So much better than the M50.
Route66 is probably the most famous stretch of road on the planet.
It’s a highway that dissects the beautifully mad beast that is America; a journey from the east coast to west coast, travelling through the heartlands, warts and all.
I had the immense good fortune to do about two thirds of it back in October 2014. I was part of the Temple Street Route66 team.
My fellow comedian PJ Gallagher did the first part from Chicago to Albuquerque, but had to go home to attend a wedding.
I flew into Albuquerque to take over the reins and the next 8 days or so were some of the most memorable of my life as we travelled by motorcycle all the way to Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
When I joined the Temple Street team, one of the first towns we rolled was Gallop, Arizona which is an American Indian plantation town.
After a long day, the fifty Irish bikers walked into the local saloon where there was about 7 or 8 American Indians playing pool across the bar.
Upon seeing us pile in, they all immediately opened their jackets to reveal their pistols, as if to say ‘don’t act the maggot here, or else’.
Jaysus!
The great thing about Irish people is that within half an hour we were having the craic with them and playing pool and we had a brilliant night there!
I don’t have a motorcycle licence so I travelled as a pillion passenger for the journey, but what a way to see America.
I was on the back of a Honda Goldwing for the entirety of the journey and the comfort was second to none.
It was like travelling on a very fast armchair such was the comfort.
There were so many highlights along the way – travelling through the Mojave Desert, seeing the Grand Canyon and the LAPD escort as we entered Los Angeles as a convoy of about 60 motorcycles.
Only POTUS gets that kind of cavalcade!
As we drove through LA, the police were zooming ahead stopping all traffic from merging onto the highway.
All the cars stopped by the LAPD started beeping and we were thinking, ‘what sound lads these Los Angeles folk are, giving us a big warm welcome.’
When we looked a bit closer at their faces we could see they were actually raging that this random group of bikers were getting a police escort into the City of Angels!
“Who the hell are those guys with the LAPD?!”
Due to work commitments I had to cut the trip short and I’ve always regretted not being able to finish it off.
But here’s Budweiser with €50k and the chance to dream big.
It’s whetted my appetite to do it again, but this time the whole route from start to finish.
I want to dream big on a motorcycle and do the most iconic road on the planet. Again.
If you want to Dream Big with thanks to Budweiser and live your American Dream to the value of €50,000 then head over to the Budweiser Facebook Page or visit BudDreamBig.ie to enter. Over 18s only. Please enjoy Budweiser responsibly, visit DrinkAware.ie
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