by Bill Gedye

Well, here I am on the way to South Dakota, I think, but the sign ahead says “BISMARCK…..420 mi”….somewhere around Billings, I-90 split off into I-94 and I have to get back on track.

Normally, this would have meant a meltdown, but I have been on the road long enough, and recalled some Clement Salvadori which said something like: “the destination is not the journey, getting there is”. OK, so now I can pull over to the shoulder and pull out the trusty Rand-McNally to find out exactly where I am and where it is I want to be, and how to get there.

The beauty of this whole exercise is, if it hadn’t happened, I would have never known about Custer, Montana, and a deserted 2 lane, rolling ride through the Montana countryside beside the Little Big Horn River. Much like the central interior of B.C., there are scattered trees along the river itself, but the rest is gently rolling hills of golden grass.

Away from the noisy 20 inch wheels of the I-94 B trains, this little connecting strip of rural road was an oasis of peace – the only things I could hear was the wind against my helmet and the hum of my trusty 1100. Thirty miles later, I was into Hardin, Montana and the Custer battlefield….

…and back on track, headed south on I-90 toward Sheridan, Wyoming, then farther east to Mount Rushmore and beyond.

Putting miles on the US superslabs is one thing, and its not boring, if you approach it the right way…did you know that I-90 runs right through the middle of Custer’s Little Big Horn Battlefield? Also, remember the highway ads for WALL DRUGS in South Dakota? I’ve never seen anything like that except for photos of the old BURMA SHAVE highway ads…and right in the middle of all this, in a place where you would least expect, is a billboard for BUTCHART GARDENS in Victoria…just like the one at the top of my street.

Its not too hard to get lost, even with the good maps and compass, etc., just look at the confusing highway signs around the Coquihalla at HOPE, B.C., and on the TCH through Kamloops…even if you know where you are going, you can end up on the way to Banff, instead of Cranbrook.

Next time you’re lost, try to remember old Clement, and shift mental gears from the meltdown mode to “I just wonder what the next curve in the road will bring?”…toward seeing something new…even if its just an exit you haven’t taken before so you can turn around. Enjoy the journey itself and accept part of these diversions as an interesting interlude in your ordered world.

Keep on keepin’ on.
Bill Gedye
Two Wheel Tales