Great River Road 1: Biker Grandma Hits the Road

This entry is part 1 of 15 in the series Riding the Great River Road with Harley Grandma

Have you ever had the urge to do something completely out of the ordinary? When you just wanted some free time to let loose? When you had to have a break from everything? Sometimes it feels strange to admit it but when I put on my sunglasses and bandana, put earplugs in and my bike jacket on, I become someone else. Biker Grandma comes out and wants to hit the road. My partner in crime is Dan330 – you know, the pinterest guy, and now the blog guy. I may love him, but I won’t ride on his bike, and I refuse to talk with him while we’re riding. This is a no microphone zone. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of being free if you have to check in? There are a couple of simple rules we follow. He has the GPS in his brain, and I don’t, so I follow along at a safe distance in case he sees something spectacular and slams on the brakes. We always have the camera and are always looking for a great view. We ride while it’s daytime and eat when we’re hungry, as long as it isn’t a chain. You have to be in the “we’re on the road mode” and local flavor is what it’s all about. The only known is that you will be stopping at lots of gas stations and you can’t be a ninny when faced with a less than pleasant bathroom. People in leather can’t get hung up about stuff like that. period. It’s time to get out of the rut.

So… when you decide to take a fun challenge, you’ve got to get your stuff together. Riding a bike for hundreds of miles a day, day after day means you need to be prepared, especially when you’ve officially a senior citizen. Argh…..

This summer and fall we’re going to follow the Mississippi River from Itasca to the Gulf. We don’t know how long it’ll take but that doesn’t even matter. The kids have flown and it’s time for Granny and Bumpa to have some fun. Riding your own bike gives you plenty of luggage room for another t-shirt and spare jeans, the camera, laptop and flip flops when the leather boots come off at the end of the day.

Ready, set, go!

The mighty Mississippi. Watershed for one-third of the continental United States. 2552 miles of river winding through the heartland, from Lake Itasca in north central Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico. This is our 2013 roadtrip with a twist. Instead of the air-conditioned comfort of the car, we decided to get the Harley’s out and ride the entire Great River Road.

Since we live in St. Paul, and there’s no better place to start than the beginning, we road up to Itasca State Park to begin our adventure at the Headwaters of the Great River.