Hi All,
I wanted to let you know that I now have a new blog for my acupuncture practice.
here is the link:
www.ancientwayshealing.blogspot.com
While I wont be writing about cruising across the country, I will be offering insights and advice on staying healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Also, if you are interested in my acupuncture practice and the services that I offer, check out my website:
www.AncientWaysHealing.com
Have a great weekend, and stay healthy.
in Light and Love,
Adam Meyerowitz, L.Ac
858-255-1836
adam@ancientwayshealing.com
www.AncientWaysHealing.com
Friday, November 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Epilogue
I'll miss the road and all it's shown me. The ways it's freed me, the way it's grown me. My heart wide open, my Soul flew free. On this great adventure, this amazing journey. To those that I rode with, through the sunshine and the rain, I look forward to the time when we will ride again. And to those of you at home, who have read the words I write, it's been and honor and a pleasure, a personal delight. To share with you the things I've seen, the things I've felt, and where I've been. These words they do flow through me, I cannot call them mine, they've come from in my Soul, from somewhere that's Divine.
To my brothers on the road, the men who still do ride, my Spirit travels with you, to places far and wide. Stay safe my friends, ride on you four, enjoy the open road once more.
And now I'll share with all of you, a message from the winds, for as I rode and listened, they taught me many things. We are far more than our bodies, greater than we know, Spirits on a journey, and oh the places we will go. Each one of us has purpose, a reason we are here, and if you listen in the stillness, the answer you may hear. Live your life each day, don't give up on your dreams. No matter how hard, at times that it may seem. This life is sure a gift, a present from above. So live with Heart wide open, share with the world your Love.
I could go on for pages, and let these rhymed words flow, but sometimes short and sweet is the better way to go. This journey may be over, this ride of mine complete, its been truly amazing, its truly been a treat. And as one journey ends, so another one begins. I eagerly await, what this new journey brings. I thank you from my Soul, from the depths of my true being, for giving of your time, to read what I've been seeing. I hope through all these words, a glimpse I did provide, into the magic of my journey, A. Mystic's Soul ride.
To my brothers on the road, the men who still do ride, my Spirit travels with you, to places far and wide. Stay safe my friends, ride on you four, enjoy the open road once more.
And now I'll share with all of you, a message from the winds, for as I rode and listened, they taught me many things. We are far more than our bodies, greater than we know, Spirits on a journey, and oh the places we will go. Each one of us has purpose, a reason we are here, and if you listen in the stillness, the answer you may hear. Live your life each day, don't give up on your dreams. No matter how hard, at times that it may seem. This life is sure a gift, a present from above. So live with Heart wide open, share with the world your Love.
I could go on for pages, and let these rhymed words flow, but sometimes short and sweet is the better way to go. This journey may be over, this ride of mine complete, its been truly amazing, its truly been a treat. And as one journey ends, so another one begins. I eagerly await, what this new journey brings. I thank you from my Soul, from the depths of my true being, for giving of your time, to read what I've been seeing. I hope through all these words, a glimpse I did provide, into the magic of my journey, A. Mystic's Soul ride.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Day 18- F.T.R.
You may be wondering what F.T.R. stands for. Well, the T stands for "the", the R for "rain" and the F, well I'm pretty sure you can figure that one out on your own. I once again awoke to find dark clouds in the sky above. At this point in the trip, I am really so fed up with all the rain. Having to ride through the rain really takes the fun out of the journey, but I guess they can't all be sunny days. It has actually been the coldest, wettest summer trip I have ever been on, and neither myself nor anyone else was expecting it.
Rain gear on and all bundled up, we left the hotel and said goodbye to South Dakota. We were in the rain from the time we started riding until about 20 miles into Wyoming, just over 2 hours later. Luckily, the skies cleared and the rest of our ride remained rain free.
The drive today was pretty dull actually. We rode just over 200 miles on a long, straight road through the grasslands of Wyoming. There really wasn't any exciting scenery, so the ride itself was pretty monotonous, but at least it wasn't raining.
The one thing we did have to contend with today was the wind. For almost the entire trip, we had some pretty strong crosswinds pushing on us, and every time a big rig would pass us from the other direction, a giant blast of air would literally push us side to side. Strong winds can actually push the bike from a few inches to a few feet across the road, so although the road was straight and boring, I still had to do a lot of concentrating to keep the bike moving straight. It certainly is tiring being battered by the wind for hours and hours, but at least it wasn't raining.
Towards the end of our journey, there were some pretty ominous and strange looking clouds in the sky above. One in particular caught my attention and I must have checked on it for over 30 minutes. I wasn't concerned that the cloud was going to rain on us, but rather that it may turn into a tornado. Luckily for us, it didn't.
We pulled into Cheyenne, Wyoming around 5 in the afternoon and checked into our hotel. Wouldn't you know it, a couple hours later the TV screens announced a tornado warning! Fortunately the tornado never materialized, and we remained safe.
We all met for our final dinner together on the trip, as tomorrow myself and the ladies fly home to San Diego. The rest of the guys will continue onward through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and back into California over the next few days. I wish I could stay and finish the trip with them, but as I said before, I've got an exam in Sacramento to get to, where hopefully it won't be raining.
Rain gear on and all bundled up, we left the hotel and said goodbye to South Dakota. We were in the rain from the time we started riding until about 20 miles into Wyoming, just over 2 hours later. Luckily, the skies cleared and the rest of our ride remained rain free.
The drive today was pretty dull actually. We rode just over 200 miles on a long, straight road through the grasslands of Wyoming. There really wasn't any exciting scenery, so the ride itself was pretty monotonous, but at least it wasn't raining.
The one thing we did have to contend with today was the wind. For almost the entire trip, we had some pretty strong crosswinds pushing on us, and every time a big rig would pass us from the other direction, a giant blast of air would literally push us side to side. Strong winds can actually push the bike from a few inches to a few feet across the road, so although the road was straight and boring, I still had to do a lot of concentrating to keep the bike moving straight. It certainly is tiring being battered by the wind for hours and hours, but at least it wasn't raining.
Towards the end of our journey, there were some pretty ominous and strange looking clouds in the sky above. One in particular caught my attention and I must have checked on it for over 30 minutes. I wasn't concerned that the cloud was going to rain on us, but rather that it may turn into a tornado. Luckily for us, it didn't.
We pulled into Cheyenne, Wyoming around 5 in the afternoon and checked into our hotel. Wouldn't you know it, a couple hours later the TV screens announced a tornado warning! Fortunately the tornado never materialized, and we remained safe.
We all met for our final dinner together on the trip, as tomorrow myself and the ladies fly home to San Diego. The rest of the guys will continue onward through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and back into California over the next few days. I wish I could stay and finish the trip with them, but as I said before, I've got an exam in Sacramento to get to, where hopefully it won't be raining.
Day 17- Badlands and Bad Dudes
Today was pretty mellow in comparison to our recent adventures, but it was still a great day. We headed out towards our destination, the Badlands National Park. Along the way we once again saw dark clouds on the horizon, so we pulled over and put on our rain gear once more. Fortunately, we actually missed the rain this time.
Our first stop was in a little place called Scenic, South Dakota. We were going to visit a famous old bar on the Indian Reservation called The Longhorn. The bar used to be a place where weary cowboys taking their cattle across the land used to stop for a drink. In more recent times it was a bar where weary bikers used to stop along their travels. When we arrived, we were sad to see that the bar was actually shut down, and for sale, along with most of the little town. It was a common site we had seen along many places on the road. Lots of businesses, and even entire towns, that had closed shop for good. A sad reminder of the current economic situation.
We left scenic and rode the remaining 30 or so miles to the Badlands National Park. It was a spectacular, and alien landscape. Giant hills and little towers of rock and sand dotted the landscape. It felt more like riding through mars than South Dakota. As usual, we were surrounded by a myriad of other bikers also enjoying the sites. When I think about it, the variety of landscapes I have ridden through in just over two weeks is unbelievable. If ever you get a chance to travel the country like this, whether by bike, car, RV, or any other means, I highly recommend it. It is as if every state is its own country with unique environments, people, and cultures. Traveling through so many different places has made me realize just how diverse the U.S. really is.
After the Badlands we stopped in a town called Wall, South Dakota, for lunch. The place we went to happened to be the hangout for one of the many real biker gangs that came in for Sturgis. The way it works is that each gang essentially takes a different town near Sturgis as their headquarters for the week. Just a few of these gangs include The Mongols, The Bandidos, The Sons of Silence, and of course The Hells Angels. They are some pretty rough looking dudes, but so long as you don't mess with them, they don't mess with you. In biker terms, they are known as the one percenters. The idea being that of all the bikers in the world, 1% is the criminal element. Most of these gangs are so proud of that fact that they actually wear a 1% patch on their vests.
After lunch we headed back toward Sturgis. Betty Boop and I decided to come back to the hotel and take it easy for the afternoon, as we have both had our fill of the Sturgis rally. The rest of the crew went to visit the famous bar, The Full Throttle Saloon. If you want to know what that place is like, you can check out the reality show about them on TV. It is the largest biker bar in the world, and from what I hear, a pretty crazy place.
We met up with the crew when they returned and headed out for dinner just down the road. It was delicious, and I am stuffed.
Tomorrow we leave Sturgis and head for Cheyenne, Wyoming. I am excited, but at the same time sad, as it will be my last full day on the trip. Come Wednesday, I am flying back home to prepare for my Acupuncture licensing exam. This has been an incredible journey, and I will savor every last moment of it before I return home.
Our first stop was in a little place called Scenic, South Dakota. We were going to visit a famous old bar on the Indian Reservation called The Longhorn. The bar used to be a place where weary cowboys taking their cattle across the land used to stop for a drink. In more recent times it was a bar where weary bikers used to stop along their travels. When we arrived, we were sad to see that the bar was actually shut down, and for sale, along with most of the little town. It was a common site we had seen along many places on the road. Lots of businesses, and even entire towns, that had closed shop for good. A sad reminder of the current economic situation.
We left scenic and rode the remaining 30 or so miles to the Badlands National Park. It was a spectacular, and alien landscape. Giant hills and little towers of rock and sand dotted the landscape. It felt more like riding through mars than South Dakota. As usual, we were surrounded by a myriad of other bikers also enjoying the sites. When I think about it, the variety of landscapes I have ridden through in just over two weeks is unbelievable. If ever you get a chance to travel the country like this, whether by bike, car, RV, or any other means, I highly recommend it. It is as if every state is its own country with unique environments, people, and cultures. Traveling through so many different places has made me realize just how diverse the U.S. really is.
After the Badlands we stopped in a town called Wall, South Dakota, for lunch. The place we went to happened to be the hangout for one of the many real biker gangs that came in for Sturgis. The way it works is that each gang essentially takes a different town near Sturgis as their headquarters for the week. Just a few of these gangs include The Mongols, The Bandidos, The Sons of Silence, and of course The Hells Angels. They are some pretty rough looking dudes, but so long as you don't mess with them, they don't mess with you. In biker terms, they are known as the one percenters. The idea being that of all the bikers in the world, 1% is the criminal element. Most of these gangs are so proud of that fact that they actually wear a 1% patch on their vests.
After lunch we headed back toward Sturgis. Betty Boop and I decided to come back to the hotel and take it easy for the afternoon, as we have both had our fill of the Sturgis rally. The rest of the crew went to visit the famous bar, The Full Throttle Saloon. If you want to know what that place is like, you can check out the reality show about them on TV. It is the largest biker bar in the world, and from what I hear, a pretty crazy place.
We met up with the crew when they returned and headed out for dinner just down the road. It was delicious, and I am stuffed.
Tomorrow we leave Sturgis and head for Cheyenne, Wyoming. I am excited, but at the same time sad, as it will be my last full day on the trip. Come Wednesday, I am flying back home to prepare for my Acupuncture licensing exam. This has been an incredible journey, and I will savor every last moment of it before I return home.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Day 16- A Place of Ego, A Place of Spirit, and the Greatest Light Show I've Ever Seen
Today was another fantastic day full of excitement and adventure. The weather was great,but there was a chance of afternoon thunderstorms, so we packed our rain gear and headed out. Our first destination for the day was Mount Rushmore. Our journey there was gorgeous, as we cruised through Spearfish Canyon and then along the back roads of South Dakota. As far as I could see in front of me and behind me, going in every direction, there were thousands of bikes. It was an incredible sight to see, and experience to be a part of. Every now and then when a car came by it seemed so out of place.
