Roger Sanders, motorcycle junkie and award-winning sports columnist & sports editor
Roger Sanders is the Two Lane Rambler, a career agricultural marketing person, who, in the course of making a living, has spent a lifetime traveling the backroads of the U.S.
In retirement, Roger has been an award-winning sports columnist and sports editor, according to the Illinois Press Association. This venture allowed Roger to use his long-dormant minor in journalism from the University of Illinois and rekindled his interest in the printed word and storytelling.
Another of Roger’s passions, besides agriculture, sports, and history, is traveling from coast to coast by SUV or, preferably, on his motorcycle with a sidecar. But, this is NOT a blog about motorcycles, so don’t expect to learn how to change oil.
The TwoLaneRambler (TLR) blog allows Roger to combine the above interests, as he travels the country staying off the interstates and outside of major metro areas, ala William Least Heat Moon’s “Blue Highways”, looking for the unusual sites and happenings in small town USA.
Much of the travel will, initially, be centered around Roger’s home area in Southern Illinois and adjoining states. These will mostly be “day trips” to explore selected counties or highways (For example, Route 66). Occasionally, the TLR travel website will include longer trips from throughout the lower 48 states.
Please take time to peruse our blogs for some trip ideas. In the meantime, take a two-lane road, slow down, and enjoy some of the “best” that America has to offer!
Our Team
Jane Sanders is Roger’s wife, most frequent traveling companion and chauffeur, who is also entering a phase of life when she can do uninhibited travel. She too prefers to “ramble” across the landscape with only a turn-around point in mind; filling in the rest as she goes along the way.
Although admittedly, her most special place is her cabin and pond on five acres, where she raises honeybees, egg-laying chickens, flowers and a variety of other plants!
Those hobbies explain the perspective that she brings to their travels. For example, a few years ago Roger rode the Natchez Trace across Mississippi by himself on a motorcycle and stopped at every historical marker, significant agricultural location, and sports museum along the way.
Two years later, when Jane joined Roger on that same trek, they stopped to explore every flower, plant, cypress swamp and burial mound along the route.
So it’s easy to understand, that when Jane and Roger merge their varied interests, a much more entertaining trip can be expected.
Rachel Sanders is Roger’s daughter and strategic consultant. She has been the driving force from the beginning of this project, by being the “not so still” voice in Roger’s head, reassuring him that it was a good idea and needed to be done.
Rachel holds an MBA in Human Resources which she has leveraged to help people and organizations achieve their highest potential.
Most of Rachel’s career has been spent building programs and consulting on the strategy, design, and development of people, processes, and technology. She has supported numerous customers through her travels to the US, Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries, and much of Europe.
Long before that, Rachel was on the back of her dad’s motorcycle hanging on for dear life, as they traversed the local backroads. Rachel also shares her father’s passion for storytelling. That wanderlust has shaped much of her life and riding together is still special for them both.
Michael Johnson is Roger’s nephew and media consultant. When this project “stalled, he became the “lifeline” who was called to steer it through the final phases to completion.
He’s spent much of his career helping organizations tell their stories through branded content, social media, and video production. His experience includes founding a successful video production company, a content marketing agency, and teaching video and storytelling at a local university.
Michael also loves travel, anything with wheels and an engine, and making YouTube videos about old cars. You can check out his automotive adventures at blvckflagd.com.