End of day one

It's 9:00 pm and I'm done for the day. I did about 400 miles today in rain and then heat, then more rain and more heat. It was a long day, but the first few are always the hardest. I'm in the tent and it's a light rain with a good light show, summer in Florida.
I'm at Black river state park, close to the state line, so it was a god start. I'll try to take it easy tomorrow, but I always say that then haul ass for most of the day. We'll see.

I'm on my way. .

I was just a little late getting started but I'm on my way. The first few hours flew by. My mind was occupied with all the things I could have forgotten, so far long johns, and a coffe cup. So not to bad. The ride up US19 is very boring, but maybe that's a good thing as my mind has been wondering. I'm getting ready to turn west and leave civilization behind and enter the swamp lands of the panhandle.

10 days to go

Well I'm on the final push. The bike is ready, the money is there and I've got the time off. All thats left is the going. Okay there's the final packing to do but how hard could that be. The problem with planing for so long is that I now have 10 pounds of @#@%#% to stuff in a 5 pound bag. It turns out trying to figure out what to leave out is much harder than figuring out what to put in.
The weather looks like HOTTTTTT for the first few days. Then it's off to the mountains to freeze. Summer time at 7000 feet is still cold at 60 MPH. The west is covered in forest fires, and theres rain in the north, so there is that. The good news is gas prices are falling and it looks like they will continue to fall for some time.
I just got over the black plague that put me on my ass for 4 days, so I got that out of the way, with the added benefit of helping me reach my weight loss goal for the trip. Not the best way to lose that last few pounds, but hey it works.
So Friday morning I load the bike and head off to work. After work I continue my trip north to Tarpon Springs for one last home cooked meal by Mom. On Sunday the trip starts again. Next stop, Deadhorse AK, okay there might be a few stops along the way.
So now it's go time!!!!!

Just a few weeks more

I just got done working on the bike. I've put on new tires, brakes, spark plugs, air filter, chain, front and rear sprockets and changed the oil. The bike is ready to go. I've got all the camping gear ready to go. All I have left is a few little things to make life easier. I feel like I spend most of my days now thinking about the trip. Trying to figure out what I will see, how the camp grounds will be. Do I have enough warm clothes, will I be dry enough. I think the trip has already started. Now it's just a matter of getting on the bike and catching up to my mind. I know from experience that there is no way to know what I will find, but I have been enjoying trying.

Two more months

.Well I've got just two more months before I leave. It feels like I'm just coasting too the start line. Everything is ready and I'm just waiting for the start. I still have a days work on the bike getting it ready, but I've got the parts and it's just a matter of putting them on. I do hope to do one more camp and ride before I go. Try a few new tie down tricks, and pack and re-pack. But the truth is I'm ready, I mean I am really ready. I mean that I'm ready to go right NOW!!!!!
Waiting sucks

Post test run.

The test run went very well. I was very tried the first day, my ass, my shoulders and my back were all very sore. The long ride in the dirt took it's toll. I did well packing and un packing, the bike ran well and I was able to send updates of my trip fairy easily. So it was a success, I accomplished the things I set out to and had a lot of fun doing it. Thw only thing I didn't do was make and send video. But that will come.

Day two of test ride

I had a great night sleep and was up early to get started on day two. Packing took a little longer than I would like, but I'm still experimenting with tie down options. The ride was a nice ride back through time. I found some little towns so far off the beaten path the looked like a movie set. If it wasn't for love bugs it would have been a wonderful day. At some points they got so thick it was like riding in the rain, only with guts. The day ended camping in Myaka state park with my sister and brother and some of their friends. For a state park they sure pack the campers in. All in all it was a great practice run. I learned a few things that need to be added and some things that can be left behind. So in closing, I'm getting closer, more prepared, and enthusiastic for the trip.