If not now, then ….. when?
European Alpine Moto Tour, June 2026
I must admit that before the movie, I never had a “Bucket List”, but that was a pivotal time in my life. I was about 45 years old, and searching for something. I didn’t know it at the time, but a series of timely decisions and experiences led me to understand that what I was looking for was adventure. And I found it by re-connecting with motorcycles. I gravitated to motorcycle touring like a drug addict. The more I did it, the more I wanted to do it, and each time, the lure of adventure on the open road got stronger.
So I formulated my own motorcycle touring Bucket List, but with a twist. My list is not on paper. It’s in my mind. And my list is never complete. It only includes 3 or 4 trips at a time. I do it this way intentionally. I want to be able to focus intently on ONLY the next few trips. The others will eventually find their way to the list. Or they won’t – this exercise is about more than travel. I’m trying to force myself to live in the NOW. Don’t get caught up in a future that no one knows much about. And don’t dwell too much on the past, which cannot be changed no matter what. Focus intently on the present – with some excitement about the more immediate future. Admittedly, it’s a work in progress.
I’ve been to Europe a few times and each of those vacations was wonderful. Those trips focused on the popular large cities like Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, etc. My wife enjoys culture. She craves learning about the history, language, the people, etc. I like those things too, but when I travel, what I really want to see is the land. I want to see the back roads and what the farmers grow. I want to follow the watershed and observe the predominant forests and rocks. I want to study the rural part of Europe.
In that light, one the items that has remained high on my mental Bucket List is a tour of the Alpine Mountains of Europe. Arranging the logistics of that has always been a challenge. I’ve known that my wife would likely not enjoy this type of trip – too much running around for her. So I knew that I’d likely take this trip without her. At one point some time ago, I polled my close local motorcycle riding friends to gage interest, with no success. I get it – they have their own Bucket List and time/money is precious.
With moto touring, there are other considerations. I’m experienced enough to know that I want to know who I’m riding with. I’m not interested in riding with people I don’t trust. Within any vacation, there are always lots of choices, and it helps if you are with people who have similar interests, riding expectations, etc. Lots of things to consider.
For years, I’ve followed my friend Greg (Scooter), and his moto travels. Greg has been moto touring Europe for years, and seemingly, every year, his travels get more and more exciting to me. He shares fantastic and wonderful pictures of his trips, and I salivate as I read about those epic adventures. Admittedly, I’ve known Greg for a long time, but we haven’t had much chance to ride together, let alone tour together. I contemplated a thought: if Greg was planning a 2026 Europe trip, would he consider letting me tag along? Well, until you actually ask, the answer is always going to be “no”. So I took a deep breath and sent a text. Almost immediately, the reply was very encouraging. We spent 30 minutes on the phone and Greg shared with me that indeed, he was returning to the Alps this year, and that 3 other people were on board to join him. First, Greg’s longtime friend Gary (Mudslide Mudder) was coming along for his 3rd trip to the Alps. And also, Bryan (Auburn) and his wife Marissa were committed to the trip as well. These two are legendary long-distance riders, including their strong finishing of the 2025 Iron Butt Rally.
I remember my fingers tingling with excitement and nervousness as Greg and I talked. I must admit that at times, even though I was hearing him, I wasn’t really listening. In my mind, the wheels were spinning. I was thinking about adventure – riding Europe and putting a big “X” on that important Bucket List item.
True to his kind and inclusive nature, Greg essentially invited me to go on that first phone call. It took everything in my will not to say “yes”. Three things were holding me back. First, I needed to formulate a simple budget for the trip, just to make sure I wasn’t putting us into any kind of bind. Second, I needed to discuss this with my wife. Greg was planning a month-long excursion. In almost 40 years of marriage, this would be the longest we are apart.
And lastly, I wanted and requested a Zoom call with the others. I wanted to manage and express expectations. I could envision a scenario whereby we get halfway around the world, and we want different things. That would really put a damper on the trip. I was pleased that the others humored me with a call. And it was a great call, indeed. We all have similar expectations with respect to things like daily ride distances, accommodations and food, things we would like to see, etc. I shared that on this trip I hoped to have opportunities to do a little day hiking. See some waterfalls, etc. The others assured me that there would be plenty chances for that.