When we finally did arrive at Mount Rushmore, the place was packed. My first impression of the site itself was somewhat underwhelming. I don't know if it had been talked up too much, or if my recent trip in China to the world's largest stone carved Buddha had set the bar too high, but for whatever reason I wasn't as amazed as I thought I would be. Don't get me wrong, the place is incredible,and I marvel at the people who built it, but it just didn't do it for me. I also found the feel of the whole place to be really sterile, with no real spirit. There was also something about the fact that Mount Rushmore had been carved on sacred Indian land that didn't sit right with me, especially after yesterday's visit to the battle site. While I admire and appreciate the work of the four men whose faces are on the mountain, the whole thing to me screamed of ego. To me, the message of the mountain was, "Look how great we are. We are America. We rule." It bothered me, and it's too bad. I am sure most people do not feel that way, but as this is my blog, I am just being honest about my experience. I am glad I got a chance to visit, but I doubt if I will ever return there.
We left the mountain and headed into a little town called Hill City to get gas for the bikes, and lunch for our bellies. Unfortunately for the past few days Chap's bike had been giving him some trouble with the clutch, and when we rode into the gas station, it completely stopped working. It was a real bummer. Luckily, there was a motorcycle repair shop just down the road, so we arranged to get his bike picked up and looked at. While Chap was busy with his bike, the rest of us got some lunch. It was going to be a while before they could fix it, so Chap decided to stay with the bike while the rest of us went to see the Crazy Horse memorial. My parents, who had seen the memorial on a previous trip, decided to stay back and hang with Chap.
I took over as road captain and led the rest of the crew the 10 or so miles to the memorial. For those of you that don't know, the Crazy Horse memorial is essentially the Native American's Mount Rushmore. Rather than 4 presidents, it is a massive carving of the famous Lakota spiritual leader Crazy Horse. It has been in the works for 60 years, and when it is complete it will be the largest sculpture in the world. To give you an idea of just how big it is, the entire carving of Mount Rushmore could fit just behind the head of Crazy Horse. Unlike the sterile feeling of Rushmore, this was a truly spiritual place, and instead of being bothered I was in fact moved to tears on more than one occasion. Unlike Rushmore which had been paid for and created by the government, the Crazy Horse memorial is entirely funded by the people. Every person that buys a ticket, or a souvenir, or makes a donation becomes a part of the memorial and helps in its completion. To me, this speaks volumes as to the message of this mountain. The concepts that were reiterated throughout the entire place were that we are spiritual beings living a human experience, and that we should never forget our dreams. To me, both of these concepts are truly worthy of memorial in stone. It was a magical place, a place of spirit, and a place where I definitely hope to return to.
Reinvigorated and inspired by my time with Crazy Horse, we left the mountain and met back up with Chap and my folks. Our timing couldn't have been better, as his bike was just finished when we pulled up. It turned out that his clutch was fine. The reason it wasn't working was because a bolt in the transmission had snapped and was causing problems. Fortunately the mechanics were able to fix it and we got back on the road once more, smiles on all of our faces, but none larger than Chappy's.
Our next stop was a famous old western town called Deadwood. It was here that the famous cowboy Wild Bill had been killed while playing poker. His poker hand at the time, a pair of aces and a pair of eights, has since come to be known as "dead man's hand." On our way there, we once again encountered the rain, but fortunately it was only for a few brief minutes. After having a drink and walking around Deadwood for a bit, we got back on the road to return to Sturgis once more. While there, we looked at all the amazing bikes, checked out all the souvenir tents, and had some amazing St. Louis style beef ribs for dinner.
It was dark out now and time for us to make the 17 mile ride back to our hotel. When we were gearing up to leave, I saw some strange flashes in the distance. Was it a light show? Nope, it was lightening. As we got on the road it began to rain again, so we quickly pulled off and got under cover to wait it out. After about 10 minutes, the rain had let up, so we decided to get going. Along the way we saw the most amazing show of lightening I have ever seen. Every kind of lightening you can imagine was in the night sky. Giant flashes that illuminated the entire sky, massive bolts shooting from the clouds, and even bolts traveling within the clouds themselves. It was the most amazing light show I have ever seen. Unfortunately, along with the lightening came the rain once more. Driving at night, on the freeway, in the rain, on a motorcycle is a terrifying experience. My amazement at the lightening was quickly replaced with the realization that were in some serious shit. It was the first time I have ever actually feared for my life on the motorcycle. Even more troubling than that was the fact that my wife was on the back of my bike, and her life was in my hands as well. The enormity of it all was almost completely overwhelming, but I calmed my mind and set my focus on the road ahead, what I could see of it anyway. The rain got so bad that we stopped under an underpass to wait it out. We were not the only ones, as other bikers were doing the same thing. Sitting on the side of the road, I watched in amazement at the lightening show in the distance. Beautiful, powerful, and potentially deadly all at the same time. I gave thanks once more to whatever power out there was keeping me, my family, and my friends safe in all the chaos. After the rain had passed, we rode the rest of the way back to our hotel. We met for our customary, and very necessary, toast to the Road Gods. Everyone was visibly shaken, but we were all ok.
It had been an incredible day, and an unbelievable night. From incredible joy, to intense fear, my emotions had run the gamut. Today was a real test, of the body, the mind, and the spirit. I am happy to say, that each and every one of my riding companions passed with flying colors, and we are all that much stronger because of it.
Check out some of the pics from the past couple of days:
http://gallery.me.com/adammeyerowitz/100002
When we finally did arrive at Mount Rushmore, the place was packed. My first impression of the site itself was somewhat underwhelming. I don't know if it had been talked up too much, or if my recent trip in China to the world's largest stone carved Buddha had set the bar too high, but for whatever reason I wasn't as amazed as I thought I would be. Don't get me wrong, the place is incredible,and I marvel at the people who built it, but it just didn't do it for me. I also found the feel of the whole place to be really sterile, with no real spirit. There was also something about the fact that Mount Rushmore had been carved on sacred Indian land that didn't sit right with me, especially after yesterday's visit to the battle site. While I admire and appreciate the work of the four men whose faces are on the mountain, the whole thing to me screamed of ego. To me, the message of the mountain was, "Look how great we are. We are America. We rule." It bothered me, and it's too bad. I am sure most people do not feel that way, but as this is my blog, I am just being honest about my experience. I am glad I got a chance to visit, but I doubt if I will ever return there.
We left the mountain and headed into a little town called Hill City to get gas for the bikes, and lunch for our bellies. Unfortunately for the past few days Chap's bike had been giving him some trouble with the clutch, and when we rode into the gas station, it completely stopped working. It was a real bummer. Luckily, there was a motorcycle repair shop just down the road, so we arranged to get his bike picked up and looked at. While Chap was busy with his bike, the rest of us got some lunch. It was going to be a while before they could fix it, so Chap decided to stay with the bike while the rest of us went to see the Crazy Horse memorial. My parents, who had seen the memorial on a previous trip, decided to stay back and hang with Chap.
I took over as road captain and led the rest of the crew the 10 or so miles to the memorial. For those of you that don't know, the Crazy Horse memorial is essentially the Native American's Mount Rushmore. Rather than 4 presidents, it is a massive carving of the famous Lakota spiritual leader Crazy Horse. It has been in the works for 60 years, and when it is complete it will be the largest sculpture in the world. To give you an idea of just how big it is, the entire carving of Mount Rushmore could fit just behind the head of Crazy Horse. Unlike the sterile feeling of Rushmore, this was a truly spiritual place, and instead of being bothered I was in fact moved to tears on more than one occasion. Unlike Rushmore which had been paid for and created by the government, the Crazy Horse memorial is entirely funded by the people. Every person that buys a ticket, or a souvenir, or makes a donation becomes a part of the memorial and helps in its completion. To me, this speaks volumes as to the message of this mountain. The concepts that were reiterated throughout the entire place were that we are spiritual beings living a human experience, and that we should never forget our dreams. To me, both of these concepts are truly worthy of memorial in stone. It was a magical place, a place of spirit, and a place where I definitely hope to return to.
Reinvigorated and inspired by my time with Crazy Horse, we left the mountain and met back up with Chap and my folks. Our timing couldn't have been better, as his bike was just finished when we pulled up. It turned out that his clutch was fine. The reason it wasn't working was because a bolt in the transmission had snapped and was causing problems. Fortunately the mechanics were able to fix it and we got back on the road once more, smiles on all of our faces, but none larger than Chappy's.
Our next stop was a famous old western town called Deadwood. It was here that the famous cowboy Wild Bill had been killed while playing poker. His poker hand at the time, a pair of aces and a pair of eights, has since come to be known as "dead man's hand." On our way there, we once again encountered the rain, but fortunately it was only for a few brief minutes. After having a drink and walking around Deadwood for a bit, we got back on the road to return to Sturgis once more. While there, we looked at all the amazing bikes, checked out all the souvenir tents, and had some amazing St. Louis style beef ribs for dinner.
It was dark out now and time for us to make the 17 mile ride back to our hotel. When we were gearing up to leave, I saw some strange flashes in the distance. Was it a light show? Nope, it was lightening. As we got on the road it began to rain again, so we quickly pulled off and got under cover to wait it out. After about 10 minutes, the rain had let up, so we decided to get going. Along the way we saw the most amazing show of lightening I have ever seen. Every kind of lightening you can imagine was in the night sky. Giant flashes that illuminated the entire sky, massive bolts shooting from the clouds, and even bolts traveling within the clouds themselves. It was the most amazing light show I have ever seen. Unfortunately, along with the lightening came the rain once more. Driving at night, on the freeway, in the rain, on a motorcycle is a terrifying experience. My amazement at the lightening was quickly replaced with the realization that were in some serious shit. It was the first time I have ever actually feared for my life on the motorcycle. Even more troubling than that was the fact that my wife was on the back of my bike, and her life was in my hands as well. The enormity of it all was almost completely overwhelming, but I calmed my mind and set my focus on the road ahead, what I could see of it anyway. The rain got so bad that we stopped under an underpass to wait it out. We were not the only ones, as other bikers were doing the same thing. Sitting on the side of the road, I watched in amazement at the lightening show in the distance. Beautiful, powerful, and potentially deadly all at the same time. I gave thanks once more to whatever power out there was keeping me, my family, and my friends safe in all the chaos. After the rain had passed, we rode the rest of the way back to our hotel. We met for our customary, and very necessary, toast to the Road Gods. Everyone was visibly shaken, but we were all ok.
It had been an incredible day, and an unbelievable night. From incredible joy, to intense fear, my emotions had run the gamut. Today was a real test, of the body, the mind, and the spirit. I am happy to say, that each and every one of my riding companions passed with flying colors, and we are all that much stronger because of it.
Check out some of the pics from the past couple of days:
http://gallery.me.com/adammeyerowitz/100002
Day 15- Sunshine, Aliens, and a Biker or Two
I awoke today to find sunshine and clear blue skies without a cloud in sight, so thanks to all of you who sent those good thoughts our way. We left Billings and got on the road to make our way to South Dakota and the Sturgis motorcycle rally, the largest motorcycle gathering in the world.
The ride was fantastic, and having the sun on my face made it even better. Along the way, we stopped at the site of the battle of Little Big Horn, also known as Custer's last stand. It was here that Sitting Bull and his warriors killed General Custer and defeated his men. I wasn't even there 5 minutes before I started to feel sick. This part of American history really bothers me. The mission of the U.S. soldiers to "civilize" the natives and move them on to reservations is appalling to me. It is a part of U.S. history that is often overlooked and brushed over, a bloody stain in the record books. In this way, the U.S. was stolen at gunpoint, and entire people's were massacred, and their sacred way of life destroyed forever. I left soon after arriving, as neither my wife or myself wanted to be in a place such as this. Because of this history, one of the world's most spiritual cultures, the only true Americans, now exist as a minority , relegate to reservations and casinos. It is sad, and like the holocaust of my people, it should never be forgotten.
