Standing atop the memorable Grand Canyon in Arizona, senior Alexa Harris thinks back to the past grueling 500 miles she just traveled with her father on the back of his 2008 Goldwing motorcycle and realizes it was all worth it. The boiling sun had beat down on her relentlessly, and a few times she had even come close to tears. But now, she felt invincible. She knew she could tough out the hundreds of miles left of the road trip to get back to Springdale, AR.
This past summer, senior principal Aaron Harris and his daughter traveled throughout the west with construction management teacher Stowe Hoffius on their motorcycles. They sped through Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Nevada. Mr. Harris and Mr. Hoffius had taken similar trips the past three summers and loved it.
“Last summer, when I was driving I thought, ‘Man, I gotta take Alexa next summer.’,” said Mr. Harris.
The group left July 6and returned home on July 16. During their travels, the three stopped at different tourist sites such as the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, Yellowstone National Park, various caves, traveled on a part of Route 66, and more.
“My favorite part of the trip was walking down the Vegas Strip,” said Alexa.
Mr. Harris’s most enjoyable element of their journey was awakening each morning to the fresh air of the open road.
“I loved waking up in the morning, getting back on the bike, and knowing you were going to see things you’d never seen before,” said Mr. Harris.
Mr. Harris and his daughter both agree that the most memorable sight to see on the trip was non other than the Grand Canyon. With its glorious views, this tourist spot is sure bring a mix of emotions.
“I’ve seen it before,” said Mr. Harris, “but every time you see it, it’s somehow different than the last time.”
Of course, riding on motorcycles across the country can being dangerous. On their journey, they faced harsh weather and the danger of falling asleep. At one point during the trip, Alexa Harris fell asleep on the back of the bike and only woke up due to her helmet bumping into her father’s helmet.
“It really freaked me out,” said Alexa. “We turned up the music to keep me awake just in case.”
Along their journey, Mr. Harris and his daughter stopped to get matching tattoos of the sun along the Vegas strip before heading home.
“We wanted to get something that would help us be able to always remember the trip and how much fun we had on it,” said Alexa.
To avoid being defeated by the weather, they hooked a small trailer to the back of the motorcycle equipped with raingear and clothing suited for the frigid Colorado mountains.
“You have to be ready for anything out on the bike,” said Mr. Harris.
At the end of the trip, Alexa was glad to be home. She had had enough of the demanding weather and the uncomfortable seat of the motorcycle. But, it is something that she will never forget.
“I will treasure that trip forever,” she said, “and I would love to do it again.”