I'm so sorry About Dwight, I have been ill so I didn't know. My heart is heavy today, I am Mike's Vaughn Wife so I knew the parents and they were wonderful. I never meet the kids they were gone when I met Mike. Dwight and I met on Facebook and he was an amazing Man, he wrote stories about his trips and he was always nice to me and I'll miss him so much. All my Love and Hugs to the Family, Thanks Bobbie Ann Vaughn

In answer to what kindness from Dwight is indelibly in my memory, Dwight WAS kindness in his very bones, he was always thinking of how he could be there for those he loved and admired (and I was one of those fortunate ones).  Music was part of him, and he and I wrote music together!  What a compliment it was to work with such a master.  And we always laughed a lot --- that's a kindness in a stressful world.  Another kindness is how supportive he was of my writing --- he bought my books and wrote praises up on the internet!  (I love his storytelling and wordsmith talent and his sense of adventure!)  He is (not was) a Great Spirit and I think his kindness comes naturally to him.  I miss him greatly!  Love, Carol Worthey

Dwight visiting Pat and Daveda in WV

My husband Pat and I were so sorry to find out only recently about Dwight's passing.  Our relatively brief friendship was wonderful because of the kind of generous and uplifting and creative person he was, and he and I enjoyed an email correspondence in which we traded quips and musings about writing, people and many other things. Dwight seemed to innately choose the "up" side of circumstances, yet always was himself and very real. His stories bring out the true stuff of life and in their simplicity or complexity, are riveting and brilliantly written.  He visited us on his bike in early September 2023 when we lived in West Virginia and we enjoyed lunch and great conversation together.  I've posted a photo Pat took of him then, standing behind his Harley. Our heartfelt  condolences to you, his wife, family and friends. A jewel of a man has left your sides, but not your hearts. We know he is shining somewhere else and brightening the lives of others, be they angels or people - probably both.  Daveda and Pat Tadeushuk

You were a great guy Dwight and a pleasure to work for and with

I honestly thought deep inside that Dwight would never die because he was (is) one of the most alive, most generous-of-spirit and most welcoming and unstuffy of friends that I've ever treasured to have found in this life --- I was sure he'd always be there. I'm still in disbelief and miss him greatly but actually I'm more grateful for the grace he gave to the Art of Living and to music and story-telling --- and to me personally --- and that huge gratitude makes his loss into something I can tolerate better. I can still hear his indelible chuckle and imagine the twinkle in his warm eyes and the wisdom and humor he turned into works of art (his imaginative music, his riproaring books) and into all the fun times we shared. Dwight embodies so many qualities that are iconic and admirable that I have had to search for words to describe him --- he's bigger than any words but here goes: adventure, zest, lovingkindness, genius, downhomeness, sparkle, expansiveness, jolly good company, and to top it off, the kind of genuine humility that only a true Star has in spades. Dwight my dear friend, I love you and look forward to when we can share music, books, and maybe a bike ride together! To his family: You have been his pride and joy and will always live in his memory, just as he will always live in yours! ❤ Carol Worthey

I was sitting in Fast Eddy's diner in Tok Alaska. The weather had turned coldish and I had hit rain off and on before the midday lunch stop, on August 25, 2015.

After stripping several layers of clothing I settled in for a warm meal and a bit of rest.

Toward the end of the meal, a long-haired "older" guy pulled in on a Harley and parked close to my dual-sport.

He was casual as he disengaged from his machine and sauntered into the restaurant. The hostess seated him a few rows over and as I finished my meal, I took the long way out to pass by Dwight's table.

It started with a simple greeting and the obligatory questions that one biker asks another and turned into a two-and-a-half-hour sit-down conversation over homemade strawberry pie and ice cream.

Dwight had the heart of a conversationalist and there was no doubt that he was fully engaged.

He naturally and seamlessly interviewed me to glean my story because as it turns out he hypothesized that, "Everyone is interesting."

There are but a handful of people I've ever met who were less stereotypical than Dwight. Leather jacketed, long-haired, 50 states- Harley biker, musician, composer, conductor, artist, author....What?

