A good friend of mine once told me that there’s no perfect time to take a vacation- there’s always some reason not to go. I’ve always tried to prove him wrong, but that won’t happen this year. There are many reasons not to go after the most challenging and fast paced year of my life.  My time working in economic development came to an end and I went ‘all in’ with politics as Leader of the Saskatchewan Liberals.  The amount of work I need to do in order to prepare for the next election seems insurmountable.  I felt very guilty about taking this tour.

One of the most important management lessons I ever learned was the importance of taking vacations. People become less productive over time without a break.  Time away should not be seen as a luxury- it is a necessity.

There. That’s my rationalization for embarking on my fourth great adventure into British Columbia on Silver, my 2003 Yamaha Roadstar Silverado 1600. Oh, here’s another reason:  it has been a really cold and rainy summer in Saskatchewan. I figure I need to head west to the hot sunshine of the BC interior.  Lastly and most importantly, it just seemed wrong not to go.  Over the past three years my bike tours have become sacred and they help prepare me mentally for the challenges that lie ahead.  I had to go.

Here’s a short recap of my tours so far:

Easy Rider Tour 2006: a 10 day journey to the Okanagan wine country, a quick trip to Vancouver, then home.
Ryan & Silver’s Excellent Adventure 2007: A 19 day journey to the Okanagan via the Kootenays, a weekend on a houseboat in the Shuswaps, back to the wine country, then a return home
Magical Mystery Tour 2008: A 22 day journey to Tofino on Vancouver Island, back to the Okanagan wine country, and then a return home via the Kootenays

This year: Little Miss Sunshine Tour 2009: A 20 day journey to Vancouver, a ride over to the Kootenays, back to the Okanagan wine country, and then a return home.  Time to escape the cold and rainy Saskatchewan summer.  Bring on the sunshine.