My first guest stay as a Motorcycle Travel Network member

The closer I got to Cedar City, UT, the more apprehensive I became. I wasn't concerned about where I would spend the night, that had already been arranged. What made me apprehensive was whether I would reach my designated stop and quickly realize I had made a horrible mistake.

I've had that kind of experience before. When I was single I had my share of blind dates and there were several where I realized almost instantly that we were not at all a match, but at that point I was committed to spending the next several hours with this woman. Would it be the same here?

"Here," I should explain, was the home of DeLynn and Vickie, who are members of the Motorcycle Travel Network (MTN), and who had agreed to put me up for the night at their home in Cedar City. I am also an MTN member, but I was brand new and this was my first meeting with other members.

I joined the MTN in April of this year as I was preparing to head to Lauglin, NV, for the Laughlin River Run. Plotting my route in connection with the MTN site's listing of members, I saw that there were members in Cedar City and Kanab, both in Utah, and I hoped I'd be able to stay with one on the way out and the other on the way home. It turned out that the folks in Kanab were going to be gone when I was coming through but it would work out in Cedar City.

Reaching Beaver, UT, about 30 miles from Cedar City, I called ahead to let DeLynn and Vickie know I was near and to get directions to their house. I caught them as they were leaving for St. George to do some shopping. DeLynn told me I could come on by, though only the kids would be home, or I might while away a couple hours seeing what Cedar City had to offer. The idea of coming into a place where there were only children around did not appeal to me so I decided to check out the town.

Cedar City is not very big, however, so it wasn't long before I was sitting in the shade of a restaurant just killing time. Finally I got on the bike and followed DeLynn's directions to their place. I pulled in and parked but, still reluctant, I just had a seat on the walkway. The door was open and through the screen I could hear kids doing the things kids do, and at one point a boy I took to be about 6 years old checked me out from the doorway.

Eventually, though, I heard sounds that suggested there were some older people home as well. Bored with sitting on the walk, I rang the doorbell. It turned out that the "kids" DeLynn had referred to included one of their daughters, who was there with her own two children, as well as a couple sons who were well into their late teens. They invited me in and did their best to make me feel comfortable.

Meeting the family

DeLynn and Vickie eventually got home and they couldn't have been nicer. All my fears about a bad blind date vanished in a moment. Today was their daughter's birthday and they were all going out to dinner. Would I care to join them? We all piled into two cars and we were quite a group. It was DeLynn and Vickie, four of their kids, two grandkids, as well as a Spanish exchange student who was spending the year with them. At the restaurant we met up with their other daughter, her husband, and their two kids.

Now, I don't have any children of my own, and I'm not terribly comfortable around young ones, so I was relieved when DeLynn and Vickie seated me between them, ensuring that I'd be able to engage in adult conversation. When the bill came I offered to pay for my meal but DeLynn deferred and picked up the check.

Back at the house, my lodging for the night was the room one of the teenage sons had all to himself. This raised two questions in my mind. First, with so many people living here, how did this son come to have a room of his own? Second, how did he feel about giving his room up to a stranger? DeLynn put my mind at ease on the second issue, telling me the displaced son would get a cut of the money I would give them for their hospitality.

After a good night's sleep and a huge breakfast, I was ready to hit the road. Chatting with DeLynn in the driveway, I handed him $11, telling him the extra dollar was additional compensation for the son whose bed I'd slept in. DeLynn asked me if I was dissatisfied with anything and I assured him that no, they had been most gracious and everything had been fine. And I left.

It wasn't until a couple weeks later, when I was back home, that I was on the MTN website and discovered why DeLynn had asked about dissatisfaction. The MTN routine is for a single traveler to pay the hosts $15 per night to cover expenses, not the $10 that I had somehow gotten in my head. Enormously embarrassed, I emailed DeLynn that I was sending another $5 and I put the money in an envelope and sent it right off.

So what was my take on the MTN as a traveler? First off, I've since heard from others that the initial apprehension I felt is absolutely typical. The MTN is billed as sort of a bed 'n' breakfast for motorcyclists, but in a real B&B the owner serves your needs and gets out of your way. You do NOT mingle with their family and participate in their family life. With the MTN you do. But you know what? There aren't many people who are going to open up their homes to complete strangers who are not sociable and welcoming. So that aspect was fine.

Second, it saved me money. On my return trip I stayed in a motel in Cortez, CO, and that cost me $55, compared to the $15 in Cedar City. I have other uses for that $40.

Third, and most important, I didn't spend my evening staring at four walls or at a TV screen. I met people and we engaged in enjoyable conversation. I'll take that over four walls any time. The folks at the MTN tell you that once you try it you'll be hooked. Consider me hooked.

Of course, the other side to the MTN coin is to be the host. I'll tell you about our experiences in that area next.

Related articles:
A more personal approach to motorcycle touring via the Motorcycle Travel Network
My first guest stay as a Motorcycle Travel Network member
We play host for Motorcycle Travel Network member travelers