Jonathan Smith is a web designer, graphic designer, and photographer in Harrisburg, PA.

My daughter has been asking me when I’ll teach her how to drive. Now she’s only 14 at the moment. But she will be turning 16 next Summer. I would actually like her to take the motorcycle permit test too. But all of this thinking of my daughter learning how to drive has really got my mind going.

She currently lives in rural Pennsylvania. And I can remember growing up in that area. It was very difficult to find a job nearby. And with today’s gas prices, it almost seems like a waste of time to commute 15 or 20 miles for a job that pays minimum wage. The closer the cost per gallon of gas gets to what she may be making per hour, the more ridiculous the predicament seems.

All of this thinking seems to back up the notion that people should live close to where they work.

The current minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.15. If gas prices reach $5.00 per gallon by the time my daughter is 16 years old. She will most likely be working for one hour just to put one gallon of gas into her vehicle (after taxes are deducted). And since most “economical” passenger cars these days get about 30 miles per gallon, that’s about an hour or more each work day just to put gas in her vehicle to get to work.

I can see how things will quickly get difficult on the teen drivers growing up in rural parts of the United States. No longer can we top of the fuel tank and go drive around with friends and goof off. It seems that everyone is trying to find ways to make their gas tanks last longer between fill-ups.

Yesterday was an amazing day for riding. My daughter and I woke around 7am and geared up to head out to breakfast with the BMW Dutch Country Riders. It was a beautiful morning and the temperature was great.

Later in the day I was out exploring some of my favorite roads here in Dauphin County with the addition of my new helmet camera. After about 50 miles of riding I pull up towards the gate at my back yard like normal. I pull in the clutch to put the bike in neutral but the clutch didn’t have any tension on it and freely came back to the handle grip. And the bike was still in gear! Quick thinking, I hit the kill switch to turn off the motor before I hit the fence. I then proceed to mash the bike into neutral with my foot and put the bike on the side stand. After a close inspection I come to the conclusion that the cable must have snapped. Luckily I was at my house and simply pushed the bike into my back yard. Too bad I wouldn’t have a bike to ride on Memorial Day.

Tomorrow I will call the dealer and see if I can get two replacement clutch cables. One to replace the broken cable, and another to keep on the bike as a spare in case this should happen again and I’m a long way from home.

BMW offers some excellent riding events called XPLOR events. I attended the XPLOR the Pine Barrens event held in New Jersey last April and had an amazing time and met so many wonderful people.

I learned that BMW is holding another XPLOR event in Charlottesville, Virginia called XPLOR Blue Ridge. The event will be split into an off-road event and tarmac event and is being held June 13th, 14th, and 15th. The off-road event requires knobby tires which I don’t have on my bike so I opted for the tarmac event. These events fill up quickly so I contacted the event organizer and asked to be put on a waiting list. On Friday I found that some people dropped out and I was confirmed as a participant.

The event will be be staged from the Best Western Charlottesville Airport Inn & Suites. After some searching I found someone who had reserved a room for the event. A phone call later and I have someone to share a room with. So I’ll only be paying for one night.

More details on the event:

Join BMW XPLOR for a unique double ride event to discover the best of the Blue Ridge. It’s another of our famous off-road GS rides, but with a twist – we can now accommodate tarmac riders too. There is no charge for participation, as this is a way for BMW Motorcycles to say “thank you” to our fellow BMW devotees for all of their support.

Roam the Tarmac with Nate Kern

For our on-road participants on any of our BMW motorcycles, you will be given a route sheet for self-guided tours of the beautiful Virginia Piedmont region, featuring historic sites, horse farms, wineries and some of the best unknown two lane roads you’ll ever see. Well-known BMW Moto-ST racer Nate Kern will take out his personal bike to join up for one of the tarmac routes and he’ll show you how the track really can make you a safer street rider. You will link up with the off-road riders for dinner at the end of the day Saturday and of course, swap stories to argue about who had the most fun. You set your own pace: just remember, you are on public roads in a state not well-known for the tolerance of its police force or the laxity of its speeding fines, so be careful out there!

All participants will receive swag bags, a dinner banquet on Saturday night and much more, all FREE! You pay for your transportation to and from the event, hotel accommodations, and a meal or two — the rest is on us! Off-Road participants will receive training, maps and GPS routes (BMW Navigator/Garmin format).

I can’t wait!