And then the discussion turned toward planning. Greg made it clear that for the entirety of the month, we were not going to make any reservations for lodging. The priority was to head in a general direction, but not be pressed to be anywhere. Take weather into consideration, and then just ….. go. In the midafternoon every day, we would look at what is available nearby and stay there. Our group would consist of 3 men, and a married couple – a lodging challenge to be sure. But Greg assured us that we were visiting at an off-peak time, and that places would be available.
I remember getting SO excited about the thought of this. What an incredible concept! No plans – just … ride. Don’t worry about anything – focus solely on exactly where you are and what you see right now. And this says nothing about the opportunity. We would be a small group of mature and experienced riders. We would be led by someone with extensive experience of the entire region. I threw together a rudimentary budget. It’s expensive, but I got the money. All the while, my wife is hearing about this, and while she wasn’t thrilled about the idea of being separated for a month, she was encouraging me. She knew I would enjoy this, and the opportunity was incredible.
I hemmed and hawed for a week or so. And then one day, I read about a fellow motorcyclist that died from chronic illness. I knew him fairly well, and he wasn’t much older than I am. On the motorcycle forum, we shared condolences and discussed his life. Of course I was saddened by Mike’s passing, but honestly, more than anything else, I felt a sense of urgency. I sat there blessed in my good health and my good fortune. But I also understood my own mortality and I had no illusions about it. Like all of us, my days are numbered and no one knows how long we have left. My thoughts immediately wandered to my European opportunity, and then it was crystal clear:
If not now, then….when?
I emailed the others with my official “I’m in” decision, and over the next 4-ish months, we all prepared for the trip. Motorcycle rental arrangements, airline tickets, insurances, licenses and paperwork, new motorcycle gear, etc. It all came together piece by piece.
This ride report will be an exercise in futility. I will try to the very best of my ability to describe in words and pictures how the trip went. But I must warn you – I will likely fail you miserably. No camera can capture the depth of field required to picture what I’m about to show you. And I’m quite certain that I don’t have the words to describe the beauty and fun we all had during our ride. But I will try, none the less.
This report will come 1 or 2 days at a time. There will be some gaps between installments, and I thank you in advance for your patience. I want to write this right, pardon the pun. And any writer will tell you, it comes when it comes.
I hope you enjoy the pictures.
European Alpine Moto Tour, June 2026
I must admit that before the movie, I never had a “Bucket List”, but that was a pivotal time in my life. I was about 45 years old, and searching for something. I didn’t know it at the time, but a series of timely decisions and experiences led me to understand that what I was looking for was adventure. And I found it by re-connecting with motorcycles. I gravitated to motorcycle touring like a drug addict. The more I did it, the more I wanted to do it, and each time, the lure of adventure on the open road got stronger.
So I formulated my own motorcycle touring Bucket List, but with a twist. My list is not on paper. It’s in my mind. And my list is never complete. It only includes 3 or 4 trips at a time. I do it this way intentionally. I want to be able to focus intently on ONLY the next few trips. The others will eventually find their way to the list. Or they won’t – this exercise is about more than travel. I’m trying to force myself to live in the NOW. Don’t get caught up in a future that no one knows much about. And don’t dwell too much on the past, which cannot be changed no matter what. Focus intently on the present – with some excitement about the more immediate future. Admittedly, it’s a work in progress.
I’ve been to Europe a few times and each of those vacations was wonderful. Those trips focused on the popular large cities like Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, etc. My wife enjoys culture. She craves learning about the history, language, the people, etc. I like those things too, but when I travel, what I really want to see is the land. I want to see the back roads and what the farmers grow. I want to follow the watershed and observe the predominant forests and rocks. I want to study the rural part of Europe.
In that light, one the items that has remained high on my mental Bucket List is a tour of the Alpine Mountains of Europe. Arranging the logistics of that has always been a challenge. I’ve known that my wife would likely not enjoy this type of trip – too much running around for her. So I knew that I’d likely take this trip without her. At one point some time ago, I polled my close local motorcycle riding friends to gage interest, with no success. I get it – they have their own Bucket List and time/money is precious.
With moto touring, there are other considerations. I’m experienced enough to know that I want to know who I’m riding with. I’m not interested in riding with people I don’t trust. Within any vacation, there are always lots of choices, and it helps if you are with people who have similar interests, riding expectations, etc. Lots of things to consider.
