From the Backseat of a Bike... #2

My view...

As I type, I am overlooking what I would guess to be the prettiest view in all of North Dakota: Sheyenne State Forest. And the guys are all sleeping in their tents to avoid the horrible mosquitoes as much as possible. I would have to be under some sort of mosquito net right now too to type this if I had any blood left in me… but I think the blood sucking bugs did a good job at getting all of my blood last night as I attempted to sleep under the stars.

By the time I realized that it was not the best idea to go “tentless” when the wind died down and the bugs literally attacked me from all sides, it was too late to attempt to set up my own tent. So I retreated to sweating in my sleeping bag as I tried to escape the biting nuisances. I held my sleeping bag tightly closed. Every once in a while I would peak my head out for a breath of air every once in a while to try to cool down and would be greeted by a mouthful of bugs, and a few lucky blood-suckers would squeeze through the hole to feast on my blood inside my sleeping bag each time.

When the guys get up I will tell them that they missed out on the shooting stars and the beautiful clouds, and the full moon, (which is true, I saw four shooting stars and I was keeping track so I could rub it in their faces this morning). And I will tell them that getting sprinkled on is actually quite refreshing… but that’s only because I’m stubborn. In reality, I didn’t sleep last night at all, and I will be exhausted biking today.

The Sheyenne Forest was beautiful, the sunset was spectacular, and the shots of the guys and their bikes in the field overlooking the forest were truly worth the “horrific” mosquito experience.

the sky was truly magnificent...

and the gravel road through the farms and forests along the river was amazing...

It hasn’t been like that every night, though. Let me back up and share a little bit of what it is like to travel on motorcycle with Chad, Dwayne and Nate…

The Roe Family Singers with friends

The guys reconnected with me in Minneapolis… and for a few days, I got to be the tour guide of what has been my city for the past six years. How thankful I am for that time… time for me to say goodbye to my dear friends and community; time for good conversations, good food and laughter; time for getting completely out of my apartment (thanks to Chad, Dwayne and Nate for moving the furniture… couldn’t of have done it without you guys!) I never expected to be able to go to small group once more, or to the Somali Mall, or to the Roe Family Singers at the 331. 

Small Group at Diana's house

Matt's Famous Juicy Lucy

the guys helped me move.

I never expected to share a special afternoon of games and food with Caitlyn and Molly and their growing families (how precious Aleah, Sophie and Addy are!), or a couple of hours of conversation with Coach Charlie, or to see baby Soren again and catch up at the Aus’ over pizza, or to have brunch with my roommate and Bill. So sweet to share some of that with Chad, Dwayne and Nate! So special to be reminded of the gift of friends, of wise counsel, of my church! God is good! I couldn’t of have planned it more perfect… I even got to take the guys to Matt’s for Juicy Lucy’s!

lunch at my apartment. 

mapping out the journey ahead...

Then we hit the road again. (After a difficult time of getting out of Minneapolis due to unplanned car break-ins, and last minute food that I wanted to try to fit onto the already packed bikes.)

Bye to my dear roommate, Christine!

I thought in order to save money we should just empty out our cupboards and fridge. I always forget that we are traveling on three already overloaded motorcycles. And anything extra we want to bring usually ends up going in Nate’s top box. Nate has been so gracious, and so positive… but I am starting to realize that that doesn’t mean it’s okay to try to put a huge jar of applesauce and leftover spaghetti noodles in there.

“I can fit that in my top box.” -Nate

Funny how you can remember everything you eat on road trips… and it’s a big deal. It seems like every meal is served and eaten like it could be our last. Mary gave us some amazing blueberry pancakes before we left Lewisburg. (Still remember those!) 

Enjoying Duluth, MN

Me with the gang... Nate, Dwayne and Chad

our drive through WI... check!

Food has become a major topic. We always talk about how much money we spent on food that day, and pat ourselves on the back if we made it cheap! We had ice-cream in Duluth, and I bought a few snacks at the gas station, and we bought some chai tea in Bemidji.

Otherwise, after our big leftover spaghetti, we live on our canned goods and granola bars,and are eager for stops at non-chain food diners along the way... but I loved setting up for lunch by the St. Croix river just south of Duluth. 

Chad and I have dropped our bike a few more times… the first time I thought it was a real big deal, and that we could have died, (which was a little dramatic now that I think about it). Now, it’s just more embarrassing, and we usually try to get it up before Dwayne or Nate see.

Drop #3 for Chad and Me

“Chaddy, four times in 10 days, that puts you at 40 drops by the end of the trip.” –Dwayne 

(while he was still the only one who hadn’t dropped his bike…)

Drop #2 for Nate

The guys have all dropped their bikes now. The tallies are as follows:

Chad: 4

Dwayne: 3

Nate: 2

Drop #1 for Dwayne (this road was CRAZY!)

Drop #3 for Dwayne... notice that his top box spilled everywhere.

I dropped my favorite chap-stick at a stoplight in Minneapolis. (That counts as my big drop but I don't have a picture for it). It was a difficult loss for me, but the guys secretly are glad that I keep dropping things to lighten our load. =) 

Visitng Paul Bunyan and Babe in Bemidji

I knocked Chad's bike over at this church.

We swung through Bemidji in Northern Minnesota on the way out towards North Dakota. It was a stop for me, the guys were very gracious to spend the afternoon there… it changed our plans for the day, but it was very special to me. I was born in Bemidji. My parents went to Bible School there, and started their family. We drove by our old church, stopped at our old house, took pictures with Paul Bunyan and his ox, Babe. And then we visited Oak Hills Bible School and the Cemetery where my sister Rachel is buried. No one in my family has been back to visit her grave in many years, we had moved 22 years ago to Alaska and have only been back once as a family. That was special to me. For my brother, Isaiah, Rachel’s twin, I have a desire to be the sister to him that he lost in Rachel.

