Vespa Journeys

Day 5 - Lee Vining to Hollister (via Yosemite National Park)

2010-07-29T01:59:00.004-04:00

The Tioga Lodge was quaint and rustic. So rustic, when my roomy Drew took a shower last night, the shower head shot off and hit him in the chest. I decided to forego the resulting pressure wash treatment, since I'm out of clean clothes anyway.

Phil and I decided to tour the park together since we seem to have a similar riding style and mindset for taking photos. The climb up to Tioga Pass at the entrance was close to 10,000 feet. Once in the park, we were greeted almost immediately to the vistas of granite faces with scattered alpine forests. Our first stop was Lembert Dome. It reminds me of Sugar Loaf Mountain, near Kyburz. We hiked up a ways towards Dog Lake to get a better view of the rock face. Curiously no dogs are allowed. It was a picture perfect day, despite the spectre of wildfires we were told of last night. There was not a cloud in the sky, and temperatures were pleasantly cool.

A short stop on peaceful Tenaya Lake was teeming with swimmers and kayakers on the cold lake. Our next stop was Olmsted Point. It was a short hike to an outcropping of rock to view Half Dome. With my binoculars, I could see what looked like ants crawing up the rounded side of the peak, but it was a string of hikers climbing up a guide wire. The wind was whipping around the point where we were, and I can only image how windy it must be on top. It seemed like more than 100 hikers were visible. In the parking lot, we met another family riding motorcycles. Having a NC tag, and riding a scooter always makes for a great conversation starter. Once the Cable family, from Hollister found out we were on a charity ride, they immediately ponied up a cash donation. Thanks for your help.

Mrs. Cable suggested we check out the Sequoias at Tuolumne Grove just before we turned onto Big Oak Road to leave the park. It wasn't exactly the 10 minute hike she said it was, but it was nice just the same. The pictures do not tell how huge these trees really are. Some as old a 3600 years, have somehow managed to survive fires, wind, winter, and man.

Phil and I lollygagged plenty long and barely made it to Hollister in time for dinner at Johnny's Bar and Grill, compliments of Herb at CM Hoists. I got the Hawaiian Burger and it was pretty tasty. This is where it all started in 1947 with the Hollister motorcycle riots, dramatized by Hollywood with Marlon Brando in The Wild One.

Laundry night! Slideshow,,,

Day 4 - Susanville to Lee Vining, CA

2010-07-28T01:30:00.000-04:00

We backtracked on Hwy 44 till we met up with Hwy 89 south heading to Lake Tahoe. A few construction zones broke up the trip, not in the good way. Finally I get to see lake Tahoe in all its glory. I've been here two other times in the last three years. The first time it was raining and snowing, the second time it was wildfires. I stopped for a few pictures at Inspiration Point on the west side of the Lake.

We stopped for lunch at Brother's Bar and Grill, seemingly a biker bar. They managed to get out food out pretty fast for having 30 or so people descend at once. Someone picked up the tab, I think it was Jonathan and Sheryl. Thanks guys for lunch. Just before we left, Todd the cook was out back enjoying a smoke, and asked about our ride. He donated right there on the spot, telling me his Mom rides with about 100 or so bikes out of Sacramento to benefit breast cancer research. Thanks Todd.

The ride up Monitor Pass on Hwy 89 was a little more than 8300 feet. Once we reached the top, snow covered mountains spanned every direction my eye could see. Once the valley spread out coming into Bridgeport, the lush green fields on either side of the highway as far as the eye could see. Thousands and thousands head of cattle were lazily grazing.

We stopped at a vista point overlooking Lake Mono. The guard rail had become a favorite spot for bumper stickers. I added one for The Incriminators, my scooter club, yeah I'm not riding an old scooter…. We settled into the Tioga Lodge at Mono Lake, A quint resort just outside of Lee Vining. Rob, Suzanne, Phil and myself wandered down a primitive boat ramp with a decrepit boat house, to the lake as the sun set behind us. The seagulls eating the bugs were only disturbed for a little while. An orange full moon arose across lake Mono while we enjoyed BBQ compliments of Frank and Pat Stewart. Thanks for dinner.

I think I'm getting a cold. Drat. Here's some slides:

Day 3- Eureka to Susanville, CA

2010-07-27T02:30:00.002-04:00

We left Eureka this morning at a chilly 51F degrees. I did bring a rain suit, and it came in handy. We headed east on Hwy 299. More twisting roads as we climbed through Trinity National Forest. A good deal of ride, the Trinity River was on our right side. Deep in the valleys, with no sight of the horizon, the optical illusion of traveling downhill and watching the river flow uphill is unsettling.

By the time we made Redding for lunch, it was 104F. We headed towards Lassen Volcanic National Park in the distance, still covered with snow. Once we arrived, we were told of 7.5 miles of construction with hard pack dirt and gravel. I took a pass with 12" tires and decided to hike around the lake at the entrance instead. Several others took a pass and went straight to the hotel. Phil and I took in the vistas of the long quiet volcano, woodpeckers, chipmunks, deer, ducks and geese. The water was clear and cool.

Phil and I took the last 60 miles to Susanville on Hwy 44 with the low sunset at our backs. Our longs shadows cast in front of us most of the way while the warm colors of the fading sun turned the fields and marshes on the plateaus around us a vibrant golden color.

Slideshow today:

Day 2- Lakeport to Eureka, CA

2010-07-26T02:09:00.003-04:00

I noticed the bottom of the bathroom door looked a bit chewed up when I awoke. I didn't remember it like that last night. And sure enough it wasn't. Some mouse chewed a hole in my back pack and dined my granola bars and butterscotch. I was gonna say how nice it was to end up in a suite, but now I'm not.

We left town north on Highway 20 towards Fort Bragg. This day above all was more technical riding in twists and turns than any I have ridden anywhere. We skirted along redwood forests and took old Highway 101, now called Avenue of the Giants. The road was dappled with light and shadow from the massive giant trees, making the already twisting turns more challenging. The 30 miles or so of awe inspiring height and girth of the trees is humbling. I wish we could have stopped, you'll just have to take my word. We did stop at a tourist trap like drive through tree for a photo shoot. Greg got a shot of each.

We managed to go from 60F some degrees this morning to something past 100F once we got near the coastline. We finally settled at the Bay View Inn in Eureka. Not exactly a great view of the bay, but a nice place nonetheless. We decided the Applebee's across the street (within walking distance) was better than driving a mess of two wheeled vehicles several miles down the road to a local pub/watering hole. The mango margarita were tasty too, glad I could walk er… stumble back to the hotel. Someone picked up the tab for dinner, all thirty or so of us. I think it was Bill. Thanks Bill.

Today's short slideshow:

Day 1- San Francisco to Lakeport, CA

2010-07-25T01:47:00.006-04:00

We had a great send off compliments of IATSE Local 16 at Presidio Park, at base of the Golden Gate Bridge. Unlike yesterday when I crossed the bridge coming into town, a heavy fog covered the top of the bridge. Alcatraz island was barely visible in the mist. I picked up a National Park pass, and a refrigerator magnet, with a foggy picture of a bridge and a quote by Mark Twain: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." He wasn't kidding. The BBQ chicken, beef brisket and ribs were tasty. Thanks Local 16.

I wandered over to the civil war era Fort Point. The cold wind was whipping in and around. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be stationed there, freezing day in and day out. The fort was saved from destruction during the building of the Golden gate bridge to preserve the artistry of the masons who built the structure.

We crossed the bridge heading north towards wine country. Vineyard after vineyard winding through Napa Valley towards Sonoma County. I can't fathom how the brown and withered hillsides can produce the grapes for such a huge industry. If there was irrigation, I couldn't see it from the road. Highway 29, north of Napa takes on small intestine appearance, and tested everyone's twisty skills. I re-discovered my side stand, and I figure by the end of the week it will have ground down to a shiny nub of steel.

We wound up in Lakeport, on the shores of Clearlake, although it looked pretty green to me. Loren found a great little lakeside restaurant for dinner. The Park Place Restaurant set us up on a small balcony overlooking the lake. I hoovered handmade mushroom ravioli in a pesto sauce, while a full moon arose over the lake. Nice end to great day.

A slide show from today:

2010-07-14T20:20:00.006-04:00

Well, I'm off on another adventure, and the third time for this charity ride that started this whole crazy idea of riding a Vespa motorscooter across the country and back.

This year our ride will take us through parts of the northern California Redwood forest and Yosemite Park. The whole point of this trek is to raise money for a couple of worthwhile charities that have a direct impact on our industry: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS: the nation's leading industry based HIV/AIDS fund-raising and grant-making organization; and Behind the Scenes: providing financial support to entertainment technology industry professionals in crisis. There's lots more info here about the ride with links to the charities as well. The past rides have been exhilarating, exciting, and exhausting all in one. If you have an inordinate amount of time on your hands, you can read about these past journeys here. Look to the right, click on 2008 scroll to the bottom. The earliest posts start at the end.

Last month, Behind the Scenes awarded three grants. One went to a lighting designer/programmer who was hit by a car when on a bicycle ride, the second went to a stage manager / production manager who was in a car accident, and the third went to a person working at a theatrical dealer who is having major shoulder surgery. In all these cases, the individual has been out of work for several months and was facing the prospect of losing their home to foreclosure or being evicted from their rental. The grants allowed them to keep them in their home, cover utilities, food, and their health insurance premiums so they wouldn't lose their medical coverage.

This ride starts the end of this month. It's not a pledge per mile thing, nor does it cover of any of the ride expenses. Your donation goes directly to the charity, not to the riders. Here's a nifty form to send with your check if you prefer: Click Here for a PDF to print out and mail in with your tax deductible donation.

If you prefer the online route: you can make an online donation, fully tax deductible, with your credit card directly to either organization here: http://www.lrlr.org/donate.html Follow the links at the bottom of the page. Please be sure you check my name as the rider you are supporting.

Day 9 - 388 Miles

2009-08-07T21:39:00.008-04:00

I decided to sleep in, but woke up anyway because I failed to close the drapes last night. I had thought about just punching up the "go home" button on the GPS, and specifying "avoid interstates". I google mapped a bit, but the thought ran through my head of last year leaving Lake Tahoe finally starting my ~3100 mile return journey towards home thinking: Oh hell, now I have to drive home.

My better senses took over and I decided to take the most direct route towards I-85 and head home. I'm not sure I actually did take the most direct route, but I got there within a hour anyway. I don't particularly care to drive on the interstates, mostly due to inattentive drivers grossly exceeding the speed limits, not to mention, my scooter has been hitting the rev limiter on this trip around 78mph. I can't always get away from the idiots.

The trip was mostly uneventful sans the 10 mile back up in the opposite lane near Gaffney, SC. Looked like a tractor-trailer drove off the road, slid along the embankment for several thousand feet before ending up on the side on the right shoulder. Gawkers in my lane made for a 3/4 mile back-up. It also made a great excuse to jump off the interstate for a photo-op with the giant peach water tower. There's a big green leaf on the other side making it look far less like butt cheeks from the opposite direction.

I finally got home after a hot long drive around 7:45pm. The temperature and humidity were higher that it's been all week. I did mange to miss the "Friday afternoon get out of town" traffic in Charlotte, and missed altogether the RTP traffic near home. Guy and Lola were very happy to see me. However, I never can tell if it's me or the fact that I feed them nearly every time I walk in the front door. It was nice to sleep in my own bed, and I do think the felines miss sleeping with me in bed too, even if it doesn't involve kibbles.

Day 8 - 261 Miles

2009-08-06T23:50:00.003-04:00

Our day started off by saying goodbye to Loren and Kate, they had a deadline to get their rental bike back to Richmond. The Brits too; David, Brenda, Lucy and Henry left as well, only the day after finally getting the second chase van replaced with one that actually started. We set off to Deals Gap to ride a particularly twisted section of US 129: 318 curves in 11 miles. Not long after we took off, we stopped and turned around to find Michael stopped with some clutch problem. We left him in the care of Rob and Scott in the other chase van, and headed towards Deals Gap.

We stopped at the Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort after a few turns in for a souvenir stop and for the amusement of the Tree of Shame. This clearly is the destination for all two wheeled vehicles, and the tree is for all those bits and pieces of bikes that split up upon impact with a tree or ditch.

The actual 11 miles of twists and turns is not much different than some of the twisties we've experienced, but just bunched closer together. The speed limit is 30 mph, and one TN State Trooper had a couple of crotch rockets on the side of the road in handcuffs. I felt no need to set any speed records, and surprisingly spent most of the time with no cars or bikes in sight.

The highlight of the day for me was the baby bear on the side of the road on the Dragon's Tail. At first, it looked like a fake bear with his paw lifted, ready to cross the road. My brain quickly connected there were no tacky lawn ornaments on this highway. I slowed down, he broke his steely pose, turned back and ran back in the woods.

We wound up driving back through Marysville to get Jonathan and Sheryl with the sidecar to the Harley dealership. Last night he had a fouled plug and was driving on one cylinder. I gave him a wire brush for the plug and thought the matter was fixed. It wasn't and off we went. This dealership is truly a destination upon itself. Out back there was an outdoor stage with a covered patio, a BBQ shack serving fresh pulled pork sandwiches from the huge hot smoker next to the stage. It was a welcomed respite, even if the bad news about Jonathan's ignition not being manufactured anymore was the source of his problems. No worries however, he rented a bike, several folks shifted two-up and we continued our journey.

We rode towards the Cherohala Skyway, through the Cherokee National Forest towards our final destination of the day: Dahlonega, GA where the Eastern Gold Rush began. I have to say the Cherohala Skyway was one of the most enjoyable rides this entire week. Just the right mix of trees and mountains and curves and streams and vistas.

We got the hotel late, Rob and Scott has scoped out a dinner spot willing to stay open late for us. The Crimson Moon Cafe served up a delectable shrimp and grits, and I saw several other tasty dishes go by. The huge slice of carrot cake Dennis ordered didn't look too shabby either. An acoustic duo was finishing up their last set. We broke out in guffaws when they broke into the the Lumberjack song from Monty Python. The other diners still left at the other tables I guess had never heard the song. More kazoos cheered up the remaining diners and wait staff.

Today's short slide show:

Day 7 - 222 Miles

2009-08-05T23:52:00.007-04:00

We shot down I-75 towards Gatlinburg and took a detour through Cades Cove. Its a massive glen atop the mountains. A loop road winds through the park that once was a community. Several old churches and cabins dot the edge of the one way loop through the lush dell atop the Smoky Mountains. The loop road was rough in places, and my cooling fan came on for way too long waiting for the traffic jams. Although the signs clearly request one not to stop on the road for photos, but to use the numerous pulloffs, that didn't seem to faze the several van loads of kids that stopped at nearly every turn. I can't imagine how crowded this must be on a weekend. It did give me ample time to consider what living atop this mountain in the lush green valley would have been like to the early settlers. Several deer sightings as well as a bear crossing the road were the lead causes of the traffic jams.

