This feature was published in the August 2021 issue of Rider. (Photos by Eric Trow)

I was doing a valve adjustment on a vintage BMW at home in southwestern Pennsylvania as my then 13-year-old son Parker looked on. ?You know, Park, 20 years ago I rode a bike like this one across the country.? Pause. ?Maybe I should take a 20th anniversary ride to the West Coast and back.? Without hesitation, Parker replied, ?Make it the 25th anniversary and I?ll go with you!?   

The thought of traveling across the country by motorcycle with my son was a fabulous notion. But, while such an adventure with Dad might seem fantastical to a kid, surely new priorities would squeeze out this plan by the time he turned 18. Yet, Parker continued to research the trip, propose routes, and suggest must-see attractions. We pored over maps and travel books. We read Blue Highways ? him for the first time and me for the third ? about the wonders of traveling America?s two-lane highways. This whimsical idea was evolving from abstract to absolute. 
After five years of planning, father and son are ready to embark on their epic journey to discover America.

Click here to view the REVER map of Eric and Parker’s route

We still had his mother to convince. I reassured her Parker would first get the requisite training and emphasized how this trip would allow the boy to develop his skills while under my constant observation. I would avoid setting firm daily destinations and, inste...