Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana?s Glacier National Park should be on every motorcyclist?s must-ride list. (Photos by the author)

As motorcyclists, we feel drawn to the open road. As Americans, we want to take in as much of what our country has to offer as we can. And as human beings ? especially if we?re of a certain age ? we want to see our family and friends face-to-face, to hug them and shake their hands and hear and tell stories new and old. Phone calls and texts help us stay in touch, but they are a poor substitute for the real deal. I decided to check all the boxes with a cross-country motorcycle trip.

I live in Southern California, and I have family and friends all over this great nation, from sea to shining sea. I?ve ridden cross-country many times before, but I was overdue for a special lap around America, one where I could see the sights and visit the important people in my life without a strict agenda or schedule. When I opened a Dove chocolate and saw the advice ?Live every day with no regrets, it?ll be worth it? inside the wrapper, it felt like a calling. I packed my gear and headed east.
Visiting loved ones like my Uncle Bud in New York was the highlight of the trip.

Family Roots

Back in 1940, my grandparents loaded up their ?37 Packard with all their belongings, including my 10-year-old father, Mark, and his 7-year-old younger brother, Bernard (where I got my middle name) and headed west. Leaving Youngstown, Ohio, they made their way to Route...