We did catch a glimpse back on Hwy 321 of three elk munching in a small field by the road on our way to Gatlinburg. We had a late lunch a the first place we found: Smokey's Sports Pub and Grub. They were nice to accomodate the mess of us so late in the day. Some anonymous benefactor picked up the tab for lunch. My bet it was Jonathan. Thanks for the grub, it was tasty after that loop through the cove.

It was so late in the day, we decided to skip the hike a Clingman's Dome and head to Mingus Mill off Hwy 441. We got there just after they closed up for the day, but the outside and the machinery leading to the still working mill was fascinating. I followed the sluice upstream aways, and crossed the stream into the lush forrest. The mist hanging in the air was thick and cool.

Our last leg took us on Hwy 74 to Bryson City for the night. We found Mickey's Pub downtown. It was a gathering place for locals that also welcomed outsiders like ourselves. The bar was covered with brassieres stapled to the wooden structure. After several adult carbonated beverages, Alice, Shelly, and Kacey decided to leave their mark on the bar like so many before them. The bartender had the staple gun ready to go behind the bar, and up all four of them went, standing on the bar. The locals seemed to get a kick as well from the shenanigans.

Todays slide show.

Day 6 - 245 miles

2009-08-04T23:15:00.009-04:00

Most of us managed to get to Melaine's in downtown Boone for breakfast. The Eggs Benedict were delicious, and it seems everyone else had a tasty breakfast as well. Our first stop was the Mast General Store in Valle Crusis. I can spend hours in a Lowes or Home Depot, I could spend a week in this old timey blast from the past. The smells and sights are inviting as the candy counter next to the homemade jams and jellies. The clothing and crafts section, as well as the hardware selection really make one feel like they have stepped back in time.

We left Valle Crusis headed towards Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee. More winding roads lead us higher and higher where the clouds hanging over the mountain tops clung in the valleys. We missed the turn off and drove to the other side of the mountain before turning back and heading up again. Funny enough the parking area at the top was named Cloudview somethingorother. We were totally socked in by clouds swirling around us. Didn't seem to bother the several families grilling out in the parking lot. More kazoos for the kids. Needless to say, we skipped the hike in the park.

We shot on over to Johnson City, TN for lunch before departing for Cumberland Gap. Unfortunately, the skies did not cooperate and the light rain we encountered leaving town turned worse and worse as we got wetter and wetter. After stopping for a particularly heavy downpour with lightning all around us, we decided to head straight to our hotel in Corbin, KY.

After drying off a bit, a Mexican Dinner at El Ranchero was a welcome respite. Even more so since Bill picked up the tab. I expecting a discount, but this was over the top. Thanks Bill.

We were due for freshly baked pie for desert at Moe and Christina's house ( how do they manage to cook and plan these rides is beyond me ) before heading to Cumberland Falls to witness a moonbow: a rainbow in the mist from the light of the moon. Unfortunately, we 'll only get to enjoy pictures, as the clouds did not cooperate. However the pie was to die for. Rhubarb, Cherry, Apple, and Lemonade pie was a treat as well. Thanks Christine.

A short slide show. Laundry time...

Day 5 - 154 miles

2009-08-03T23:12:00.003-04:00

Today was not the best day for the Brits. I needed a bit of air for my rear tire, and used my compressor. Michael needed some air too, and he used the compressor, but plugged it in the chase van Brenda and David have rented so not to drain my battery. Unfortunately , the van's battery was nearly flat for some unknown reason. We left the van behind to get fixed up by the rental co.

We all got a bit lost getting got of town, but eventually headed out US 421 south. The signs warned truckers to find an alternate route for the next 22 miles, and for good reason. This has been the most twists and turns so far. I've driven this road many years ago, and several other twisty roads, but this is the first time I've seen roads on my GPS unit looking more like intestines than a curvy road. Its so curvy, there's not warning signs at every curve. So you know when you see a warning sign for 20 mph curve ahead, they really mean it.

We got to Boone, and Moe had managed to eek out a discounted lunch for us. Thanks Moe. We didn't stop for long however, we fueled up and continued on the Blue Ridge Parkway south. Our first stop was Beacon Heights Overlook. A short trail lead to an outcropping stone platform with incredible vistas of the mountains. Our stop there became long winded due to a patrolman deciding to stop Brenda (of David and Brenda from the UK) driving the last chase car. Our quaint customs regarding the proper procedure for a police stop were somewhat lost in translation, and those things customary in England didn't go over too well. Apparently we needed a 'permit' to drive the parkway. She finally talked the patrolman into meeting with Greg at Beacon Heights where it mostly went from bad to worse. We got the full Barney Fife story later in the evening.

We wound our way to Linville Falls, and took a short hike up to the several viewing areas of the falls. It was steep in a few places, but a good workout after eating way too much for lunch. The trail through the lush forest did little to muffle the sound of water crashing down the falls. I was expecting to see some wildlife towards the end of the trail, but only saw delicate flowers peeping through the low lying foliage.

We wound way back towards Boone where Greg and Alice managed to host a delicious Mexican feast for the more than 30 of us at their home in Boone. I'm not sure how they managed to pull that off being on the road for the last four days, but it was a treat. Thanks, it was awesome.

Slideshow:

Day 4 - 167 Miles

2009-08-02T23:43:00.010-04:00

The day started out dreary with rain, and reports of flash flooding in the direction we planned to travel were dismal. We decided to sandbag for a few hours until most of the rain had passed. Time for a less than spectacular breakfast at IHOP, but nonetheless better than the continental breakfast at the hotel. Rather than a scenic journey towards Abingdon, VA, we took the direct route on I-81. We still passed through several showers, but the worst part was behind us. Joseph seemed to have solved his starter shorting out problems, and made the journey with us.

Our destination was the Barter Theatre, one of the oldest continually operating LORT D theatres in the country. Lunch was provided in the Barter Theatre Cafe compliments of CM Hoist Manufacturing. Several folks got tickets to see The Wizard of Oz, and the rest of us got the grand tour of the scenic, property, and costume shops, as well as several smaller venues, and rehearsal halls. One of our riders, Michael, was a carpenter at the Barter in the late 70's. I could see the joyful look in his eye, reminiscing about old times.

Dinner tonight was an old fashioned pig picking with Moe's Mom and Dad in Bristol, VA. For those not in the know, a 'pig picking' is a whole or half pig roasted slowly over open coals for 10-14 hours. The meat just falls off the bones, and usually before it's all said and done, a crowd gathers around the carcass and picks off tender, juicy bits, or crunches on the crispy skin.

The back yard drops off down to a glen where the feast was laid out. The bucolic landscape spread to adjoining field with cows and horses munching on grass. The property is bordered with thorny blackberry bushes dripping with plump berries. Moe's Dad spent the last two days picking blackberries for a scrumptious cobbler. It was still warm, and the ice cream slowly melted into the buttery crust. An awesome end to our day.

Today's short slide show:

Day 3 - 352 Miles

2009-08-01T23:25:00.002-04:00

Today was an early start, although kickstands at 7:00am turned into more like 7:20am, sort of like scooter time. We left Richmond heading west on I-64. Joseph has been blowing fuses on his starter, and the local Harley shop will get him in to take a look. Dennis and Frank will stay behind and meet up at the hotel tonight.

A thick mist hangs in the air, and visibility becomes more difficult when we head north on US 522. The slower speeds make it harder to clear my face shield. The sun barely cuts through the mist, leaving a spooky feel to the rolling fields and farms along the gently twisting two lane.

After a few stops to take on and release fuel, we finally get to the start of Skyline Drive, a twisty curvy highway along the ridge of the Shenandoah Mountains. The winding road has a speed limit of 35 mph, and in some places its obvious why. The sunlight peeking through the tree covered road makes a mosaic on the road making it difficult to distinguish the bumps and cracks from the shadows.

We've split in two groups. I'm taking the detour to Luray Caverns, the other group will continue on the 100 or so miles of Skyline drive towards Fisherville, our lunch destination. These caverns are huge. I've toured caverns in NC, TN and Bermuda, and this by far is the largest. Also makes for huge crowds, and I sort of miss the tour guide, now that they use self-guided headsets. I tried my hand at photos without the use of flash, or a tripod, shaky, but OK. The highlight I think is the The Great Stalacpipe Organ. A custom console that actuates rubber mallets, via solenoids on stalagmites to produce a complete range of tones like a pipe organ.

We were treated to lunch by the Fisherville Methodist Church. BBQ and homemade potato and macaroni salad were a welcome treat after a long morning. The highlight by far was the homemade ice cream. Thanks to Larry "Pastor Disaster" and the rest of the church for lunch.

We continued along the Blue Ridge Parkway towards Roanoke. The ride gave us ample opportunity to take in the vistas from the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Surprisingly there was little traffic. I expected much worse for a weekend. The cooler temperatures at the higher elevations made for an enjoyable afternoon.

Dinner was compliments of Moe and Christine's Uncle Charles and Aunt Anna. They have retired to Roanoke and built a gorgeous and inviting home. It was a great end to a long day driving.

Some slides for today:

Day 2 - 98 Miles

2009-07-31T22:55:00.006-04:00

Our morning started early with the blessing of the bikes. A local Powhatan Chief Ken sent us on our way to leave this world a better place than we found it. Sounds good to me. We didn't leave till Bill blessed the bikes as well with Holy Water from his mother Ida.

Our first stop was a trip to Historic Jamestown. A canopy of trees lined the narrow winding road towards the East. We got a few breaks waiting in construction zones and a few group photo ops.

Once in Historic Jamestown, we split to take in the Museum and Exhibits at our own pace. The Museum had a special exhibit of Bermuda and the influence it had on the early settlements of the Americas. Interesting for me, several artifacts I have enjoyed in my journeys to Bermuda were on loan here.

Several replica ships were moored on the river and were open to tour. I can't imagine living in the cramped quarters of these ships as they sailed across the Atlantic. I also can't imagine working at the museum as a re-enactor. These actors were decked out in heavy clothing, and the temperatures were in the 90's with high humidity.

Several of us were historied out, and decided to take the ferry across to Surrey and try to find the Virginia Diner we were told about rather than continue on to Williamsburg and Yorktown. Supposedly it has a delectable selection of pies. Our small group got split up when the TSA, or whoever thinks we're wanting to blow up the ferry, decided to stop half of us for a "random" search. It was Chris's turn to strip his bike for one agent while the other examined the underside of his bike with a mirror. The rest of us waved good-bye to the other half of the group as the ferry pulled away from the dock.

We managed to make the best of it. Greg handed out kazoos to kids in several cars on the next ferry. Kazoos became the calling card for the Long Reach Long Riders several years ago, and it makes for a lot of happy kids, if not happy parents, for a while anyway. The kazoos are a perfect ice breaker for a bunch of motorcycle riders trying to raise money and awareness for the charities we are supporting. Two small boys came back to Greg with a small donation themselves. Thanks kids, it really does go for a great cause.

Needless to say we never found the Diner after we caught up with the rest of the group that made the first ferry. We managed to dodge several rain showers on the way back to Richmond.

Last night Darren suggested we might enjoy a local biker hangout called the Sportsman Lounge. Pool tables, darts, shuffle board, horseshoes, and locals. Good food, good beer and good times. More kazoos for the local patrons.

A double rainbow greeted me as I left the bar. Tomorrow we're off towards Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Today's slide show is a bit longer:

Day 1- 195 miles

2009-07-30T22:50:00.004-04:00

I actually got out of town within 15 minutes of my goal. It's rare for me. My journey to Richmond, VA takes me up US1 on familiar roads. I've made more than a few trips here in the last year to help my friend from Columbia, Lynn, to re-build her Lambretta. She's been working with Darren Lopez, restorer extraordinaire, and I've learnt a lot myself. I stick to US1 rather than the interstate, and this ride is relaxing and enjoyable. Once into Virginia, the road becomes speckled with sunlight along the gentle hills and curves towards Richmond.

The Lambretta bug bit me a while back, and I learn something every time I visit. I planned to stop in to see Darren on the way. His yard and shop are scattered with Lambrettas and Vespas in all shape and forms, waiting to be restored. Once there, Darren's lovely companion Charlotte, treated me to the fresh spoils of their garden on warm pita with hummus. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, marinated in vinegar base with fresh herbs. I really didn't want to leave, but I had a riders meeting at 5pm.

Many old faces and many more new faces this year with the Long Reach Long Riders. We have almost 30 riders on 20 bikes or so. Some have come as far away as England, Canada, and California. Many of us are from the East Coast. Mostly Harleys, with a few Hondas, the rare Suzuki, and me on the lone Vespa.

We leave after the briefing to a splendid dinner hosted by the Chickahominy Indian Tribe at the Tribal Center. The tribe located near the James River helped the early settlers survive the the first few winters. We get a rich history lesson along with a feast of deer meat, both braised and barbecued, fresh fish, potatoes, and succotash.

A few raindrops on the way back to the hotel was not so bad, although I didn't bring my rain gear. We enjoyed another impromptu rider meeting along with some fresh spoils of someone else's corn crop in the liquid form. I'm looking forward to tomorrows trip to historic Jamestown and Williamsburg.

A short slide show from today.

I'm Off on Another Journey

2009-07-29T22:46:00.003-04:00

Day minus one-

Well, I'm doing it again, but not all the way across the country this time. The Long Reach Long Riders Charity Ride this year will be on the East Coast, snaking along Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'm no less prepared for this journey than I was for the last. It's easier for me to pack and prepare, since I made the first of these journeys last year. I tend to start packing in my head a few weeks out, so the real act of getting my act together is not so stressful.

I did however discover in my prepping my scooter for this journey, I have sheared off on of my exhaust manifold studs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it won't cause me problems, but I have taken the precaution of a wire tie to loosely divert my rear brake line away from the hot exhaust gasses leaking from the exhaust header. I figure I've been riding around like this for along time, so I'm not too worried.

A drive to Greensboro tonight to take my Mom to dinner to celebrate her 80th birthday is a welcome diversion to the 'last night before a long journey' doubts. I really don't have the time stress about what I have forgotten or not. I've just gotta go...

I Survived Highway 50

2008-07-22T20:27:00.003-04:00

From I Survived Highway 50

Well, I actually got in the mail today my certificate, suitable for framing, and pin from the Nevada Tourism Commission that says "I Survived Highway 50.

The pin is sort of lame. Doesn't even say I survived.

From I Survived Highway 50

Island Vespa

2008-06-22T17:19:00.015-04:00

So, it's not a Vespa, but it's my ride on the island.

