It's one thing to travel through the 48 continguous states in
America, but Scottdale residents Sandra Johnson and Bill Prinkey will tell you it's quite another seeing it from the seat
of a motorcycle.
Their journey began in 2004 when Prinkey said he wanted to visit the Lower 48 on his motorcycle. His
hope was to see them all on his Honda Goldwing.
From the New England states to the states in the southeast, the couple
began knocking off state after state over the next few years.
But it wasn't until this summer that the couple completed
their journey, visiting the last eight states of Arizona, New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Washington and Idaho
with biker friends Dave and Cheryl Kreiger of Alverton and George Gross and Sandy Matthews of Bridgeport.
Besides the
challenge of weathering the elements, the couples also faced the challenge of age — all of them are senior citizens
— and the lack of space to pack much clothing.
But Johnson said it wasn't as big of a challenge for her as
a passenger as it was for Prinkey and the other drivers.
"I'm 68, but it was awesomely comfortable," she
said. "I never got sore once, but Bill got all of the engine heat and that wasn't so comfortable when the temperatures
were over 100 degrees some days."
During their three-week journey, the group, who belong to the Messiah's Riders
out of the Alverton Church of God, began every morning with prayer before averaging 300 to 400 miles a day over the 7,000-mile
trip.
"We experienced awesome weather, with the only rain being two afternoon thunderstorms," Johnson said.
The temperatures actually ranged from as high as 113 degrees in Las Vegas to as low as the 30s on Bear Tooth Mountain out
of Northeast Yellowstone Park.
Across the country, the group ate in small-town diners with the locals. They always found
a clean motel without ever having to make reservations — places where they could get a good night's sleep and wash
the clothes on their backs for the next day.
"The people we met were so friendly," said Johnson, who was particularly
struck by a friendly ranch owner who brought the group some gas when one of the motorcycle's warning lights came on in
the middle of New Mexico.
They also came across Pro Football Hall of Famer Hugh McElhenny.
"We met him in
Burns, Idaho," Johnson said. "We didn't know who he was, but I noticed he had on a Super Bowl ring, and we got
to talking.
"I asked him if he could sign something for Bill's great-grandson, Grayden, but he said he would
do better than that," she said.
He got their address and sent them a signed Hall of Fame picture of himself.
Prinkey
and Johnson said some of the rides they'll remember for a long time include the Flint Hills of Kansas, crossing the Mohave
Desert at 4 a.m. with temperatures at 95 degrees, riding across the Bay and Golden Gate bridges, traveling on Coastal Highway
1 north of San Francisco, through Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota and riding into Sturgis, S.D., with "Bike Week"
approaching.
While Johnson said they reached their goal of visiting the 48 continental states, they're not done.
They
now have plans to ride across the Canadian provinces and visit Alaska next year.
"Someone once said that, "Life
is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid
in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and proclaiming loudly, "Wow, what a ride,"'"