Dwight asked me specifically what my response was to people who were concerned about my cross-country remote, solo trips. I shared with him my response: "A road is just a road, and a mile is just a mile." His next words were, "Can I quote you?"

Sure enough, a few months later there was an autographed book in my mailbox with a warm message stuck in the page that highlighted our conversation from Tok.

Dwight and I stayed in touch for the last nine years. We always referenced the day we would/could meet up again on the road. I suffered through the days when his bike was down for repairs and at times it sounded as though he may never resurrect "The Beast", but he never lost hope.

I have met hundreds of riders over my lifetime. I have covered several continents and 10's of thousands of miles but I think it is a testimony to the "specialness" of Dwight, that after a two-and-a-half-hour random lunch stop in the Yukon, I am saddened by the passing of a man that I barely knew.

Rest in Peace, my pie-eating friend....There are other worlds to ride!

Paul Opp

Dwight as seen in Tok, Alaska August 25, 2015

I met Dwight through his first book Freedoms Rush. He invited readers to email him. I did. We connected right away. He had some one-of-a-kind experiences while riding the lower 48, Canada, and HI. During his ride to Alaska in 2015, the Beast broke down. He flew to Seattle to wait for his bike. We connected and picked him up at SeaTac airport (not a hard man to find). He spent the week with my wife Frances and I in our home in Covington WA. I loaned Dwight my Road King to see the Pacific Northwest area. He refers to this visit and days with my wife Frances in Freedoms Rush II. He called her a walking, talking Wikipedia. She is that. I will miss his weekly musings. Especially the useless but interesting trivia he posted.  All bikers share those memories of meeting unique strangers on the road for a few minutes. Dwight had a way of telling a simple story in an extraordinary way. He made me laugh. I loved him.  I will miss him. God blessed him. 

Wayne and Frances Yancey (The EHTEAM)

My heartfelt condolences to y'all.   The Noteslinger would call me when he got to Visalia and we would get a bite to eat and swap yarns.  He will be missed by many!

Dwight was the kind of guy that could get to your heart with his travels, his stories and his books! I bought a lot of of them and I loved reading his stories! Even though I didn’t know him in person, he could reach out through the universe and touch peoples hearts! We will miss you, Dwight Love, Sharon 

I’m so sorry to hear of Dwight’s passing. My condolences to the family and friends 

I knew Dwight through social media mostly but we met once at our church and it was like we had been dear friends forever. His grand personality and his big bear hug were just like coming home after a long and hard  journey.  God speed Dwight. We will miss you but we will look for you in the faces and eyes of the children we meet hoping to see that familiar twinkle and beautiful smile. 

So sorry to hear that, such a sad loss for his family and friends. I only knew him from a phone call years ago and Facebook, emails, his books. We shared a love of bikes, his kind and my bicycle kind! Fly well old friend xx Judee 

My deepest condolences 🙏 to all his family and many friends, going to miss your blogs 😥💔  you rode your Harley in all 50 states, now you can add heaven to your list. RIP Dwight 🙏 

Dwight, you were such a great friend to me. So many wonderful talks about writing and riding. The hole in my heart caused by your passing will never be filled. 

Ride Big, Ride Long, Ride Free, my friend. I will miss you deeply.

"It’s in the sky, light or dark, and in all the clouds and stars it holds; it’s in the wind and the raindrops, In the mountains and streams that ignore man’s partitions, in the seasons that forever unfold, one into the next. It echoes from the past, is amplified in the present, and waits for us in the future. It’s in our dreams; perhaps it is our dream. It is the very fiber of our hearts.

Freedom."

Foster Kinn, Freedom's Rush II: More Tales from the Biker and the Beast

Jette and Dwight at El Fenix on March 9, 2024 in Dallas, TX. The last time they would see each other. — with Jette and Dwight

Circa 1995 at Golden Era Productions. A “Dream Team” composing the sound track of an L. Ron Hubbard documentary: David Campbell, Peter Schless, Eugenio Castillo and Dwight Mikkelsen; Bettie Ross and Tom McMurray were also part of the team but they are not in the picture.