Case Cover Fixed!

Case Cover Fixed!

It ain't pretty, but it works. And that's all that matters folks. Back from the dead!

The Adventure Begins

The Adventure Begins

After a week of long days and nights working in the garage, goodbye parties and hugs, we finally finished the last minute prep and hit the road. It's amazing how long it takes to outfit a motorcycle for world travel, refine packing lists, figure out where all your belonging will fit and what to put them in and then at the end of all that, where to put it on the bike! It was a stressful process at times, but in the end I think we did a pretty good job. Once we hit the road we soon realized how much heavier the bikes were and immediately started thinking about things to give away at our first stop.

It's day four now, I'm sitting at a Waffle House outside of Nashville, TN. The sounds of dishes and waitresses shuffling about fills the space and faint rays of sun cut through the clouds. It's starting to sink in that I'm doing this. The daily routine of packing and unpacking gear, sleeping in new places and covering miles on the road is starting to feel normal. It's a great feeling, one that I've been working towards for a long time. Although we've only covered ground from DC to Nashville, we've already experienced so many different people and places. From country grocery stores in rural Virginia, to truck stops in Knoxville Tennessee, the daily life routines are there to observe and enjoy. It's going to be an adventure! Next stop is Little Rock, Arkansas on our way to Santa Fe!

Storms, Cows and Tumble Weed

Storms, Cows and Tumble Weed

It was 7pm as we pulled off Route 40 West into a gas station for a pit stop. We were about 45 miles from Oklahoma City and it was time to figure out our sleeping arrangements for the night. As the sun started to get low in the sky we watched as big storm clouds moved across from our left. It was going to be a beautiful sunset but we quickly realized the sky was going to crack open at any minute. As Nate rushed to pull out the laptop and set up a mobile office I snapped some shots of the sun and clouds, both of which were moving faster and faster. Hotel booked, we geared up and hit the road, our chances of out running the rain looking dimmer by the minute. We shifted up to high gear and blasted down the interstate at 75 miles per hour, constantly checking our left side as the sky darkened. Lightening and thunder made us open our throttle even more and we pushed faster down the road but it was no use. The rain came quickly hitting every inch, stinging our skin as it cut through the air. Then, a few miles later, we did it. We passed the rain and the road began to dry. The sun set below the horizon and we pulled into our budget hotel buzzing from the excitement but happy to be out of the saddle. 

The next morning after loading up the bikes we hit the road, Santa Fe, NM in our sights. It felt like days of riding, through Oklahoma and Texas, but as the sun was setting we crossed into New Mexico and headed north to my parents house. Along the way we did find some fun places to stop. Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo was pretty unique. Along the highway it's pretty hard to miss, a row of Cadillacs stuck hood first into the ground, like a modern day Stonehenge. There were plenty of cows, pastures and big sky as well as the occasional tumble weed. Once we turned off the main highway and headed north up 285 to Santa Fe, the landscape changed dramatically. The mountains shot up in the distance and the rolling hills and mesas reflected the suns last rays as darkness set in. We turned into my parents drive way to cheers and claps, a welcome sight after a long day of riding. 

The last few days have been full of projects on the bikes, organizing more gear and refining lists and packing procedures. We met up with a family friend, an artist and welder in Santa Fe who helped us with a kickstand project. Our bikes are very heavy when they are fully loaded up so when we use the side stands they are still pretty vertical. To fix this problem we cut an inch out of our stands and had Gilbert weld them back together. They work great now! A big shout out and thank you to Gilbert! 

With a little luck we'll be all finished tomorrow and we can head out to Tuscon, AZ, stopping to visit some friends in Albuquerque along the way. The adventure continues.

Mexico!

Mexico!

This morning I woke up to the sound of crashing waves pounding the beach on the coast of Mazatlan. The sun was shinning and the view from our 11th story balcony was spectacular; a small island and some fishing boats off in the distance. It's May 1st and our fourth day in Mexico, but let me start from the beginning.

After visiting some friends in Albuquerque, NM we headed to Tucson, AZ staying with a old high school friend and positioning ourselves for an easy drive to Nogales where we could cross the border the next morning. The day had finally come to head into Mexico, we were excited and ready to "begin" the adventure. About two hours drive down 19 and we were at the border town of Nogales, not knowing what to expect we pushed on, the wall and Mexican houses in our sight over on the next hill. We stopped at the check point and to our surprise we were just waved on through. With a smile and a sense of ease we continued down the streets of Nogales, through the traffic and hustle and bustle of the town. We did it! We were riding our motorcycles in Mexico. The excitement turned quickly a harsh realization about 10 km down the road when I noticed my registration was going to expire in 4 days and I wouldn't be able to get my visa and stamps at the immigration office. Deciding it was best to sort it all out back in the states, we turned around and made it back to the border, where to my surprise it was pretty easy to return even though we had only been in Mexico for a few hours.Suspicious to say the least. Back in Tucson I sorted out my papers, and a couple days later we were back at the border, feeling confident all would go smoothly the second time around. It did and we pushed south to Hermosillo, where we had a Couch Surfing contact and her family family waiting for us. All to say, the first days in Mexico were definitely an adventure. From Hermosillo we drove to Obergon, through 100+ degree deserts, small villages and towns, asking about hotel prices and the best place to find tacos using the little Spanish we're learning, continuing on through Los Mochis, finally making it to the coast. Two nights ago we found a small coast town, with the sun getting low in the sky we decided to drive around and look for a hotel or a place to camp. The town had an eerie feel to it as most of the houses appeared to be empty or abandoned. There was one main paved road that ran parallel to the beach with smaller dirt roads making up a grid. Most of the houses were fairly modern and pretty nice, almost as if the city ran out of money and people just left it all behind. Every once in a while there would be a house that someone was living in so we road further down to investigate. At the very end of the road we came across a property that appeared to be a hotel and after looking around the owner found us and we asked about camping on the back lawn. The vibe became more relaxed as we walked around, seeing the kids playing in the pool and the friendly dogs gave us a sense of safety and we decided it would be a great place to set up camp for the night. We soon realized it was just fine as the hotel workers went about their duties and a few guests sat by the pool and beach. It was our first time setting up camp and we couldn't have chosen a better place. After watching the sun set on the beach, a true feeling of relaxation set in and it felt like the first time I could truly enjoy the beauty of Mexico. I fell asleep to the sound of waves, the wind in the palms and a million stars shining down on me.

