But the most important lessons I learned aren’t ones which can be listed in order or are so matter-of-fact. These are the lessons one can only learn when in soltitude and faced with challenges. Personal lessons about who we are and what’s important. It’s the people in our lives and who we are which give satisfaction and meaning. We are not defined by our jobs, education level, net worth, or clothes on our backs. I realized how important people are to me, without them we’re simply cruising along in landscapes in scenery. The future may be uncertain, and things may change around us, but the firm bedrock of the soul, if discovered and nurtured properly, will weather anything and stay as solid and everlasting as the granite mountains of the Rockies. I hope to be able to take this spirit of adventure I used during this motorcycle trip and apply it to other areas of my life, to use the same courage to challenge myself personally and try to grow as a person by facing down my fears in other areas. Thanks to all who have supported me in the past few weeks, the small and big things mean more than you may know.

• Departing September 26, 2009
• 2,609 miles
• 6 states
• 7 days
• 39 total hours (predicted)
• 1 man
• 1 Honda Goldwing Aspencade 1200

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     Last week San Diego played host to East Coast representative and male parental unit of EHough and MHough, none other than the venerable Rod Hough of RodHough.com fame (make sure to go check out his site more photos). The visit was great! Eric and I got to play the multi-faceted roles of tour guide, prankster, personal valet, auxiliary photo-documentary crew team member, male model, heckler, boat captain, and personal sunglass shopping assistant. Highlights of the trip include visits to Coronado Navy Base, Cabrillo National Monument, a boat ride around San Diego Bay, a drive through the remote desert land of the Mojave National Preserve, Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam, scooter rides around the city, and a classic California sunset. Did I forget to mention all of the great food? Mama’s Bakery, In and Out Burger, Lucha Libre, Phil’s Barbecue, Yo-Gart, Outback, and Santana’s to name a few. Overall it was truly an epic visit and, as I’m sure my little brother would agree, a memorable and joyful time that will bring fond memories for years to come. Enjoy the pics!

     This past weekend I was finally able to scratch off another area of the world I wanted to travel to, the remote old-growth Redwood forests of Northern California. Eric and I flew to San Francisco where we hopped in a rental car to drive north to the small town of Arcata for our cousin Pete’s wedding.
     Arcata is an interesting town that’s for sure. It’s almost like Woodstock never stopped going and only was moved from a small town in New York to an even smaller town in California. The line between homeless, hippie, drifter, and college student are blurred in the heavy sea fog that drifts in each morning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many dreadlocks or sudden performances of hippie folk songs. We went down by the ocean and I scoped out some great looking waves. The Redwoods were majestic, tall, and awe inspiring. Looking at their root structures grabbing the Earth, I secretly wished we all could be so steadfast and firm in our morals and convictions. It’s too bad we don’t have role models like that anymore.
     The wedding was not what you would call traditional by most standards, but hey, who makes up these rules anyways? All in all, for an Arcata style wedding, I wouldn’t expect anything else! Enjoy the pics!