Homage — anything given or done to show reverence, honor, etc.

A view of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming from the back of the BMW K1200LT motorcycle.

It’s a cultural thing, I’m certain. Scattered across the United States and Canada are scads of examples of Westerners’ obsession with people, places and things. Some of them are man-made, while others are creations of natural magnificence. North Americans, lacking the ancient history of sites such as the Pyramids or the Parthenon, honor the “biggest,” the “oldest,” or the “widest” whatever.

I want to see them. I want to see them all. From sculpted faces in stone, to waterfalls that pound against the sea to regional-specific homages — such as the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., or the largest truck in the world at Sparwood, B.C.

It was one of those trips where we knew where we were going — from the redwood-lined shore of the Pacific Ocean to the cold, blue Atlantic water of Nova Scotia and back. But we didn’t know the exact routes we would be taking. Our plan was to see a lot of sights — some of them by the seat of our pants, hauling down the freeway at a smooth 70-plus mph — others at a more relaxed pace.

We were prepared. We had a small carry-on suitcase filled with maps, maps, and more maps, books, brochures and a cell phone. These were the tools we used to guide us on our course of this quasi-spontaneous trip. A Global Positioning Satellite unit and a laptop with Internet access would work too and probably weigh less.

Luckily, the carry-on bag fit in our small Uni-go motorcycle trailer - as did several other satchels, shoes and sunscreen. We were ready. The day had arrived. My husband, Tim, loaded the side bags of our 2000 Canyon-Red BMW K1200LT motorcycle. We bundled up in our waterproof GorTex riding wear, which we needed six hours later. A darkened blue-gray sky loomed before us, high in the Sierra Nevada, as we approached Reno.

We made it over Donner Pass (homage to the early, misfortunate settlers of the West) as the pellets of hail increased in size the farther east we went. We battled the rain and the hail and finally made our shelter for the night in a seamy casino near the Arizona/Utah border.

The next day brought us one of the most magnificent magenta sunrises I had ever seen. We had left Wendover, Ariz., at 5 a.m. to avoid the mid-day heat and thunderstorms. As daylight approached, I saw that the flat ground around us was covered by white. It hadn’t been cold enough to snow at this low elevation. And then I got my answer — a large sign that read “Bonneville Salt Flats.” It was incredible - flat white nothingness as far as the eye could see had been slowly transformed from pink nothingness. Bonneville Salt Flats is the “greatest automobile speedway in the world,” according to its Web site, with the fastest land speed record of 344.14 mph, as of September 2001.

We reached the Great Salt Lake and followed its shoreline for hours. We almost took an exit to visit the largest Mormon church in the world, the 253,000-square-foot Salt Lake City Temple, but my honey said, “Not.” We meandered along highway 89 out of Salt Lake City through a gusty gulch where great arenas and domes were being built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, which recently had the highest TV viewership of any opening Olympic ceremony. Homage to athletes!

We continued on and passed by a tackle shop that had a sign with a 13-foot fly, the kind used for fishing. Honor, and then eat the fish. Then it was up and over to Jackson Hole, Wyo. Nestled in the shadows of the snow-capped Grand Tetons and on the way to the world’s first national park established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park. It has its own billowing icon - Old Faithful. It is one of the world’s best-known geysers, with a white, steamy release every 74 minutes, on average. Yellowstone also is one of the world’s last intact temperate ecosystems, meaning that all major indigenous species of flora and fauna are still there.

The Crazy Horse Memorial, a work-in-progress, is visible behind the marble replica near Custer, South Dakota.

While we were in Jackson Hole, actor Harrison Ford rescued a Boy Scout who had gotten lost in Yellowstone. Ford, who has a home in Jackson Hole, volunteers his helicopter and flying skills to the local rescue unit and was the one who found the boy. Ford is a perfect example of celebrity homage, as he has frequently graced the cover of People magazine. And in 1998 he was named the “Sexiest Man Alive.” People magazine’s Biography magazine honored him as the “Actor of the Century.” He has been on numerous other “best,” “most” and “top 10” lists. Across the country we saw signs that read, “Home of ...” or “Birthplace of ...” someone — a figure skater, baseball player, politician, or other “famous” person. Human homage.

