Since I started planning the Ride, one of the questions has been what to do with the five days Pirsig spent in Bozeman, Montana; he and his son stayed with old friends from the time he worked there, but I have no ties to Bozeman, and an old friend in Pocatello, so I had thought to insert a side trip here, and perhaps skip Bozeman altogether.
Now, maybe not.
MSU acquires collection from ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’ author
For all those playing along at home, this is the link to the "trip-tik" someone made of Pirsig's trip in '68.
But, of course, that route starts in Minneapolis, and this is now a Ride Across America - so the first leg looks like this:
Because I am fortunate enough to live so close to the water, this is an easy hop. At 6:00 AM, July 1st, 2018, I will "strap it up" and head from St. Mary's City to the Delaware shore. Because I am fortunate enough to know people who own property along the shore, a) I should be able to find a place to stay, and b) I should have no trouble finding a place to plant a plant in Tricia's memory. In fact, since this is a booming resort area, I should have no trouble buying the plant when I get there.
However, this leads me to a thing I will be asking of some of you who are willing, and who have signed on as part of this journey: I will wind up in some places that are pretty remote - and I may need people to send plants to me by FedEx. I will cover the costs - I just won't be able to carry much with me. Seeds, of course are always an option, but I hope to plant some seedlings, too.
I will spend at least one night here (one possible plan has me leaving on July 4th: how patriotic! I've thought of taking a tiny vial of Atlantic water to the Pacific, and doing the reverse on the return trip.
Next blog - 1) what it takes to prepare for a trip like this. 2) Packing for the weather on a motorcycle 3) The second leg.
We are almost 10 percent funded, with 90 days to go - that's pretty great. My heart goes out to all who are choosing to come on this journey with me. I'll do my best to make it worth it. Please feel free to spread the word ot those you think would enjoy it.