Bermuda, ahhh my treasured island to bemoan. You see, every time I arrive, the weather is gruesome, and work is a burdensome chore, but the folks I work for, Barry and James are a treat to work with. This time is no different. I try my best keep my rain gear with me at all times, but I usually fail miserably.

It was sad in a twisted sort of way to find a Piaggio badge from some Vespa crushed and defaced at the end of the driveway at Barry's house.

One of the things I do take the time to do is find a rock on the water to enjoy, while eating my lunch. It really helps to get away from the job site during lunch and enjoy the scenery. I can look, but I can't touch....I've nearly gotten to the point of not telling people where I'm going when I have to come over here and work. I get the idea most people think I'm laying on the beach. Just ask anyone whom I've brought over to work here. It ain't no vacation, trust me. If it's not miserably hot and humid, it's raining, or a hurricane is on the way.

Here's how it usually goes. I get a crap load of gear shipped over here. I'm lucky if it gets unloaded off the boat and cleared through customs in a timely fashion, and undamaged. Then, say one of my manufacturers forgets to send the bolts for the clips, I have to drive to the other side of the island to a hardware store only to find they have the bolts, but not the nuts. OK, so I drive to the opposite side of the island, to another hardware jobber, they have the nuts, but they're metric. I swear, this is the way it goes. Yea, its a vacation....I get to work on my stunning lineless full body suntan in the depths of most any dark theatre.

In all the fifteen years I've been working on this island, I never took the time to check out the local Vespa shop. I tried to score some swag, but I failed miserably. With so many scooters here, I believe it is considered merely a utilitarian purchase. Very different than the scooter shops back in the states. Nothing, no tee-shirts, no key chains, nada, zip, zilch. There is a pile of rusting hulks of LX125 frames looking pitiful to me.

A little slide show of my latest journey:

Laundry Day

2008-06-17T20:51:00.006-04:00

Well... really, wash the scooter day.

I've never washed my scooter, really. I'm one of those 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' kind of people. I wash my car once a year whether it needs it or not.

I have to admit however, after more than 8800 miles on the road, and not enough rain showers to wash the bugs off it was looking pretty bad. Really bad. Several people along the way asked if they could help me wash, like the windscreen, or something. I figured since I didn't actually look through it, why did it matter?

Today's slide show is for all you kind folks who really wanted to wash my scooter. You know who you are.

One Day after -

2008-06-11T19:26:00.006-04:00

Sleeping in my own bed was nice, but it just didn't seem right without a couple of felines stomping over me all night. They're still at their Grandparents house, and will be for a few more days. I've got to jump right back into work.

Almost 8800 miles. Wow! I'm so glad I took this trip, and I'd leave tomorrow again if I could. I have had the splendid opportunity to meet and enjoy some of the finest people one could ever meet. I think I have forged some new friendships that just wouldn't have happened if not for this extraordinary journey.

All the guys and gals on the lrlr.org charity ride, I'm proud to have had the opportunity to share some incredible vistas of this country I've only seen from 32,000 feet in the air, and conjure up some cash for two outstanding charities. All you Royal Bastards on the west coast, thank you for opening your hearts and homes and making me a part of you. I'm more than just Easy, I'm humbled and honored. To all my Cushman friends, thank you for welcoming me to your world. It's been a trip, really. And to anyone reading this now, thank you. Writing this has not been easy for me, but I think it's worth it. I appreciate all your comments.

Many of you have kindly asked me about my concerns for my personal safety and what precautions I had taken. Well...really...none. I mean I do carry an 18" breaker bar and a swell Gerber hatchet, but those items would be nowhere at hand if I really needed to clock someone. I think a lot of one's personal safety is in one's head. Look confident and you'll be confident. I helps for sure that I wear the full get up of protective gear with a full face helmet and dark face shield. My riding style probably gives me away to experienced riders, but for the most part, I think I look mostly androgynous. Actually on several occasions in Utah and Kansas, a carload of youth would speed by, yelling 'faggot' out their windows, and display their limp wrists. I usually responded with my tightly cupped hand pageant wave.

Several people have asked what would I do different next time. Hmmm. Let's see...

#1- I won't bury my flashlight deep in the pet carrier. I'll start of with it in the glove box.

#2- Unless I'm doing a specific camping trip, I'll ditch the tent and sleeping bag. Just too bulky, and for me, I rather enjoyed finding and staying at the no-tell-motels found on the outskirts of small towns. I like having internet.

#3- Sunblock everyday. I didn't realize until the third or fourth day that I could get a sunburn on my face under my full-face helmet with a sun visor. Same thing with windburn around my neck despite the high collar of my hi-viz jacket.

#4- I should have researched my locales more in advance. Even with my leisurely 250 mile a day pace, I burned up a good portion of the day deciding what I would like to seek out. Some days I just drove until something caught my eye.

#5- I'll call my credit card company every three days to make sure they don't cut my card off for 'my own fraud protection' No, wait...I did that already. What useless pricks at American Express. Seems like only the last of nine separate calls that eventually was routed to 'Account Services Dept.' was able to cut through the BS and stop the declines. Why 'Customer Service Dept.' or 'Fraud Dept.' couldn't do the same thing is a mystery to me.

The things I would do the same again:

#1- Have a spare set of keys accessible at all times. It really came in handy when I left my keys on Lucky's kitchen counter in Sacramento, and we had trailered the scooters the few hours to Tahoe. Would have been very awkward to go back for keys.

#2- Take spare tools, wheel, rollers, belt, and such. It ate up most of my space in the pet carrier, but I was confident I could handle most any roadside maintenance issue. With the exception of the keys, I'm of the mindset: if I have it, I won't need it, and conversely if I need it, I won't have it. So, I tend to overpack.

#3- Take spare oil. I think the days of WOT burned oil. I had to add oil three times, about 2/3 cup each time.

#4- Take spare fuel. I bought two small fuel bottles from the local outdoor camping store. Clamped one under the rear luggage rack and another in the pet carrier. Needless to mention, I did run out of fuel near McLean, TX, where the fuel stations are not at every exit.

#5- Take and drink plenty of water, always. De-hydration is an issue in all kinds of weather.

#6- Take lots of gloves, once a pair gets wet, even the waterproof ones, they transmit the cold badly to my fingers. It was nice to have a dry pair of gloves to switch to. Same thing for mesh gloves, once they're wet, they're a drag.

#7- Take a good first aid kit, and forget the band-aids. Take loads of gauze and other blood sucking material. Road-rash is not pretty and band-aids would be worthless for some deep blood gushing gash in my flesh.

Thats all for now. It's good to be home.

Cheers.

Day 37 - 115 Miles

2008-06-11T18:41:00.003-04:00

Destination: Home

I sandbagged all day long waiting for the sun to go down. A cold snap was predicted for tomorrow: 92F high. I figured either wait for the sun to go down, or wait until the next morning. Besides, it gave me almost another whole day to visit with my cousins and aunts whom I just don't get to see too often.

I walked to the Trent River Coffee shop, my cousin Lauralyn, was already there. Several customers were skeptical of my recent adventure, but mercifully Ed, the proprietor had a computer there. This blog reveals all.

We decided to try the Pollack Street Deli for breakfast, but we just missed the cut off. A grilled shrimp salad with feta cheese however was as good or better as an omelet had we gotten there earlier. I'm amused at all the bears, some carved well, some not scattered all through town.

The temperature drops to a frigid 90F after the sun goes down, and that's my cue to head home. The thought of sleeping in my own bed seems foreign. I've slept in nearly as many different beds as the number of days I've been gone on this journey. I've met so many wonderful people along the way, it seems like it will be a let down, but I'm anxious to get home.

A short slide how today:

Day 36 - 84 Miles

2008-06-10T09:45:00.008-04:00

Destination: Atlantic Beach, NC

My cousin Lauralyn, and I get up and walk downtown to a coffee shop, and then to a bakery for breakfast. The coffee shop is filled with locals who seem right at home. One customer complains about all the old posters on the windows. She's been cleaning the windows in exchange for her coffee fix. Try that at a Starbux. I ate an omelet bigger than my head at the bakery and stopped at the small grocery store for some needed supplies for a lazy day on the river.

It was miserably hot and I decided to bite the bullet and head to the beach, hell's fire and damnation. Surprisingly it was almost 15 degrees cooler, 40 miles away at the beach. I stopped for that iconic photo of my scooter on the Atlantic Ocean. Looks sort of like the left coast, eh? I took a quick tour around Fort Macon, a fort first established to protect Beaufort Inlet, but later fell into Confederate hands. I have fond memories of another family visit there many years ago with my Grandmother and Uncles who have long since passed.

I beat a hasty retreat back to New Bern, for a cool shower and a cold adult carbonated beverage. Not too much later, I was snoozing the day away in the warm breeze on a huge hammock.

I forgot to mention last night, my cousin Ben took several of us on an evening river cruise on a brilliantly restored skipjack. The Ada Mae is one of only a few surviving oyster dredging vessels from the early 1900's. It's now used as a teaching vessel to help kids understand and appreciate coastal and maritime heritage through Carolina Coastal Classrooms. We went a good ways downriver and returned under power of the jib sail.

Todays momentous slideshow of the terminus of my journey:

Day 35 - 201 Miles

2008-06-09T12:03:00.010-04:00

Destination: The Atlantic Ocean

Coast to coast X2 (almost). Wow, I'm still in a bit of a fog thinking: did I really do this? I cooked breakfast for my self for the first time in I don't remember when. Scrambled eggs with sweet onions, cheddar cheese, with bacon. Mighty tasty if I must say so myself.

Actually my destination is my cousins house in New Bern, NC. But I figure if I'm going to brag about a coast to coast adventure, by damnit I better get to the other ocean. So I'll drive the extra 40 miles past New Bern to Atlantic Beach for that iconic picture of my scooter on the other coast, tomorrow.

I head out of Greensboro on Alamance Church Road which eventually leads me to Chapel Hill on some of the most picturesque back roads in NC. After crossing Interstate 85, one house catches my eye. Some bizarre greco-roman gingerbread renovation frozen in a state of flux. There's statues, and columns, and archways scattered about the front yard. In the back yard I spy a medieval sort of parapet wall. There's a carved statue strung on a utility pole resembling a cross between an Easter Island statuary and a Totem pole. It's a visual cacophony of styles and images. Next door, sharing a driveway, a small engine repair shop sports all sorts of lawnmowers rusting away. I'm guessing they're related.

The signs pointing to Chapel Hill lead me through Kimesville. The village built a dam back in 1812 to run a grist mill. A cotton mill was on the site until 1931. It's a picturesque recreational setting, water gently trickling over the side. I remember as a child, my family driving to see holiday decorations and animated lighting displays strung out over the dam during Christmas time. I'm curious if they still do decorations. Several small buildings, and a replica of a lighthouse dot the edge of the reservoir. One shack advertises: "SEE ROCK CITY" on it's roof.

If the cool shade was a cash commodity, cows would be the miser kings of cool. They know how to milk every inch of cool from a tiny patch of shade. An if there's not enough shade they just pile in a pond and swim around to keep cool. It is miserably hot and humid. It's supposed to be 103F when I pass through Raleigh, but my outside temp gauge tells me it's 109F. Lots of farm lands remind me of the bucolic midwest landscape I just traveled through with their silos sticking in the air.

I'm always amused at signs on the highway displaying a double entendre, like 'Eat here, Get gas' and this one in Goldsboro is no exception. Folks who are not from around here are always get a giggle from this sign. I always wonder if the guys from the DOT had any idea how amusing that sign really is. Double click on the image for the full size.

I decided to stop in Kinston and pick up some barbeque. That's Eastern NC barbeque, it's a noun around here not a verb. It's pulled pork from a slowly smoked juicy pig that's spiced with a vinegar based sauce. Not too hot and never sweet. It's always good. My outside air temperature gauge tells me it 118F when I'm waiting at a stop light. Hell's inferno can't be this bad.

Ben and Marion's house, on the Neuse River is the gathering point for a family re-union. At some funeral many, many years ago, my mother and her three siblings decided to not wait for the next funeral for a get-together. This half of the family made a concentrated effort to do that, and it's truly been a treat throughout the years. I haven't made it to all the gatherings, but those I've been to have been a delight. My Uncles, Cullen and Tryon have passed away in the last two years, and each one of these events become more precious for me.

It's just too darn hot today to continue on to the beach. Besides lots of family folks are leaving today. Slide show today:

Day 34 - 172 Miles

2008-06-07T22:39:00.008-04:00

Destination: Greensboro, NC

I left Asheville early this morning in comparison to my normal departure time. Mostly to avoid the heat, it's supposed to be in the 100's today. Secondly, I want to get to the Scooter Vita of the Triad early to change my rear tire and get them to mount my old Michelin Gold Standard for the rear. This one has developed disturbing bulges only on the right side. Several are very big.

I decided to take I-40 instead of some smaller back roads. I figure if I have a blow-out and drive off the road into a ditch on a secondary road, I could be there for days. At least I have a fighting chance of someone seeing me and not hitting me as I drive off the shoulder of the interstate.

This heat is oppressive, very different than the dry desert heat. Here, you're sweaty and sticky in this humidity, and it's hot inside my helmet.

I got to the scooter shop and was shocked to see a nearly empty showroom. Scott says the scooters have been flying out the door for the last month. When I left on this journey, you could hardly walk through the showroom. Now it's looks downright lonely in there. Josh kindly offered one of their lifts for my use to change out my rear tire. Thanks Josh. I'm not sure if I know how to do some of this stuff without actually standing on my head.

For those of you who have asked about the Dyna-beads I've used to balance my tires, here's the poop. It seemed to have no effect on the rim whatsoever. Josh was concerned they might chew up the rim. What they did chew up was some rubber inside the tire, and you could see the pattern they wove inside the tire as they dynamically balanced the tire on the roll. The company that sells them says you can vacuum them out and re-use them. I think it would be a PIA, so I'll just bite the bullet and spend the extra $4 for another tiny bag-o-beads. I think they work as advertised. I put less than 7000 miles on my stock Sava tire with the adhesive lead weights, and it was horribly cupped. I now have more than 8200 miles on a front Continental Zippy with Dyna-beads, and that tire still looks new.

I decided to crash for the night at my parent's house here in Greensboro. They've already left for a family get-togther in New Bern, my destination for tomorrow. And I get to spend some quality time with my felines, who've been getting spoiled, fatter, and lazier than they normally are staying with their Grandparents, and oh, do some laundry. I pick up Guy, normally the out-going one. A couple of sniffs- 'oh it's just you' and he's outta here. Lola, normally the stand-offish one, is thrilled to see me. She sheds a significant amount of her orange fur on my black shirt in her excitement to have me pet her butt. Although I really think their definition of quality time somehow revolves around food.

A few slides from today, yeah mostly felines...

