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. 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. 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
