OK, so I’ve done it.
I’ve ridden a motor scooter to every county in Michigan. Some of them multiple times. And a baker’s dozen of counties in Wisconsin, plus a few in Indiana and Ontario, along the way.
So… now what?
According to legend, Alexander the Great once lamented that there were no worlds left to conquer. Fortunately that’s not the case for me; if I decide to do more of this, I have some options for new places to ride.
On my first big ride, I briefly considered going all the way around Lake Michigan. Then I checked the distance and concluded that it would take too long. Plus going all the way would require going through Milwaukee, Kenosha, Chicago, and Gary, which is mostly urban sprawl. So I took a shortcut home across the Lake. But on further consideration, finishing the loop might not be so bad. What about a ride from here down to Indiana, then through Milwaukenochicagary (in a day), and up into scenic Door County (the peninsula sticking into Lake Michigan) for a couple days, taking the Badger back across, and riding home? That could be a nice way to spend 6 or 7 days, and provide some closure on the first ride. (You may have noticed that the map on the main page now includes those counties, un-colored.)
Other than that… I’m not really sure. I might consider some vacation plans that don’t revolve around the scooter… or even involve it at all, if you can imagine that. I’d like to get in better shape and do more backpacking, either nearby or out of state. I haven’t been to Europe in almost 20 years, which is pretty amazing when you consider that I accumulated half a year there in five trips from 1983 to 1996. To say nothing of other parts of the world. Maybe even the foreign land of California.
So there are definitely worlds left to conquer.
But right now, I need a good night’s sleep in my own bed.