Day 33 - 240 Miles

2008-06-06T23:00:00.003-04:00

Destination: Asheville, NC

I wound my way to NC on Hwy 25. In some ways, I think I would have been better on the interstate due to the heat. It was a sweaty 97-101 degrees all day long. Very different than the Mojave Desert heat. Seems like home.

I made the mistake of going straight into downtown Asheville at Friday 5:00 pm traffic. Seems there was some graduation going on as well. It was a zoo. My fan kept turning on and off trying to beat the heat.

It's refreshing to see so many scooters here in Asheville, on the east coast. Too bad there aren't more in Raleigh. But I'm making the great mental leap with fuel prices soaring, scooter sales have to increase.

I decided to call it a night at The Mountaineer Inn. I've seen this old roadside motel for years and years on the outskirts of town. Now the town has expanded exponentially, nearly swallowing up this old landmark.

Day 32 - 3.5 Miles

2008-06-06T00:41:00.010-04:00

Destination: Shell Station for fuel

I decided to spend another day here at the farm. For the first time on this journey, I have developed very specific aches and pains in my wrists. Both wrists. I think that's pretty good for nearly 30 days in a row and over 7800 miles. I figure a day of not driving the scooter would be helpful.

Pedro ran over some wild baby turkeys while cutting hay, and managed to not kill them. They were some wiggly little creatures. I had trouble holding on to them.

I did however help with some administrative tasks here for the farm and spent the rest of the afternoon tedding about eight acres of hay, Pedro had cut yesterday. A tedding machine is this sort of rake machine with spinning tines to spread out and air out the hay before it's bailed. Sort of a fluffer. It's been more than 20 years since I've been on a tractor, and it's amazing how easy it comes back.

Pedro's wife, Maria cooked a mean plate of BBQ beef ribs for lunch, and Margie grilled up some juicy and delicious hamburgers for dinner. Thanks Maria and Margie. A tiny sliver of the moon rose above the old farm house as a colony of little chimney sweeps flew out from the chimney at dusk.

Down on the farm slideshow:

Day 31 - 247 Miles

2008-06-05T01:49:00.006-04:00

Destination: Aunt Margie's farm in Richmond, KY

Once again, hellacious storms passed through early in the morning. A quick look at the radar tells me I'm in the clear for the rest of the day. I'm lucky to be avoiding the storms. Today is the day I veer off course from Hwy 50 and truly head towards home. I haven't seen my Aunt in more than a year, and it had been way too many years since that time before.

Not too long after I turned onto Hwy 150 outside of Washington, IN, the scenery changes dramatically from vast farmland with painted barns to a tight tree canopied twisty turning road. It snakes along a creek bed, and the temperature feels much cooler, despite the heat and humidity I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing lately. The sweet smell of honeysuckle permeated the air.

Once in Kentucky, the farmland takes a picturesque turn towards opulence, I have yet to have seen on this trip. Miles and miles of well groomed pastures, bordered by creosote covered fencing perfectly aligned with the lay of the land, hold horses that likely are worth more than my total assets.

Leaving Lexington on Tates Creek Road leads me to the Valley View, KY ferry. Since 1785, it's the oldest continuously running business of record in Kentucky. Capn' Eric welcomed me aboard the paddle boat ferry and gave me a great map of all the local roads and some good recommendations for some winery tours/tasting.

Aunt Margie's farm is up a steep gravel road that I recall from my last visit was not in too good of shape. I made several visits here back in the 80's and spent a good deal of time here back then, when one of it's many personas was a sawmill among other dreams of my late Uncle Tryon. Now it's a booming Christmas tree business and pumpkin patch, along with hay, corn, and other vegetables.

I managed to get up the hill without dumping the scooter. Like I remembered from years ago, I hadn't really gotten all my stuff off the scooter, and before I know it, I'm on the back of a tractor Pedro is driving, planting rows of corn. The cicadas are here in their 17 year cycle of destruction. Their screeching sound is almost hurtful to my ears.

Much has changed since the last time I was here. But it still feels like a time capsule from when I was here back in the 80's. There's a new chicken coop, lots of critters, and the makings of a beautiful sunset looking over the memorial gazebo for my Uncle Tryon.

I didn't think I would have a big slide show today:

Day 30 - 280 Miles

2008-06-03T23:02:00.009-04:00

Destination: Olney, IL

Much of Missouri looks alarmingly familiar to parts of NC. Certainly not the sharp contrast in scenery I've been enjoying so far. Except for the Testicle Festival. I really can't imagine what it's about, but it sure breaks up the monotony. Another anti-monotonous stunt for me is to sharpen my card counting skills for the next time I'm in Tahoe. I figure counting and categorizing the dead animals on the side of the road without the help of pen and paper would be a good exercise.

Hmmm, lets see. In the first 85 miles outside of Jefferson City on Hwy 50, I encountered: 32 small furry creatures, 29 indistinguishable masses, 14 totally unrecognizable greasy spots, 11 turtles, seven armadillos, five birds, four opossums, three snakes, and one dead dog. I only counted the road kill actually on the road or paved shoulder. If it was in the dirt off the pavement, it didn't count. You gotta have rules you know. I did stop for a turtle who was high tailing across the road, I turned around, helped him across the road and he was safely on his way in a big fat hurry.

Once Hwy 50 merged onto I-44 near St. Louis, I really had to pay attention, so I quit my exercise for the day. It didn't help, I somehow crossed the great muddy river without seeing the arch. What trip would be complete without a stop at the arch. I wound my way back to town for a few pix. Lewis and Clark were mostly submerged in the flooded Mississippi River.

Olney, IL apparently is famous for a couple of clowns who released some albino squirrels around the turn of the last century. They're everywhere. The albino squirrels have the right of way on streets, and it's a crime to try and leave town with one.

I stumbled upon the Hovey Diner, famous for their hamburgers, and a local hangout for many regulars who always order the same thing. It was tasty, The Big Mike. Two grilled patties piled high with cheddar cheese and coleslaw. Hand cut french fries completed the feast. Several locals were intrigued by my adventure, and Susan, my waitress gave me a T-shirt. Thanks Susan.

Todays picture show:

Day 29 - 305 Miles

2008-06-03T00:40:00.005-04:00

Destination: I seriously considered last night trying to get to a Cardinals game by 7:30. No way.

A huge damaging thunderstorm raged through just north of Emporia this morning. I sandbagged at the hotel hoping it would continue further northeast so I could stay behind it. Breakfast at the S&S was better than dinner was last night: sausage and cheese omelet. It's a quaint local eatery with clever messages on the bathroom doors. Lots of smoke and lots of farmers.

I decided to detour off my Hwy 50 route towards the south and catch Hwy 54 to avoid the storms. I was surprised to see an Oklahoma mile marker squished on the side of the road. I didn't figure armadillos got that far up here. But there was more wildlife in store for me today.

I'd hazard a guess that turtles have a less than 10% chance of getting from one side of the road to the other alive. Those poor creatures just don't get a break. I've decided that squished turtles can be mile post markers for Eastern Kansas. In my quest to photograph some of the unfortunate mile markers, I did stop for one that was ahead of the curve. I stopped and gently took him across the road in the direction he was traveling.

I started to catch up with that nasty storm and stopped for fuel in Weaubleau, KS. Across the street the Common Ground cafe lured me in with it's advertised free WiFi. It was a hippie Jesus community cafe of The Twelve Tribes, that brewed a mean cup of tea and baked delicious cranberry muffins. They do a bang up business in organic vegetables. They were very nice to let me into the office to check the weather since the WiFi wouldn't log me in.

I haven't quite figured out why the gas stations in Eastern Kansas offer not three but five different octane grades of fuel. 86, 89, and 91 octane just aren't enough choices I guess. After being in Kansas for the last three days, the Missouri border was a welcome sight, even if squished armadillos are now the current mile markers. I've decided today is wildlife day. I have seen just today: a wild turkey, a beaver, a hawk, an eagle, a llama, goats, sheep, and cows of course. They were all alive.

After sandbagging several hours for the rain, I decided to call it a day in Jefferson City. The Super 8 motel is calling my name. I'm sick and tired of American Express making my life miserable.

Todays wildlife slideshow:

Day 28 - 275 Miles

2008-06-02T01:20:00.006-04:00

Destination: Just get the hell out of Dodge

It's laundry day in Dodge City, KS. I've always considered a laundromat to be the great equalizer. Everybody's got dirty shorts or something. From haughty ladies washing the big comforters that won't fit in the machine at home to migrant agricultural workers. I get to talking to a trucker doing laundry there about my adventures so far. Somehow the biggest ball of twine, which happens to be in Kansas comes up. I've already decided it's way far north and not really on my way to anywhere, but another local suggests I seek out the biggest ball of barbed wire. Apparently some tornado came through and rolled up about 200 miles of barbed wire. The local guy tells me it's only 30 miles up the road and surely the locals up there can tell me where it is.

First though I was encouraged to see the Boot Hill Museum and Cemetery. It's an eclectic little museum. Sort of a cross between a natural science and history museum, with live re-enactments. I think I've discovered my next Christmas gift project: wreathes made from my own hair. I can't imagine the time and patience that took for some frontier woman to make a wreath from human hair. A talking animatronic longhorn tells some story that I was just too amused at to grasp the point. They did have some cool paraphernalia from Gunsmoke. When I was a kid, I got on the set of Gunsmoke and met Sheriff Matt Dillon, got his autograph. What a great TV show.

My search for the biggest ball of something was unfruitful, but I did get a lot of funny looks from the several people I asked. I gave up and continued east on even a smaller road. Kansas is still flat, but at least there's some things to look at along the roads. I now have logged more than 7000 miles on this trip alone.

If not for the barbed wire folly, I would not have driven past the sign for the Kansas Motorcycle Museum in Marquette, KS.

Stan Engdahl was a racer and collector, and owned a motorcycle shop there. When he retired, he and his wife, LaVona gave the building to the town if they would help develop it as a museum. One wall is covered with over 600 trophies Stan alone won in his racing career spanning the 1940's to 1990's. He recently passed and his wife continues to run the museum. It really has some fascinating motorcycles from the past, but the scooter collection in the back were the most interesting to me.

I decided to stop in Emporia, KS for the night. The S&S diner was my dinner destination. Full of locals, that always look me over when I come in all dressed like the Michelin Man, but seen to get a kick out of my cross country adventures.

Todays pix:

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Day 27 - 277 Miles

2008-06-01T00:20:00.010-04:00

Destination: Farther East

Today was a blast. I followed my Cushman friends to the La Junta Community Center for biscuits-n-gravy. Tom, who seemed to be heading up this shindig warmly greeted me. Kind of seriously, he told me I was welcome to ride with them, but I'd have to ride at the back of the pack. I told him I was used to that by now. He was amused.

I got a cordial greeting from everyone, and was told the last Vespa to show up at one of their meets got toilet papered. I knew I was in for a fun day. I was one of the youngest in the room, and I'll be on AARP's radar in just a few short years.

The scooter games started right after breakfast before it got too hot. First there was riding the board, but this board was actually two ropes that were moved closer together with every pass. I made it to the third round before I was disqualified. Next up was the newspaper toss. Apparently as kids, some of these guys used to deliver newspapers on their Cushmans. All the rules seemed to bend in several directions. Last up was the slow race. Two scooters race each other to a finish line. The last one to cross the line without dumping it or putting a foot down wins.

Next up was a 70 mile circuit that took us through town, out into the country, through Rocky Ford for lunch at the Sonic Burger and on to other destinations. The pack of scooters broke into two groups so traffic trying to pass would not be so bad. Not that there was that much traffic. I blocked a few intersections for them until they got out of town, and on to the straight away. I sped past the growling scooters a few times to catch some action photos of the ride.

We stopped at a scenic outlook to the Santa Fe Trail. You could see for miles and miles. I stuck with the pack for the journey to Sonic Burger. We got almost up to 40mph one or two times there. Think Richard Farnsworth in 'The Straight Story'. You know, the guy who drives a riding lawnmower from Iowa to Wisconsin in back in 1994.

These have to be some of the finest folks around. They've come from Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah to have some fun on their Cushmans. Some of their scooters are incredible restorations, rat bikes, hot rods, you name it. One soul popped her chain early on, and a guy with a fouled plug and sticky throttle cable made for a longer than usual lunch stop. I decided to bid farewell after lunch and continue on my journey.

Thanks to all you Cushman folks. I had a ball with you today. I hastily put together some video my digital camera takes:

Not far past Lamar, the landscape really flattens out. I found an old school house named after me, and saw my first longhorn cattle in the flesh. I figure carrying around those horns is a pain in the neck.

Kansas is well, um...flat. Sort of the anti-Deals Gap: 11 turns in 318 miles. And aromatic too: coming soon to a dinner table near you. Feed lots as far as the eye can see. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, I could sniff out a feed lot four or five miles away.

Near Cimmaron, there was a road block due to an accident ahead. Traffic was being detoured on a dirt road. The EMS guys nicely gave me another route on paved roads to the next town with a gas station. I was running perilously low on fuel. It didn't help that I saw endless wind farms far away and wanted to take a few pix. Resembling crosses in a graveyard at a distance, they majestically churn the air into electricity. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: What's the big deal with those folks in Craven County that want to put up their wind generators on their own property? I just don't get what the problem is.

I got a whiff of Dodge City about 10 miles out. I've been here a few hours now, and I don't even smell it any more.

A really big show today:

Day 26 - 297 Miles

2008-05-31T01:01:00.008-04:00

Destination: No where in particular, just east.

The nice lady at the Canyon Trails Inn suggested a stop a Royal Gorge over the Arkansas River, although touristy, was well worth the trip. That entails a trip up Monarch Pass, the western continental divide.

On the way, I stopped in Gunnison for fuel, I wasn't sure how much I'd burn up climbing the pass. Someone has carved a big W on the hillside. It looks remarkably like a huge dubya bumper sticker.

The GTS bogged down to a bit over 40mph climbing up the 4000 feet to get to the 11 thousand or so feet summit. It's still hard pack snow, and very cold. I will never again even consider a journey without warm gear. I had almost decided to leave the warm stuff at home. I'm so glad I didn't.

Nelson, an Irish chap was driving a Honda. He's lost his job and thought there would be no better time to take a two month tour of the USA. He figured he might not ever get the chance.

Hwy 50 cuts deep into the gorge formed by the Arkansas River. It and a railroad track along the edge of the river for miles and miles of twisting turns. There really weren't too may safe places for me to pull over, but I eventually found a good spot that was rampant with rafters.

The turn off to Royal Gorge was gaudy, so much so I couldn't actually bring the camera to my face to take a picture. Bad, bad, bad. Fake gunfights and hangings. Puleeze. The bridge however was way cool. Wooden planked, wire suspension, built in 1929. You can even drive across it. It really swings in the wind. There's a vertical train car that travels straight down to the river. Some of the I-beams were bent, it was a bit un-nerving for me. Once on the bridge, the geek in me came out and I really was more intrigued by the construction, wire splices, the rigging, etc. Today's slide show is for all you geeks out there too.

