A few months ago the movie “Bucket List” came out and just from the few previews it got me to thinking. What would my bucket list look like (you know, kick the bucket)? I started thinking about all of the things that I would like to do before I pass on. Not all of it is motorcycle related mind you but hey they are what I want to do right? So here it goes;

1. Hike the Appalachian Trail. I have always loved the outdoors. Hiking, camping, fishing, hell I just like to be in the woods. Maybe it is the country in me, I have no idea but since I was young I couldn’t help but explore my backyard and further. I think the best thing that ever happened to me is when my family moved back to the woods after I had got a little older. Why the AT you ask? For the hell of it why not? I really am not sure but it has just been something I have always wanted to do but I have never had the 4 to 5 months to do it in. I think maybe to accomplish this one I just may have to do it a few weeks at a time. Heck with the military keeping me gone for a year at a time and then only giving me 30 days off it will be an accomplishment just to scrape together the time to do it much less do the trip itself. So I guess the likely hood that this one gets done before I retire may be fairly slim so this may have to be put off until then (9 more years).

2. Ride the Mother Road. Who hasn’t thought about taking off on Route 66 and following it from start to finish? Now this is a item I just may be able to check off of my list one day. I may be able to do it in 3 weeks (Tennessee to Illinois to the west coast and then back to Tennessee). Maybe even have it coincide with The Stampede that The Horse Backstreet Choppers puts on every year. I would take Route 66 out and then meet up with the Stampede guys and roll back with them. That may be something to plan for June 2010.

3. Climb Denali. Yep, you are probably thinking I am crazy now, hey I already said I loved the outdoors. Mt. McKinnely is one of those been there done that things that I would like to claim. I will probably plan a trip up Mt. Rainier first though to get a little training. I haven’t done any technically difficult mountains but I have climbed Pikes Peak in the early winter. Instead of taking the trail me and a friend went straight up the side climbing hand over fist through the snow. What would make this one hard to plan is trying to find the money to do it (fairly poor person here) and getting the time off during climbing season. The season is fairly short and preparation would have to start early but what I may do, and I have thought about this a lot, is try and get the Army to station me in Alaska. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about travel as much and I could train a little. Heck I may even get to spend a little time in Denali national forest that way. I guess that is one of those things I will have to wait and see about.

4. Sturgis. This one is self explanatory right? I mean who doesn’t want to do Sturgis? This one though may just happen August 2009. Me, my dad, and my brother have it planned. I will probably roll down to Alabama and we will all ride the whole way. Take about 3 days there and 3 back and then stay for a few. I also have a few friends that may join the ride as we pass Missouri and Kansas. Stumpy, DZ, here is your invite.

5. Ride through Europe. Well I had my chance to do this already but I didn’t take full advantage of it. I spent three years living in Belgium and managed to ride in France, Belgium, England, Ireland, and The Netherlands. I still missed trips to Germany, Italy, and Austria. The next chance I get though I am going to do it right. I will hit all of those spots that I missed plus I may try and do Fokker see (spelling?) and a few more Super Rallies. Maybe the Army will send me and my family back so that I will have another shot.

6. Ride U.S. Highway 11 from the south to the north. This is another one that could be with in reach. Just a little planning and I think this one may be easy to pull off. I am not sure exactly where it starts but heck that may be a trip all by it self. I know that it runs up through eastern Alabama through Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia and follows some of the greatest parts of the South Eastern United States. I think I started dreaming about doing that road sometime in 1996 when I started driving a truck (back in my civilian days). I may even take the Blue Ridge part of the way but either way I think that it would be a great trip.

7. Jazz Fest and Mardi gras. Both of these hold equal weight for me. I have wanted to visit The Big Easy during those two times since I took my first trip to New Orleans to deliver stuff. I just happened to turn it to a NPR station and they were advertising Jazz Fest in between the Blues, Jazz, and Zydeco that they were playing. I have a few friends that have talked about heading down with me. This could be another one of those trips that if planned right could be done easily. Maybe I can even find that little Po Boy shop on the Nashville wharf again.

8. Manufacturing Tour. I am not sure why but I have always wanted to go to Dearborn and see a Mustang built and then slide on over to Milwaukee and see a few two wheeled creations roll off the line. I may even take in the HD museum while I am at it. I worked in a manufacturing plant from the time I was 18 until I was about 24 or 25. I built utility beds for a place called Altec. Ever since then just to see how different things were built has interested me. Maybe one day I will be putting together a car or motorcycle every year or so just to keep the bills paid after I retire.

9. Go to Austin. I would get to see The Alamo, Austin City Limits (TV show), and stand underneath the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue. I would get to see some of this great countries history, take in some great music, and see the statue dedicated to a modern blues legend. Now on the way to Austin though I may just have to stop off in Memphis and visit Beale Street and Graceland. That would be an awesome trip. You may just see me writing about that one soon after I get back (a year from now).

10. Now to wrap this up I will list a few other things that I would like to do that I am sure on other peoples list; sky dive, bull riding, circle track racing, write a book, and if I get lucky grow old enough to see my boys grow into confident, honest, good men and have children that do the same. Maybe there will be a few generations that will be able to ride together.