MIKE BOWDEN

Profile Updated: February 25, 2024
Residing In: Winchester, TN USA
Spouse/Partner: Rea
Occupation: Retired after 39 years in the high tech business
Children: Joshua - 1976 married to Heather Gorman Bowden
Grandson Cooper - 2019
Emily - 1978 married More…to Tommy Moore
Granddaughter Lauren - 1997
Great Grandson - J. T. 2021
Great Grandson - Renfro 2023
Military Service: National Guard  
Comments:

April, May & June 2018 - A fantastic motorcycle ride! Rea and I rode our motorcycle around the perimeter of the lower 48 states - a ride called "Ride The Rim". It was an exhilarating 60 day ride plus 14 more days for a break on the beach - a total of 74 days on the road covering 13,150 miles and riding through 32 states.

April 2017. A great family vacation in Utah. A couple of "firsts" for me. Skydiving and rappelling!

August 13, 2015. --- Another year almost in the books! And, what an eventful year it was for me. It was sobering and saddening to loose classmates and friends this past year... makes me want to live everyday to its fullest.

We did some traveling this year. Rea and I both love to travel and have begun trading houses with folks in Europe. A real chance to "live like a local" and actually experience the culture.

The biggest event for the year was checking off a bucket-list item by riding with a few others on my motorcycle to Alaska. The 34 day trip covered 10,750 miles and brought us through ALL kinds of weather.

I'm looking forward to our 50th Class Reunion in 4 short years!

September 13, 2014 --- Another fun summer has come and gone. They seem to slip by faster and faster each year... it seems as though the summer of '69 was just last week. However, time marches on. The reunion in Paris in May was loads of fun for me. I hope everyone enjoyed it! The summer of 2014 was especially fun with a little travel thrown in the mix. We spent most of June on a road trip from Tennessee through Texas to see our daughter and granddaughter. Then across the west to visit our son and daughter-in-law in San Francisco. Then we trekked up to Montana to meet Mike & Elaine Sanders for a few days in Glacier National Park and then up to Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. We finished our time with them in Calgary where they hopped a plane back to Texas. Rea and I finished off the road trip by driving back to Tennessee... a long but big time fun 30 days!

April 10, 2014 --- Since my last update last year, we've had lots of action! The most fun was the trip to Europe we just completed. The best part of the trip was spending 10 days with our granddaughter, Lauren in England and France. We saw lots of tourist stuff, Stonehenge, Tower of London, the London Eye, the D-Day beaches in Normandy, shopping in Paris and sipped champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower! Then we put her on a plane home, spent a few more days in Paris with Rea's cousin then met some friends of ours in Vienna for a few days. After taking the train to Budapest, Hungary we boarded the River Concerto for a 14 day cruise down the Danube River through Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria ending up in the Black Sea. Such an experience! Now, I'm ready for our 45th Reunion! See you there!

September 28, 2013 --- Rea and I just completed our trip to Nova Scotia on our motorcycle! All in all, we rode 5,000 miles over 25 days through 13 of our beautiful states and 3 equally beautiful Canadian provinces. Our end destination was the Cabot Trail on the northern most tip of Nova Scotia... and, it didn't disappoint. The spectacular mountainous coastline along the North Atlantic is unlike any place I have seen. And, the people we met were friendly and helpful

But, getting there and back was just as much fun. Riding through the farmland, mountains and small towns on backroads is a highlight for me. We get to meet folks from all walks of life and marvel at the natural beauty of our great land.

Guess I'll start planning our next ride...


July '13 -- Another year half over - and, another family vacation at the South Carolina beach. Smaller group this year and we're thinking we may not go next year. It's harder and harder to get everyone together at the same time. Planning a few trips in the near future. Rea and I are riding my Harley to Halifax, Nova Scotia in September. And, we're thinking of a Texas Hill Country ride around Thanksgiving. Oh yea... and, we've got a Class Reunion to plan!

January '13 -- Happy New Year!!! Had a wonderful Christmas with my family... hope you did too! And, Rea and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary :)

July '12 --Loads of fun at our annual beach trip to South Carolina. I think this was the 23rd year in a row for our family get-together at the same spot. Had about 50 there in June. Rode my motorcycle through the Smokies both coming and going. Beautiful part of the country, especially from the saddle of my Harley. Rode the Tail of the Dragon which is a section of road with 318 curves in 11 miles! A real magnet for motorcyclists! Looking forward to my next trip in August to see David Harrison at his home in PA. Meeting Mike Sanders there for a "guy's weekend"!

April '12. Rea and I spent March enjoying a trip in Europe with our son, daughter, grand-daughter and daughter-in-law. Posted a couple of pictures below.... loved spending so much time with the whole family! We spent time in France, Italy and Switzerland.