After leaving the battle sight, we took a short detour into Wyoming to go and see The Devil's Tower, the United States' first national monument. If you have ever seen the movie Close Encounters of the 3rd kind, this is the iconic mountain in the film. It is such and strange and surreal sight. All around the area is red earth and green forrest, but the mountain itself has almost a green color to it and towers over everything around it. It looks as though it has been brought over from some strange alien land and dropped into the middle of the forrest. It was a strange and surreal sight to see, and if you don't believe in aliens, a visit here might have you thinking otherwise.
From the tower we rode on, and made our way into Spearfish, South Dakota, just 17 miles outside of Sturgis. Along our entire ride today, the closer we got, the more and more bikes we saw on the road, until literally everywhere I looked I saw bikers and bikes. It was an amazing sight to see. After checking in at the hotel, we made our way into Sturgis itself. All I can say about that is wow. I have never seen so many bikes, and bikers, in one place. There were literally thousands and thousands of them everywhere. We parked amongst the madness and walked around for a while. If you have never been to something like this, it is truly hard to comprehend. After walking around for a while, buying a couple mementos, and watching in amazement at the craziness all around, we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest. We will be her for the next 2 days, visiting the nearby sights, and enjoying being a part of the largest motorcycle rally in the world.
The ride was fantastic, and having the sun on my face made it even better. Along the way, we stopped at the site of the battle of Little Big Horn, also known as Custer's last stand. It was here that Sitting Bull and his warriors killed General Custer and defeated his men. I wasn't even there 5 minutes before I started to feel sick. This part of American history really bothers me. The mission of the U.S. soldiers to "civilize" the natives and move them on to reservations is appalling to me. It is a part of U.S. history that is often overlooked and brushed over, a bloody stain in the record books. In this way, the U.S. was stolen at gunpoint, and entire people's were massacred, and their sacred way of life destroyed forever. I left soon after arriving, as neither my wife or myself wanted to be in a place such as this. Because of this history, one of the world's most spiritual cultures, the only true Americans, now exist as a minority , relegate to reservations and casinos. It is sad, and like the holocaust of my people, it should never be forgotten.
After leaving the battle sight, we took a short detour into Wyoming to go and see The Devil's Tower, the United States' first national monument. If you have ever seen the movie Close Encounters of the 3rd kind, this is the iconic mountain in the film. It is such and strange and surreal sight. All around the area is red earth and green forrest, but the mountain itself has almost a green color to it and towers over everything around it. It looks as though it has been brought over from some strange alien land and dropped into the middle of the forrest. It was a strange and surreal sight to see, and if you don't believe in aliens, a visit here might have you thinking otherwise.
From the tower we rode on, and made our way into Spearfish, South Dakota, just 17 miles outside of Sturgis. Along our entire ride today, the closer we got, the more and more bikes we saw on the road, until literally everywhere I looked I saw bikers and bikes. It was an amazing sight to see. After checking in at the hotel, we made our way into Sturgis itself. All I can say about that is wow. I have never seen so many bikes, and bikers, in one place. There were literally thousands and thousands of them everywhere. We parked amongst the madness and walked around for a while. If you have never been to something like this, it is truly hard to comprehend. After walking around for a while, buying a couple mementos, and watching in amazement at the craziness all around, we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest. We will be her for the next 2 days, visiting the nearby sights, and enjoying being a part of the largest motorcycle rally in the world.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Day 14- Riders on the Storm
Today began with an ominous sign; black clouds on the horizon. Oh no, I thought. Are we really going to have to ride in the rain again?
At breakfast we all decided that we should leave with our rain suits on, that way if it did rain, we would be ready. We geared up and got ready to leave. In case the threat of rain wasn't bad enough, my bike started coughing and spluttering, and giving off a bit of black smoke. Great, that's all I need, a broken bike in a rain storm. Well, fortunately about ten minutes down the road my bike was back to normal and running great. We figured it must have had some bad fuel in the line, and once it cleared, I was good to go.
About 20 minutes into our journey, the rain came pouring down. We were riding through the Lewis and Clark National Forrest, and what I could see through the rain was beautiful. I was not very happy to be in the rain again, but we had no choice, so we rode on. A little while later we pulled over in a tiny little town to get something warm to drink, but the coffee shop wasn't open yet, and wouldn't be for another hour. Fortunately for us, a local woman told us about a place down the road, The Lazy Doe, where we could get coffee. 5 minutes later we were inside and drinking hot coffee, trying to get some warmth back into our cold bodies.
After a short break, and with a slight pause in the rain, we got back on the road. We were in the rain for nearly 2 hours before it let up. And when the skies cleared and the temperature rose, we were all very happy people. We stopped for lunch about 60 miles outside of Billings, Montana. The sky had cleared, and it was even hot enough for us to take our rain suits off. After a very slow lunch, we got back on the bikes, glad to be done with the rain, or so we thought.
For the first 30 miles or so after lunch, life was good. The sun was shinning, it was warm, and we were cruising. We were once again on the open road, cruising through the ranch-land of Montana. And then, the real adventure began.
30 miles outside of Billings, the sky off to our left was gorgeous, clear blue, and sunny. Off in the distance to our right, massive, dark storm clouds. Above us, the meeting of the two. It would be a battle between light and dark, and only time would tell which would win. We had a decision to make. Should we stop, take 15 minutes, and put all of our rain gear back on, or just keep riding in the hopes of beating the storm? We decided to go for it, and take on the remaining 30 miles in our regular riding gear.
20 miles to go, and the storm was winning. The blue sky was getting further and further away while the storm was coming closer. A few minutes later the atmosphere changed and the smell of rain was in the air. In the distance to our right, bolts of lightening began erupting from the clouds and onto the ground below. It was incredible to see, and with every bolt that shot out of the distant clouds I laughed and screamed with delight. It may sound crazy to be chuckling at lightening while on a motorcycle, but I knew we were safe, as the lightening was far away, and the rain was very light.
15 miles out, and now the rain was really coming down. Without our rain gear, we were soaking wet. Was the lightening coming closer, or was that just my imagination? We kept on going, trying to race the storm.
10 miles out. The storm was winning. The rain was coming down hard, really hard. And the lightening that was once miles away, was now just a 100 or so yards in front of us! Giant bolts, thrown by Zeus himself, exploding out of the sky ahead of us, followed by a giant blast of thunder. There was nothing we could do, nowhere we could take shelter. We were out on the plains and all we could do was keep riding the last 10 miles into Billings. Visibility was almost none, so my concentration was at an all time high. Everything in my body was telling me we needed to get off the road, but my mind knew we had to continue. It was a battle, man vs. nature, and we were going head to head. The storm may have beaten the sunshine, but it would not beat us. Determined, and with adrenaline pumping, we rode on through the storm.
We pulled into our hotel not a second too soon. And, I shit you not, just a minute after we walked into the lobby it started hailing outside. And then, as if in some crazy movie, sirens started blasting outside. What sirens you might be wondering? Tornado warning sirens! Had we stopped to put on our rain gear, or taken any longer getting into town, we would have been hit by the hail, and potentially caught in a tornado. The reality of it all slowly began to sink in with everyone, and I am sure many a silent thank you was sent out to the heavens.
The previous 30 minutes had been the most exhilarating and terrifying moments I have ever spent on the road. It was a real adventure, and one that I could never in a million years have guessed we would experience.
For those of you that know me, you know I don't believe in chance, or coincidence. I truly believe today that we all had angels on our shoulders, guiding us to forgo putting on our rain suits, and keeping us safe in the storm. It is because of things like this that we drink a toast to the Road Gods for keeping us safe, and after today's ride, you can imagine how grateful we all were. So, to all of you out there reading this, send thoughts of clear skies and sunshine our way, for tomorrow we ride again . . .
Take a look at the pics to see a bit more:
http://gallery.me.com/adammeyerowitz/100002
At breakfast we all decided that we should leave with our rain suits on, that way if it did rain, we would be ready. We geared up and got ready to leave. In case the threat of rain wasn't bad enough, my bike started coughing and spluttering, and giving off a bit of black smoke. Great, that's all I need, a broken bike in a rain storm. Well, fortunately about ten minutes down the road my bike was back to normal and running great. We figured it must have had some bad fuel in the line, and once it cleared, I was good to go.
About 20 minutes into our journey, the rain came pouring down. We were riding through the Lewis and Clark National Forrest, and what I could see through the rain was beautiful. I was not very happy to be in the rain again, but we had no choice, so we rode on. A little while later we pulled over in a tiny little town to get something warm to drink, but the coffee shop wasn't open yet, and wouldn't be for another hour. Fortunately for us, a local woman told us about a place down the road, The Lazy Doe, where we could get coffee. 5 minutes later we were inside and drinking hot coffee, trying to get some warmth back into our cold bodies.
After a short break, and with a slight pause in the rain, we got back on the road. We were in the rain for nearly 2 hours before it let up. And when the skies cleared and the temperature rose, we were all very happy people. We stopped for lunch about 60 miles outside of Billings, Montana. The sky had cleared, and it was even hot enough for us to take our rain suits off. After a very slow lunch, we got back on the bikes, glad to be done with the rain, or so we thought.
For the first 30 miles or so after lunch, life was good. The sun was shinning, it was warm, and we were cruising. We were once again on the open road, cruising through the ranch-land of Montana. And then, the real adventure began.
30 miles outside of Billings, the sky off to our left was gorgeous, clear blue, and sunny. Off in the distance to our right, massive, dark storm clouds. Above us, the meeting of the two. It would be a battle between light and dark, and only time would tell which would win. We had a decision to make. Should we stop, take 15 minutes, and put all of our rain gear back on, or just keep riding in the hopes of beating the storm? We decided to go for it, and take on the remaining 30 miles in our regular riding gear.
20 miles to go, and the storm was winning. The blue sky was getting further and further away while the storm was coming closer. A few minutes later the atmosphere changed and the smell of rain was in the air. In the distance to our right, bolts of lightening began erupting from the clouds and onto the ground below. It was incredible to see, and with every bolt that shot out of the distant clouds I laughed and screamed with delight. It may sound crazy to be chuckling at lightening while on a motorcycle, but I knew we were safe, as the lightening was far away, and the rain was very light.
15 miles out, and now the rain was really coming down. Without our rain gear, we were soaking wet. Was the lightening coming closer, or was that just my imagination? We kept on going, trying to race the storm.
10 miles out. The storm was winning. The rain was coming down hard, really hard. And the lightening that was once miles away, was now just a 100 or so yards in front of us! Giant bolts, thrown by Zeus himself, exploding out of the sky ahead of us, followed by a giant blast of thunder. There was nothing we could do, nowhere we could take shelter. We were out on the plains and all we could do was keep riding the last 10 miles into Billings. Visibility was almost none, so my concentration was at an all time high. Everything in my body was telling me we needed to get off the road, but my mind knew we had to continue. It was a battle, man vs. nature, and we were going head to head. The storm may have beaten the sunshine, but it would not beat us. Determined, and with adrenaline pumping, we rode on through the storm.
We pulled into our hotel not a second too soon. And, I shit you not, just a minute after we walked into the lobby it started hailing outside. And then, as if in some crazy movie, sirens started blasting outside. What sirens you might be wondering? Tornado warning sirens! Had we stopped to put on our rain gear, or taken any longer getting into town, we would have been hit by the hail, and potentially caught in a tornado. The reality of it all slowly began to sink in with everyone, and I am sure many a silent thank you was sent out to the heavens.
The previous 30 minutes had been the most exhilarating and terrifying moments I have ever spent on the road. It was a real adventure, and one that I could never in a million years have guessed we would experience.
For those of you that know me, you know I don't believe in chance, or coincidence. I truly believe today that we all had angels on our shoulders, guiding us to forgo putting on our rain suits, and keeping us safe in the storm. It is because of things like this that we drink a toast to the Road Gods for keeping us safe, and after today's ride, you can imagine how grateful we all were. So, to all of you out there reading this, send thoughts of clear skies and sunshine our way, for tomorrow we ride again . . .
Take a look at the pics to see a bit more:
http://gallery.me.com/adammeyerowitz/100002
Day 13- Back in the U.S., back in the U.S, back in the U.S.A.
