Stamping Time

We've had some funky weather lately. My riding has been cold and wet and often, both. I'm not complainging--it's better than not riding at all. But the times are a changin' .  The weather reports for the coming weekend will plung Chicagoans into serious summer heat. For me, it is never too hot to ride.  So, I'm heading to Iowa.

Last season I purchased a "Passport: To Your National Parks" book to collect stamps from National Parks, Historical Landmarks and Monuments, Battlefield sites, National Seashores and a host of other sites in the U.S. National Parks Service Program.

I mostly bought the passport book in consideration of another Iron Butt Association ride, this one is their National Parks Tour, which requires a visit to 50 sites in 25 states within one calendar year. This sounds doable until you take out a map and realize linking 25 states together in a short midwestern ride season will be a challenge. But a few weeks ago, the bug bit me try this tour. Why not just do it? Even if I don't complete the tour, my efforts will not be wasted--it's a win-win for me.  

Too bad I didn't grab a stamp or two on my way back from VA last week. Oh well...this gives me another reason (like I need one) to get back to the VA area.  So, it is official stamp collecting time.

My first stamp pursuit will be this weekend as I head to Harpers Ferry, IA to visit the Effigy Mounds National Monument. I wish it were farther away, as the entire trip will be under 600 miles.  If I'm going to have a decent showing in the BMW MOA mileage program, I'm going to need to up my weekly mileage, which is another way of saying, add more fun to the diet! 

Whether I make my 15,000 miles goal I've set for myself, is relevant only to me. Yes, I'm goal driven--probably too goal-driven for some but I take no prisoners. This is my riding goal that only needs to make sense to me. Nothing works for me like a nice long, long ride to cure the dark corners of my life/work.

First stamp coming up!