Most of the riding we've been doing so far has been through desert. Only recently has the landscape changed to farm land, rolling hills and now of course the coast with the beach life and cooler temperatures. In between the larger cities are beautiful little towns, some only lasting for five or six streets. The locals always watch as our bikes roll by and some return our waves. There are farm animals everywhere, we even passed a goat walking down the highway yesterday. Tractors and field workers are a common site as well as school children in uniform and men resting in the shade of a roadside tree. The people are friendly and the food is delicious. Mazatlan, the city were I'm currently writing from is the first city I truly love. It has a wonderful mix of culture, amazing architecture and of course beautiful coastal views. It feel like a true working city and although today is a Mexican holiday, the streets below me are still busy and the beaches are full of joggers and couples relaxing by the water. Last night we got to walk around the old city square and enjoy a delicious meal, sitting outside in the cool night air. Live music and voices of people walking by mixed with the occasional taxi and radio of passing cars. I'm trying to soak it all in as best I can. There is so much to see and experience and it's nice to be off the bikes were I don't have to focus most of my attention to the road and riding. I will definitely be back to Mazatlan one day!

As much as I'd like to spend a week here the journey must continue. Soon we'll be taking off, heading to Puerto Vallarta and then zig zagging a bit into the mountains and back to the coast before crossing into Guatemala. It's a surreal feeling to be riding in a new country and even though it's only been a few days it's starting to feel like this is all happening.

Another perfect day in Mexico

Another perfect day in Mexico

I just dried off after a very refreshing out door shower under the stars. Three hundred feet in front of me I can hear the waves crashing on the beach, competing with the music from a wedding party that is not too far away. Earlier I was served some delicious pollo, a cold cerveza and some ice cream, which tasted like heaven since I haven't hand any in a long time. Yet again Nate and I have managed to find a little slice of paradise to camp on. As our day light was getting low we arrived in Acapulco, a stunning city right on the coast, full of hills and cliffs with beautiful homes and buildings and of course amazing beaches. We took our time riding though, enjoying the incredible views, ridding with some fellow adventures riders and snapping some shots when we could. Realizing all the hotels were way out of our budget we headed for the beach on the out skirts of the city hoping to find something cheaper or a camp ground to set up on for the night. After a few stops we didn't see anything and were about to call it a bust and head for San Marcos when we came across a little restaurant by the beach that appeared to have a few folks around. We pulled up and after some sign language and a few simple questions in Spanish it was soon understood what we were looking for. The mother of the family came home and soon we were making new friends, setting up our tents and enjoying the sunset. It's wonderful how generous the people of Mexico are. Most of the time all it takes is saying hello and asking if camping on their property is ok. They welcomed us with open arms and were eager to learn where we were from and where we were headed. It's simple living here on this beautiful beach and yet they have have wifi and with the press of a button the world becomes very small. We soon became Facebook friends and like that our lives were connected. It's pretty surreal. After setting up camp we relaxed  and exchanged simple conversation around the outdoor dining table. A few hundred yards down the beach there was a wedding taking place as the sun set. It sounds cliche but it was truly beautiful. It feels like we've been traveling though Mexico for weeks now since we have covered so many kilometers but in reality this is only our eighth day in our first country. So much more to come, we ride on.

Small Town Mexico

Small Town Mexico

The last few days in Mexico have been fantastic. As we ride from city to city the road will pass through many small towns along the way, some of which only have a few dirt roads. There are small kitchens set up with some tables and chairs and there are always wood burning stoves being looked after by a few people. Smoke rises into the air as people eat, relax in hammocks and go about their work. The houses are simple and it's not uncommon to see cows and goats along the road, some being walked like you would a dog in the city. Sometimes we stop and find a place to eat, but most of the time we are just passing through, providing a  a brief moment of something uncommon to the onlookers; two gringos on large motorcycles. I enjoy passing through these towns. It's a chance to slow down and observe the everyday routines of the people for a few moments, before speeding back up on the main road where it's easy to get lost in the mental focus it takes to ride a motorcycle.