His helmet visor down, silver ponytail flapping in the wind, Tom Grove zooms on his Kawasaki Vulcan Classic motorcycle on a 3,000-mile voyage across our nation's open roads. Or so goes the fantasy of the self-described "rebellious old man."

"I'm just fulfilling a dream," Grove, 52, said. His trip, set for launch in the summer of 2003, has been a plan in the making for a few years.

"I told myself that when I retired at (age) 55, I'd grow a ponytail and go ride my bike to San Diego," he said. "I'm almost there."

A native of Duncansville, Grove has been a barber at Fetterolf's Barber Shop, 234 E. College Ave., since 1999. But he seems anything but the average neighborhood barber — perhaps Renaissance man is more like it.

"He's quite smart," Donna Weaver, Fetterolf's owner said. "He's on top of a lot of things."

Born and raised in Duncansville, Grove entered the United States Navy in 1969 as a computer programmer aboard the USS San Diego. Grove and his shipmates scoured the Mediterranean Sea, supplying spare parts and groceries to troops, all while soaking in the sites of "every major country and city" along the coast. "It made me appreciate being an American and to appreciate other cultures."

Upon completing his service in 1973, Grove attended Penn State Altoona College for two and a half years until the older of his two sons was born.

After putting in time in the management department of United Parcel Service for 17 years and running a truck loading company for two years, the stress of an everyday job finally caved Grove in.

"That's when I decided to become a barber," he said.

Grove completed his tenure at a hairstyling academy in Pittsburgh in 1999 and began searching for the perfect job. "I had an offer to work at the state penitentiary," he said. "But I didn't want to go to jail just to become a barber."

Instead, Weaver scooped Grove up because "he was definitely personality plus." Grove relishes the atmosphere of Fetterolf's.

"It's just a much more relaxed atmosphere," he said. "It's also an exciting job. You never know what's going to happen next."

Grove still finds time to dabble in his numerous hobbies, including reading "lots of mystery" novels and playing the trumpet in alumni bands. It was through his trumpet playing days that Grove brought about what he describes as his "jinx" to his beloved Penn State football team.

"I played trumpet at three Homecoming games and the team lost all of them," Grove said. "That was over 30 years ago, and I haven't watched a game in person or on TV since."

No matter what he does, though, Grove's motorcycle still shines the brightest in his mind. "It performs better than any bike," he said. "I couldn't afford a Harley anyway."