The Pursuit of Happiness

Motorcycling traditionally has been about experiencing freedom. And, personally, I’ve found some of my greatest contentment on two wheels. But when cresting a hill in southern Virginia – locals call it the Wilderness – I met a brand-new adventure bike with all the farkles that was travelling toward me. And I felt a twinge. A tiny surge of desire that began to grow into a perverse wish that my 2006 Suzuki V-Strom, with all its kilometres, would kick so that I “had” to upgrade. I couldn’t justify the purchase, but if my old motorcycle died…

However, I was soon distracted by a sign for Monticello on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Va. Monticello was the stately home of the nation’s third president and, as I stepped onto the property’s expansive lawn under shady locust trees, I was welcomed by Thomas Jefferson himself. (I suspect he may have been an actor.) He proceeded to engage us, his guests, in conversation ranging from the workings of his 2,000-hectare plantation to his philosophical and political views. He was so convincing that I had to remind myself what year it was.

I HAD HEARD THAT HARPERS FERRY ROAD WAS A GOOD MOTORCYCLE RIDE. THEY WEREN’T WRONG!

As I wandered the grounds, other