The rest of the trip was all downhill from there, really. I stopped for gas way down the road after more than 160 miles. I didn't even get two gallons in the tank. Colorado really flattens out, and my long shadows are an indication of what I have in store for Kansas: flat as far as the eye can see.

I decided if La Junta, Colorado looked good, I would stay here rather than continuing to Lamar for the night. I'm glad I did. I followed a sign to the Midtown Motel advertised as 'The Quiet Place'. Of all things, I run into a bunch of folks attending a Cushman Scooter Meet. They've invited me to their shindig tomorrow: breakfast, a ride, lunch, scooter games, and door prizes.

Is that cool, or what?

A big slide show today:

Day 25 - 340 Miles

2008-05-30T10:23:00.002-04:00

Destination: Montrose, CO

Mercifully today was uneventful. It was mostly a green day, more greenery that I've seen in weeks. Utah got a bit drier looking. I hopped on I-70 for a good deal of today as Alt-50 went through parts of Utah I saw a few weeks ago.

There were several miles however that I noticed a creek/river flowing along side the freeway, it looked like it was heading the wrong direction, as in I swear I was heading downhill, but I was actually climbing. This has happened twice on this trip. I guess it's an optical illusion. I even pulled over to stop and see if I would roll backwards. I did. See how uneventful today was?

AMEX has pissed me off beyond belief at this point. Words cannot describe how livid I am now seven times on this trip they have cut off my card 'for my protection'.

I pulled into the Canyon Trails Inn in Montrose CO. Another motorcyclist was checking in too. Paul, seems to be a MSF instructor from Chicago. He's on vacation touring the southwest. I invited him to join me for dinner at the Red Barn. We traded some remarkably similar road stories. Safe journeys, Paul.

A short slide show today:

Day 24 - 314 Miles

2008-05-29T02:37:00.005-04:00

Destination: Delta, UT

If you are ever in the sleepy old mining town of Austin, NV, the Mountain Motel is the place to stay. It's like the saying 'you can't judge a book by it's cover' - new beds, new bathrooms, new HVAC, and a nice proprietor to boot. Farewells to my pedal cycle friends, their butts are tired and are sandbagging a day here hoping to miss any bad weather. Although the sun was shining, not a mile out of town, the sprinkles started. The temperature dipped below 42F and I was immediately bored of cold and rain.

The nice thing about the rain however, is the sweet sage smell that permeates the air as I descend into a valley from one of the dozens of summits I cross. Each pass offers a new view which must be even more spectacular if not for the rain and clouds. I did manage to skirt the worst of it that obscured the view with wispy sheets of rain.

I stopped at the Opera House in Eureka to get my 'I Survived Hwy 50 Passport' stamped. It's been restored and is now part of the Chamber of Commerce. Nice little place if you ask me. I had lunch at the Owl Roost Casino. As if I haven't been subjected to enough ducks these last few months, they have ducks swinging from the ceiling. Very strange.

Most of the interesting turn offs have been down dirt roads, but one for an archaeological site in Baker, NV was paved...at least the first part of it. I'm glad to report I did not drop the scooter on the last 1/2 mile that was gravel. The gravel dust made for a nice backgound for my Michelin Gold Standard tire now with 6000 miles on it. That's a lot of miles. More often than not, scooter tires last less than 3000 miles.

I stopped at the Utah/Nevada border for fuel. As I turned to leave, I noticed the road blocked by Highway patrolmen from Utah. I figured it was some road block for some escaped criminal, but it turned out to be an escort for two ginormous earth moving behemoths on flatbeads that took up both lanes of Hwy 50. I can't imagine the cost to the trucking company to block who knows how many miles with eight Highway Patrolman escorts.

Once into Utah, the rugged mountain passes quickly morphed into dry, flat, arrid desert. I thought the last 200 miles was lonely. This was downright depressing. The vista eventually opened up to salt flats as far as the eye could see.

I've been seeing the warning signs for open range cattle for weeks now. I finally spot some along the side of the road, on my side of the fence. How quaint. I stopped to get a picture. They all stopped to look at me, then they started coming to me. I figured it best to leave, there were some babies with them, and I was not interested in any bovine battle. I saw them just milling about the center of the highway in my mirrors. I turned around and went back to terrorize them off the road. I really didn't want to leave them in the middle of the road.

I decided to stop at The Deltan Inn, they advertised wireless internet, but it seems I'll need to plug in at the office. A late dinner at The Rancher Cafe was welcome, along with lots of local advice on the next few days of travel.

I'm happy to be out of the cold. Big slide show today:

Day 23 - 256 Miles

2008-05-28T11:04:00.008-04:00

Destination: Great Basin National Park

I didn't make it.

Despite there being no heat in the cabin, I woke up warm and toasty in a big soft bed. I didn't want to leave, but the sun is out, so I thought it should be a great day for riding. Little did I realize how wrong I was.

Lucky's cabin is about a mile west of the extremely tiny town of Kyburz. A sign on the solitary business establishment says 'Welcome to Kyburz', the next line reads 'Now Leaving Kyburz'. A light, but steady rain started not long after I passed there. I figured if it was anything like yesterday, the rain would stop once I passed Echo Summit to descend into South Lake Tahoe. Wrong again.

Miles and miles of a steady light rain were in store for me. As I looked towards my direction of travel, I saw blue skies, but I realized it was dark blue like rain, not sky. I eventually hit a small hail storm coming into Carson City. I stopped for fuel before departing on my journey across the Loneliest Highway in America. I somehow managed to avoid the dark rain clouds and showers I could see, but could not shake the light rainfall.

I stopped for a bite to eat in Fernely, I checked the radar at the Chamber of Commerce while getting my 'I Survived Hwy 50 Passport' stamped. I sandbagged long enough to dodge some of the worst rain.

East of Fallon, NV, the land flattens in a huge basin, and since I was chasing the worst rain, the roads were wet. For the next 10-15 miles, the banks of the spillways on either side of the road have become a natural graffiti target. People pick up dark stones, from where I can't tell and spell out all kinds of things along the banks. This goes on for miles and miles. I'm guessing the rainy season is not that long, maybe just today and tomorrow since some are dated over the last several years. The usual so-and-so loves so-and-so along with some other choice statements certainly broke up the pace.

The mountains in the distance were obscured by the rain clouds, I can only imagine how spectacular this should be on a bright and sunny day. There is nothing but scrub bushes and sand in this Great Basin. Somewhere between Cold Springs and Austin on one of the only two trees I've spotted for the last hundred miles or so, must be 500 pairs of shoes hanging from this cottonwood tree.

I decided to only try as far as Austin, NV for the night. Way short of my destination, but I'm cold and tired. I did manage to get a few pictures between the rain showers. Just outside of Austin, right about the time I'm really feeling tired, I spot a couple of pedal bikes stopped on the side of the road with a flat. I turned around to go back and see if they needed help. Gee, I thought I had a bad day, it was their second flat. They said they were OK and to tell the other two bikers ahead they were coming behind shortly. I did catch up with the other two and passed on the message. None of them had a plan except to stop in Austin like me.

I stopped at the first little motel that advertised internet access: the Mountain Motel. It's undergone a recent renovation, and Jim the proprietor was very accommodating. several other motorcycles are here, so it must be OK. The other two bikers pedaled up the winding hill and pulled into the parking lot. They were beat, it was a 65 mile day for them. I pulled my crap off my scooter and drove the three or four miles back down the road to haul some of the other two's luggage up the hill.

David and Belinda and Jack (the terrier) who have traveled by pedal bike since Salinas, CA are heading to Massachusetts. A friend of theirs, Bill is traveling with them only as far as Ely, NV. The fourth cyclist is John, on his way to an artist in residency job in New York, is someone they met along the road this week.

We all got settled in and had dinner at the Toiyabe Cafe. Our road war stories were similar, but I still think they have it a lot harder than I do. I admire their guts and stamina to ride pedal bikes across the country. Belinda showed me some routes that might make my journey towards Denver more enjoyable than the I-70 freeway.

I'm tired and cold. Today's slideshow:

Day 22 - 155 Miles

2008-05-28T10:39:00.009-04:00

Destination: Lake Tahoe

We made it this time.

Barbara met us early. She's decided to ride on the back of Lucky's scooter for a tour around Lake Tahoe, so we trailered the two scooters to Lucky's cabin just outside of Tahoe. This by far has to the best MPG I've gotten on this entire trip. We stopped in Placerville, CA also known as Hang Town (for obvious reasons) for brunch at the Buttercup Pantry, another home grown pancake/waffle house. My California Benedict: poached eggs, sliced avocado and hollandaise on an English muffin was to die for.

When Lucky bought this cabin several years ago, there was ski jersey mounted over the fireplace from the 1968 Olympic champion Spider Sabich. He made his offer contingent on keeping the jersey. The deal went down, and little did he realize at the time, this was the childhood home of Sabich. It's an incredibly restored cabin from the early 1930's. The cabin managed to survive several fires over the years, and is an ideal hideaway. A crumbling outpost of the 1860's Pony Express is just beyond this cabin.

We unloaded the scooters, and departed for our clockwise excursion around Lake Tahoe. It was cold and somewhat rainy on the climb up past Sugar Loaf to the lake. We ascended though the clouds, past Lover's Leap, and descended to the Lake for a gorgeous sun dappled view of the lake.

Just past the California/Nevada border, we stopped at the CalNeva Casino, formerly owned by Frank Sinatra, for a late lunch. This was the stomping ground for many a celebrity in the day. There are tunnels underground from the stage to Frank's bungalo. Marylyn Monroe had a cabin here too. This was the Rat Pack's playground. It straddles the California Nevada border, with a line running through the swimming pool and through the grand ballroom. We sort of snuck into the theatre, but it was way too dark to see much. I wasn't interested in getting kicked out by turning on the lights.

We fueled up and headed towards the south side of the lake for Bill's Casino, mercifully the only non-smoking casino I have ever seen. I'd forgotten to get the cash I intended to lose earlier when we unloaded the scooters at the cabin and I realized I left the keys to my scooter back at Lucky's house in Sacramento. I was forced to use a casino ATM to lose my money. I had a spare set of keys so it worked out OK. My replacement American Express card chased me up the California coast, so my other keys can chase me across the continent.

The casino was not crowded at all. Lucky was not so lucky as he blew some cash at the Craps table while unsuccessfully trying to explain to me how the game works. I still don't get it. An hour or so of fun for me at the Roulette table left me lighter for cash. I wandered over to Lucky just as he was unluckily blowing the rest of his wad at a $5 minimum Blackjack table. I sat down with my last bit of cash I had earmarked to lose. I sort of staked Lucky, and he sort of advised me. Soon I had several handfuls of red chips and cashed them in for fewer green chips. I was excited to play with the just green chips. Lucky urged me to to leave when I had several handfuls of green chips before I tried to play with the blue chips.I did get to hold a handful of blue chips on the way to the cashier. We did well.

We drove though some rain and fog back to the cabin. Sadly I'm leaving the care of my social director for these last several days. I'm staying at the cabin while Barbara and Lucky head back to Sacramento. Barbara's got to be at work early in he morning, so we loaded up Lucky's scooter on the trailer.

No better way to end the day. Thank you Lucky for these last several days. You truly are a sweetheart, despite what everyone says about you on the interwebs. It's been a blast with all you Bastards.

A slide show from today:

Day 21 - 0 Miles

2008-05-28T10:19:00.002-04:00

Destination: Lake Tahoe

We didn't even try.

Last night Colin told us it was snowing in Tahoe. Lucky offered, and I decided it best to spend one more night in Sacramento. My scooter has found a friend, We loaded Lucky's GTS that was at Julie's house, and mine on to the trailer for the trip back to Sacramento, said goodbye to Julie. Thanks Julie for your hospitality.

Lucky, Brooke (his daughter) and I drove back to Sacramento. Once again, we mercifully were heading in the opposite direction of all the Memorial Day weekend traffic. Brunch at a non-desccrpt Denny's hit the spot.

Lucky won a Buddy Black Cat Rattler 50cc scooter in some scooter raffle and it's become Brooke's scooter. Unfortunately, the front tire, brake caliper, clips and shoes have been removed by some dope who was unable to figure out how it goes back together. I like puzzles, and Lucky and I figured it out after a few tries and a few adult carbonated beverages.

Barbara (Wayward Bastard) from last night joined us along with her mother Audrey, for dinner at somethingorother Buccos for a family style Italian dinner. It was good and big. It's some restaurant chain with off the wall Italian inspired decor. We walked through the kitchen to be seated, there were tables in the kitchen also. A huge upstairs seating area with cozy nooks and crannies offered even more sights. One dining room had the Pope on a Lazy Susan in the middle of a humongus round table.

We decided to try Tahoe tomorrow. Lucky has a cabin near there, and Barbara decided to join us. It should be fun.

Today's short slideshow:

Day 20 - 27 Miles

2008-05-25T05:47:00.007-04:00

Destination: Mods vs. Rockers

Lucky needed to get to Kinko's to get some cards printed for the Royal Bastards 'Blazing Saddles' Lake Tahoe Rally in July. We had brunch at the In-n-Out Burger waiting for the printing. I've heard about them, thinking it was maybe like White Castle burgers. Think Char-Grill on a huge franchise basis. They have no mayo in the store but their own special sauce. If you know the lingo, you can get a special burger off the menu. Another tasty treat.

We stopped at the San Francisco Scooter Center. Barry, the owner has a collection of Lambrettas and Vespas upstairs that would rival a museum collection. Cyrus, an interviewer for NPR showed up to interview Barry about the increase in scooter ownership. He was busy with customers, so Cyrus talked to me. He was a perceptive interviewer, and spent a long time talking to me. Don't know when it will air, but I'm sure it'll chew a bit more into my fifteen minutes of fame. Thor, by the way, wearing his little Doggles rides on the scooter with Lucky.

Mod's vs. Rockers is a ride that has a history dating back years ago to the emerging conflict between the modern scooter riders and the leather rocking motorcycle riders. Now it's more like a Revolutionary War re-enactment. All the scooters meet in one side of town and the motorcycles somewhere else. We all ride to a particular tunnel, block the traffic on both sides, ride in circles in the tunnel until it fills with smoke, mockingly insult each other, drive out before the cops arrive.

There probably were 250 scooters and motorcycles riding through the city streets. Sort of like a bunch or rowdy kids on skateboards terrorizing the city. We don't stop at stop lights, or signs. Apparently this particular ride has such a reputation that all advertising is underground, otherwise the police would shut it down.

