Hobby for Two, Please
- davisnika
- Aug 3
- 5 min read
My husband and I have been married for over 36 years and have been riding two-up for nearly seven years. I have to admit, we haven’t had many hobbies that intersect quite like riding. Over the years, we have tried wake surfing, scuba diving, and hiking, but riding is the only one that stood the test of time and we both enjoy.
About fifteen years ago, we bought a boat with the intent of wakeboarding. Well, we found out we weren't as young as we thought, and wiping out was painful... sometimes for days. We transitioned into wake surfing and really enjoyed it for a while. The speed of the boat was much slower, and wiping out was a thing of the past as you could either let go of the rope (if still having to use it) or simply get off the wake and sink down nice and slow. The hubs was the first in the family to successfully wake surf without the rope. The problem was we needed others around for both of us to enjoy... let's just say I wasn't very good at driving the boat. It was good for a period of time, but fizzled out.
Scuba diving had potential, but I just couldn’t get over my fears. The hubs had been diving for quite some time, and our children (and now their spouses) got certified as well. I am certified, but I do not dive. I don’t think breathing underwater is natural. I am also slightly (okay, severely) afraid of sharks. Diving vacations still occur, but I either stay on the beach, snorkel, or track my family members diving below (a dive boat captain taught me how to track the bubbles)!
Once I started hiking, I couldn’t get enough, but it is also something I didn'tt want to do alone. It is very obvious to me that he doesn’t love it the way I do, but I appreciate his willingness to spend time with me doing something I love (other than shopping). In addition, my love of hiking is integrated into our motorcycle trips on a regular basis. If you read “Compromising Trips,” you are fully aware of my desire to do and see it all.
The hikes we do in conjunction with riding are not extensive, but they are a great opportunity to stretch our legs. Our one-mile hike at Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico, is a great example. We got off the bike, I changed shoes, and off we went. We selected the Crater Rim Trail, a paved loop around the rim of the volcano. I prefer a natural trail to pavement, but this hike still had moderately steep climbs and descents. While viewing the crater is the primary objective, at the highest point on the trail it is said land formations in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma can be seen on a clear day.
Another great hike and bike adventure is Joshua Tree National Park. Skull Rock is literally right off the road, but Arch Rock and Heart Rock involve some hiking and persistence. The 1.6-mile out and back hike is easy, but locating the Heart Rock was a little more difficult than we thought. Nevertheless, we had success!
Our most recent hikes occurred at Glacier National Park. The first was the Hidden Lake Trail. It was a little over four miles out and back, but included stairs... never-ending stairs! We are in our 50s, and our knees aren't what they used to be. Nevertheless, we conquered and saw a grizzly off in the distance. The very next day, the park closed the trail due to grizzly activity. Uh, is this the reason bear spray is always recommended? Speaking of bear spray, while riding, he mounted it to the bike. Let's face it, if a bear needed to be sprayed, it is best at his fingertips because this girl has flight issues.
The second hike in Glacier National Park was lengthier, but no stairs! We hiked the Avalanche Lake Trail, and the end result of numerous waterfalls feeding into the lake was well worth it. We did see a fairly large bear paw print in the mud, and I regret not taking a picture.
Enough about hiking and back to us riding two-up. As I shared in my very first article, “You Want Me to Ride Backpack?”, I bought him his first Harley. I never dreamed I would love it the way I do. I recently read an article in Texas Highways Magazine that made reference to riding as “the bliss station.” Yes, that is how I feel. It is my happy place. I sent feedback to Texas Highways Magazine and was published in the Reader Feedback section.
Sometimes I think I want to go riding more than he does, but he travels quite a bit and sometimes he just wants to be home. However, if he is home, a honey-do list will be made. I have noticed if given the choice to go for a ride or complete an item on my honey-do list, a ride is always selected (winning)! Fortunately, we have several day rides in the area: Mount Scott, Oklahoma; TX FM 51 to Loco Coyote (written about in "A Taste of Texas"); Willow City Loop; and Talimena Scenic Byway, to name a few.
Riding also encompasses our personal hobbies: tinkering for him and shopping for me. Although there is much debate about whether shopping qualifies as a hobby, buying motorcycle gear satisfies my shopping urge. And if tinkering (which often results in a modification on the bike) is seen as a hobby, then shopping should be considered one too!
For us, riding as a couple is therapeutic. We spend quality time together. I stumbled across the "5 Hobby Rule" that suggested having five distinct hobbies can provide a more fulfilling life. It is broken down into the following categories: 1) a hobby that makes you money; 2) a hobby to keep you in shape (hiking and biking); 3) a hobby to keep you creative (I write as the Blonde Backpack... that is creative); 4) a hobby to build knowledge (I do quite a bit of research as the Blonde Backpack... learning about the 5 Hobby Rule is a case in point); and 5) a hobby to evolve your mindset (if you have ever ridden a bike, this is a no-brainer)! So, if I can figure out how riding can make us money, we will have succeeded with the 5 Hobby Rule through one activity.
We recently returned from a 22-day motorcycle ride covering over 6,000 miles, 11 states, and four national parks. We hiked, white-water river rafted, ate a lot of huckleberries (Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho were visited), and enjoyed the overall aspect of riding two-up. If you are looking for something to enjoy together, look no further, as according to a Turkish proverb, "No road is too long when you have good company."
The Blonde Backpack
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