We awoke this morning to find clear skies and crisp air. We left Waterton National Park and drove about 20 minutes to the U.S. border. We were let back in without incident. Well, Chochem was given 20 questions about if he was wearing any gang colors or had any weapons, but other than that it was pretty smooth. It felt good to be back in the U.S., and to begin the next chapter of our journey. We were now in Montana, big sky country, and it was beautiful. In the distance, the mountains we had just come from. Ahead of us, miles and miles of open road and sunshine.
We were cruising, 65mph, open road ahead, and smiles on our faces. We passed horse ranches, cattle ranches, even a buffalo ranch. In every direction the green fields went on and on as far as I could see. We stopped in a tiny little town called Choteau for lunch. It felt more like a hollywood set than a real town, a tiny little back country American town.
We got back on the bikes and road the remaining 50 miles to our destination for the day, Great Falls Montana. After checking in, we met for our toast, and then it was laundry time. Between the 9 of us, we filled up all the available washers and dryers. Because the dryers weren't working too well, El Breker made friends with one of the housekeeping staff, and she let us throw our clothes into the hotel's massive industrial dryer. 20 minutes later, our clothes were good to go.
We headed into downtown Great Falls and hung out a the little block party that was going on. We listened to some live music, and chatted with some of the locals. One of them, a city council member in fact, was a real character who chatted us up about his late uncle's old Harley dealership, and the old bikes that he had. Nice guy, but boy could he talk!
We next made our way over to a little restaurant called Bert & Ernie's. Dinner was delicious, and the service was great, and the prices were fantastic too. Man, it felt good to be back in the U.S.A.
We headed back to the hotel under a sky that looked as if it had been painted. Above us, dark rain clouds merged with the setting sun's golden-red colored sky and clouds. It was amazing, like an alien skyscape. It was a great end to our first day back in the U.S. Tomorrow, we head for Billings Montana, and what I am sure will be another great ride through this amazing landscape, and incredible skies.
We were cruising, 65mph, open road ahead, and smiles on our faces. We passed horse ranches, cattle ranches, even a buffalo ranch. In every direction the green fields went on and on as far as I could see. We stopped in a tiny little town called Choteau for lunch. It felt more like a hollywood set than a real town, a tiny little back country American town.
We got back on the bikes and road the remaining 50 miles to our destination for the day, Great Falls Montana. After checking in, we met for our toast, and then it was laundry time. Between the 9 of us, we filled up all the available washers and dryers. Because the dryers weren't working too well, El Breker made friends with one of the housekeeping staff, and she let us throw our clothes into the hotel's massive industrial dryer. 20 minutes later, our clothes were good to go.
We headed into downtown Great Falls and hung out a the little block party that was going on. We listened to some live music, and chatted with some of the locals. One of them, a city council member in fact, was a real character who chatted us up about his late uncle's old Harley dealership, and the old bikes that he had. Nice guy, but boy could he talk!
We next made our way over to a little restaurant called Bert & Ernie's. Dinner was delicious, and the service was great, and the prices were fantastic too. Man, it felt good to be back in the U.S.A.
We headed back to the hotel under a sky that looked as if it had been painted. Above us, dark rain clouds merged with the setting sun's golden-red colored sky and clouds. It was amazing, like an alien skyscape. It was a great end to our first day back in the U.S. Tomorrow, we head for Billings Montana, and what I am sure will be another great ride through this amazing landscape, and incredible skies.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Day 12- A Little Harley on the Prairie
Today was a beautiful day. We left Banff around 8:30 and continued our Southward journey. It was cold, but riding through the mountains was magnificent. We spent a little bit of time in the mountains, and then found our way into the open plains and grasslands. Just before we did though, we saw a few bears, a family of big horn sheep, and even the elusive moose! Some of the people in our group have been looking for moose for the last 3 years without luck, so seeing the moose today was pretty exciting!
Once we got out of the mountains and onto the prairies, the road stretched on as far as we could see, and at times we were the only people in sight for miles. We passed ranches, and cows, and horses, and cowboys. It was truly fantastic, and a totally new environment yet again. We were truly cruising. The open road, sun shining, wind in our faces, the roar of the bikes in the air. It was some tremendously enjoyable writing.
We made our way into Waterton National Park, and The Prince of Whales Hotel, an 84 year old hotel that sits atop a hill in the park. It overlooks a massive lake, and it is truly gorgeous. We arrived and relaxed for a couple hours, then we hopped back on the bikes and drove around the park for a while. We visited a nearby lake, beautiful of course, and spent some time walking around. On our way back, we encountered another Black bear foraging on the side of the road. It was amazing to see all of these animals in their natural habitat, a real treat.
We rode into the little town and had dinner at the Lakeside Chophouse. While we were eating, a couple of deer came by and hung out on the lawn for a bit. It was wild, and quite unique. After dinner we returned to the hotel, tired and happy after an incredible day. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Canada, and make our way into the big sky state, Montana. It is crazy to think how much I have already seen and done, and to think about how much still lies ahead. With that in mind I while say goodnight, and I'll be back in touch with y'all real soon, from the good old U.S.A.
Once we got out of the mountains and onto the prairies, the road stretched on as far as we could see, and at times we were the only people in sight for miles. We passed ranches, and cows, and horses, and cowboys. It was truly fantastic, and a totally new environment yet again. We were truly cruising. The open road, sun shining, wind in our faces, the roar of the bikes in the air. It was some tremendously enjoyable writing.
We made our way into Waterton National Park, and The Prince of Whales Hotel, an 84 year old hotel that sits atop a hill in the park. It overlooks a massive lake, and it is truly gorgeous. We arrived and relaxed for a couple hours, then we hopped back on the bikes and drove around the park for a while. We visited a nearby lake, beautiful of course, and spent some time walking around. On our way back, we encountered another Black bear foraging on the side of the road. It was amazing to see all of these animals in their natural habitat, a real treat.
We rode into the little town and had dinner at the Lakeside Chophouse. While we were eating, a couple of deer came by and hung out on the lawn for a bit. It was wild, and quite unique. After dinner we returned to the hotel, tired and happy after an incredible day. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Canada, and make our way into the big sky state, Montana. It is crazy to think how much I have already seen and done, and to think about how much still lies ahead. With that in mind I while say goodnight, and I'll be back in touch with y'all real soon, from the good old U.S.A.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Day 11- Short and Sweet
Today, day 11, provided some much needed R & R. We left Lake Louise around 9 am and took a short drive to the nearby Moraine Lake. We arrive there just as the sun was coming up over the mountains. Every few minutes the color of the lake changed as more sun shone upon it. What started as a regular looking blue lake, became a color changing marvel, that by the time we left was the incredible turquoise blue of the glacial lakes we had ridden past. It was truly beautiful, and I could have spent all day there, sitting on the shore and watching the lake transform.
We left the lake and took a short 40 mile drive down to Banff. We checked into our hotel and had the rest of the day to relax and enjoy the town. It is a really beautiful little town nestled between the mountains and rivers. Betty Boop and I picked up some sandwiches and sat outside listening to some local musicians. After lunch we went for a short hike up the side of a mountain. It was steep, really steep, so 20 minutes later we turned around and headed back through town and to our hotel. I was tired. I have been on the go almost nonstop for the past 11 days. We got back to the hotel, where I promptly fell asleep and took a nice long nap. I needed it.
After my nap, we met the rest of the crew for dinner. We had some great steaks at a place called Bumpers. After dinner we headed into town to do some karaoke, but it turned out the place we went to no longer did it. Oh well. We had a night cap, and came back to the hotel.
Tomorrow we make our way down to Waterton National Park, and our last night in Canada. I am sure it will be another beautiful day, and a great ride.
And finally, I was able to upload some photos of the incredible places we have been. Check them out, and be sure to check back as I will be updating the photos as we go. Here is the web address: http://gallery.me.com/adammeyerowitz/100002
Enjoy!
We left the lake and took a short 40 mile drive down to Banff. We checked into our hotel and had the rest of the day to relax and enjoy the town. It is a really beautiful little town nestled between the mountains and rivers. Betty Boop and I picked up some sandwiches and sat outside listening to some local musicians. After lunch we went for a short hike up the side of a mountain. It was steep, really steep, so 20 minutes later we turned around and headed back through town and to our hotel. I was tired. I have been on the go almost nonstop for the past 11 days. We got back to the hotel, where I promptly fell asleep and took a nice long nap. I needed it.
After my nap, we met the rest of the crew for dinner. We had some great steaks at a place called Bumpers. After dinner we headed into town to do some karaoke, but it turned out the place we went to no longer did it. Oh well. We had a night cap, and came back to the hotel.
Tomorrow we make our way down to Waterton National Park, and our last night in Canada. I am sure it will be another beautiful day, and a great ride.
And finally, I was able to upload some photos of the incredible places we have been. Check them out, and be sure to check back as I will be updating the photos as we go. Here is the web address: http://gallery.me.com/adammeyerowitz/100002
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Day 10- Poetry in Motion
After yesterdays ordeal, todays ride was truly a gift. I awoke to find blue sky and sun shining. It was a very welcome sight. We left the Northernmost stop on our journey, Jasper, and headed down to Lake Louise. It was absolutely a spectacular day. My wife suggested that the only way to really describe what we saw was with poetry, so here goes.
Day 10 began with the sun on our faces, so we set out to ride through wide open spaces. Up mountains we went, many glaciers we saw. The colors of things like nothing before. The turquoises and greens of the giant glacial lakes, struck with such beauty, I thought they were fake. Along today's journey we saw elk, goats, and bears! My face in the wind, I lost all my cares.
The journey today was truly a gift, and with each new view my spirit did lift. My heart burst wide open at the beauty, Divine. Out on the road, I lost track of time. With each corner we turned, or hill that we crested, the scenes were more beautiful, the previous ones bested. Past huge mountain glaciers, and rivers and streams, we cruised down the road, was this all a dream?
At one point my wife exclaimed, "Is this real?" And so I responded, "I know how you feel!" When I think back about these 10 days I've spent, the things that I've seen and the places I went. I am truly in awe of the beauty around, the smells and the views, the sights and the sounds. A journey like this comes once in a life, and I get to do it with friends, family, and wife.
Although today's blog may be short and sweet, I hope that it serves as a nice little treat. To convey to you the things that I've seen, the things I have felt, the places I've been. Our journey Southward has now begun, and with each new day, comes more and more fun. The people I'm with, great souls they all are. Together we ride, a family, by far. And as life is a journey, onwards we go. We ride like the wind, like water we flow.
And through this blog, to you I provide, a glimpse of the magic, on A. Mystic's Soul Ride.
Day 10 began with the sun on our faces, so we set out to ride through wide open spaces. Up mountains we went, many glaciers we saw. The colors of things like nothing before. The turquoises and greens of the giant glacial lakes, struck with such beauty, I thought they were fake. Along today's journey we saw elk, goats, and bears! My face in the wind, I lost all my cares.
The journey today was truly a gift, and with each new view my spirit did lift. My heart burst wide open at the beauty, Divine. Out on the road, I lost track of time. With each corner we turned, or hill that we crested, the scenes were more beautiful, the previous ones bested. Past huge mountain glaciers, and rivers and streams, we cruised down the road, was this all a dream?
At one point my wife exclaimed, "Is this real?" And so I responded, "I know how you feel!" When I think back about these 10 days I've spent, the things that I've seen and the places I went. I am truly in awe of the beauty around, the smells and the views, the sights and the sounds. A journey like this comes once in a life, and I get to do it with friends, family, and wife.
Although today's blog may be short and sweet, I hope that it serves as a nice little treat. To convey to you the things that I've seen, the things I have felt, the places I've been. Our journey Southward has now begun, and with each new day, comes more and more fun. The people I'm with, great souls they all are. Together we ride, a family, by far. And as life is a journey, onwards we go. We ride like the wind, like water we flow.
And through this blog, to you I provide, a glimpse of the magic, on A. Mystic's Soul Ride.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Day 9- Singing, I mean Riding, in the Rain
If the word of the day yesterday was wow, today it was crap. Or more specifically, oh crap, or even holy crap! It was one of the craziest, most intense, adventurous moment yet on the road.
