By Je’Don Holloway-Talley | For the Birmingham Times
Jimmie and Deborah Johnson have been married for 50 years, and it’s been quite a ride. Literally. The Birmingham couple married in April 1975 and have visited nearly every state in the country by car, motorcycle, or train.
“We have crisscrossed the country in both directions four times on the motorcycle, probably about eight times in cars, and about five times on the train,” said Jimmie.
In May, to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary, the Johnsons embarked on a seven-day Alaskan cruise aboard the Norwegian Encore, marking their visit to the 49th U.S. state as a couple. (They’ve yet to visit Hawaii.)
The journey spanned 15 days and incorporated multiple forms of transportation: they drove to Memphis, Tennessee, boarded a train to Seattle, Washington, departed for Alaska by cruise ship, spent three days returning to Memphis by train, and concluded by driving back to Birmingham.
Their favorite mode of transportation, however, has been their beloved motorcycles, on which Deborah rides as passenger. She never drives — ever.
Jimmie, who grew up in Birmingham’s West End community, first learned to ride at age 14 on his friend’s motorcycle. In 1977, a few years into his and Deborah’s marriage, Jimmie purchased his first bike, a Suzuki 250, to combat rising gas prices.
“I told Deborah, ‘I’m gonna get a motorcycle to ride back and forth to work to save fuel,’” he recalled. “I started to really like it and had some friends who also had [motorcycles], so [I started riding] in my leisure and off time on weekends.”
“Nothing Compares”
Soon after, Jimmie upgraded from the Suzuki 250 to a Suzuki 1100 to a Kawasaki 1200. Then, in 2007 the couple got their first “dream” motorcycle.
“We bought a brand new 2008 Honda Gold Wing and took it on the road,” said Jimmie, who now rides a 2012 Gold Wing.
“When I got a larger motorcycle Deborah started riding with me and, lo and behold, she liked it, too,” said Jimmie, 71. “As the kids got older and more independent, we started taking long-distance trips together. And then, later on in life, we found other friends and other preachers to ride with.”
The Johnson’s attend Now Faith Empowerment Temple in north Birmingham, where Jimmie serves as the new pastor. They have two children, Jimmie Johnson Jr. and Dimetria Kelly, as well as 10 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Deborah, 70, said, “There’s just nothing like riding a motorcycle, nothing compares. I fell in love with it. I liked exploring God’s creation on motorcycles. … You get a closer view because you’re outside as opposed to being inside a car.”
Of their travels, Jimmie shared, “In 2009, we went to New York [by motorcycle] for the first time, and we also went through New York to Maine. We took that trip with one other friend, and I remember that one being 3,000 miles.”
“Then, in 2011, we rode to California and were gone for 12 days,” he continued. “Deborah and I left here on our 2012 Honda Gold Wing [and headed for] California. … We rode all the way to Phoenix, [Arizona], stayed a few days, then rode to San Diego, [California], and stayed a few days. Then went on a tour into Tijuana, Mexico. We rode 5,009 miles round trip for that one.”
“Top Of The Line”
The Johnsons have been to New York three times, and on their second trip there, in 2012, they visited Niagara Falls “with four other couples on their motorcycles,” Jimmie said. “That may have been about 3,200 miles round trip.”
“Back in August [2024], we rode 4,200 miles on our 2012 Honda Gold Wing, … and we were gone for 15 days. … We [traveled to] Rapid City, South Dakota, [where we] stayed for seven nights. We rode out every day from there, [visiting] Wyoming, Minnesota, and about 11 or 12 states [before heading] back to Birmingham,” Jimmie said, adding that he and Deborah took this trip alongside three other couples on motorcycles.
All of the Johnsons’ long-distance motorcycle rides have been taken on a fully loaded Honda Gold Wing, their bike of choice.
Jimmie said, “It has armrests and backrests for the passenger and rider. It’s got heated seats, heated grips, and heated leg warmers. It’s got an intercom, so we can talk back and forth. … It’s got navigation, cruise control, the whole nine. It’s a full-fledged luxury touring bike — top of the line.”
Although their luxury bike could keep them comfortable enough to ride through the night on long distance trips, the Johnsons never do night riding.
“Around 4:30 p.m., we are usually pulling into our next town and at a hotel,” Jimmie said. “We get up around 8:30 in the morning, have breakfast, and get back on the road.”
“7,325 Miles Round Trip”
The Johnsons retired from their respective careers within a few years of each other. In 2015, Jimmie retired from Pathology Associates of Alabama, where he was a medical courier, and in 2018, Deborah retired from the Birmingham Department of Veteran Affairs. To celebrate their retirement and fulfill Jimmie’s dream of leaving for a road trip with no return date in mind, in 2019 the couple set out on what turned into a 33-day adventure in their car.
