Editor’s note: At the request of the sources in this story, the last names have been omitted to ensure safety of their homes and property.
Eddie is 74, but he’s not letting his age stop him from checking off one impressive item from his bucket list.
Eddie, along with his wife, Marlena, nephew Danny and his wife, Kimberly, will be traveling to Alaska and back.
On motorcycles.
The journey measures a grueling 12,000 miles round trip. But it’s something the seasoned rider has always wanted to try. He barely had to talk Danny into joining him.
The two have been planning for the trip for about a year. They’ve bought new tents and sleeping bags, packing their trailer full of food and even preparing for breakdowns by bringing a tow strap. By the end of the trip, each couple will have spent about $10,000 on supplies, hotel rooms, gas and experiences.
“I just like the freedom of motorcycles,” Eddie says. “You can enjoy things on a motorcycle that you can’t enjoy in a car. When you go by an orange grove, you can smell the flowers. You get all the senses and smells in the air.”
The riders will leave June 21 and take about three months to complete the trip. Traveling through the south during the first three days, the foursome will start their trip early in the morning to escape the burning sun.
But the riders know many tricks to the trade to combat the heat. They’ve bought special jackets that can be put on ice and then worn for hours, still cold. They’ve also attached wings to their Go Wing 1800 motorcycles. The wings help deflect heat and direct the cool air onto the riders.
The first stop is in St. Louis. Other sites the riders will enjoy include the Black Hills, Glacier National Park and a three-day stay in Yellowstone National Park. They have even made a Plant City sign to leave in Sign Post Forest.
But Alaska is the true destination. They’ve allocated three weeks to enjoy the cool climate.
“I’m most excited for the salmon fishing,” Danny says. “We can kick back and relax.”
Both couples have been to Alaska before. When the Danny and Kimberly went in 2004, they spent their time on a cruise. They are excited to be able to ride through the foreign terrain this time.
“You’re in the environment (when you ride),” Danny says. “You’re just so free. Everything you feel.”
Danny drove tractor-trailers for years. The windows were so wide and open. He was hooked on being able to see the country as he traveled, and it was only natural that he fell in love with motorcycles, which takes the feeling a step further.
Danny bought his first motorcycle in 2006. One of his first trips was a train ride from Sanford to Virginia. Since then, he’s been on around 75 trips. Kimberly goes on many with him, but not all.
“I like to go, but to be gone that long is going to be tough,” Kimberly says about the upcoming Alaska excursion.
Eddie has loved motorcycles since the 1990s. When a friend invited him on a ride, he was hooked instantly. When he talked Marlena into riding with him, she fell in love with the hobby, too. She’s taking off work as a nurse from South Florida Baptist Hospital for the trip.
“I’m so thankful,” Marlena says.
Eddie meets up with a group every Saturday at Snellgroves to ride around Central Florida.
“You can’t live in a cocoon all your life,” Eddie says. “You have to step out of your comfort zone.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.http://perfect-travel.ru/skb-bank-oformit-kreditnuyu-kartu.php