The day began like most before, a crisp, clear, morning in the mountains. We rode out at 8:30 and headed towards Jasper National Park. About 20 minutes into our ride, in the distance I saw some large, dark clouds over to our left. It was not a good sign. Shortly thereafter the air around us changed, and I could smell the rain, and moments later the first drops began to fall.
We pulled over to the side of the road, and got into our rain suits as fast as we could. It was quite a challenge, and by the time we were all done, the rain was coming down hard, and cold too. We were in the middle of nowhere, there was nothing we could do, so we rode.
It is only the second time I have ever had to ride in the rain, and it was a challenge to say the least. It was the one and only time I have ever wished I was in a car instead of a motorcycle, and that means a lot. We pushed on through the rain for another 20 minutes or so, until we saw the lightening. A motorcycle, in the rain, in a lightening storm is not a good place to be, so we pulled over at the nearest rest stop to wait it out a bit. We weren't the only ones. Three other motorcycle riders had pulled in as well, and we were all huddled under a tiny little rest-stop bathroom awning, in the middle of Northwestern Canada. It was wild. I took the opportunity to use the hand dryer in the bathroom to dry my gloves out a bit. At this point, they and my boots were already soaked through, and we still had 100 or so miles left to go.
After about 15 minutes, the lightening had subsided and we hopped back on the bikes. Cold, and wet, we rode until we reached a town called Clearwater. We stopped at a little pastry shop that had been recommended to us by the manager at our hotel the night before. We pulled in, happy to be getting out of the rain, and even happier to be getting something warm. We mowed through samosas, beef rolls, and a variety of other delicious pastries. Hot coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, happy people.
But it's not over yet. Of the more than 200 miles we did today, maybe 60 of them were without rain. Thanks to my rain suit, most of my body was dry. My feet, however, and my hands were cold to the bone as my boots and gloves were both soaked through. It made working the controls on the bike all the more difficult, and with the lack of visibility due to the rain, it made for some concentration heavy, heart pounding riding. Looking back now, I realize what an incredible experience it was, but a the time I can honestly say it was a very unpleasant experience. I would like to tell you about how amazing the road was, or how incredible the view was, but the truth is I just didn't see it. All I saw were the raindrops on my glasses and the road in front of me, my concentration set and fully aware and alert.
It was not all bad though, as there was a moment of sublime beauty that made the entire battle through the rain worth it. We rounded a corner, and in front of us, bathed in sunlight, was the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. It stood as a giant among giants. All around us large green mountains, and in the middle of them, a massive white mountain, covered in thick snow, its peaks hidden in the clouds. For those few moments that we rode up to and around the mountain, the sun was shining and life was golden.
We passed the mountain, and with it the sunlight. Back into the darkness we rode. It was the worst weather yet, but we rode on, determined to get we we were going. We stopped for gas about an hour or so outside of Jasper, and even found waterproof rubber gloves to replace the wet ones we were wearing. After some hot chocolate, and with dry hands, we rode the rest of the way into Jasper. When we finally pulled into the driveway of our hotel for the night, I had never been so glad to be off the road. It truly had been a grueling day, and one that I won't soon forget.
And so it goes on every journey. There are moment of darkness, and moments of light. Moments of weakness and moments of fright, but also of greatness and ecstatic delight. And without the dark, we can't appreciate the light. And without today, we can't appreciate tomorrow, so goodnight.
The day began like most before, a crisp, clear, morning in the mountains. We rode out at 8:30 and headed towards Jasper National Park. About 20 minutes into our ride, in the distance I saw some large, dark clouds over to our left. It was not a good sign. Shortly thereafter the air around us changed, and I could smell the rain, and moments later the first drops began to fall.
We pulled over to the side of the road, and got into our rain suits as fast as we could. It was quite a challenge, and by the time we were all done, the rain was coming down hard, and cold too. We were in the middle of nowhere, there was nothing we could do, so we rode.
It is only the second time I have ever had to ride in the rain, and it was a challenge to say the least. It was the one and only time I have ever wished I was in a car instead of a motorcycle, and that means a lot. We pushed on through the rain for another 20 minutes or so, until we saw the lightening. A motorcycle, in the rain, in a lightening storm is not a good place to be, so we pulled over at the nearest rest stop to wait it out a bit. We weren't the only ones. Three other motorcycle riders had pulled in as well, and we were all huddled under a tiny little rest-stop bathroom awning, in the middle of Northwestern Canada. It was wild. I took the opportunity to use the hand dryer in the bathroom to dry my gloves out a bit. At this point, they and my boots were already soaked through, and we still had 100 or so miles left to go.
After about 15 minutes, the lightening had subsided and we hopped back on the bikes. Cold, and wet, we rode until we reached a town called Clearwater. We stopped at a little pastry shop that had been recommended to us by the manager at our hotel the night before. We pulled in, happy to be getting out of the rain, and even happier to be getting something warm. We mowed through samosas, beef rolls, and a variety of other delicious pastries. Hot coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, happy people.
But it's not over yet. Of the more than 200 miles we did today, maybe 60 of them were without rain. Thanks to my rain suit, most of my body was dry. My feet, however, and my hands were cold to the bone as my boots and gloves were both soaked through. It made working the controls on the bike all the more difficult, and with the lack of visibility due to the rain, it made for some concentration heavy, heart pounding riding. Looking back now, I realize what an incredible experience it was, but a the time I can honestly say it was a very unpleasant experience. I would like to tell you about how amazing the road was, or how incredible the view was, but the truth is I just didn't see it. All I saw were the raindrops on my glasses and the road in front of me, my concentration set and fully aware and alert.
It was not all bad though, as there was a moment of sublime beauty that made the entire battle through the rain worth it. We rounded a corner, and in front of us, bathed in sunlight, was the tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. It stood as a giant among giants. All around us large green mountains, and in the middle of them, a massive white mountain, covered in thick snow, its peaks hidden in the clouds. For those few moments that we rode up to and around the mountain, the sun was shining and life was golden.
We passed the mountain, and with it the sunlight. Back into the darkness we rode. It was the worst weather yet, but we rode on, determined to get we we were going. We stopped for gas about an hour or so outside of Jasper, and even found waterproof rubber gloves to replace the wet ones we were wearing. After some hot chocolate, and with dry hands, we rode the rest of the way into Jasper. When we finally pulled into the driveway of our hotel for the night, I had never been so glad to be off the road. It truly had been a grueling day, and one that I won't soon forget.
And so it goes on every journey. There are moment of darkness, and moments of light. Moments of weakness and moments of fright, but also of greatness and ecstatic delight. And without the dark, we can't appreciate the light. And without today, we can't appreciate tomorrow, so goodnight.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Day 8- Wow is the Word
The word of today is WOW. Without a doubt, today's ride took the Redwoods out of the top spot and became my best ride ever. In fact, to give you an idea of just how good it was, my dad who has ridden thousands of miles through some incredible places said that it was his favorite ride ever, and that is saying a lot.
We left Whistler in the early morning mountain air. It was chilly, but not too bad. We got back on the 99 and headed North once more. Riding up and into the mountains was absolutely amazing. All around us, the giant mountain peaks were still covered in snow. Below the snow line, the brightest shades of green imaginable blanketed the landscape. We passed by countless mountain streams, rivers, and lakes, each one more amazing than the last. The greens and blues of the water was mind boggling. Picture the Grand Canyon, put it in Northwestern Canada, and then you might have an idea of what we rode through today. The best way I can describe today's ride was as if we were riding through the pages of a National Geographic magazine. It was that good.
Seeing the massive mountains in the background, with the group riding in the foreground made me realize just how small we are in the big scheme of things. And yet, as small as we are, we have the capacity to be aware of our place in the universe. I am humbled by, and tremendously grateful for this incredible experience.
Passing over the mountains we found ourselves in the massive valleys and open plains. In the distance, we would every now and again see a massive waterfall cascading down the side of a mountain. At times, we were the only people in sight for miles and miles, tiny little specs in a giant mountain playground.
After an amazing day of riding, we arrived in a little place called Sun Peaks. I felt like we had been transported to a little swiss mountain village. The little town looks like a small skiing village you would find in the alps, and if I hadn't just ridden in myself, I would have thought that is where I was. It really is a beautiful place, and being surrounded by lush forest and mountain greenery makes it all the more better. Just breathing this fresh mountain air is a gift, and I will be breathing deep so long as I am here.
At this point of our journey, I have been on the road for 8 days, and ridden over 2,000 miles. Just when I think I have seen the most incredible sight of my life, or ridden the best road ever, we turn the corner and discover a whole new world of amazement. Today, we make our way to Jasper National Park, where I am sure my jaw will be dropping in amazement and I will be grasping at all the words I can find to describe this adventure I am experiencing.
We left Whistler in the early morning mountain air. It was chilly, but not too bad. We got back on the 99 and headed North once more. Riding up and into the mountains was absolutely amazing. All around us, the giant mountain peaks were still covered in snow. Below the snow line, the brightest shades of green imaginable blanketed the landscape. We passed by countless mountain streams, rivers, and lakes, each one more amazing than the last. The greens and blues of the water was mind boggling. Picture the Grand Canyon, put it in Northwestern Canada, and then you might have an idea of what we rode through today. The best way I can describe today's ride was as if we were riding through the pages of a National Geographic magazine. It was that good.
Seeing the massive mountains in the background, with the group riding in the foreground made me realize just how small we are in the big scheme of things. And yet, as small as we are, we have the capacity to be aware of our place in the universe. I am humbled by, and tremendously grateful for this incredible experience.
Passing over the mountains we found ourselves in the massive valleys and open plains. In the distance, we would every now and again see a massive waterfall cascading down the side of a mountain. At times, we were the only people in sight for miles and miles, tiny little specs in a giant mountain playground.
After an amazing day of riding, we arrived in a little place called Sun Peaks. I felt like we had been transported to a little swiss mountain village. The little town looks like a small skiing village you would find in the alps, and if I hadn't just ridden in myself, I would have thought that is where I was. It really is a beautiful place, and being surrounded by lush forest and mountain greenery makes it all the more better. Just breathing this fresh mountain air is a gift, and I will be breathing deep so long as I am here.
At this point of our journey, I have been on the road for 8 days, and ridden over 2,000 miles. Just when I think I have seen the most incredible sight of my life, or ridden the best road ever, we turn the corner and discover a whole new world of amazement. Today, we make our way to Jasper National Park, where I am sure my jaw will be dropping in amazement and I will be grasping at all the words I can find to describe this adventure I am experiencing.
Day 7- From Sea to Sky
Our first full day in Canada did not disappoint. This morning Betty Boop and I wandered around Robsen street for a bit checking out this stores. After walking around for a bit. we hopped on the bike and headed over to Stanley Park. The park, think Central Park in Vancouver, was absolutely beautiful. The trees and scenery was so lush, it was areal treat walking through it. I posed up next to a big tree and spent some time studying. After all, 4 days after I return from the trip I have to take the California Acupuncture Licensing Exam, so getting some studying in on this trip is a must.
A little while later the rest of the group joined us in the park and we all had some lunch. It was a delicious meal in a great setting. After lunch we all explored the park for a little while longer, and then it was time to get back on the bikes. Back in the saddle and on the road again, we crossed back over the Lions Gate bridge and made our way north on the 99 towards Whistler.
The road whistler was absolutely incredible. as we made our way up through the mountains, the scenery just got better and better. In the distance, snow still covered the highest mountain peaks. All around us the trees and forest was an intensely beautiful shade of green, almost to the point of being overwhelming.
About 20 miles outside of Whistler, we pulled off the road to check out a waterfall nearby. It was amazing. Looking up at the falls was an incredible experience. It must have been ten stories high, and the power with with all of the water came rushing down out of it was incredible. It was the type of waterfall that had multiple levels, so the water cascaded down, exploding off of the rocks as it went, finally reaching the pool below. Just the sound alone was incredible, but when added to the fact that we were in a forrest, just a few feet from the bottom of the falls, it made the experience that much more amazing.
