it's all about the ride..

 

It was a 423 mile excursion to bring my son to his boyscout reservation south of Tupper Lake NY. We took the Honda Element with all his camping gear, his twin brother and older sister to help with map reading. A skill she needed to practice and it was a great family day out. We traveled on the eastern fringe of the Adirondack Park enjoying old towns, thriving destination villages and serene woodlands. The roads were long, clean and barely traveled. They mostly wound around mountains and through gulfs in endless sweepers. On a motorcycle, it would be spectacular; in the car not so much. I phoned my bikerman from a rest stop on the Asable River and detailed the route from Tupper Village to the Champlain Bridge in Crown Pt, describing the beauty of it all. On a bike, the riders are engaged at a very organic level with every degree of detail; there are no filters to see or feel through. On a bike we would have been in rapture. In the car, we battled the radio for music, just to stay awake. The mess of wrappers, books and toys piled around our feet as we engaged the interior of the car more than the outdoors we piloted through. I really felt like we were in a viewing cage of sorts, like the motorcycle jargon touts. For this ride, we were "cagers" and I couldn't wait to be free, rolling on the Harley, holding my driver and shooting endless pictures on the fly. He agreed with me, whole heartedly; I could feel his smile even over the phone. In my heart I thank him for including me in his miles on the bike; it is the most earthly way to travel the world around us. Out loud, I encourage him to plan a ride in this 'neighborhood' sooner than later. Again, he smiles over the phone, and begins to plan the repairs of his bike while his injuries continue to make good progress in healing. In a car, we drive to arrive; being there is the priority. On a bike, we drive to look, linger and live an adventure. In a car its about the destination, on a bike its about the journey. Driving roads ripe for motorcycles, in a car... this was a glaring truth.