October '11 -- Another new "FIRST" for me. I just returned from a 13 day 3,850 mile motorcycle trip with some friends from Texas. I rode from Tennessee and met up with them in Amarillo then we rode all around southern Colorado. The mountains were beautiful and the Aspens were golden. Part of the trip was special because I got to spend some time with old classmates... Ray Trotter in Taos, Steve Field in Amarillo and David McCarty in OKC. Rea and I will be taking some shorter trips this fall closer to home. Exploring some of the Tennessee mountain roads and admiring the lovely fall color.

Sept '11 -- Trip to Newport Jazz Fest was a blast. Fantastic music, weather and sights. My favorite part of the trip was the couple of days in Quebec City.... WOW! Quaint, incredible French food and friendly people. And did I mention long jeans and jackets in August! Heading out on my first long motorcycle trip this week. Going to Colorado with some friends - should be gone about 12 days.

July '11 -- more traveling this summer. Our annual beach trip was fun as usual (21st year to the same spot). Heading up to Canada (Montreal and Quebec City) then to Newport Jazz Fest in August. And did I mention I have started riding motorcycles again??? I broke my left leg on a motorcycle in 1975 - I guess the memory has faded enough to start again after so many years!!!

January '11 - Well the road trip ended up covering 8,500 miles over 14 states in 29 days. We spent one night in Fargo N.D. which completed my quest to visit ALL 50 of our beautiful United States! Check that item off my bucket list.....

November '10 -- Rea and I are on a bit of a road trip covering about 13 states and 7,000 miles. Three of the pictures below are from that trip. Spent Thanksgiving in San Fran with son Josh and his wife Heather - now the 4 of us are spending a long weekend in Yosemite National Park.
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March '10 -- Retired in February 2010 ... working on my Bucket List! the shuttle launch was first. Overnight on a train is coming up in April.
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Oct '09 -- Settling into a quiet life in the Tennessee woods and looking forward to spending time with my son Josh seeing the Longhorns play Alabama in Pasadena....
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As of October 1st, we have moved back to our home in Tennessee. Our daughter Emily and her new family are living in the Plano house since the wedding. Ya'l come to see us!!!
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Moved many times over the last 40 years:

Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Nashville, TN
Plano, TX (3 times)
St. Louis, MO
Upper Montclair, NJ
Paris, TX
Atlanta, GA (2 times)
Estill Springs, TN
Seattle,WA

School Story:

No real stories to share here but rather a few fond memories.

Hi-Y meetings.... actually the fun after the meetings at the Two Kiss!

The smell of freshly cut grass at Wise Field!

do. The mountains were beautiful and the Aspens were golden. Part of the trip was special because I got to spend some time with old classmates... Ray Trotter in Taos, Steve Field in Amarillo and David McCarty in OKC. Rea and I will be taking some shorter trips t

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Posted on: Aug 02, 2023 at 10:38 AM

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Oct 05, 2019 at 9:30 AM

Glad you joined the site! And, I hope you're planning on joining us at the reunion!

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Jul 25, 2018 at 5:53 PM
Rea and me on April 9, 2018 as we departed on our "Ride The Rim" trip... a 13,150 mile ride though 32 states.
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Mar 09, 2018 at 10:53 AM

Posted on: Mar 07, 2018 at 9:02 AM

Hey Rick! I’m glad to see you on the class website. Welcome!

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Posted: Jul 25, 2018 at 6:00 PM
Rea and me on April 9, 2018 as we departed on our "Ride The Rim" trip... a 13,150 mile ride though 32 states.
Posted: Jul 25, 2018 at 5:44 PM
Yikes! Me tandem skydiving in Utah April 2017
Posted: Sep 13, 2014 at 2:22 PM
June 2014 - Mama bear and her two cubs feeding in the mountains of Alberta, CA. We stopped along a mountain road to see what we could see and found this shot. We were pretty close but I took this with a 300mm zoom lens to bring them in a little closer. These are black bears... we saw a few grizzlies later!
Posted: Apr 10, 2014 at 5:25 PM
Standing at the edge of the Black Sea in Romania... March, 2014.
Posted: Sep 13, 2014 at 2:24 PM
June 2014 - The 4 road warriors during our trip this summer. This shot was in McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park. We also went to Banff and Lake Louise. Such beautiful country!!!
Posted: Apr 10, 2014 at 5:14 PM
Posted: Dec 16, 2013 at 10:48 PM
With Rea on the Cabot Trail along the North Atlantic on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada in September, 2013. Great ride on our motorcycle!!
Posted: Dec 16, 2013 at 10:48 PM
Mike Sanders and I visited David Harrison at his home near Baltimore, MD in September, 2012. Great fun with old friends!
Posted: Dec 16, 2013 at 10:48 PM
The two of us at a beautiful wedding on Alys Beach, FL in September, 2012.
Posted: Dec 16, 2013 at 10:48 PM
June '13...Granddaughter Lauren (#9) playing soccer for North Lamar this past spring. Lauren is a rising sophomore and was fortunate enough to attend soccer camp at the University of Georgia this summer after our beach trip. I think she liked the "dorm life" as much as the soccer :) However, it was a thrill to watch her play on the UGA Varsity Soccer field. BTW, are we all supposed to brag on our grandchildren???