On the road again, we continued up the mountain towards Whistler. We passed by some mountain rivers, complete with rapids and raging waters. The blues and greens of the water as it flowed and crashed across the rocks was incredible. Just outside of town, we pulled over to see another waterfall. This time, rather than looking up from below, we were actually above the falls, looking down to where they crashed. Unlike the previous waterfall, this one was perfectly symmetrical as it aged over the edge and down to the pool below. It was another awe inspiring piece of art that only nature could create.
Just 10 minutes later, we pulled into the main village of Whistler. If you have never been here, it is a little village tucked into the base of some incredible mountains. During the winter it is an amazing place to come skiing, and was even home to the 2010 Olympic Games. After unpacking, we made our toast and gave thanks to the road Gods for another incredible journey.
It is amazing to look back over the last week and think of the incredible things I have seen and experienced. I am running out of words to describe all of this, and even words like amazing and incredible are loosing the ability to truly capture these experiences. Tomorrow, we head out to Sun Peaks, and apparently some of the most amazing riding in all of Canada. I can't wait, as I am sure we are in for another day of wonder and amazement, and even more indescribable beauty.
A little while later the rest of the group joined us in the park and we all had some lunch. It was a delicious meal in a great setting. After lunch we all explored the park for a little while longer, and then it was time to get back on the bikes. Back in the saddle and on the road again, we crossed back over the Lions Gate bridge and made our way north on the 99 towards Whistler.
The road whistler was absolutely incredible. as we made our way up through the mountains, the scenery just got better and better. In the distance, snow still covered the highest mountain peaks. All around us the trees and forest was an intensely beautiful shade of green, almost to the point of being overwhelming.
About 20 miles outside of Whistler, we pulled off the road to check out a waterfall nearby. It was amazing. Looking up at the falls was an incredible experience. It must have been ten stories high, and the power with with all of the water came rushing down out of it was incredible. It was the type of waterfall that had multiple levels, so the water cascaded down, exploding off of the rocks as it went, finally reaching the pool below. Just the sound alone was incredible, but when added to the fact that we were in a forrest, just a few feet from the bottom of the falls, it made the experience that much more amazing.
On the road again, we continued up the mountain towards Whistler. We passed by some mountain rivers, complete with rapids and raging waters. The blues and greens of the water as it flowed and crashed across the rocks was incredible. Just outside of town, we pulled over to see another waterfall. This time, rather than looking up from below, we were actually above the falls, looking down to where they crashed. Unlike the previous waterfall, this one was perfectly symmetrical as it aged over the edge and down to the pool below. It was another awe inspiring piece of art that only nature could create.
Just 10 minutes later, we pulled into the main village of Whistler. If you have never been here, it is a little village tucked into the base of some incredible mountains. During the winter it is an amazing place to come skiing, and was even home to the 2010 Olympic Games. After unpacking, we made our toast and gave thanks to the road Gods for another incredible journey.
It is amazing to look back over the last week and think of the incredible things I have seen and experienced. I am running out of words to describe all of this, and even words like amazing and incredible are loosing the ability to truly capture these experiences. Tomorrow, we head out to Sun Peaks, and apparently some of the most amazing riding in all of Canada. I can't wait, as I am sure we are in for another day of wonder and amazement, and even more indescribable beauty.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Day 6- I'm on a Boat!
This morning we awoke bright and early, ready to make our way into Canada. We rode the short distance from our hotel to the ferry port where we were to load our bikes on the boat and take a short trip over to Vancouver Island.
The last time I was in Canada, about 10 years ago, I took my car onto the same ferry, but in the reverse direction. I remember how strange it was driving my car onto a boat. Well, that was nothing compared to how surreal it was to ride a bike onto a boat. At times I felt almost like I was riding indoors, and through a hallway. It was another really unique and incredible experience. The boat ride itself was good, although a bit rocky at the start. Fortunately no one got sick, although there were a couple queazy moments.
Arriving on Vancouver Island a riding the bikes off of the boat was an even cooler experience. We rode right off the boat and up to a customs booth. It was the quickest and easiest customs crossing I have ever had. Once on the island, we took a quick stop over at the Empress hotel, a very snazzy old hotel from back in the day. We looked around for a bit, ooed and aahhd, and then got back on the road to go visit the Bouchart Gardens. These gardens span acres and acres and encompass a variety of garden from Japanese to Italian and everything in between. We had lunch at the restaurant there and then took a quick walk through some of the gardens. They were incredible. The colors of all of the flowers and trees was straight out of a piece of art. It didn't seem real, almost as if we were walking through a painting. We all could have stayed for hours, but we had to get back on the road to catch another ferry, this time to Vancouver.
We boarded the second ferry of the day, and the thrill was just as much if not more than the first time. Still strange. Still awesome. The boat ride was about an hour and 40 minutes, and after we arrived it was back on then bikes, and onto our hotel. From the ferry port it was just a short ride over the Lions Gate Bridge and into Vancouver. It turns out, the bridge was designed by the same guy who did the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and just like in San Fran, we hit traffic. This time however, it wasn't too bad, and we were able to make it over in no time.
After checking in to our hotel, and unloading the bikes, we met for our customary end of ride toast. Then, Betty Boop and I set off on our own little adventure. We visited some pubs, chatted with some locals, and had an all around good time. We met up with the rest of the group for dinner at a great place called The Steam-house Brewery. It was packed, and delicious, and they made some good beer too. After dinner we went to a well known Vancouver coffee shop, The New Amsterdam Cafe. It was a bit smokey, so we left and began the walk back to our hotel. A short while later, out of nowhere it began to rain. I couldn't believe it. Just hours earlier it had been quite hot, and now it was raining. Rather than take a cab, we pushed on and enjoyed the adventure of walking in the rain. We arrived back at our hotel, slightly soggy, but spirits high from a great day of riding, and our Canadian journey truly beginning.
The last time I was in Canada, about 10 years ago, I took my car onto the same ferry, but in the reverse direction. I remember how strange it was driving my car onto a boat. Well, that was nothing compared to how surreal it was to ride a bike onto a boat. At times I felt almost like I was riding indoors, and through a hallway. It was another really unique and incredible experience. The boat ride itself was good, although a bit rocky at the start. Fortunately no one got sick, although there were a couple queazy moments.
Arriving on Vancouver Island a riding the bikes off of the boat was an even cooler experience. We rode right off the boat and up to a customs booth. It was the quickest and easiest customs crossing I have ever had. Once on the island, we took a quick stop over at the Empress hotel, a very snazzy old hotel from back in the day. We looked around for a bit, ooed and aahhd, and then got back on the road to go visit the Bouchart Gardens. These gardens span acres and acres and encompass a variety of garden from Japanese to Italian and everything in between. We had lunch at the restaurant there and then took a quick walk through some of the gardens. They were incredible. The colors of all of the flowers and trees was straight out of a piece of art. It didn't seem real, almost as if we were walking through a painting. We all could have stayed for hours, but we had to get back on the road to catch another ferry, this time to Vancouver.
We boarded the second ferry of the day, and the thrill was just as much if not more than the first time. Still strange. Still awesome. The boat ride was about an hour and 40 minutes, and after we arrived it was back on then bikes, and onto our hotel. From the ferry port it was just a short ride over the Lions Gate Bridge and into Vancouver. It turns out, the bridge was designed by the same guy who did the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and just like in San Fran, we hit traffic. This time however, it wasn't too bad, and we were able to make it over in no time.
After checking in to our hotel, and unloading the bikes, we met for our customary end of ride toast. Then, Betty Boop and I set off on our own little adventure. We visited some pubs, chatted with some locals, and had an all around good time. We met up with the rest of the group for dinner at a great place called The Steam-house Brewery. It was packed, and delicious, and they made some good beer too. After dinner we went to a well known Vancouver coffee shop, The New Amsterdam Cafe. It was a bit smokey, so we left and began the walk back to our hotel. A short while later, out of nowhere it began to rain. I couldn't believe it. Just hours earlier it had been quite hot, and now it was raining. Rather than take a cab, we pushed on and enjoyed the adventure of walking in the rain. We arrived back at our hotel, slightly soggy, but spirits high from a great day of riding, and our Canadian journey truly beginning.
Day 5- Over the Lakes and to the Ladies
Here we are again. The end of another incredible day on the road. We left Gold Beach, OR early this morning and shortly thereafter crossed into Washington state on one of the longest bridges I have ever seen. It was 3 miles long in fact, I know because I made sure to watch my odometer. At one point the bridge was suspended just a dozen or so feet above the water, and when looking out to either side of me it gave the impression that I was almost riding on the water itself. It was a grand welcome for what turned out to be an an incredible day.
Rather than mountains and beaches, today was a day of water and bridges. We crossed over so many various bridges, both big and small, and passed a tremendous array of lakes, bays, rivers, and streams. It was a landscape, and a beauty, I had not encountered before. The green of the Washington woods and land around us only made the blues of the water that much more incredible.
We stopped for lunch at a small diner in a tiny little town along the way. It turned out to be quite good actually, and something that is a necessary part of any road trip. We headed out once more, only this time our destination was Olympia, WA to meet up with our wives. They had just landed in seattle and were in a car headed to meet us in Olympia. The guys and I rode into the parking lot of the Red Lion hotel to wait for the girls, and not even 3 minutes later, their car was pulling up and they had arrived. The timing could not have been better.
We now had 5 more members of the BBMC with us. Mandi Lee, Roleen, Pretty, Seejay, and my lady, Betty Boop. The Canadian Caper was in full affect now. After saying our hellos and welcomes, we hopped on the bikes with our ladies and were on the road again, 10 strong.
Our journey together through the forests, and alongside the lakes of Washington was incredible. After about 2 hours riding through this incredible landscape, we pulled into Port Angeles, our stop for the night. Tomorrow, we are going to board the ferry and make our way on over to Vancouver Island, BC. A whole new country of riding awaits, and a whole new adventure begins . . .
Rather than mountains and beaches, today was a day of water and bridges. We crossed over so many various bridges, both big and small, and passed a tremendous array of lakes, bays, rivers, and streams. It was a landscape, and a beauty, I had not encountered before. The green of the Washington woods and land around us only made the blues of the water that much more incredible.
We stopped for lunch at a small diner in a tiny little town along the way. It turned out to be quite good actually, and something that is a necessary part of any road trip. We headed out once more, only this time our destination was Olympia, WA to meet up with our wives. They had just landed in seattle and were in a car headed to meet us in Olympia. The guys and I rode into the parking lot of the Red Lion hotel to wait for the girls, and not even 3 minutes later, their car was pulling up and they had arrived. The timing could not have been better.
We now had 5 more members of the BBMC with us. Mandi Lee, Roleen, Pretty, Seejay, and my lady, Betty Boop. The Canadian Caper was in full affect now. After saying our hellos and welcomes, we hopped on the bikes with our ladies and were on the road again, 10 strong.
Our journey together through the forests, and alongside the lakes of Washington was incredible. After about 2 hours riding through this incredible landscape, we pulled into Port Angeles, our stop for the night. Tomorrow, we are going to board the ferry and make our way on over to Vancouver Island, BC. A whole new country of riding awaits, and a whole new adventure begins . . .
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Day 4-A Different Landscape Around Every Bend
Day 4 greeted us with the best weather we have had yet. It was a sign of good things to come. We left Gold Beach and continued Northward up the Oregon coast on the 101N. The sky was clear, and finally the sun was shining. It wasn't warm, but compared to the past few days of cold and fog, it was a really welcome change.
The Oregon coastline turned out to be more spectacular than I could have imagined. Gone were the giant Redwoods of California, and in there place were the pines, firs, and other Oregon evergreen trees. The forest here is totally different, and holds its own kind of beauty. One of the most amazing things about the Oregon coastline is that the forest extends right out onto the beach, until the trees can't go any further without going for a swim.
Sometime later the forest transformed yet again and revealed a coastline of massive, undulating mountains of sand. The dunes of the Oregon coast are truly surreal, almost an alien landscape, with trees growing right up to, and even into the dunes themselves. It was truly a magnificent sight to see.
Yet again the dunes transformed into rivers and bays of gorgeous blue water glistening in the sun. We crossed an array of amazing bridges, from steel to stone, large and small. It was as if just when we got used to the environment around us, it changed and transformed again.