“We loaded up the car and just headed in the direction we wanted to go. We went west and ended up staying in 18 different hotels. … We drove 7,325 miles round trip,” said Jimmie, who remembers pitching the trip to his wife.
“I told Deborah that it had always been my desire to leave home on vacation and not have to come back for a job or because of running out of money, and we were at a place in life where we could do that,” he said.
“I told her I wanted to go to Salt Lake City, Utah, and San Francisco, [California], to see Alcatraz, [the infamous federal penitentiary that held some of the most hardened criminals — including crime bosses Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson, of Harlem, New York, and Alphonse Capone, of Chicago, Illinois—from 1934 to 1963]. … At the time, I had never been to Seattle, [Washington], so I also wanted to go through Seattle on up to Vancouver, [Canada].”
Deborah was always game for a good road trip, but this one would seem to require something from her that the others never did: sitting in the driver’s seat.
No worries — “Just leave all the driving to me,” Jimmie told her.
“We went all the way across the country, and it was one of the most enjoyable road trips I’ve ever taken,” Jimmie said.
“The Loneliest Road in America”
What Jimmie likes most about road trips is “it’s just the two of you, and you get to have good conversation,” he said.
“You’re enjoying life, you get to talk about life and love and listen to good music. And you’re stopping and eating and really seeing the country. We rode all up through the mountains, through the valleys, and through the deserts.”
One of Jimmie’s fondest memories from that trip was finally getting the chance to travel Highway 50, which is called “The Loneliest Road in America.”
“It runs through Utah and ends in Nevada,” he said of the thoroughfare. “We were somewhere off in Nevada, driving along [Highway 50], and there’s hardly anybody else out there because it’s going across the desert and through the mountains. … I stopped in the middle of the highway, got out, set up my tripod, and took a picture of myself. Then Deborah got out and got in the picture, too.”
Among the states seen on the Johnsons’ 33-day trip were Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Washington, South Dakota, and Indiana. They made stops in Canada, too, visiting Vancouver and British Columbia.
“For our last night on the way back home, we stopped in Huntsville, [Alabama], to see some family,” Jimmy said.
The Johnsons also travel the nation on the rails. By train, they have visited New Orleans, Louisiana, Los Angeles, California, New York City, New York, and Glacier National Park, Montana.
“There was a train ride that started in Chicago, [Illinois], went to Los Angeles [and] San Francisco, in California, through Colorado, and back to Chicago,” he said. “It was kinda like a loop around the country. … We were gone for seven days on that one.”
“The train takes you through mountains and scenery that you can’t see from any other mode of transportation,” he continued. “The train tracks go up through mountains where cars and motorcycles can’t travel [because] there are no roads. … You get to see the earth in all its glory, to see natural habitats. You run across rivers, lakes, and streams. You see all kinds of stuff in its natural element. You get to see the backside of the country.”
Deborah added, “[You see] not so pretty parts, too.”
Would the Johnsons ever fly?
“We backed off from flying,” said Jimmie. “I don’t like flying anymore. We love a good road trip.”
Love for the road — and for one another
Among the many keys to 50 years of marriage for the Johnsons are their love for not just each other but for being on the road as husband and wife. The Birmingham couple married in April 1975 and have visited nearly every state in the U.S. by car, motorcycle, or train.
“Deborah and I were young when we met,” said Jimmie. “Before we got married, we both were in the church so we didn’t really know each other, so these trips were adventures for both of us.
“We never had any experiences of that sort before we got married, so when we got married that’s when we started to learn about each other and grow together, grow our marriage, and grow in our life together. I think what really has kept us together is God, church, love — and our love for the road. I love being on the road with my honey. … We do three trips a year.
“You’re enjoying life, you get to talk about life and love and listen to good music. And you’re stopping and eating and really seeing the country. We rode all up through the mountains, through the valleys, and through the deserts,” Jimmie said.
Deborah said, “Being on the road with my honey is magical. We talk about everything from when we first got married to the present. We talk about how we’ve grown together. … We reminisce about the good times. We realize that most of our earthly time is behind us, but we continue to look forward to the [remaining] time God is allowing us to spend together.”
After trips to 49 states, the Johnsons would potentially like to visit Hawaii.
“Hawaii is the 50th and only state left,” Jimmie said. “It wasn’t really on our bucket list, but somebody brought it to my attention that we may as well go ahead and make it complete. … I don’t like flying, so we started looking into a cruise, but Deborah doesn’t like the idea of a 14-day cruise. So, I’m still looking into it.”
After visiting 49 states in 50 years as a couple, Jimmie said, “If I never make it there, I’m alright with that.”
