60 Days and Counting !!

Well, the clock is ticking and it will be just 60 days now till my departure for Alaska. I've determined that I'll leave home (Malvern, Pa) bright and early on the morning of Thursday, May 21. If anyone reading has any influence with the meterological community, please ask them to schedule a sunny 70 degree day! Now that the time is approaching friends and family seem to realize that I really am going to undertake this trip. That realization seems to have provoked any number of questions. I thought I could address several of the most common ones here. The first is always "why?", with two sub-questions....."Why Alaska?" and "Why on a motorcycle?" I'll address Alaska first. I've been to Alaska before, on two occasions, once in 1995 and again in 1998. It is one of the most amazing places I've ever visited. I sum Alaska as fascinating people and culture, breathtaking scenery, incredible wildlife, and remote yet accessible. Alaska to me is one of the best places ever to just wander. You are never disappointed by what you find around the next corner. My wife Lisa, who has traveled extensively all over the world, has never visited Alaska and I have been extolling it's virtues as a travel destination for years. Finally we cooked up this trip to get her there, and to get me back again. Our Good friends Don and Sandy Verdiani will also join us in Alaska. No, none of the others are riding motorcycles - commercial carriers will be relied on to get them there as we meet up in Anchorage on June 5th. And why on a motorcycle? Well, I've been riding since high school, have ridden in most of the United States and been across the continent to the Pacific one time before. But, I've never ridden in Canada and the ride up the Alaska Highway is a trip that calls to me as it has to thousands of other cyclists. Call it a "bucket list" item if you will, it's just something that feels right for me at this particular time. People are curious to know if I'm doing this with a group or alone. Simple answer, just me. Have I planned out a route or will I make it up as I go? "Where will you stay?" My route planning is pretty darn simple. The first day I intend to ride the nearly 600 miles to Detroit via Interstate highways. There I'll spend some time catching up with friends (I lived in Southeats Michigan for 32 years) before heading out on Saturday May 23. After Detroit that the plan is an open book. Obviously I need to continually move Northwest so Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Maybe North Dakota are in my sights but no real route plan exists. Eventually I need to arrive in Dawson Creek, Alberta at the start of the Alaska Highway but the 1500 miles of great expanse between Michigan and Dawson Creek are just that, a great expanse to be covered in due time. I'm open to ideas for stops and destinations enroute. After I get to Dawson Creek it's pretty straightforward - I will follow the Alaska Highway through the Canadian Rockies and on to Alaska. Coming from this direction there is no other viable route. Lodging? I'll split my time between hotels of (shall we say) "reasonable" cost and camping. Yes, I'll be carrying a tent and sleeping bag. I do, however, draw the line at cooking over a campfire. If I've ever cooked anything for you then you know what I'm talking about. It's roadside restaurants and fast food for me! The last question I'd like to address for now is the one that usually goes like this..."What's up with this charity thing you're doing?" Let me say that I firmly believe that we need to give back. I've been monumentally fortunate to have the opportunity to live out so many of my dreams. Good health, a solid career, good luck, the continued support of family and friends, and a liberal dose of the "adventure" gene have facilitated a lifetime of great adventures. Yet so many people don't experience life that way and I feel compelled to do, in my own small way, what I can to help others. My charity of choice is the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer out of Chattanooga, TN. Founded in 2006 by my good friends Jim and Amy Jo Osborn following the passing of their son, Austin Hatcher Osborn, the Hatcher Foundation's mission is to support research for the diagnoses, treatment and development of a cure for Pediatric cancer and to provide support and hope to children and families undergoing treatment as well as those who have lost children to cancer. Their most important current project is the construction of Hatch's House of Hope in Chattanooga which is intended as a sanctuary for families stricken by this terrible legion of illnesses. Please go to www.hatcherfoundation.org to learn more about their generous and important work. I dedicate this trip to the Hatcher Foundation and hope my many friends can find it within their hearts to lend their support and any donation they can spare to this worthy cause. More info coming soon!! Jack