We made a stop at Ocean Beach for no apparent reason, then continued up to Twin Peaks. We ended up back at the San Francisco Motorcycle Club for chili and drinks. It seems one of the initiation rituals of the San Francisco Motorcycle Club is to suffer the humiliation of driving wearing silly rabbit and Leprechaun costumes. It really was humorous seeing a guy with bunny ears and outfit riding a motorcycle.

Many of the scooters and motorcycles were vintage. I noticed one particular very old Honda 90 that looked like the first shift motorcycle I learned to ride. Dean, the owner walked up while I was reminiscing. Cool bike. Brooke, Lucky's daughter needed sustenance, so we wandered up the street to Whiz Burger. Several other Bastards wound up with us.

We eventually made our way up to Dreaded Bastards house with the incredible view of the San Francisco Bridge. Colin, whom I stayed with last week was in town for his nieces graduation. We met up with him for a drink, and we wound up at Mel's Drive-in, made famous in 'American Graffiti'. Fresh sliced turkey on the turkey melt was tasty. I scored some of the paper hats the servers wear with the stipulation we couldn't wear them in the restaurant, to keep the servers out of trouble.

Thanks all you Bastards for a super fun ride today.

A new slide show:

Day 19 - 0 miles

2008-05-25T05:10:00.005-04:00

Destination: San Francisco Scooter Girls 4th Annual Bash

Lucky got up early for a quick job, and Thor, a tiny chihuahua dog decided to play by running in tight circles until he was totally out of breath. He's a sweetheart. Later, to continue the Lucky theme, we ate breakfast at Lucky Cafe. The turkey, bacon, and avocado omelet was pretty darn tasty. The turkey was real, not that cubed Spam stuff.

Lucky loaded my scooter onto his trailer to San Francisco, met with Julie, one of the San Francisco Scooter Girls. It's odd, never having seen my scooter on a trailer. I'm glad I wasn't driving, the traffic was stupid with everyone heading out of town for the Memorial Day weekend.

Julie has a gimongous cat named 'Dog'. He's sweetheart too, and tolerates Thor well. We decided to grab some dinner at a Thai restaurant before the big bash. Probably the best Thai food I recall ever having.

San Francisco Scooter Girls 4th Annual bash was a blast. Finally getting to meet scooter folks I only know from the internet. The San Francisco Motorcycle Club was founded in 1904. The walls are covered with photos depicting the rich history. It should be a museum.

Drag, my camera battery was dead. A fun night indeed.

Today's slide show:

Day 17 and 18 - 554 miles

2008-05-23T12:48:00.010-04:00

Destination: Sacramento, CA via Big Sur

These past two days have been brutal. The first day started off well enough, with breakfast at Whole Foods. Last night Greasy suggested I drive Sunset Blvd down to the Pacific Ocean to start my journey towards the north. It was a spectacular ride though many posh parts of LA, fragrant and scenic. It dumped me right on to Hwy 1 at the ocean. A pretty windy day, sort of overcast. As soon as I turned north, the road had been scraped prepping for re-paving. The next 12 miles were torture with the front wheel tracking in whatever pattern the asphalt scraping machine divined. It should have been a sign.

My replacement American Express card was going to meet me at Thousand Oaks Vespa, courtesy of Kevyn who needed some maintenance on his GTS. Colin suggested taking a spin to Zuma Beach, made famous in numerous movies, most notably the final scene in 'Planet of the Apes' with the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand. I made a wrong turn, came up behind it, going the wrong way, and never figured out how to get over to the other side.

David and Linda of Thousand Oaks Vespa run a great shop. David picked hp his phone right away to call Vespa to look into my temp gauge oddness. I don't think its a problem, but it nags me. Thanks David for the tee-shirt.

The Santa Aunta Maria Antoinette Hundred Year Wicked Winds have been just miserable these last two days. I am physically and mentally exhausted fighting the stiff headwinds, gusts, and crosswinds. This is supposed to the be the fun part. There were a few high points, however.

I did stop to watch the sunset over San Simeon, there's been some fires too, and the view is hazy and misty from the wind. Twilight driving along the Pacific Coast Highway was fun until I passed the sign after dark: 'Pavement Ends' WTF? That was the first time I dropped the scooter that night. I came to a stop on the sandy loose gravel, didn't realize there was a drop off, put my foot down, the ground was not there. The second time was at the camp ground after I put it on the stand, it shifted away from me, I tried to stop it but it just went on over. I've cracked the floor board, oh well....

My trial run of assembling my tent in the dark was a useful exercise. Mercifully the campgrounds were far enough inland to not have to contend with the winds whipping in from the north. It was blissful not to be fighting the wind, sand, dark, gravel, and mist.

I woke up in a grove of Redwoods, took a short scenic hike up to Pheiffer Falls and a short loop trail along the Big Sur Valley view. Normally one would be able to see all the way to the ocean, but the fire's hazy glaze obscure the view.

More brutal crosswinds taunted me on my way to Sacramento. Lucky Bastard has offered to be my social director for the next couple of days. I made it just in time for their chapter meeting of The Royal Bastards Scooter Club. Dinner and ride around the Capital and Old Town Sacramento was a blast. Thanks Lucky for dinner.

We stopped at Rick's for some coffee and decadent dessert, then off to another oddity known as Winkos Acoustic Sanctuary. It's a rolling one man band, piano bar, improv, and story telling, in a converted bread truck. There's four bar stools around the piano and room for maybe another four if you squeeze in. He asks you for any random topic and he hauls off on a tune, sometimes the real thing sometimes a brilliant improvisation.

We ran into Pope, of the Burgundy Topz, one of the oldest scooter clubs around. He had loads of useful info and tips on things to see and do for my the next few days here and the rest of my journey.

One last short ride around Sutter's Fort, smack in the middle of town made for an incredibly fun night. A nice change. Thanks all you Bastards.

New slide show:

Day 16 - 123 miles

2008-05-21T12:13:00.006-04:00

Destination: Sherman Oaks, CA

Kevyn and Linda are long gone by the time I get up to have tea with Lily, Zoe, Tipper, and Tess. Tess has one ear that sticks up likes belly rubs. Tipper keeps me occupied with a tiny tennis ball. Lily and I play tug of war with a torn up blanket. I'm having to wait for American Express to deliver me a me a new card. Added to my misery of having my card cut off 'for my own protection' four times so far on this journey, it seems the magnetic strip is worn out as well.

I gave up the ghost waiting for UPS and headed off to meet up with Colin, a fellow scooterist, who has offered me a place to stay tonight. I guess that AMEX card will just chase me up the California coast.

Mercifully the weather is way cooler here in LA than it is in the desert. I think I picked a good time of day as the ever expanding lanes on the freeways were not so crowded after all.

Colin lives in a beautiful neighbourhood with purple flowering trees covering the streets like a canopy, a welcome respite. His grey tortie cat, named Seven, greeted me at his door step. Colin, along with all the scooter folks I've met with so far are members of The Royal Bastards Scooter Club. What a great group of people. I'm so sorry I'm missing the opportunity to meet up with more Bastards from San Diego, but I've been invited to a couple of other scooter rallies and events up near San Francisco towards the end of the week.

Greasy is another Bastard living the scooter dream wrenching on scooters for a living in his own shop. He has a spotless shop, and invited me to put my baby on the lift give him the once over. I felt the need to clean my air filter after a week and a half in the desert. His shop is filled with vintage Vespas and Lambrettas in various states of repair. Amazingly my air filter was not that dirty, but Greasy gave me a new one anyway. Thanks Greasy.

Colin wrangled up two other Bastards, Spencer and Jameson, for a ride up to the Hollywood sign and a spin in the hills on Mulholland Drive. Greasy joined us for a spectacular sunset ride. The full moon magically popped up over the hills as LA lay out below us on the twisty, curvy, and downright bumpy roads through the hills.

We wound up at Barney's Beanery for burger and a pint. The food was good, we were all hungry. This haunt has a celebrity history for events such as Jim Morrison taking a leak on the bar. Apparently John Wayne spent a lot of time here too. We left to drive around LA and it's many popular landmarks: Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Capitol Records, Universal Studios.

Thanks all you Bastards for a great time in LA.

Day 15 - 223 Miles

2008-05-20T13:33:00.010-04:00

Destination: Wrightwood, CA

Last night, when I started the dryer, I thought I heard something clomping about inside. I stopped it, felt around and found nothing. This morning when I folded my clothes, I found the culprit in the side pocket of my shorts: my spare cell phone. Oh well... No great loss, it's an old Cingular phone I plucked out of a re-cycling bin, paid eight bucks to get it unlocked an bought a T-Mobile pre-paid sim card. I opened it up, and it looked OK but wouldn't power on. After an hour on the charger, it fired right up. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.

I re-packed, lightened my load, said goodbye to Josh, my roomie from the last week. Since he was staying in Vegas for a few days, he offered to drop my extra bag and un-needed items at a UPS store to ship back home. I took a detour to snap a pic at the famous 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign. It sure looks out of place now that the strip has spread so far south.

Last night, as I was drifting off to sleep, I realized that today I would be totally on my own. A bit daunting, but not 10 minutes outside of Vegas, I realized the sense of freedom setting my own pace. Up until now, I've been with a group of others, and I felt the need to keep up the pace.

Last night too, there was some weirdness with my coolant temp gauge. Not sure what the problem was, but in the extreme heat and WOT, it gave me some odd readings on the bar graph. Everything seems OK for now.

The heat in the desert is oppressive. It just sucks the life and water right out of oneself. The outside air temp gauge tells me it 116 degrees. More frequent stops for cool water were in order. The water I'm carrying with me is hot, and really doesn't quench my thirst. Dotted along the side of I-15 there are skeletal remains of cafes, gas stations, homes, and motels that have long since succumbed to the arid desert.

A sign for Peggy Sue's Diner 10 miles away in Yearmo got my attention. It was late in the afternoon and I didn't realize how hungry I was. Truly a blast from the past, the original nine stools and three booths have been added to and added to over the years. It's even got a tiny outdoor stage and water park out back. Dinosaurs gaze over the water park.

Linda and Kevyn are two of the nicest scooter pals you could meet. They offered me a place to stay tonight. Linda suggested I take the scenic Lone Pine Canyon Road to her house. What a gorgeous surprise. A twistie turning road up a green canyon with a sea of blooming yuccas as far as the eye could see. Miles and miles of fragrant beauty.

Wrightwood, CA is a sleepy town with a highland sort of atmosphere. Homes and cottages dotted all along the hills. Four happy dogs greeted me, and the two older ones slipped out the door and ran off up the street. Linda grabbed the leashes and off we went after them. I'm thinking they are old and hard of hearing. Linda says they're just ignoring us.

Kevyn and Linda treated me to a grand dinner at a local Mexican eatery. Thanks for dinner! The Huevos Rancheros and Negra Modelo hit the spot. We're all tired, Kevin and Linda both have to leave a o'dark thirty for work tomorrow. They have a garage full of scooters and each have an hour or two commute. The scooter is saving Kevin a bundle in gas money alone.

Lily, one of the pooches, I'm warned will be sleeping with me tonight. Here's a few pics from today:

Day 14 - 305 Miles

2008-05-19T23:14:00.003-04:00

Destination: Back to Las Vegas

The early morning sunlight cast an entirely different look across the canyon. I grabbed some breakfast at the deli and munched on the scenic porch of the Lodge. The colours change by the minute. The sky is a bright blue with a few wisps of clouds. The chipmunks here are huge and daring. Scrambling around your feet, they know people have and drop all kinds of food and treats.

Most of us are splitting up today. Some have flights to catch out of Vegas, others are heading back home. This has been an incredible journey so far, I've met some wonderful people from all over the states, Canada and England. I've seen astounding places I never expected to see in my life. Thanks Loren for planning this trip. It's been a blast.

Josh and I headed off to Las Vegas. He was planning on staying with his friend, Scott, the TD at UNLV. I appreciated the invite to stay over. We headed back through Zion Park on the same road we left on a week earlier. The views heading in the opposite direction were spectacular again. We grabbed lunch at Oscar's Cafe in Springdale and jumped on I-15.

The temperature was hotter than a week ago. I watched with dread as my outside air gauge rose past 100 degrees. Every time I looked, it was creeping up higher and higher. I tried not to look, but much like seeing a car wreck, I couldn't not look. It reached 114 degrees as we neared downtown.

We finally arrived, found Scott's apartment, and I was very happy to get a chance to do some laundry and re-pack for the rest of my journey. Thanks Scott. I made a side trip back to the Bonnie Springs Motel to collect my tent and sleeping bag. On the way back, I put the nearest cross street to Scott's house into the GPS to see how it would route me back. Later on I realized as the GPS was heading me in the completely opposite direction, that Scott lives in a nearby township outside of Las Vegas proper. I zig-zagged across town valiantly trying to avoid the strip.

Day 13 - 256 Miles

2008-05-18T14:40:00.001-04:00

Destination: North Rim of the Grand Canyon

I've decided to try the Cafe at the Anasazi Inn. I think it was open all night, at least there were trucks idling in the lot and lots of activity all through the night. I guess she missed the 'eggs' part of my 'two eggs scrambled with cheese and bacon' order. I got a pile of hash browns and cheese covered bacon strips. I was not alone, Greg's order was wrong too. I gave the biscuits and gravy to Vickie who was making a doggie tray for the dogs. They looked hungry. The cats seemed to fare well dining in the dumpsters out back.

Our first stop along the way was in Antelope Canyon near Page, AZ. It's a Navajo Park, and a added four-wheel drive tour took us a few miles into the sands of Antelope Wash. There a short 1/4 mile cut through a sandstone cliff carved by the swirling waters that rush through the rock during the flooding that occurs five or so times a year. During certain times of the day, a few shafts of sunlight manage to cut into the cool and shady retreat from the blazing sun.

Our Navajo guide was great, his clan had been on this land for centuries and took great pride and care of the natural beauty of the landscape. His descriptions of the countless forms and shapes inside the cut were fascinating. Several times he would take our cameras and frame the perfect shot for us.

We stopped for lunch just at the Navajo Bridge as it crossed the Colorado River near the Vermillion Cliffs. I found a pay phone to yell at American Express for now the fourth time on this journey for cutting off my card due to suspicious fraud activity. This crap is getting old. Someone who wanted to remain anonymous picked up the tab for lunch, I think it was Greg. Thanks.

As we wound around the Vermillion Cliffs, great chasms of the Colorado River cut into the flattened valley. Huge red crumbling cliffs frame the comparatively lush valley. The temperature started dropping as we climbed the huge mesa towards the North Rim. Snow on the ground yet again was the clue I had on not enough warm gear. Lush green meadows and dense evergreen forests were not what I expected.

