Books can be dangerous; they can inspire you to do things. Jamie Jensen’s book Road Trip USA inspired me to ride a Harley-Davidson down the Mississippi river. His route follows the Great River Road (GRR), a 2500-mile stretch of scenic America, starting at the Canadian border and ending in the Gulf of Mexico. The GRR uses small two-lane highways, which snake alongside the river. The plan was to visit 10 states using an appallingly large motorcycle, while sampling a wide range of local foods and listening to live blues music.
Finding the source
I needed a ‘one-way’ rental, and the only place I could get one was in Chicago, which is 650 miles from the headwaters of the Mississippi. I saw that Milwaukee is under 100 miles north of Chicago, so after picking up my Harley Road King, I diverted up Lake Michigan to visit the Harley-Davidson Museum. I could see that the visit was akin to a pilgrimage for some people. Such is the devotion to the H-D brand that one couple was getting married there! The Harley Museum had a ‘Blues, Bourbon and BBQ’ evening, so I found a local motel and spent a pleasant