Lunchtime brought us into a small town called Florence, OR and a famous fish restaurant called Mo's. The view of the bay was great, and the food was pretty good as well. After filling our bellies with food and our bikes with gas, we were on our way yet again. We made a few more stops along the way for photos and snacks, enjoying every moment of the day.
One of the great things about being on a motorcycle is the smell of the environment around you. Moving through the forest, the aroma of the different trees and flowers floating in the air is incredible. It is another one of the many differences about being on a bike vs being in a car. I will say, however, that as we neared our final destination for the day, it was an aspect of riding I could have down without. You see, we are staying in Tillamook tonight, home of the world famous Tillamook cheddar cheese. Well, where there is cheese, there are cows. And where there are cows, there is . . .the smell of cows. For miles as we approached this tiny little town, the environment changed once more from coastal forest into farmland and pastures as far as the eyes could see. All around were the cows of Tillamook county, ready and waiting to do their part for the cheese industry. Ok, that may be going a bit far, but the point is there are a lot of cows here, and not much else.
All in all today was an incredible day. The riding was superb, the weather supreme, and the company good as always. Tomorrow we ride into Washington and pick up our wives in Olympia. It will be great to have them along as we make our way into Canada, and many more days filled with incredible scenery, amazing riding, and memories to last a lifetime.
The Oregon coastline turned out to be more spectacular than I could have imagined. Gone were the giant Redwoods of California, and in there place were the pines, firs, and other Oregon evergreen trees. The forest here is totally different, and holds its own kind of beauty. One of the most amazing things about the Oregon coastline is that the forest extends right out onto the beach, until the trees can't go any further without going for a swim.
Sometime later the forest transformed yet again and revealed a coastline of massive, undulating mountains of sand. The dunes of the Oregon coast are truly surreal, almost an alien landscape, with trees growing right up to, and even into the dunes themselves. It was truly a magnificent sight to see.
Yet again the dunes transformed into rivers and bays of gorgeous blue water glistening in the sun. We crossed an array of amazing bridges, from steel to stone, large and small. It was as if just when we got used to the environment around us, it changed and transformed again.
Lunchtime brought us into a small town called Florence, OR and a famous fish restaurant called Mo's. The view of the bay was great, and the food was pretty good as well. After filling our bellies with food and our bikes with gas, we were on our way yet again. We made a few more stops along the way for photos and snacks, enjoying every moment of the day.
One of the great things about being on a motorcycle is the smell of the environment around you. Moving through the forest, the aroma of the different trees and flowers floating in the air is incredible. It is another one of the many differences about being on a bike vs being in a car. I will say, however, that as we neared our final destination for the day, it was an aspect of riding I could have down without. You see, we are staying in Tillamook tonight, home of the world famous Tillamook cheddar cheese. Well, where there is cheese, there are cows. And where there are cows, there is . . .the smell of cows. For miles as we approached this tiny little town, the environment changed once more from coastal forest into farmland and pastures as far as the eyes could see. All around were the cows of Tillamook county, ready and waiting to do their part for the cheese industry. Ok, that may be going a bit far, but the point is there are a lot of cows here, and not much else.
All in all today was an incredible day. The riding was superb, the weather supreme, and the company good as always. Tomorrow we ride into Washington and pick up our wives in Olympia. It will be great to have them along as we make our way into Canada, and many more days filled with incredible scenery, amazing riding, and memories to last a lifetime.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Day 3-A Gift from The Road Gods
If yesterday provided some of the most difficult riding I have ever done, today provided the most incredible. Day 3 began in the mist of Mendocino county, as we rode along the coast steadily moving northward. Everything around us was blanketed in a light mist that would move and change as we rode through it. It was cold, but that was a minor detail compared the splendor of the morning around us.
Shortly after leaving Mendocino county, we entered into what has become my favorite ride to date. There are different kinds of people in this world that love certain environments more than others. There are beach people, snow people, desert people, and so on. When it comes to me, I am a forest person. Today was really my day. We rode through the Redwood forests of Northern California, and I am having a hard time putting words to the experience. The roads were made up of beautiful, empty, sweeping turns back and forth between the giant trees and lush green scenery. Every now and again we would pop out of the forest and onto the coast for a taste of the rocky shoreline. Winding through the Redwood trees, the oldest living beings on our planet, was a magical experience to say the least. Between the massive trees towering over us and the light mist floating through the forest, it was like being transported to a magical world straight out of The Lord of The Rings. It was truly the best ride I have ever done In my life, although something tells me I will be saying that a lot on this trip.
Our first stop for the day was at a 2400 year old Redwood that you can actually drive through. It was absolutely massive, and it was impossible to fit it into a single frame for a picture. Speaking of pictures, since the internet connections I am using are usually pretty slow, I have been unable to upload any pics of the trip. As soon as I get a good connection, I will post them up.
After the drive through tree we joined the 101 and continued Northward. We were entering into my favorite county in all of CA, Humboldt. It happens to be my favorite, not just because of the local crops, but because the forests there are some of the most beautiful and magical places I have ever seen. Almost 10 years ago I drove through here in a car and I remember how mesmerized I was then. Today was a whole other level of enjoyment and appreciation, for life, and the ability to be on the road experiencing this incredible journey.
We stopped for lunch in a beautiful little seaside town called Trinidad. We ate a delicious lunch looking out onto an incredible rocky cove on the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards, we were back on our way and almost out of California. We stopped at the Klamath River Bridge to take a picture with the Golden bears they have in front of it. There happened to be a ton of people on the bridge looking over the sides and down into the water. Some people taking a picture by the bear said there was a whale in the water. Yea right, a whale in the river. Well, he wasn't kidding. We walked along the bridge and joined the crowd of people looking into the river. I couldn't believe my eyes. Down below me in the water was a giant whale! It must have gotten lost and swam upstream from the ocean. It was circling around the bottom of the bridge, as if looking for something. Some people thought it may be looking for it's calf. As amazing as it was to see this incredible creature, it was also really sad. I hoped that it would find whatever it was looking for, and also get back to the ocean. I felt so helpless standing on the bridge looking over the railing. Here we were, 100 or so people, and all we could do was watch. We couldn't talk to it, carry it back to its home, or show it where to go. All we could do was watch. Nature truly is a powerful and mysterious thing, and I am humbled by the experience.
We continued onward, hopeful that the whale would find its way to its destination, as we were doing now. Soon thereafter we crossed into Oregon, and stopped for a mandatory picture by the Welcome to Oregon sign. Just 30 or so minutes later we reached our destination of Gold Beach, OR. It is beautiful here, and as I type this I can look out of my hotel window and see the ocean in the distance, the sound of the crashing waves echoing in the night. After yesterday's nightmarish riding, today truly was a gift from the Road Gods, and I thank them for keeping us safe today and safe tomorrow, where another amazing adventure of beauty and bewilderment surely awaits.
Shortly after leaving Mendocino county, we entered into what has become my favorite ride to date. There are different kinds of people in this world that love certain environments more than others. There are beach people, snow people, desert people, and so on. When it comes to me, I am a forest person. Today was really my day. We rode through the Redwood forests of Northern California, and I am having a hard time putting words to the experience. The roads were made up of beautiful, empty, sweeping turns back and forth between the giant trees and lush green scenery. Every now and again we would pop out of the forest and onto the coast for a taste of the rocky shoreline. Winding through the Redwood trees, the oldest living beings on our planet, was a magical experience to say the least. Between the massive trees towering over us and the light mist floating through the forest, it was like being transported to a magical world straight out of The Lord of The Rings. It was truly the best ride I have ever done In my life, although something tells me I will be saying that a lot on this trip.
Our first stop for the day was at a 2400 year old Redwood that you can actually drive through. It was absolutely massive, and it was impossible to fit it into a single frame for a picture. Speaking of pictures, since the internet connections I am using are usually pretty slow, I have been unable to upload any pics of the trip. As soon as I get a good connection, I will post them up.
After the drive through tree we joined the 101 and continued Northward. We were entering into my favorite county in all of CA, Humboldt. It happens to be my favorite, not just because of the local crops, but because the forests there are some of the most beautiful and magical places I have ever seen. Almost 10 years ago I drove through here in a car and I remember how mesmerized I was then. Today was a whole other level of enjoyment and appreciation, for life, and the ability to be on the road experiencing this incredible journey.
We stopped for lunch in a beautiful little seaside town called Trinidad. We ate a delicious lunch looking out onto an incredible rocky cove on the Pacific Ocean. Afterwards, we were back on our way and almost out of California. We stopped at the Klamath River Bridge to take a picture with the Golden bears they have in front of it. There happened to be a ton of people on the bridge looking over the sides and down into the water. Some people taking a picture by the bear said there was a whale in the water. Yea right, a whale in the river. Well, he wasn't kidding. We walked along the bridge and joined the crowd of people looking into the river. I couldn't believe my eyes. Down below me in the water was a giant whale! It must have gotten lost and swam upstream from the ocean. It was circling around the bottom of the bridge, as if looking for something. Some people thought it may be looking for it's calf. As amazing as it was to see this incredible creature, it was also really sad. I hoped that it would find whatever it was looking for, and also get back to the ocean. I felt so helpless standing on the bridge looking over the railing. Here we were, 100 or so people, and all we could do was watch. We couldn't talk to it, carry it back to its home, or show it where to go. All we could do was watch. Nature truly is a powerful and mysterious thing, and I am humbled by the experience.
We continued onward, hopeful that the whale would find its way to its destination, as we were doing now. Soon thereafter we crossed into Oregon, and stopped for a mandatory picture by the Welcome to Oregon sign. Just 30 or so minutes later we reached our destination of Gold Beach, OR. It is beautiful here, and as I type this I can look out of my hotel window and see the ocean in the distance, the sound of the crashing waves echoing in the night. After yesterday's nightmarish riding, today truly was a gift from the Road Gods, and I thank them for keeping us safe today and safe tomorrow, where another amazing adventure of beauty and bewilderment surely awaits.
Day 2-Back on track and CA cruising.
After an epic 13 hours and 367 miles, day two is complete. It was kick stands up at 7:30AM and we were on our way once again. In order to get back on track from yesterdays detour we needed to get back to the coast, so we headed northwest from King City on the G16. It turned out to be an incredible road, and an amazing way to start the day. In the distance behind us, fog slowly rolled over the mountains as we wound our way through the back country road, just the five of us and Mother Nature herself. It's moments like these that make this far more than a Canadian Caper, it's truly a Soul Ride.
A little while later we pulled into the small town of Carmel Valley, about 12 miles inland from Carmel itself. We stopped at a little coffee shop & bakery for breakfast, and it was quite good, organic coffee too. Bellies full and warm, we threw on our jackets, gloves, and face masks, and headed out to cruise once more. It was cold outside, but the incredible scenery and riding more than made up for it.
Back on track, and back on the 1N, we rode up the coast and through the forests,every turn and vista seemingly more incredible than the last. Looking to our right we would be greeted by an incredible variety of forest, the types and kinds of trees changing as we rode. To our left, the Pacific ocean, going from sandy beaches to rocky shorelines right out of The Goonies. Just past Santa Cruz we saw what I can only describe as a wall made of clouds, thousands of feet high from the ocean as far up as you could see. Thinking about it now it makes me realize just how small we are in the big scheme of things. We stopped at a beach to take a moment, soak it in, and grab some pics.
It's hard really to describe what it's like viewing nature in this way. There is a saying that goes "If you don't ride, than you don't know," and I think that it is in this context that it is most significant. You may have driven along the 1N yourself in a car, and while I agree that it's incredibly beautiful, compared to riding it on a bike it's like watching scenery pass by you instead of actually moving through the scenery yourself.
Our next stop was Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. We stopped to stretch our legs and grab a drink before heading out on the next leg of our journey. I went inside the cafe to wash my face, as I had sunscreen in my eyes that was unpleasant to say the least. It turns out that while I was inside, the rest of the guys were having their photos taken for a local blog! You can check it out at www.satinandsand.com. Guess the BBMC is now officially famous.
We had just 30 miles to go in order to reach San Francisco and cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Our plan was to do this and then meet up with a good friend of mine for lunch just past Marin. What should have taken 30 minutes or so ended up taking us 2 hours. 2 hours to go 30 miles! It was some of the worst traffic I have ever seen, and bare in mind I lived in LA for 8 years. The only reason we were even able to get through in that amount of time was a bike's ability to go in between the lanes. And in case you are wondering, it is perfectly legal in CA for bikes to do so. Nonetheless, it is by far the most intense riding I have ever done. Because we are traveling at such a slow speed, and having to be extremely precise in order not to destroy all the cars next to us, it takes every ounce of muscle and concentration to safely and effectively get through the cars. Bare in mind, we are not riding sleek sports bikes here, they are thousands of pounds of machine, luggage, and rider. My left hand was aching after 2 hours constantly squeezing the clutch, and my whole body was sore from all the maneuvering. After such an incredible morning, it was a terrible way to start the afternoon.
We finally made it across the Golden Gate, and to be honest, I was so exhausted and stunned by what we had experienced that I barely even noticed the bridge. It was a lot of fun riding across though, especially since the traffic finally started moving. A little while later we were back on the 1N and stopped in Stinson Beach to get some lunch. We were 2 hours behind our original plan, and we realized we were in for a long day. We still had 160 miles to go in order to reach Fort Bragg, and our reserved hotel rooms. Averaging 40MPH on the coast road, that was still another 4 hours of riding,not including stops.
We saddled up, and headed out to conquer the remaining miles, BBMC style. The further we road, the better it got, and the memories and muscle pains of San Fran's traffic blew away in the wind. I was tired, there is no doubt about it, but the experience of riding up the CA coast with my Dad and some great buddies is priceless, and no traffic or time constraints are going to spoil that.
After many more miles and many more hours, the light getting low and our bodies very tired, we rolled into Fort Bragg just before the sun went down. We had been traveling for 13 hours, and had covered some of the most challenging miles of our riding careers. As we checked into our hotel, we were all exhausted in the best possible way. Today had been a mixture of beauty and battle, a real taste of the bitter and the sweet. If there is one thing that it taught me though, it's that the further we go, the better it gets. With that in mind, I'm going to bed, excited to see what tomorrow's journey through the Redwoods and into Oregon has to show us.
A little while later we pulled into the small town of Carmel Valley, about 12 miles inland from Carmel itself. We stopped at a little coffee shop & bakery for breakfast, and it was quite good, organic coffee too. Bellies full and warm, we threw on our jackets, gloves, and face masks, and headed out to cruise once more. It was cold outside, but the incredible scenery and riding more than made up for it.
Back on track, and back on the 1N, we rode up the coast and through the forests,every turn and vista seemingly more incredible than the last. Looking to our right we would be greeted by an incredible variety of forest, the types and kinds of trees changing as we rode. To our left, the Pacific ocean, going from sandy beaches to rocky shorelines right out of The Goonies. Just past Santa Cruz we saw what I can only describe as a wall made of clouds, thousands of feet high from the ocean as far up as you could see. Thinking about it now it makes me realize just how small we are in the big scheme of things. We stopped at a beach to take a moment, soak it in, and grab some pics.
It's hard really to describe what it's like viewing nature in this way. There is a saying that goes "If you don't ride, than you don't know," and I think that it is in this context that it is most significant. You may have driven along the 1N yourself in a car, and while I agree that it's incredibly beautiful, compared to riding it on a bike it's like watching scenery pass by you instead of actually moving through the scenery yourself.
Our next stop was Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. We stopped to stretch our legs and grab a drink before heading out on the next leg of our journey. I went inside the cafe to wash my face, as I had sunscreen in my eyes that was unpleasant to say the least. It turns out that while I was inside, the rest of the guys were having their photos taken for a local blog! You can check it out at www.satinandsand.com. Guess the BBMC is now officially famous.
We had just 30 miles to go in order to reach San Francisco and cross the Golden Gate Bridge. Our plan was to do this and then meet up with a good friend of mine for lunch just past Marin. What should have taken 30 minutes or so ended up taking us 2 hours. 2 hours to go 30 miles! It was some of the worst traffic I have ever seen, and bare in mind I lived in LA for 8 years. The only reason we were even able to get through in that amount of time was a bike's ability to go in between the lanes. And in case you are wondering, it is perfectly legal in CA for bikes to do so. Nonetheless, it is by far the most intense riding I have ever done. Because we are traveling at such a slow speed, and having to be extremely precise in order not to destroy all the cars next to us, it takes every ounce of muscle and concentration to safely and effectively get through the cars. Bare in mind, we are not riding sleek sports bikes here, they are thousands of pounds of machine, luggage, and rider. My left hand was aching after 2 hours constantly squeezing the clutch, and my whole body was sore from all the maneuvering. After such an incredible morning, it was a terrible way to start the afternoon.
We finally made it across the Golden Gate, and to be honest, I was so exhausted and stunned by what we had experienced that I barely even noticed the bridge. It was a lot of fun riding across though, especially since the traffic finally started moving. A little while later we were back on the 1N and stopped in Stinson Beach to get some lunch. We were 2 hours behind our original plan, and we realized we were in for a long day. We still had 160 miles to go in order to reach Fort Bragg, and our reserved hotel rooms. Averaging 40MPH on the coast road, that was still another 4 hours of riding,not including stops.
We saddled up, and headed out to conquer the remaining miles, BBMC style. The further we road, the better it got, and the memories and muscle pains of San Fran's traffic blew away in the wind. I was tired, there is no doubt about it, but the experience of riding up the CA coast with my Dad and some great buddies is priceless, and no traffic or time constraints are going to spoil that.
After many more miles and many more hours, the light getting low and our bodies very tired, we rolled into Fort Bragg just before the sun went down. We had been traveling for 13 hours, and had covered some of the most challenging miles of our riding careers. As we checked into our hotel, we were all exhausted in the best possible way. Today had been a mixture of beauty and battle, a real taste of the bitter and the sweet. If there is one thing that it taught me though, it's that the further we go, the better it gets. With that in mind, I'm going to bed, excited to see what tomorrow's journey through the Redwoods and into Oregon has to show us.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Day 1-The Journey Begins
After nearly two years in the making, The Canadian Caper has begun! Let me start off by saying that if today is any indication of how the rest of the trip is going to be, then I am in for the journey of a lifetime.
It all began this morning at 7am in San Diego. My dad and I left the house on our bikes, me on a 97 Harley Davidson Fatboy, and him on his 2008 Harley Davidson Road King. 10 minutes later we met up with the rest of the San Diego crew, Chochem and El Breker. As you may have guessed, these are there biker names. My dad's is Cedric, and I go by Woodstock. So, crew together we headed out to meet Chappy, our 5th and final rider, in Malibu. We hopped on the 5 north, made it through LA on the 405, skipped over to the 101 N, and coasted on into a little breakfast spot called The Old Place. Chappy's bike was parked outside and waiting for us. We were also joined by The Doc, Biggie, and D. It was a great breakfast, and a nice treat to have our guests along as well.
After stuffing our faces with fritatas, steak and eggs, and flapjacks the size of a small house, we got back on the bikes to continue our journey northward. All 5 of us now united and going strong, we continued up the 101 N. As per usual in LA, there was a tremendous amount of traffic. This made the next 60 or so miles somewhat unpleasant, but hey, it happens. Sometime after Santa Barbara we stopped in a little place called Buellton to get some coffee and stretch our legs. A short while later we were back on the road and a little after San Luis Obispo we cut west and got onto the 1N.
Cruising up the coast was absolutely incredible. The roads were beautiful, and the scenery was gorgeous as well. We stopped in a little town called Morro Bay to get a snack and drink something warm, as the ocean breeze put quite a chill in the air. Warmed and refreshed, we set out for the last 20 miles of today's journey to a town called Cambria where we where planning on spending the night. I say planning, because for this part of our journey we don't have any hotels booked. Well, as luck would have it, there were no vacancies available, so we decided to drive a little further and see what we could find. That "little further" ended up being another 100 MILES more! Yup, thats what I said, 100 miles more. Rather than our already long day of 350 miles to Cambria, we ended up doing a total of 465 miles and ended up in a place called King City, at the Keefer's Inn. I cant tell you just how excited all of us were at the fact that we finally found a place with rooms. If you have never ridden before, than it may not seem like a big deal, but let me tell you, 200 miles on a bike is a pretty good days ride, and 465, well lets just say thats a whole different ball game.
As tradition would have it, me and the boys drank a toast to the Road Gods for keeping us safe today and safe tomorrow. Bodies and spirits refreshed with some drinks and a few pieces of delicious Biltong, a South African style of beef jerky, we headed across the parking lot to the only restaurant around, to get some dinner. That was an adventure all its own. There was only one waiter, and some sort of private party going on in the back, so service was not exactly quick. When dinner finally did arrive, we scarfed it down and fed our well worked bodies. It was good enough, although after more than 12 hours and 400 miles of travel, I'm sure we would have eaten just about anything. And that brings us to now. I've used up most of my remaining energy on this blog, so it's time for me to get some sleep and prepare for another day of incredible riding with the boys of the BBMC. For the next 4 days, we will be heading up the CA coast, up through Oregon, and into Washington where we will pick up our ladies who are flying in to meet us for the rest of the trip. Stay tuned, we are just getting started, and the best is yet to come. . .
It all began this morning at 7am in San Diego. My dad and I left the house on our bikes, me on a 97 Harley Davidson Fatboy, and him on his 2008 Harley Davidson Road King. 10 minutes later we met up with the rest of the San Diego crew, Chochem and El Breker. As you may have guessed, these are there biker names. My dad's is Cedric, and I go by Woodstock. So, crew together we headed out to meet Chappy, our 5th and final rider, in Malibu. We hopped on the 5 north, made it through LA on the 405, skipped over to the 101 N, and coasted on into a little breakfast spot called The Old Place. Chappy's bike was parked outside and waiting for us. We were also joined by The Doc, Biggie, and D. It was a great breakfast, and a nice treat to have our guests along as well.
After stuffing our faces with fritatas, steak and eggs, and flapjacks the size of a small house, we got back on the bikes to continue our journey northward. All 5 of us now united and going strong, we continued up the 101 N. As per usual in LA, there was a tremendous amount of traffic. This made the next 60 or so miles somewhat unpleasant, but hey, it happens. Sometime after Santa Barbara we stopped in a little place called Buellton to get some coffee and stretch our legs. A short while later we were back on the road and a little after San Luis Obispo we cut west and got onto the 1N.
Cruising up the coast was absolutely incredible. The roads were beautiful, and the scenery was gorgeous as well. We stopped in a little town called Morro Bay to get a snack and drink something warm, as the ocean breeze put quite a chill in the air. Warmed and refreshed, we set out for the last 20 miles of today's journey to a town called Cambria where we where planning on spending the night. I say planning, because for this part of our journey we don't have any hotels booked. Well, as luck would have it, there were no vacancies available, so we decided to drive a little further and see what we could find. That "little further" ended up being another 100 MILES more! Yup, thats what I said, 100 miles more. Rather than our already long day of 350 miles to Cambria, we ended up doing a total of 465 miles and ended up in a place called King City, at the Keefer's Inn. I cant tell you just how excited all of us were at the fact that we finally found a place with rooms. If you have never ridden before, than it may not seem like a big deal, but let me tell you, 200 miles on a bike is a pretty good days ride, and 465, well lets just say thats a whole different ball game.
As tradition would have it, me and the boys drank a toast to the Road Gods for keeping us safe today and safe tomorrow. Bodies and spirits refreshed with some drinks and a few pieces of delicious Biltong, a South African style of beef jerky, we headed across the parking lot to the only restaurant around, to get some dinner. That was an adventure all its own. There was only one waiter, and some sort of private party going on in the back, so service was not exactly quick. When dinner finally did arrive, we scarfed it down and fed our well worked bodies. It was good enough, although after more than 12 hours and 400 miles of travel, I'm sure we would have eaten just about anything. And that brings us to now. I've used up most of my remaining energy on this blog, so it's time for me to get some sleep and prepare for another day of incredible riding with the boys of the BBMC. For the next 4 days, we will be heading up the CA coast, up through Oregon, and into Washington where we will pick up our ladies who are flying in to meet us for the rest of the trip. Stay tuned, we are just getting started, and the best is yet to come. . .
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