A road trip story

[Idaho]

This is kind of long.

Three years ago I loaded up my Suzi Volusia and headed out for a road trip from Idaho to Ohio and back. My Mother and one sister were moving back to Florida and I wanted to visit them before they headed south. (they have since moved back to Ohio) Anyway after a week long visit I left Mansfield, Ohio about 6:30 on a Friday morning determined to be home two days later on Fathers Day. I said my usual prayer before I left asking for guidance and protection. It was a great day for traveling, no serious weather all day. But, I was wearing my Blue Knights colors. Luckily I also had a travel bag over the passenger backrest sitting on the pillion that I was using as a backrest so you could not see much of my colors.

Well as I was rolling through Iowa I looked in my mirrors and noticed a tight formation of 6 to 8 bikes coming up real fast and staying together as a block in and out of traffic. My immediate thought was “outlaws”. I was in the left lane and started looking for a hole to move out of their way. When I checked the mirrors again they were filling up fast with motorcycles, those guys were going to go around me on both sides in one lane on the interstate! I rolled on the throttle and squirted in between two vehicles to get out of their way. As they went by I noticed that they were wearing Hells Angels colors from Chicago and L.A. and the last two guys in the formation turned and looked me over real close as they shot by. I started praying and asked that I did not find myself at the same stop as those guys for the remainder of the day. Spotted them three more times that day, either them at a stop as I went buy or vice versa but I never wound up at the same stop. Thank God.

I made it through Omaha, it was dark and raining cats and dogs and I could not see. Finally decided half way to Lincoln to call it quits and find a motel. Sign advertised one at the next exit so I took it. No indication at the stop sign which way the motel was so I went right. The motel was to the left. I turned around and spotted a car pulling into the parking lot just as I started to slow down to turn in. The trip odometer on the bike read 910 miles for the day. The Traveler walked into the motel front door as I was getting off the bike. When I walked into the lobby, dripping wet in my helmet and rain gear, the desk clerk looked and me and said that he only had one room left and that he was sorry but that the Traveler was here first. He explained that it was a smoking room…. Well, the Traveler said that he did not think his wife would want a smoking room and that he would go out and ask her. I’m dripping wet saying “Please, please, please God, let her say no.” Wouldn’t you know, she did and the traveler disappeared out the door.

I turned to the desk clerk and said “I’ll take it.”

Just then the motel phone rang and the clerk excused himself to get it. When I turned back to the door two BIG guys wearing helmets and rain suits walked in. Now I’m not a little guy, 6 feet and 220 lubs, but both of these dudes were bigger than me.

I said “Sorry gents, he has one room left and I just got it.”

The desk clerk had just finished his call and chimmed in “Yeah, but.”

Now, fear gripped me as I’m standing here thinking that I dodged the Hells Angels all day long and now this clerk is going to put me into a room with two huge bikers that I don’t know from Adam and I’m starting to say my prayers again. “Okay Lord, we have done real good so far today, don’t leave me now.” I look at the clerk “But what?” I ask.

He then explains that it is one large apartment with two bedrooms, one with two beds and a separate room all by itself with a door and that they share a common bathroom. I’m thinking to myself, “This can’t be happening, just great. Hey, Lord? Are you still with me here?”

I turned back to the two giants in front of me and give them a closer inspection as they too were looking me over. They had on nicer rain gear than I did so I figure that they are not outlaws. Outlaws would be out in this weather with a T-shirt and leather vest. They are looking at me and each other and I’m thinking they are probably sizing me up and that they figure they could kick my butt if they had to. I’m still praying and giving God credit for a great job so far and putting my trust in Him.

So I say “Hey, I don’t know you guys, but we are in the same boat here and the room does seem to fit our situation. So if you want to share I will be happy to do so.” I can’t even believe that I said it.

They look at each other and back at me one more time and said “It’s a deal.”

So, we get out our money and split the room fee and get registered. Room turned out to be a bargain at 21 bux each. On the way out the front door I ask their names and what they do. I just wanted to know if I was sharing the room with mass murderers. The older of the two tells me that he is a Corrections Officer from Wisconsin on an annual road trip with his son.

Hey, I can’t make this stuff up.

So we head for the room and I pile my stuff in the single room ( the one with the door ) and take off my raingear so that he can see my Blue Knights colors. I walk up to him with one of my Idaho State Police business cards that identified me as a Chaplain and handed it to him as he sat on the edge of one of the beds. I said “let me introduce myself” and handed him my card. He sat there and read it and all he said was “Perfect”.

We all slept like babies.

I’m telling you, prayer works. There is no way that all of this happened by chance.

Idaho