We loved the lakes and forests of Northern Minnesota. From behind Chad on the bike, it is truly breathtaking. The farms, and the sunsets driving west, and the woods and marshes, and countless lakes… at times it reminds me of Alaska a bit.

Finding a campsite can be tricky. I have been so impressed with these boys, the way they map out their journey, the way they explore the country, and the way they find state forests for free camping… even if it means driving down gravel and dirt roads with mud puddles and big grooves in the road. I am learning to trust Chad. It’s probably really good for our relationship =)

“Kevin would love this.” -Chad

The guys are quick to go to work. Nate and Dwayne trek through the woods gathering firewood, Chad begins setting up their campsites, making dinner, lubing their bike chains. The first night we all walked down to the water pump to wash our dishes together… I loved it. It felt like we were family, trying to survive on the land, poor travelers on a journey to nowhere specific, but everywhere at the same time.

"Get out the map." (everyone)

“We need to start praying here before we take off, we’ve gotten lucky so far.” -Dwayne

Dwayne found us a sweet campsite the second night camping. We didn’t make it as far as we expected because of our detour up to Bemidji… but it worked out well. I got to hang up my hammock and sleep under the stars! And the firewood was extremely abundant, so much so that Nate was concerned that we would burn down the forest.

I called that night “luxury camping”… and I think it may become more of our normal lifestyle on the road. Since I brought my laptop I also brought a few dvd’s, so we all squeezed into Nate’s two man tent… all four of us… to watch Brian Regan. After adjusting and readjusting, we finally got the tent zipped up. (I think Nate was worried we might rip his tent, but we wanted to be out of the bugs!) I scrunched to the bottom of the tent and propped the computer up on my knees, and the guys lay on a pad and a sleeping bag and scrunched in around the sides. I was already laughing so hard and Brian Regan hadn't even started!

Movie Night in Nate's Two-Man Tent

“At intermission we are all going to turn to the other side.” –Dwayne

Nate at the headwaters of the Mississippi...

the headwaters of the Mississippi...

So we spent longer in Minnesota than we thought. But it was an adventure. We saw the Mississippi headwaters, and some deer. And I have learned more about these boys that makes me even more proud to travel with them. As we were filling up on gas, I watched the guys talk with a fellow biker named Renee. The guys gave her a track and prayed over her bike… she loved to hear about their adventures, and was glad to have someone listen to hers, she is looking forward to retirement so she can do more biking as well. And had a lot of good advice for the guys.

The boys with our new friend, and fellow biker, Renee.

This trip can be a lot about our own adventure and our own “fun” time. But I have seen how the guys desire something more. They pray for chances to talk with people about Jesus, they see meeting up with a lady at a gas station as more important than finding a campsite or getting out on the road on time. They are truly enjoying the Creation God has made, and want to glorify Him in the way they are traveling and exploring and enjoying it!


"O Boy!" -Chad (and Dwayne too, sometimes)
(words I don't like to hear from Chad in my helmet as we are driving...)

Chad and me. 

Gas. Stretch. Rest. Small Towns. Love.

The largest structure in North America... the 2nd largest structure in the world
North Dakota

“__________ a small town with a big heart.” (fill in the blank). I have seen more small towns with this same motto… it must be the “thing” for small towns.

Hunter, North Dakota didn’t claim this on their welcome sign… but it may have the right to. I am still ranking places we stop for hospitality... small town Hunter, ND got a lot of points! What an amazing afternoon and lunch we had with some of the friendliest people we’ve met yet!

There’s something about small town café’s and bakery’s that make me want to pick up a pen and write. It may be the way everyone knows everyone. How people are content, and have a lot of things to talk about. How everyone that came into the café knew we were not only from out of town, but from Pennsylvania because they checked our license plates. How the same group of elderly friends gather at three o’clock everyday. How one man asked the waitress where the cook was, and how the waitress knew their names and what they wanted to eat and drink. We guessed that they were in their 70’s; but Merlin was 88 and Alberta was 83, and they had been married for 62 years. Born and raised in Hunter, ND. Dale, 80 years old, has also lived in Hunter his whole life.

 

The lady from the local paper came over to our table and asked us if she could interview us. And then the waitress filled up our water. And the elderly people from the table across from us wanted to hear about our adventures. There’s something about the way elderly people have time to listen, and laugh and just enjoy things that makes me want to live like that… I think in a way, that is what this journey is teaching me. It’s okay to start living like an elderly lady right now, having time for relationships and people, and listening to stories. We were blessed in Hunter; I pray that they too were blessed by us.

point of interest...

And that lunch led us onto a beautiful journey into the Sheyenne River Forest area… where the guys went up a steep, uneven four-wheeler trail to reach a valley to camp in, and where the bugs kept me awake all night. Dwayne woke up this morning talking about how the steady roar of mosquitoes woke him up at 4am. I didn’t want to say anything about what it was like without a tent barricading the bugs from your ears… Nate asked jokingly, “What lesson did God teach you last night?” I had honestly been wondering that. I kept praying for wind to blow the mosquitoes away but it didn't come, and in the thick of it, I couldn’t think of a single thing I was thankful for. =) 

But, when I got up I tried to think of things I was thankful for... and they are abundant. Even simple things like the fact that I had packed up all my stuff into waterproof bags before the rain came, and that I get to be riding behind Chad and hanging with these guys for a while. So many blessings to be thankful for!

i made the guys take this picture...

We’re now in South Dakota, with a new excitement for the journey ahead. With a deeper desire for Christ to encounter us, and a renewed determination to sense His pleasure while we ride, while we meet new people and get to know each other better. May He get all the glory!

We will update again soon so these posts don’t get so long…

Still thinking from the backseat, Hannah