12th through 25th August 2005 - Get Married and Ride a Harley in the USA


Us with our immediate family 12/Aug/2005

This was an adventure that we will look back on and remember forever with both joy and tears...
 Through this shared experience Wendy and I  have come out closer (if that is possible) and more aware that
life sometimes deals us a bad hand but together we will prevail and make the best of what we have living life to the max...

Wendy and I have made true and life long friends in Randy and Brenda
Thanks to whom this has turned out to be one of the most rewarding times of our life together.


This trip started in India 2004 when I met up with Randy who suggested I came out to the US and he would show me how to ride a real bike "The Harley". So in 2005 we decided on combining our honeymoon with a genuine adventure of meeting up with Randy and Brenda the proud owners of 2 Harley Davidson Classic FLHC 1300cc motorcycles I know as Electra Glides from the Clint film in my youth "Electra Glide in Blue"

Randy consented to not only loaning me one of these prized possession but to guide us and of course show me the ropes of riding such a beast (Alien to us Rice Burners) on this "Sure to be amazing trip of a life time"   Well you wouldn't tour the NW USA on anything else would you...

Below are some of the photographs of our trip which started out as a ride down the Pacific coast to San Francisco, but due to a near fatal  accident involving both bikes and leaving Wendy with a ruptured spleen, was cut short at "Sea Lion Rocks" in Oregon on the 19th Aug at approx 08:30. This resulted in a painful 3 days and 3 night stay in hospital for Wendy and many hours pacing for Randy and myself - The bikes came off reasonably well considering with mainly cosmetic damage but still rideable.

I think you will agree that these pictures are a combination of stunning scenery, good times with a glint of tragedy. All of which will remind Wendy, myself, Randy and Brenda of a shared adventure which might have been a disaster had it not been for the strength of friendship and of course Wendy's strength of character which pulled us all together...

Day 1 15 Aug consisted of me learning how to ride a Harley which I sure did - getting both the left and right footplates down through some exhilarating bends. We were joined by Tom Randy's Nephew for the day.

That evening saw us BBQ-ing at Trev and Pat's house (I met Trev in India too) it was my Birthday so a good excuse for cake - Thank you Pat...


 
Day 2 - riding 2 up with Wendy... we went to Leavenworth - Stevens Pass - Snoqualmie Pass - Crystal to Greenwater Pass - Chinook Pass - Mt Baker Hwy - and Deception Falls to mention but a few.
 
Day 3 - riding 2 up with Wendy to Mt Rainier a wet and misty day and the only day we needed our Waterproofs (Boil in the bag!)

That evening we celebrated Brenda's Birthday with a meal out at the Red Lobster...

 
Day 4 and off on the Pacific Highway 101

 

 
Day 5 After an uneventful night in Newport Oregon we set out on a poor breakfast in the mist and drizzle 1st stop was to be breakfast proper but fate had a different day in mind for us...


The View of Sea Lion Rocks at 08:30 Friday 19th Aug...

I was riding behind Randy at a reasonable distance as we had done for the past few days pretty proud of how I was mastering the differences of the Harley we had covered just 20 or so miles when I took my eyes off the road for a second and when I looked ahead again he was in front of me headed into a lay-by for scenic photographs - a touch of the breaks and I was on top of him and collided at about 30 MPH the bike went down he rode on a few feet and dropped it, Wendy was thrown from my bike I hit down with the bike on the left and was then cart wheeled over as the bike flipped up and over on to its right. Bang! The noise of the bike hitting the road was incredible screeching, clattering and banging.

Wendy must have hit hard because I came up running and she was still rolling to the edge of the road all curled up. There were cars and people everywhere my bike spread out in the middle of the road.

I was in tatters sore as hell Wendy was still rolling so I stopped her and made her comfortable (she seemed fine) Thankfully she was in leathers with all the CE protectors - Within 5 mins the paramedics and police were there and checking Wendy out she was boarded up and whisked to hospital where she was diagnosed with suspected fractured ribs and a ruptured spleen.

I was walking and unconcerned for myself as anyone would be who's wife was in distress, I rode the bike, it had only received superficially cosmetic damage, to meet her at the hospital as she was transferred 50 miles further east with a proper emergency facility once she was made stable...
 

 
Day 8 - 22nd Aug after 3 days of Hospital Wendy was sprung and able to make the trip back to Washington - Randy had already gone back up on his bike to collect his car so that we could get Wendy home in comfort... I was able to show Wendy where I had been staying and she was able to get on MSN and let people know she was recovering fast.  Randy and I shared the riding of my bike back and Brenda shared the car driving, and managed the frequent stops.

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Day 9 - 23rd  Randy and I rode out to Deception Pass whilst Wendy and Brenda went shopping for souvenirs...

 

Day 10 - 24th - We met with the insurance agency to see about compensation for Wendy and of course the procedure for getting the bikes repaired.... We also managed a couple of hours on the road after a luncheon at an English bistro serving Lancashire Pasties (what?) I even tried to pay in Stirling.

We had a steak dinner at Black Angus as a farewell...

 
Day 10 - 25th - Randy and I got out for that last ride before catching the flight home.