The long drive home is never as exciting as the initial drive to your destination, or at least I thought. Albeit a sleepy adventure from my various vodka induced Minneapolis musings, I was ready to take on the road and head out to visit Chicago. The road however had a different plan for me that lead me away from my initial destination only to return a day later on the back of a tow truck.

While exploring Iowa City was exciting in a drunken stupor kind of way that only a college town can provide, I wanted to continue my travels the problem was after Iowa my plans ran out. This was that wing it point where I figured I’d stumble upon or just ride out and find my way along somewhere. I found myself going back and forth from Denver to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul but unsure where I wanted my journey to extend. If I headed out west the trip would have to be well calculated so that I made it back home by the end of June and while Minnesota was north I could circle back around and just make this a mid-west motorcycle trip and make it home in time to work a local festival putting some money back in my wallet.

I found my way up to Iowa City, well okay actually I was staying in Coralville but whenever we ventured out to enjoy the town Iowa City was where it happened. I got to explore the university, help a friend move through bribes of beer and wine and enjoy a few visits to the Ped Mall which is not your ordinary mall. Who knew that after traveling through miles of corn you could stumble onto something other than a tractor.

Lover.Kitty, 'Monkeys Thinking' June 27, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

While road trips are not an uncommon experience few have the privilege to enjoy the journey atop a motorcycle. The differences are subtle yet vast greatly at the same time. Completely exposed to the elements with no distractions I kind of picture myself as a modern cowmonkey (Not sure if cowboy would apply and cowmonkey sounds like a weird genetics experiment gone wrong but you get the point). I have my steed – a Honda Shadow 1300, my cowboy hat – a helmet and whatever other things that I can pack on the bike although my pack has a few electronics.

After my exciting wet ride I finally made it to Jasper, Indiana. Now I know what you are thinking, why of all places did I pick this one? Well my fur less friend, I had the chance to visit a friend I haven’t seen in years. And while the location was in the middle of nowhere, the chance to visit friends is always worth the trip.