The cabins at the North Rim Lodge were warm and cozy. The Lodge itself has a huge glassed terrace that reveals the money shot. This canyon is huge. The colours in the late afternoon on the north side are astounding. The sun set as I took a short hike towards Bright Angel Point. There you can hear the roaring of the river far below the fault line that is visible from the point.

Mark managed to get a reservation for us all seventeen of us for dinner. The Lodge has only been open three days, so dinner was a bit rocky. Mark treated us all. Thanks Mark.

I went a bit overboard with the pix:

Day 12 - 226 Miles

2008-05-17T01:17:00.002-04:00

Destination: 10 miles west of Kayenta, Navajo Nation

We got up early to explore the Pueblo Indian cave dwellings in the park. Several of us took the 'Balcony House' tour, guided by a Park Ranger. I can't imagine building these structures in the sides of these cliffs. Much of the remaining structures are original, with minimal restoration. The tour took us up ladders, scaling the sheer rock faces, and through tight tunnels into the sandstone.

Large areas of the park are fire damaged. Fields of ghostly, ashen trees are a stark contrast to the surprising amount of greenery on these mesas. We really didn't have time to explore the entire park, it was huge.

We left Mesa Verde and headed to Four Corners Monument. A small spot in the middle of nowhere at the intersection of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Surrounding the monument is a scene mindful of a weekend flea market, but all Navajo. Lunch wagons sold Navajo (flat bread) tacos and burgers. I had the Frito pie.

Monument Valley lay between us and Kayenta. Spectacular red rock shapes stretch towards the sky. Huge monolithic shale and sandstone form remarkable structures. Some resemble animals, faces and people.

We arrived at the Anasazi Inn, a quintessential 50's motel, with a desert Navajo flavour. Several scraggly dogs lay in the parking lot like they own the place. The rooms have dark paneling, not the real thing. It's quaint.

Rob, David and Brenda, Greg and I decided to head back in the sag wagon towards Kayenta to dinner. We discovered the Amigo Cafe Cafe (yes, Cafe is twice on the sign). Supposedly one of the three top 100 restaurants in Arizona. It was truly a local eatery, and excellent Mexican fare. The combination enchilada, taco and tostada dinner was better than most I have ever had. Rob picked up the tab. Thanks Rob.

I needed to fuel up and drove back to Kayenta yet again. I had my camera this time and decided to drive back to get a picture of the Amigo Cafe Cafe. While I was fumbling with the camera, I heard a noise to my left. I looked up and a pack of wild horses was crossing the four lane road about 10 feet away. The seven or eight ponies clopped on down a side street beside me like a bunch of rowdy kids on skateboards, roaming the town. I was dumbstruck, unable to raise the camera to get a picture.

I drove back to the Anasazi Inn very slowly.

Day 11 - 236 Miles

2008-05-16T01:14:00.001-04:00

Destination: Mesa Verde National Park, CO

I'm not sure who said it would be much warmer today, but I believed them.

I perused Lin's Rock Shop before we left town. An overwhelming array of rocks, fossils, geodes, minerals, crystals, and native artistry. Not nearly as touristy as expected.

I should have realized by now that if I see snow, it means I'm dressed inappropriately. I left wearing shorts and a long sleeve shirt under my mesh jacket, mesh pants, and mesh gloves. I watched with frigid gloom as the temperature gauge crept down below 55 degrees. We mercifully stopped at a grocery store in Naturita. I put on a light weight layer of rain gear thinking that would be good. The snow covered La Sal mountains were soon in the distance behind us.

We passed into Colorado as the rains loomed in the distance in front of us. Our destination was Telluride, a ski town for a lunch stop. We eventually ran into a light rain, and everyone else stopped to don warmer/rain gear.

Lunch was a welcome warm retreat at the Brown Dog Cafe. I wanted anything served hot. Several cups of hot tea and a hot meatball sub hit the spot. I managed to put on every layer of rain/warmer wear I brought with me. Everyone else had left to get fuel. I was several minutes behind, and the weather looked bad.

Those picturesque snow covered mountains that formed the backdrop to Telluride were actually our route out of town. This last leg was less than 100 miles straight up the mountain through Coal Bank Pass. The rest of the group left, hoping to avoid the rain, as I pulled up to the pump.

I fueled up and headed to Cortez on Scenic Byway 145 along the Delores River. Low lying clouds were ahead and I thought: 'how cool to be driving into the fog'. Cool wasn't exactly the word. Snow flurries filled the fog I drove into. The snow flakes stuck to my face shield.

As I continued to climb and I noticed my GPS had four dashes in the altitude reading. I was past 10,000 feet. Soon the freezing rain turned into pea sized hail by the time I got to Rico. What a summer vacation! I crossed into Montezuma County and noticed the outside air temperature gauge had warmed up to a toasty 42 degrees.

I caught up to the rest of the group in Cortez before we turned off to head to Mesa Verde park. It was a spectacular ascent up the mesas. The Farview Lodge lives up to it's name. The Lodge is on top of a mesa with a 360 degree view all around.

I'm cold and tired. Not many pictures today:

Day 10 - 271 miles

2008-05-15T01:14:00.006-04:00

Destination: Moab, UT

I took a few moments this morning to go back to Fairyland Canyon. Sort of a miniature version of Bryce Canyon just next door. The colours were totally different in the early morning sunlight.

Lots of other bikers in this part of the country. Nearly every stop we make, I answer the same questions: How fast does that thing go? How many miles per gallon? How much money does it cost? They're all amazed I have driven from North Carolina. I'm amazed several bikers at a fuel stop asked to take my picture.

We left on Scenic Byway 12 towards Capitol Reef National Park. This day I believe has been the most varied. of all days so far. It seemed to change every thirty minutes or so. From the rich sheer cliffs of red rocks, to the gypsum layered knuckles, the snow covered forrest of Aspen trees, the flattened desert, the lunar looking landscape to towering snow covered mountains in the distance.

Experience has taught me that when I see snow on the ground, I'm wearing the wrong gloves. Sure enough, I put on my mesh gloves just before the climb past 9300 feet, and temperatures below 45 degrees.

Hell's Backbone routes us through the Aquarius Plateau on some of the most exhilarating twistie turns yet. We all split up and took the turns at our own pace. Much more fun than worrying about rear ending the bike in front of you.

We stopped for lunch in Hanksville at Blondies. I'd describe it as a hole in the wall type joint, except the gas station/convenience store next door really was built into a hole in the rock wall. I can't imagine this place once the 'season' starts. The four people working were overwhelmed not only with our group, but another group of Harley bikers from France. I ordered a Southwestern Chicken Wrap, thinking it would be faster than waiting for a burger. It wasn't, but it was worth the wait.

Our journey soon led us to I-70 East, and mercifully I had a tail wind. No lagging behind the mob today. The last stretch on US 191 was mostly level and straight for miles and miles at a time.

Ritch and I drove back to Arches National Park just outside of Moab. More stunning scenery with the snow covered La Sal Mountains in the background. Carved red sandstone cliffs, arches, spires and monoliths loom from the ground. It looks like God just took a big box of rocks and tossed them to the earth. The sun just peeked out from the overcast skies just before we left for dinner.

Moe had negotiated a generous discount for us at the Moab Brewery for dinner. Thanks Moe. The stout was rich and creamy, and the fresh salmon was cooked almost to perfection. Ritch graciously picked up the tab for everyone. Thanks Ritch.

Greg's (ex's) ex-father-in-law, Lin met us for dinner. He has a rock shop near here, and flies an ultralight. He could be a gold miner straight out of central casting. Quite the character.

I've come to the conclusion that flattened jackrabbits might as well be mile markers in this part of the country.

Lots of pictures from today:

Day 9 - 166 miles

2008-05-14T00:36:00.004-04:00

Destination: Bryce Canyon Park

I awoke not feeling too well, maybe something I ate last night. I managed to choke down the top of a banana nut muffin and a cup of tea. My roomie, Josh had gotten up at the crack of dawn and hiked up to the top of the canyon ridge. He was sprinting down as we were all packing up for the journey to Cedar City. We were due at 1:00 pm for a BBQ fundraiser hosted by the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

After plowing through more wicked headwinds north on Hwy 89 we turned left on Scenic Route 14, I realized what a dope I was when I put on my mesh gloves by accident at our morning fuel stop. Everyone else was way past me, only the chase car and I stopped to put on the right gloves. Like it would really help. My frigid fingers were stiff.

The temperature dropped as we climbed into the snow covered mountains. My outside air temperature gauge flashed at 36 degrees, warning me of the potential for ice. Hugh drifts of snow dotted the side of the road as we neared 10,000 feet up.

I caught up with the group to ride into Cedar City. There were folks from the Utah Shakes in the street welcoming us to town. After several photographs, we all chowed down on BBQ. Understand, this part of the country BBQ is a verb, not a noun. I tried a slice of the pork shoulder, it tasted great, but after three bites, I came to the realization my tummy was not ready for food. I napped in the lobby of the theatre while everyone got the nickle tour.

A group of small children walking down the street all got kazoos from Moe. They were thrilled. Kazoos are the calling card for the Long Reach Long Riders. They always manage to put a smile on everyone's face.

More headwinds slowed my on I-15 heading north towards Bryce Canyon. What a contrast to the sheer rock cliffs from yesterday. The dark red, wind and water chiseled hoodoos arise from the canyon floor in majestic spires. An easy hike along the rim of the canyon offered several stunning photo ops.

Several deer munch on the side of the road as we leave the park heading towards Ruby's Inn: our destination for the night. It's now a Best Western Hotel, one stop shop, grocery, gas station, drug store, all you can eat buffet, gift shop, camping store, and general tourist destination, but it's still run by the same family that built the first lodge back in the early 1900's.

Dinner, bland by choice, seemed to settle OK.

Todays pix:

Day 8 - 179 miles

2008-05-13T00:48:00.008-04:00

Destination: Zion National Park

I somehow missed the word we were not eating breakfast at the Bonnie Springs Ranch. So I got real fast service being the only diner at 8:30 am. Bill blessed our bikes with Holy Water, and we were off. Our first stop was the breakfast buffet at the Red Rock Casino.

Way too long on the 215 freeway around the west side of Vegas finally got us towards our destination. A supposedly quick stop at Zion Harley Davidson turned into an extended stop for lunch on the first day Buffalo's Southwestern was open for business. I think I have visited more Harley Davidson dealerships in the last week than in my entire life. More bits fall off these bikes than you can shake a stick at.

After I finally got my bill from Buffalos paid, we were off. The flattened plateaus of the sandy desert quickly changed to towering cliffs of limestone we neared the park. Some gusty cross winds made all our bikes slither across the freeway.

Once there, we were surrounded by dark red stained sandstone rock faces. A shuttle bus is the only transportation allowed past the Lodge into Zion Canyon. Where the canyon narrows along the Virgin River, a short river walk takes you to the bitter end. Warnings are posted beyond the paved trail to continue at your own risk. Parts of the river bed are literally swamp land due to the water seeping off the face of the cliff, and have the flora and fauna to match.

Wild Columbine and several other wild flowers dot the edge of the trail as it nears the mouth of the canyon pass. A humming bird flew up the face of the cliff, sipping on each wildflower along the way.

Dinner at the Lodge Grill was a welcome treat. Our last two riders, Josh and Scott arrived today from Grand Junction. They ran into snow. We are now 12 bikes, 17 riders, and one chase car.

Todays slideshow:

Day 7 - Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

2008-05-11T01:45:00.003-04:00

Today is the day all the rest of the Long Reach Long Riders arrive before we blast off tomorrow on the loop though the canyons. Greg, Matt and I drove to another Harley dealer to get a screw that fell off Matt's Buell. They didn't have one nor would they sell him one off another and replace it later. I'd have gone to Home Depot to begin with...

It was another hot day already when we arrived at the Dam. The tourist traffic we were warned about was abundant today. We turned our engines off and coasted down the hill to the visitor center. Our curmudgeonly tour guide gave us the behind the scenes tour of the facility. All in all a fascinating construction achievement. A commercial vehicle bypass under construction looms over the canyon over the Dam. Yet another engineering feat: I'd like to witness the spans of the bridge being put into place.

Supposedly there's only one body buried in the concrete, despite numerous deaths in the construction of the Dam. It's a dog who was the mascot of the workers. The labrador retreiver was killed when a truck accidently ran over him. The only time the site shut down from it's 24 hours a day schedule was to bury the dog. I'm not sure I buy that story completely.

I split off from the group at the end of the tour and headed back to the ranch to change my oil. I'd shipped myself a couple of liters for the job. I'd spied a new Auto Zone store on the way in, and stopped at the office to ask Michael if he knew if they could rent me a sludge pan and let me recycle the oil there. Michael and his wife kindly offered a coffee can and a cut off water jug for me to change the oil there.

After I finished my oil change, I met another couple who couldn't believe I rode the scooter across the country. Paul and Maggie, in the convention organizing business offered me their hospitality if I was ever in Chicago. He said he could hook me up with a Harley for Sturgis. I figure if I'm going to Sturgis, I'm going on a Vespa.

I got a chance to meet the rest of the riders at the saloon, and get out pre-ride briefing. This looks to be a lot of fun.

A slide show from today:

Day 6 - 187 miles

2008-05-10T01:43:00.004-04:00

Destination: Blue Diamond, NV (via the Hoover Dam)

I snagged the breakfast buffet at JB's across the street. It's sort of like a Denny's. It was fast and tasty. The rest of the crew went to the Harley dealer early. Matt picked up a nail sometime last night, and Greg was planning to get a new rear tire out here anyway.

It appeared to be customer appreciation day or something. Free burgers and dogs were slated for 11:00 am. I arrived and parked between Moe and another hog. Greg warmed up the crowd for me, and once they realized I had driven across the country, many sincere hand shakes were offered. More than a hundred bikes had arrived in the next hour. Eventually the hog next to me left and I noticed no one else would park next to the Vespa. To test my theory, Moe moved his Harley across the lot leaving the Vespa with empty spaces on either side. My theory was right on. The lone Vespa in a sea of hogs.

Matt and Greg got fixed up and we left through the 'Blessing of the Bikes' tent. We got a prayer for safe journeys. I prayed for no headwinds.

The last leg of this journey took us across the desert and the Hoover Dam. We had been warned of excessive traffic with tourists, but it turned out not so badly. My outside air temperature gauge hit 102F on the way down to the dam. I managed to snap a pic of it while stopped in traffic after it cooled a bit. We decided to return tomorrow after Moe picked up his wife, Christine at the airport tomorrow morning for the tour.

Traffic on the Las Vegas freeways was a zoo for a Saturday afternoon. We wound our way around the outskirts to the Bonnie Springs Ranch Motel. Think Tweetsie Railroad 45 years ago, and a lot smaller. It even has a narrow gauge train, petting zoo, gun fighter shows and hangings.

