Anthony and Stephanie Worley

I am your average middle-aged man turned 41 this year. When I turned 35 it hit a little harder than any other age. I suppose that I have begun to realize for the last 20 years I’ve worked to the extreme with little to show for it other than the friends and family neglected and my quick burning of the candle at both ends.

I remember my first introduction to riding the open road from a friend right around 21 years ago. He let me borrow his motorcycle for a week riding the country roads of North and South Carolina. I immediately became intoxicated with the feel of freedom and mastering two-wheel travel with the wind surrounding you and no obstruction to view.

I began with an inexpensive Yamaha V-Star 650 cruiser. I went through sport bikes, cruisers, choppers, and touring. I never kept a motorcycle though with joining the Army, moving frequently, and working long hours. However, I never lost the desire.

Several years ago, I met a man I worked with who had 4 Gold Wings. His health was failing and I helped him with a few things he needed done at times. Before he passed, he gave me a 1987 Gold Wing 1200. The fuel was then dumped on the fire and I’ve kept a motorcycle ever since!

My father had always talked about building his own Harley and riding across the country on it. Much of my background made the Harley Davidson my dream bike. Recently I purchased a 2023 HD Road Glide.

My wife and I have been married 6 years now and she had never ridden a motorcycle before mostly because she feared them. It was a difficult task to get her comfortable but fortunately she is gaining her own appreciation for the ride.

My wife and I found ourselves with some time off work simultaneously. More time than I am used to having. I realized that I needed something to show for both my excessive work habits and the free time I now had. I thought of my dad’s dream that he never achieved before he passed. I thought of how my wife and I both needed to get away. Time would not allow us both a cross country trip but a long-distance ride was still very much possible.

Neither one of us had ever been to Key West, Florida but I had been wanting to go for a few years. I may have been out on the bike all day and Stephanie had a few hours at a time but this was big. Cincinnati, Ohio to Key West, Florida on a motorcycle. We agreed, even with the hesitation that turned into excitement and determination, that this we will do.

I planned our route and booked our stays with calculation to complete 1000 miles in 24 hours. Rain was in the forecast but the opportunity and timing required that we just submit to it. We avoided much of the rain until we got into Florida but even that was short lived and passed quickly. As we got towards the end of our challenge, I was glad for the spare time we had to stop a little extra and stretch our legs while resting our butts. Stephanie found use for a travel pillow from Walmart to help cushion her seat a little.

We reached our 1000 miles on the Florida turnpike but the exits were spaced some 45 miles apart. I had to get gas before and after reaching the mark but still had 30 minutes to spare after driving 1031 miles.

I had to get my first 1000 miles service at Miami Harley. We caught the Fourth of July parade in Key Largo and crossed the Seven Mile Bridge. We saw the Southern Most Point of the Continental United States, found a love for the Cuban Sandwich, and even met a couple from Cincinnati. My wife said it is such a different view and perspective to take a trip on a motorcycle because you see more and in another way.

On the way home we made up for the break in rain. We got hit a few times with some good down pouring and faced some intense winds at one point. We also found out later that three of the days on our trip were record high temperatures. When we got home, we totaled just over 3000 miles for our trip. It was sort of a cross country and I’m keeping that as a goal. Stephanie made sure I knew that she had bragging rights too. She wants her own certification. Full disclosure, she threatened to take mine if hers doesn’t work out!