I first learned of Gary France when he posted a comment to my 4 Bucket List Rides in the West story. I reached out to him because he mentioned that he did this epic solo journey of America—21,000 miles, 27 states, 20 weeks—and he wrote a book about it. The most interesting part is that he hails from England! I wanted to learn more.
Gary France on his Harley-Davidson Road King riding through America. Gary left a career as a project management executive to pursue his passion for motorcycling, travel, writing and photography. Gary is an incredible photographer capturing shots like this of Zion National Park. His dream was to ride a Harley-Davidson across America. At age 53, he set out on his Road King that he had flown over to the U.S., and embarked on an incredible life-changing journey where his heart progressively took over from his head as he lived out his dream of a lifetime.
Time out for some inspiration. Please share or Pin this image!
Thanks to Gary France for this great photo of Moki Dugway in Southern Utah. Click here to see more motorcycle inspired quotes you can share.Gary captured incredible shots, like this one of Agathla Peak located south of Monument Valley, Arizona. It is 1,500 feet tall.
Watch this video for a glimpse of all that Gary witnessed on his tour of the breathtaking United States!
Gary’s motorcycle journey uncovers roads and byways many of us in the U.S. are not even aware of like Skyline Drive in Canon City, Colorado, a breathtaking narrow strip of paved roadway on the ridge of a mountain. The whole experience allowed Gary to let go of his results-oriented approach to become a person who relaxed and enjoyed both journeys: the one on the road and the one that saw him changing his life.Gary started in the New England states and ended his journey four months later in the desert states. Setting out with no intention of writing a book, but simply enjoying the journey, Gary started writing a daily blog. As it became increasingly popular with readers around the world, Gary decided to transform his entries into a 400-page coffee-table book called France in America. This hefty, full-color hard cover book measures 11 ½ by 11 ½ inches and will surely grab attention on your coffee table.Gary has pictures of places in America that will have you wondering if that’s even in the U.S., like this curvy stretch of highway that leads to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. This looks like Europe to me!Indulging in Gary’s book will inspire you to approach your motorcycle road trips differently, with more heart and openess to the unexpected. Seeing images like this one Gary took of Hackberry General Store on historic Route 66 in Arizona makes one want to hop on his or her motorcycle and start exploring America!
Watch this video of point-of-view riding shots of Gary’s journey.
To learn more, and to order Gary’s book, visit GarySFrance.com.After his return from this life-changing touring adventure, Gary got back into the work force running a motorcycle tour business taking riders across to Europe to Harley-Davidson rallies. Visit Tour1.co.uk for more information.
I wish I could visit these beautiful places.Great article.
That sounds great! And the pics are really nice.
Beautiful. I would love to travel this great country of ours.