Kitschy describes it well too. Apparently Miss Bonnie, 87 years old has decorated all the rooms herself: Iron on appliques of lizards and dragon flies on the curtains and home made lamp shades. Hardwood patterned carpet on the floor competes the picture. My room has a ceiling fan sans blades.

The Bonnie Springs Motel is truly a blast from the past, with a warm and welcoming staff. Michael, one of the caretakers, was astounded that I drove the Vespa across the country. He used to have one.

I tried a buffalo ribeye at the saloon. It was pricey but good. There's no internet here, so I guess I'll have to head to a casino later to lose some money and get online. I could barely keep my eyes open to finish a load of laundry.

I've stopped trying to keep up with what letter of the alphabet I'm listening to.

More pix from today:

Day 5 - 687 miles

2008-05-09T01:44:00.012-04:00

Destination: Kingman, AZ

I noticed tonight, looking in the mirror, that I have a 2" band around my throat that is wind-burned. How that wind manages to get in under my full-face and over my jacket is a mystery.

Greg and Moe offered to strap some of my bags on their rides to save time on fuel stops. All these guys have to do is just stick it in, pump and go. Me, I've got to unstrap several bags, my cover, and my lock. Pop up the seat, gas up and do it all again. Maybe an extra three or four minutes per stop, but that adds up over the course of the day. I'm just glad for any guy to carry my bags.

Saving time was a good thing today. Wicked head winds caught us between the western continental divide and Flagstaff. Up until today, I was able to keep up with the speed of traffic for the most part. Hills took a little extra effort, but once we crossed into New Mexico the speed limit increased to 75 mph. There were sometimes I could barely eek out 51-52 mph. It was brutal.

Greg pulled up beside me a one point to block the cross winds. It helped, but eventually he even stopped that because it was rocking his 1/2 ton of Harley all over the lane too.

I started drafting on trucks as they sped by. At a certain speed differential, trucks passing me would suck me into their draft and literally shoot me like a sling shot. If they could stay in the left lane, there was a pocket of remarkably stable air that would pull me along with little or no throttle. The whole drafting experience might seen unnerving to some, but I never felt in any more danger than merely driving a scooter on the freeway to begin with.

Several trucks seemed to not mind me drafting, but a few were not happy campers. Greg and Moe have CB radios and let them know what I was doing. I was grateful one flatbed, with a partial load pulled me the last 35 miles into Flagstaff, before he turned off to head to Phoenix. He could see me in his mirrors the whole time, so I figured he was OK with me tagging along.

As we got closer to Albuquerque, the overpasses and bridges were adorned with southwestern/desert styled motifs. Closer towards the town the noise barriers and pedestrian bridges were more elaborate. Not that it achieves any level of 'public art' but it's pleasant to look at nonetheless.

We took a detour into the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. It's a 28 mile loop through the Painted Desert with several breathtaking vistas of the badlands and dried up stream beds. Freight trains rumble through the park along the Santa Fe Railroad. The stunning colors and formations are merely a rehearsal I know for the sights to see next week.

It got quite chilly towards the end, and we all donned our cold weather gear for the last hundred or so miles. We finally arrived in Kingman, tired and numb, but all in one piece.

I listened to tunes starting from 'N' through the end and started with the 'A''s again.

Here's todays pix:

Day 4 - 544 miles

2008-05-08T03:04:00.004-04:00

Destination: Albequerque, NM

We didn't make it.

Breakfast at the 4 Star Diner was good and greasy, as it should be. We left just after 9:30 am towards heavy overcast skies. A few hours later the skies cleared as huge turbines of wind farms stretch into the sky along the highway somewhere in Oklahoma. The blades spin slowly on standards towering in the sky. I just don't get what the big deal is about those wind turbines those folks in Craven County want to install on their own property. I know they are purely machines for generating electricity, but they seem majestic in a way.

Moe lost a screw on his fairing and we stopped at the Oklahoma City Harley Davidson. Greg had suggested I pick up a Throttle Rocker to ease the stress on my throttle arm, and we nearly forgot to ask. Kevin, the parts guy at the Harley shop offered me a hearty handshake and big toothless grin when Greg told him I was riding my Vespa across the country. At the end of the day, I guess two wheels are two wheels, no matter how small.

Due to my newly acquired lack of finesse with my new Throttle Rocker and the wicked head and cross winds, my mileage went down the tubes. I motioned to Moe that I needed to stop for gas soon, but I ran out about three miles from McLean, TX. Greg didn't realize I had spare fuel with me and sped off the the next exit. The liter and half of fuel I carry didn't even get me one bar on the gauge, but it got me to the next exit where there was a Shell station on Route 66. Someone always runs out of gas on these adventures. I'm happy to do my part for a successful adventure.

After passing what must have been 5000 head of cattle in fenced paddocks along the east bound lanes, I spotted something resembling sculptures sticking up the field. Several cars were parked and people were walking towards the objects. I couldn't stop, and couldn't really figure out what it was, but it must have been interesting enough for people to stop on the shoulder of the interstate and stomp across a ranch to see what ever it was. Only later did Greg clue me in: It was Cadillac Ranch. A series of Cadillacs, buried tail fins up in the Texas dirt.

Out in the middle of nowhere, near Groom, Texas, there's this humongus cross and Jesus gift shop. There's really nothing else around. It's big. I couldn't tell if this homage was associated with a particular denomination. The cross acts sort of like a sundial surrounding 12 bronze statues of Jesus in his final days. Jesus in a fountain welcomes you to the worship center and gift shop. The sheer enormity of scale is a bit overwhelming. But then again, everything is Texas is big.

We watched the sun set as we crossed into New Mexico. I had most of Oklahoma and all of Texas splattered on my face shield. We found a Quality Inn in Tucumcari just off the highway, with a bar and grill. Unfortunately they bar closed at 9:00pm. I gambled the Ostrich Diane, with a burgundy mushroom sauce. I don't think I've ever eaten ostrich before. It didn't taste at all like chicken.

The sheer numbers dead armadillos along the side of the road might as well be mile markers.

You know, it's amazing to me this satellite guided gizmo, my Garmin GPS, has an accuracy of nine feet as measured from the outer atmosphere, yet can't automatically change the clock when I pass into a different time zone. It's still an hour off, now maybe two.

Today I listened to tunes starting with 'I' to 'M'

Pix today:

Day 3 - 505 Miles

2008-05-07T00:38:00.006-04:00

Destination: Fort Smith, AK

I didn't witness this but, I heard Moe nearly had a knock down drag out with some child abuser at breakfast this morning. Seems like Mr. Dahmer wouldn't stop berating little four year Jeffery, and Mrs. Dahmer didn't seem to mind. They eventually went away when Moe threatened to call Child Protection Services. I hear the whole scene was not pretty.

Last night I noticed along the side of the road what looked like dead opossums with remarkable little tire tracks on their dead little bodies. I had no idea there were armadillos in western Tennessee.

Somewhere around Little Rock, what looked like a crumpled refrigerator box loomed in the middle of the lane in front of Moe and Matt. It turned out to be someone's living room carpet. It stuck up like a tee-pee. Moe swerved left and missed it. Matt swerved right, but caught the edge. He got a bit wobbly when his rear tire left the road. A sphincter tightening moment indeed.

I got clobbered by head winds in Arkansas. It really chewed into my mileage. At one fuel stop, I put in 2.317 gallons of fuel in a 2.4 gallon capacity tank. I was literally driving on fumes.

We actually made it past Fort Smith and finally stopped for the night in Roland, OK. The last two hours were in a steady rain. Greg and Moe had to stop as they could not see through their goggles. Moe started to slow down to stop under a bridge. I on the other hand couldn't stop with wet brakes. I over shot the bridge by about 50 yards. After a while under the bridge, Greg reluctantly admitted that maybe it was time for his next helmet to be a full face. The camera phone photograph really tells all....

We stopped at the Cherokee Casino. Cheap rooms since it was a given someone would lose money in the casino. We decided the 'Grill' in the Casino was not the dinner we were looking for.

Thunder and lightning were in the distance as we walked across the street to the 4 Star Diner- "Y'all can't sit near that window- last week we had to haul everybody into the walk-in" our waitress told us. Exactly 90 seconds later, it was raining sideways. Shortly after that penny sized hail started pelting the cars in the parking lot. The waitress said the catfish was good that night. She was right.

We retired to the Casino where Greg and Moe cleaned up at the Texas Hold 'em table. I on the other hand promptly lost a minor sum of cash that was ear marked to lose in Las Vegas anyway.

I purchased a Garmin Zumo 550 GPS unit for this trip. I never really got the chance, with my stellar preparation for this journey to learn all the functions. Learning on the go is not a good option. It has an SD card slot and an MP3 player for tunes that blast through my headset in my helmet. I had tired of listening to the same three albums I had figured out how to punch up at 70mph. I was thrilled to actually notice the 'play all' button on the touch screen. It's an alphabetical playlist- not a bad random shuffle. I get the added bonus of hearing several different artists interpretations of the same tunes back to back.

Today I listened to songs starting with 'A' to 'I' today.

More pictures of today:

Day 2 - 337 miles

2008-05-06T02:09:00.007-04:00

Destination: 100 miles past Nashville- we didn't make it.

A beautiful morning near Howards Knob. Greg, Alice, and Matt have a warm and wonderful home on he side of the mountain. Rosco, a sweet, sweet black and white dog, and Jaylee, the fluffy long hair tortoise shell cat, share their home.

Matt still had a final exam late in the day so I got up early, pulled the scooter into Greg's shed, and put a new belt on the scooter. I figured the 8000 miles on the belt I had would be pushing it to add another 2300 interstate miles. My new Continental Zippy was mounted for front rotation, so I swapped the new(ish) Michelin Pilot City on the front and made it my spare- good for front or rear. I topped off the oil, it was a tad low. I moved on to my arts and crafts project for the day.

Greg laughed out loud last night when showed him the beaded seat cover I purchased last summer and have been meaning to cut down to fit on the scooter seat. I don't care how kitschy it looks, I really don't want to drive across the country with a sweaty butt. It actually turned out great after I found the 'Rosetta Stone' piece of monofilament to carefully un-weave the pattern without spilling 500 beads on the floor for Rosco to choke on.

We finally leave town around 5:30pm. Winding through the narrow two lane roads leading to Johnson City is a pleasant beginning to what will I'm sure turn into long and tedious journey on the interstates after we meet Moe in Knoxville.

Matt had a friend in Nashville he wanted to visit, and we would be arriving later at night. Somewhere outside of Nashville, we stopped for coffee at a McDonalds. I never thought a double cheeseburger could taste so good... then again, maybe it was just the salt.

Nashville- it's late

More pictures from today are here:

Day 1 - 189 Miles

2008-05-05T23:40:00.006-04:00

Destination: Boone, NC

Scooter loaded up, I stopped by the office to UPS the ginormous bag with my tent, sleeping bag and mattress ahead. I won't really need that on the first part of this journey. The scooter is very top heavy, sort of like having a passenger with a 100 pound head wobbling on the back.

I wish I got a picture of everyone else at the office taking my picture with their camera phones in the parking lot.

I stopped in Greensboro at ScooterVita to see Scott and Josh. One last goodbye to the furry children and Mom and Dad.

Arrived in Boone late. Met Greg and Alice at the Earth Fare parking lot. They led me straight up a mountain to their home.

Photos of today are here:

One Day

2008-05-04T00:54:00.008-04:00

As in one day before I leave.

Yesterday I drove Guy and Lola to Greensboro to get fat and spoiled with their grandparents during my journey. Neither one are very happy campers in the car.

I'm mostly packed, I keep thinking of little things I need to write down to remember. My main list is getting whacked down to a manageable size. My goal is to clear town by one o'clock tomorrow, drive to Boone, NC to meet up with Greg Williams and his son Matt, with a stop in Greensboro to see the folks at ScooterVita, and check out the parents and the cats.

I managed to get my desk cleaned up and finish up a few lingering projects. George and Virginia invited me over for a sending off cookout. Thanks for the steak and veggies. A trial run for pitching my new tent in the back yard was still on my list. I figured out later, after a few beers and working in the dark would be a good learning experience.

It was.

Three Days

2008-05-02T01:29:00.001-04:00

Yup- That's three days before I leave.

I'm feeling unprepared for this adventure. The scooter is good to go: new tires, GPS, valves adjusted.

Since I decided to take this journey, I figured since I'm already as far as Las Vegas, I might as well just head on to San Diego, LA, up the Pacific Coast Highway to SFO, and make my way back home through the Sierra Nevadas on Highway 50: The loneliest highway in America.

I thought I might be able to camp out, so I bought myself a tent, a sleeping bag and an air mattress, despite never really camping in my life. I've been reading blogs and journals of others who have done long distance journeys on two wheels over the last several months, which has really reinforced the feeling of how woefully unprepared I am. I have no real plans once the organized ride is over-just to go on.

I got the bright idea to peruse the travel section of the bookstore this morning and I discovered a gem: 'Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways' A brilliant travel companion with criss-crossing routes nationwide. Nirvana- there's an entire chapter devoted to Highway 50. Now I'll have no trouble finding the worlds largest ball of twine...or something.

Call me crazy... yeah

2008-01-28T23:06:00.004-05:00

I'm planning to drive my Vespa scooter from Raleigh, NC to Las Vegas and back in May. I'll meet up with a flock of other fools who have driven across the country, just to drive in yet another big circle through parts of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, merely to benefit a charity. I'm truly looking forward to gaze at the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, and the surrounding areas. Places I've never visited.

There are two charities who benefit directly from this escapade. Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS: the nation's leading industry based HIV/AIDS fund-raising and grant-making organization; and Behind the Scenes: providing financial support to entertainment technology industry professionals in crisis. There's lots more info here about the ride with links to the charities as well.

I've never done a long distance expedition of this proportion in my entire life, let alone on two 12" scooter tires. Put me behind the wheel of a car, and typically my soporific sojourn begins. I'm confident however, the thrill of this odyssey along with the spectre of butt numbing adventure will keep me spry and awake. I'll be the lone Vespa scooter amongst a herd of Harleys and Buells.

But here's the real deal: I've got to drum up a minimum of $1000 in donations to either charity in order to participate. It's not a pledge per mile thing, and it's not to defray the costs of any of the ride expenses. Your donation goes directly to the charity, not to the riders. We all still have to cover our own expenditures on the ride, getting there, and back. Just open your hearts and your pocketbooks, well checkbooks really, and make your check payable to either charity. There's a nifty form to send with your check: Click Here for a PDF to print out and mail in with your tax deductible donation.

If you prefer, you can make an online donation, fully tax deductible, with your credit card directly to either organization here: http://www.lrlr.org/donate.html Follow the links at the bottom of the page. Many thanks for considering a contribution to either of these foundations who benefit from this event. I think this ride should be a blast.