3 N.B. women get their kicks biking on Route 66
The 3 left Saint John on motorcycles May 20 and are more than halfway through the 18,000 km ride
O'Connell and two of her friends, Bonnie Antoniuk of Geary and Sheryl Deveaux of Lincoln, both near Fredericton, are more than halfway through a ride of about 18,000 km across the continent and back.
The trio, all of them in their 50s, departed from Saint John on May 20 and arrived in western Canada this week after driving up the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica, California, where they'd reached the western end of Route 66. They expect to take another two weeks to get home to New Brunswick.
The travelling companions met through motorcycling. Antoniuk and O'Connell have each been riding for about 15 years, Deveaux for six.
From
left, O'Connell, Deveaux and Antoniuk. The women have been getting lots
of respect and encouragement from people they’ve met along the way. (Cheryl O'Connell/Facebook)
Deveaux is retired from the military. Antoniuk is also retired, and O'Connell works Irving Oil.
It was O'Connell's idea to drive Route 66. She was attracted by its iconic status and the challenge it presented. Antoniuk and Deveaux jumped at the opportunity to join the adventure and see new sights.
"Life is short. If you have a dream, don't wait," said Antoniuk.
"We only get one chance … and something bad can happen home sitting in a recliner."
Deveaux agreed.
"You can sit on the couch, watch life pass you by and the sun go up and the sun go down. Or you can just seize every moment you can. And just be joyful and kind. It's just about being in the moment."
Sheryl Deveaux stands before the Grand Canyon, which they took a detour to see. (Sheryl Deveaux/Facebook)
Biking is a full-body, immediate experience, said Antoniuk, who rides a 2013 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe.
"You feel the temperature. You smell the smells, be they good or bad. You feel the wind."
"It's such an empowering feeling of freedom. You feel like you're in that environment as you're riding through it," she said.
Deveaux finds biking is therapeutic.
"You can be on your bike for two hours and it's like six sessions of therapy. Everything just releases," she said.
"You just are focused on the road, the scenery … It brings me such peace."
The highlights of the trip so far have included "jaw dropping" views of the Grand Canyon and "old-school" towns, said Deveaux.
"I felt like I was in a movie," she said.
Antoniuk had a couple of scary moments while driving in heavy traffic in major cities.
Standing
beneath the sign marking the end of Route 66 was a joyful moment, said
Antoniuk, as they completed a major leg of their trip. (Cheryl O'Connell/Facebook)
Having no navigation system of her own, she had to "really pull it together and twist the throttle to make sure she didn't lose the other two bikes."
The Pacific Coast has held the greatest challenge so far for Deveaux, who's of smaller stature and is riding a 2018 Indian Scout, which is a lighter bike.
"The wind will blow you around like a rag doll," she said. "You lean into the wind and then the wind changes direction."
One of the most intense moments was an extreme temperature drop when entering Los Angeles, said O'Connell.
They were dressed lightly when they were suddenly hit by the cold, and there was nowhere to stop on the five-lane highway for about 40 minutes.
But it's been even more challenging mentally than physically, she said. While driving past incredibly beautiful landscapes — like vineyards and redwood forest — you also have to keep your head in the game to stay safe.
The women have been getting lots of respect and encouragement from people they've met along the way — envious seniors who've said they always wanted to do something like this, girls who've said they think it's the coolest thing they've ever seen and men who've said, "Wow, I'd never do that."
Winslow, Arizona, was a highlight for Antoniuk, famous because of the Jackson Brown-Glenn Frey song, Take it Easy. (Sheryl Deveaux/Facebook)
They've actually surprised themselves by what they've been able to do.
Antoniuk has chronic heart disease and has had two cardiac arrests. By the second day, her back was already hurting. But a day or two later, she got into a groove.
"I'm amazed at my stamina and my riding ability through these huge cities," she said.
Deveaux also had doubts about being physically able to complete the trip and has been taking it one day at a time.
Encouragement from her companions helped her push through this week, to reach one destination that was very meaningful to her — a cape along the Pacific that her brother had visited shortly before he died in an accident nine years ago. She spread some of his ashes there.
The
wind was challenging but the views, like this one of the Oregon coast,
were spectacular along the Pacific Coast Highway, they said. (Bonnie Antoniuk/Facebook)
"We've supported each other each day and some days are easier than others," said O'Connell.
"We just pick each other up and keep moving."
The best is yet to come for O'Connell — a visit with her grandchildren when they reach Alberta.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Information Morning Saint John
Yea Right
Everything has risks. As one of the riders points out, "something bad can happen home sitting in a recliner." For these women, the full-body, immediate experience is worth the associated risks.
Be safe. Live every day like it's the last one!
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