Local heroes, past and present, receive all kinds of honors. We spent the next night in Cody, Wyo., the namesake of Buffalo Bill Cody. It is home to one of the best Old West museums in the country — the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. According to the center’s brochure, it includes the “world’s largest and most important assemblage of American arms, as well as European arms dating back to the 16th century.” It also has a Western art wing and a Plains Indian museum. The historic, brick Irma Hotel is a downtown attraction that had been owned and operated by Cody in the mid-1800s. It is still a thriving entity, complete with simulated gunfights and located across the street from Peter’s, an awesome bakery and deli. As we drove beyond the town we stopped by the Buffalo Bill Dam built in 1910. When it was built it was touted as the highest dam in the world at 325 feet. Dam homage!

The drive from Cody to the Black Hills of South Dakota is breathtaking, especially on a motorcycle. Shades of coral, pinks and purple color the skyline of the ancient mountains’ capes. One of the geological wonders in this area is Devil’s Tower. Most people know it as the common thread that connected the people in the film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” The billowing mashed potatoes on Richard Dreyfuss’ plate? Well, this is the place.

We wound our way across the Black Hills and saw the largest herd of bison in the United States at Custer State Park. There are about 1,500 herd members, and I think they were all there, on both sides of the road, as we sat motionless on the motorcycle in a tourist traffic jam. They were so big, and I felt so close to them. I could smell their earthy fragrance and see the complacency in their eyes. We arrived at Mount Rushmore, known for the 60-foot-tall sculpted heads created as a tribute to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The South Dakota Web site states that it is the “world’s greatest” mountain sculpture. A newer addition to the area is the 641-foot tall memorial to Crazy Horse, which is the “world’s largest mountain carving in progress.”

This part of the country is a great place for rock and fossil hounds, both above and below the surface. We spent one morning at the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, S.D., one of the largest concentrations of in-situ (left-as-found) Columbian mammoth bones in the world, and the only in-situ site in America. Much of the excavating is done by novice volunteers and is part of Earthwatch, which offers more than 150 archeology and zoology hands-on projects worldwide. Someday, I’ll be there with a toothbrush in one hand and tweezers in the other.

From there we headed east, stopping at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D., then on to the Spam Museum in Austin, Minn. Somewhere along the way we passed by a steer statue that was at least 30-feet high, with horns thrust skyward from the flat, verdant farmland. Aggie homage.

We headed north through lush, green Wisconsin — America’s Dairyland, home of the first robotic milking machine. Ouch! We traversed the outdoor paradise of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. From there we crossed the Mackinac Bridge, stayed in Mackinaw City, visited Fort Michilimackinac and ferried over to Mackinac Island - all pronounced the same: “Mac-a-nac.” Go figure. While on the island, we made a whirlwind trip to the Grand Hotel, which has the longest porch in the world at 660 feet. The Grand also touts being the “world’s largest summer hotel since 1887.” This is an example of good marketing, as opposed to homage.

We traveled across more bridges and farmlands, to and across Ontario, Canada, and arrived at Niagara Falls. The falls are the seventh wonder of the world, but the town itself is touristy. The quantity and intensity of the falls is incredible, especially when viewing them from the Maid of the Mist tour boat.

Devil’s Tower in Wyoming is a popular tourist attraction, as well as a sacred Native American site.

We checked out the locks on the Erie Canal in upstate New York, which upon completion in 1825 “spurred the first great westward movement of American settlers.” From there we stopped at a Revolutionary War cemetery in Vermont, wove across New Hampshire and Maine, rode back in to Canada at New Brunswick, then pushed on to our final destination of Nova Scotia.

An offer to stay at a 300-year old homestead on the Bay of Fundy was our original motivation to travel there. The house is situated above the red-cliffed Bay of Fundy. It has the highest and lowest tides in the world, with ebbs of 2 miles, and a rise and fall of up to 50 feet - twice a day.

After our three-night stay in Nova Scotia, we turned west and began our trek homeward. We stayed in Quebec City, capital of Canada’s largest province, mined for amethysts at Amethyst Mine Panorama near Thunder Bay, Ontario, picnicked beneath the Saamis Teepee, the world’s tallest tee pee (more than 20 feet tall) in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and had an ice cream cone next to the world’s biggest truck in Sparwood, British Columbia.

With all of the wonderful adventures we had and the kind, interesting people we met, it was only fitting that we crossed back into the United States at Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, at the border of Montana and Alberta. In 1932 it became the world’s first International Peace Park, originally proposed to “promote peace and good will among nations. . .and to underscore the international nature of wilderness.” What a beautiful concept.

With 10,541 miles behind us, I must admit that I enjoy visiting the landmark sites that claim to be the “biggest,” the “oldest” or the “widest” whatever. I admit some of the people, places and things we paid homage to may be a little “corny.” But sometimes, that is what makes them so special.