down the road beside me.
Woody, you are a great bike rider and trip companion, but most of all you are a great friend! I can’t wait until we can do it again.Thanks for being you,
Roe