For years, I’ve followed my friend Greg (Scooter), and his moto travels. Greg has been moto touring Europe for years, and seemingly, every year, his travels get more and more exciting to me. He shares fantastic and wonderful pictures of his trips, and I salivate as I read about those epic adventures. Admittedly, I’ve known Greg for a long time, but we haven’t had much chance to ride together, let alone tour together. I contemplated a thought: if Greg was planning a 2026 Europe trip, would he consider letting me tag along? Well, until you actually ask, the answer is always going to be “no”. So I took a deep breath and sent a text. Almost immediately, the reply was very encouraging. We spent 30 minutes on the phone and Greg shared with me that indeed, he was returning to the Alps this year, and that 3 other people were on board to join him. First, Greg’s longtime friend Gary (Mudslide Mudder) was coming along for his 3rd trip to the Alps. And also, Bryan (Auburn) and his wife Marissa were committed to the trip as well. These two are legendary long-distance riders, including their strong finishing of the 2025 Iron Butt Rally.
I remember my fingers tingling with excitement and nervousness as Greg and I talked. I must admit that at times, even though I was hearing him, I wasn’t really listening. In my mind, the wheels were spinning. I was thinking about adventure – riding Europe and putting a big “X” on that important Bucket List item.
True to his kind and inclusive nature, Greg essentially invited me to go on that first phone call. It took everything in my will not to say “yes”. Three things were holding me back. First, I needed to formulate a simple budget for the trip, just to make sure I wasn’t putting us into any kind of bind. Second, I needed to discuss this with my wife. Greg was planning a month-long excursion. In almost 40 years of marriage, this would be the longest we are apart.
And lastly, I wanted and requested a Zoom call with the others. I wanted to manage and express expectations. I could envision a scenario whereby we get halfway around the world, and we want different things. That would really put a damper on the trip. I was pleased that the others humored me with a call. And it was a great call, indeed. We all have similar expectations with respect to things like daily ride distances, accommodations and food, things we would like to see, etc. I shared that on this trip I hoped to have opportunities to do a little day hiking. See some waterfalls, etc. The others assured me that there would be plenty chances for that.
And then the discussion turned toward planning. Greg made it clear that for the entirety of the month, we were not going to make any reservations for lodging. The priority was to head in a general direction, but not be pressed to be anywhere. Take weather into consideration, and then just ….. go. In the midafternoon every day, we would look at what is available nearby and stay there. Our group would consist of 3 men, and a married couple – a lodging challenge to be sure. But Greg assured us that we were visiting at an off-peak time, and that places would be available.
I remember getting SO excited about the thought of this. What an incredible concept! No plans – just … ride. Don’t worry about anything – focus solely on exactly where you are and what you see right now. And this says nothing about the opportunity. We would be a small group of mature and experienced riders. We would be led by someone with extensive experience of the entire region. I threw together a rudimentary budget. It’s expensive, but I got the money. All the while, my wife is hearing about this, and while she wasn’t thrilled about the idea of being separated for a month, she was encouraging me. She knew I would enjoy this, and the opportunity was incredible.
I hemmed and hawed for a week or so. And then one day, I read about a fellow motorcyclist that died from chronic illness. I knew him fairly well, and he wasn’t much older than I am. On the motorcycle forum, we shared condolences and discussed his life. Of course I was saddened by Mike’s passing, but honestly, more than anything else, I felt a sense of urgency. I sat there blessed in my good health and my good fortune. But I also understood my own mortality and I had no illusions about it. Like all of us, my days are numbered and no one knows how long we have left. My thoughts immediately wandered to my European opportunity, and then it was crystal clear:
If not now, then….when?
I emailed the others with my official “I’m in” decision, and over the next 4-ish months, we all prepared for the trip. Motorcycle rental arrangements, airline tickets, insurances, licenses and paperwork, new motorcycle gear, etc. It all came together piece by piece.
This ride report will be an exercise in futility. I will try to the very best of my ability to describe in words and pictures how the trip went. But I must warn you – I will likely fail you miserably. No camera can capture the depth of field required to picture what I’m about to show you. And I’m quite certain that I don’t have the words to describe the beauty and fun we all had during our ride. But I will try, none the less.
This report will come 1 or 2 days at a time. There will be some gaps between installments, and I thank you in advance for your patience. I want to write this right, pardon the pun. And any writer will tell you, it comes when it comes.
I hope you enjoy the pictures.
