There’s a difference between being a biker and being a guy who owns a motorcycle.

I own a motorcycle.  Several of the guys in the photo below are actual bikers.

(Hey, extra points if you can pick them out.)

It’s never been a part of my character or ambition to be a biker.  I just wanted to learn how to ride and wanted to own a motorcycle.

Done and done.

Okay, so now what?

Luckily, I’m friends with a few guys who are actual bikers and they know exactly what to do.

They get on their bikes and ride.

That’s how I found myself on Angeles Crest Highway a couple of weekends ago, on a ride to Newcomb’s Ranch Restaurant and Bar.

It’s at halfway point on the road to Wrightwood.  I’ve never taken Angeles Crest over the hill to Wrightwood, but I’ve seen parts of it while covering snow, lost hiker and fire stories for my station.

There were a lot of bikes and cars filling the parking lot.  I’m pretty sure, I’d hesitate to venture there by myself on a weekend morning.

I’m lucky to have had a few friends who blazed this trail before and were thoughtful enough to invite me to tag along on the ride.

There’s a big wide world out there and I’ve seen a lot, but even with all I’ve seen and done as a news photographer, what I’ve seen adds up to less than one percent of it.

There’s so much to do and so little time.  I’m really thankful to my friends for sharing with me what they know and have seen.

Yeah, it kind of makes me want to go out for ride right now.  Too bad I’ve got to go to work today.

Well, it’s too bad unless I get to see and do something really cool.

That’s always a possibility.