A passion for riding and a family tragedy has taken a motorcyclist enthusiast to the open road ready to tackle forty-nine states, including the Arctic Circle?

The idea for the trip began on a fateful day, February 28, 2011 when Daniel Jang lost his grandfather to the complex and progressive heartbreaking deterioration of Alzheimer's disease.

In order to bring awareness of the devastation Alzheimer's disease brings to families and to honor his beloved grandfather, Daniel decided to set out on a grueling motorcycle trek across America.

Daniel's journey began on June 23 from Macon, Georgia. While his ride for Alzheimer's Awareness will take him across the country visiting 49 of the 50 States the first direction was south into Florida.

The trip will take him to Canada and then on to the top of the world, the Arctic Circle. Along the way Daniel will meet with local chapters of Project Lifesaver, members of The Alzheimer's Foundation, and other Alzheimer's advocacy support groups.

Daniel's journey is being sponsored by D.I.D Racing and Zero Gravity Windscreens.

Although a trip like this is the dream of many riders, Daniel and his supporters know this is about the debilitating disease known as Alzheimer’s .

‘Daniel and family understand first-hand the very high physical and emotional price family members and caregivers pay as a loved one with Alzheimer's disease becomes progressively worse, notes organizers, ‘The demands of day-to-day care, changing family roles, and the difficult decisions regarding placement in a care facility all weigh heavily on everyone involved and can take a very high toll.’

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory, thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out even the simplest tasks. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people with symptoms first appearing after age 60.

Although estimates vary, most experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's.

Of course Daniel’s travels and adventures can be followed on this blog with the most recent entry dealing with Florida’s man-eating mosquitos and equipment failing in the first day of his months-long ride.