Tag: motorcycle touring

I must say that I’ve enjoyed the past six days in Texas riding through the majestic Yellow Pine forests, through the hill sides and across the grasslands that went on forever until they touched the sky somewhere far off in the distance.  The vast canyons called out to my soul as I traveled over the lands where many a great warrior had gone before me and I was able to share the passion of my dream with numerous locals along the way.

My last stop in Texas was in Amarillo where I visited the notorious Cadillac Ranch that is somewhat immersed after the tumultuous rain falls experienced in Texas a few weeks ago, not to mention a little shopping pleasure and of course being a carnivore at heart what would be a trip through the “cattle state” without enjoying a great steak dinner!

Here are a few final photos for your viewing pleasure:

Yup…they’re everywhere and Walmart has a huge selection!

A little shopping pleasure before leaving the state:

From here my amigos….I’m New Mexico bound!

The past few days riding across Texas have been memorable.  After leaving Nacogdoches I had the pleasure of chatting with a couple of locals in Marlin, Texas, a small town that was at one time known for its mineral hot spring and a buzz of activity with many people visiting to benefit from its healing properties.

An exuberant Beth Scruggs and her friend Earnest Cluck provided me with an incredible amount of information about that town and its history.  Beth recounted how her father, now 87 was the owner of one of the largest herds of Texas Long Horns.   She went on to say that the Hilton Hotel chain built its eighth high rise hotel in the town to provide accommodations for the many visitors who once flocked to what was a vibrant bustling little town.  The lavish 110 room facility was built by Conrad Hilton in 1929 with a tunnel that led to a bath house across the street.

Visitors included the New York Giants Team who came to Marlin during their spring training between 1908 to 1918 to take advantage of the healing mineral waters.

Wanting to learn more about the mineral springs and the “little town that was”, I rode over to the Chamber of Commerce to check it out.  There I met Dusty Rhodes, a 67 year old local who claimed that from the time he was a young boy he’s been drinking the water as part of his daily regime.  He was there at the spring collecting water to take home for bathing.

Being the curious type and wanting to do as the Romans do….literally and figuratively speaking, I took the plunge.  Not only did I experience relief when I soaked my hot tired feet in the mineral water…my feet had been stuck in my hot motorcycle boots all day.  I also drank a full glass of the hot salty water.  I must admit I think it made a difference.  I feel wiser as a result and I think I’m a little taller too.  Oh wait…that’s from those new cowgirl boots I bought…but now I’m getting ahead of myself in my story telling and will have to leave that for another blog 🙂

Stay tuned…there’s more to come!

Riding through Texas has brought so many amazing experiences and riding into Palo Duro Canyon was one of them.  The magnificence of the Canyon was far more than I had anticipated.  From the research I did when planning my trip I knew it was referred to as the Little Grand Canyon.  What I wasn’t aware of was that I would be able to ride down into the base of the canyon on my motorcycle.  Doing so was nothing short of spectacular!

As I started to descend into the canyon I was in a complete state of awe and wonderment at the beauty that unfolded before me.  The layers of the richly coloured rock that was millions of years old called out to me as I navigated my way through the park.  As I rode deeper into the Canyon I could feel the presence of the Comanche Indians who dwelled there just a little over a century ago.  As I looked up to the ridge, in my minds eye I could see them as they prepared for the battle against the US Army that would result in them being forced out of the 120 mile long expansive paradise.  This was the Comanche’s last stronghold.

And for those of you who would like to be a part of the ride, here’s a video clip of some of what I experienced while in the Canyon.

Finally, here are a few additional photos to amuse you

It’s been a few days since I’ve made a post to the blog.  Although in some respects it feels like only a short time ago, in reality, it’s been miles and miles and miles and on a road trip a lot can happen in three days.  Road trips are like that.  Time passes quickly and upon reflection it’s sometimes difficult to recall all of the interesting details but I’ll do my best…just for you.

The last time I posted I was in Morgan City, LA and I had just toured Oak Alley Plantation after leaving New Orleans.  While heading towards Lake Charles I stopped in the historic town of New Iberia to take a couple of photos.

While there I went into the library…I know it sounds strange but road trips lead you to interesting places.  The truth of the matter was that it was about 38 degrees Celsius with plenty of humidity and the library was air conditioned and had facilities.   There I met Jackie, a woman who works there.  She is formerly from Canada and now lives in New Iberia.  She and her colleague chatted with me about the area and suggested I check out a little town called Beaux Bridge located a few miles north.  Thank you ladies for the suggestion!

Beaux Bridge is a quaint little town with interesting shops and cafes, including one called “Joie de Vivre” where I was able to treat myself to a frozen latté while being able to admire some local art.  Here are a few of my favorite photos from there.

The following day led me south of Lake Charles to the Creole Nature Trail which is a 180 mile long loop that includes Louisiana Highway 27 which runs through a part of the Intracoastal Waterway that runs inland from the Great Lakes at home, along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US down through the Gulf of Mexico.

I set out with hopes of finding an alligator farm and perhaps taking advantage of being close to the sea to enjoy one last roadside lunch of craw-fish.  The scenic byway surpassed my expectations! The vistas were breathtaking! And visiting with the locals who were parked along the roadside and pull offs to take advantage of the crabbing and fishing was equally as refreshing.

I never did find an alligator farm but to my delight, when I stopped at one of the walkways there was an alligator in the wild that was hanging out there.  Yup…alligators hang out waiting for tourists to show up 🙂  I think that locals fed him despite the warnings not to.  Here’s a couple of short videos from the trip through the Creole Nature Trail.

Oh…and I also found a great place to enjoy a craw-fish lunch.  I love when it all comes together!!

I’ll try to catch up with the blogging over the next day or two.  It’s been a couple of very hot days in Texas…sizzle sizzle sizzle!

Over the past few days I’ve ridden through the Gulf Coastal Region of Florida and the word that comes to mind is “breathtaking”.  The beaches are pristine and like no other that I’ve experienced in my time here on this beautiful planet on which we live.  If the Universe is willing I hope to one day return to these parts.  Here is a short video of Navarre Beach located on Santa Rosa Island south east of Pensacola, FL.

My travels also took me to Biloxi, Mississippi which was incredibly historic and filled with new experiences.  Located on the Gulf of Mexico, it was one of the areas devastated by the tropical storm Katrina in 2005.  Some of the buildings were under 30 feet of water, while others were washed away as a result of this powerful hurricane.  As I drove along the shoreline the many empty lots with only the  remains of a foundation or a deserted parking lot reminded me of how lives were dramatically changed as a result of the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States.  Many of the businesses have rebuilt or renovated after the storm and life continues to flourish in this beautiful city.  An example of this is the White House Hotel which was one of the places submerged under 30 feet of water.  It reopened in the past year after extensive renovations.

The visit to this elegant hotel and restaurant was recommended to me by Ed Miles, a wonderful volunteer I met at the Biloxi Tourist Information Centre.  Another beautiful location in the city!

Here are a few photos of the historic French Quarters.  The area is filled with beautiful little shops, businesses and restaurants, including the Half Shell, a wonderful oyster bar where I had dinner.  Yes I did it!  I tried raw shucked oysters on the half shell.

In  addition to having a wonderful restaurant district, the city has a number of casinos…another first for me.  I’ve lived a sheltered life and not played the slots before which resulted in another favourable experience.  I walked away $33 richer after a few minutes…Ben & Jerry’s were the next to benefit…a win-win experience from my perspective 🙂

Biloxi also has a working marina and is home to a large fishing fleet.  The sky is reflective of the heat which reached 38 degrees Celsius earlier in the day.  Yup…it was a little warm riding into the city.  Earlier that day I managed to miss two major showers as I rode towards Biloxi.  You have to love that!

This was seen on the back of a state police vehicle…a great investment strategy 🙂

From here my journey has taken me to New Orleans, Louisiana – It’s an amazing fun filled city that is worthy of a blog of its own!  I’ll get back to you when the music stops 🙂

My ride on Wednesday, May 27, 2015 took me from Savannah, Georgia to Daytona Beach, Florida with a stop in St Augustine, Florida.  Not having visited Florida before, I took advantage of stopping at the Tourist Centre when I crossed the state line.  It was an impressive centre offering numerous free publications, informative staff and “fresh Florida orange juice”.

The stop in St Augustine was very pleasant.  What a beautiful little town. The weather was warm…okay it was darn right hot out yesterday and by the time I left I was riding without my motorcycle jacket in an effort to keep me from melting into the pavement.

St Augustine is one of the oldest cities in the US and was founded in 1565 by the Spanish and served as the capital city of Florida for a couple hundred years during the the Spanish rein.  The Spanish influence is evident in the architecture which was impressive and left me with the impression that I was transported back in time.

Here’s a great “tip jar” I saw while picking up an iced coffee before heading back out on the road to Dayton Beach, Florida.

My arrival in Daytona Beach was finished off with a fresh seafood dinner on the patio of my hotel which over looked the ocean, followed by a walk on the beach as the sun started to set.  Nothing beats kicking off your motorcycle boots and feeling the warmth of the ocean lapping against your feet.  The ride in the heat to get here was oh so worth it!!

Thursday, May 20, 2015 was a spectacular day for a number of reasons.  The first was spending two nights in Charleston, WV which meant a day that did not involve having to load up my bike.  I know, life is tough but I’m a woman and I brought a lot of stuff with me so the break was really appreciated 🙂

The second thing that made the day spectacular was the ride.  When I was doing the route planning I contacted the West Virginia Harley Owners Group and they forwarded me a great brochure, which included what ended up being an incredible ride.  In fact it may well have been the best so far. The route started out with a few miles on Highway 3, also known as Coal Miners Road.  The ride which was one sweeping curve after another was made even more pleasant by the sweet smell of wild white roses growing along the roadside.

In the past few days I’ve learned a great deal about West Virginia heritage, along with the impact the coal industry is having on the local economy.  A young coal miner that I met on the way told me that many of the mines are being closed in favour of finding a cleaner energy source…the problem however is that another energy source hasn’t been established despite 40% of the State still relying on coal as it’s main energy source.  Some of the towns I rode through were literally boarded up as a result of mine closures.  A dreadful place to be for many.

The route continued to Highway 41 which was a quiet secondary road that wound through the countryside and into Babcock State National Park.  What a delight that was.  The park was quiet as many campers and travelers are holding out for Memorial Day weekend which is just around the corner.  The park was made up of a series of one way routes that wandered through the beautiful green forest.

The ride also included a stop in Hawks Nest State Park which is very picturesque and pristine.  This provided an opportunity for a little stroll in the woods.  I hope you enjoy the walk with me:

And of course, what would a ride be without some awesome twisties.  Hawks Nest State Park on Route 60 was spectacular and this loop turned into some of the best riding yet. This is not a route for the faint of heart.  It was a series of hairpin corners that required some fancy work with the shifter.  Much of the ride was in second and third gear with several opportunities to get down to the nitty gritty of first gear.  Gotta say it was challenging…especially with a number of 18 wheelers on the road and those big shiny chrome grills heading for you as you’re navigating hairpin turns.  Yup…I loved every minute of it!!

Here’s a video that incorporates both Babcock Park and a little of Route 60: