tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32195587211586473612024-03-05T19:58:12.796-08:00Ride For Natives!A motorcycle ride across the United States to photograph native plants! Follow me on this adventure to conserve bio-diversity!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-1106301676433489532012-10-02T10:08:00.001-07:002012-10-04T20:43:04.493-07:00Santa Barbara to the Southwest<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismfhyphenhyphenNAylz9kOQHkPZG_Vsr8NRONrtYctZ8fLwkMj1pmHSiUDcOFreHkGGClc_sNsOB-FQYG6x-BvE3BL8hPeCrwTFBEiazv4yuIoOJhwnlAuiZWyUb1dmpPBYmj8BBjiNGaGuxIbsA8/s1600/IMG_1149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismfhyphenhyphenNAylz9kOQHkPZG_Vsr8NRONrtYctZ8fLwkMj1pmHSiUDcOFreHkGGClc_sNsOB-FQYG6x-BvE3BL8hPeCrwTFBEiazv4yuIoOJhwnlAuiZWyUb1dmpPBYmj8BBjiNGaGuxIbsA8/s320/IMG_1149.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Barbara Botanical Garden Signage</td></tr>
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As I approached Santa Barbara I made sure to stop at the local state parks to see if there was camping availability. All the state parks were empty and had a steep price of $45 a night for tent camping. The sun was threatening to set and I wanted to stop at the Santa Barbara Botanic Native Gardens before they closed. I arrived with an hour to spare. I walked around and learned about the native California plant life and shot some imagery. This is a very informative and well kept garden. I was impressed. While I was there, I texted my friend Darin who happened to be working a gig in SB for the next several nights. I told him once I found a campsite it would be great to meet up for dinner.<br />
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The garden closed. As I began suiting up to get on the cycle, a man in a golf cart approached me. His name badge read: Head Gardener. I complimented the garden and asked him if he knew any places nearby I could camp... for less than 50 bucks. He called over his brother-in-law, also an employee of the garden. They started conversing about the questions amongst themselves and then quickly asked where in PA I was from. Philly, I replied. They asked, "Where in Philly"? Huh I thought, I said, uhmmmm originally from the Northeast, now I reside near the art museum. They asked, "where in the Northeast, near Levick Street?". I was shocked. Levick street is 2 blocks from where I grew up, I said with excitement!! It would turn out these two Northeast Philly natives moved to Santa Barbara in the early 70's and are now native plant stewards here at the botanical gardens.. These two were my kin. I told them about my project, and for a second, the young and old generation of Northeast Philadelphia shared a proud moment as our passions seemed to blindly align.<br />
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While reminiscing over Philly in general I received a text from Darin. He had plenty of room in his hotel suite to accommodate me and gave me the address. I told my brethren from the NE that it turns out I won't be needing to camp after all. They asked the name of the hotel. When I told them it was the Bacara, they both gasped. The Bacara is a five star spa and hotel, they said. I bid goodbye and told them I would email a link to my project for future reference.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Htamvea5HoLjbfgwDUFnm1r0-QXzcpMN2XeVK4SJeOK0LZvx5G-TF3E_AD95qeU3sgCffch16RVR3OQMn-5ihCgSNH1vP9OA2Gef9BnbyITz0W-waXOAYBvrkAtaWVHkDgMYLWIWJVI/s1600/IMG_1157_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Htamvea5HoLjbfgwDUFnm1r0-QXzcpMN2XeVK4SJeOK0LZvx5G-TF3E_AD95qeU3sgCffch16RVR3OQMn-5ihCgSNH1vP9OA2Gef9BnbyITz0W-waXOAYBvrkAtaWVHkDgMYLWIWJVI/s200/IMG_1157_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Darin met me in the parking lot of this Santa Barbara Spa and Hotel. The night before I was renegade camping in Big Sur, tonight I would be chillin in luxury. Darin and I went out to eat and caught up on each others artistic endeavours. He has been in the process of rebuilding an Airstream camper. Exploration is a priority for him and having an sustainable airstream will allow it to happen off the grid. very inspiring.<br />
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He invited me to stay for the next couple of days and take advantage of the hotel room as he couldn't and would be working the whole time. Instead I left the next morning. I was eager to get back on the road and begin heading east towards the southwest. I had lunch in SB and by 1:00 PM I was headed due east towards the mojave desert.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19gx9_zAk-fBAAp4XRK70VEkyWg5FWxtrlR8PGY2ipo4QB5WGgegoT5M8sIqTrLxBZnzOGj3ssHagQpL58Ync9Gyb6vZYJjV-0pJXugPWh26aNCVK38UocFR6Ep6hGPMuyhA0awn_1Bg/s1600/IMG_1161_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19gx9_zAk-fBAAp4XRK70VEkyWg5FWxtrlR8PGY2ipo4QB5WGgegoT5M8sIqTrLxBZnzOGj3ssHagQpL58Ync9Gyb6vZYJjV-0pJXugPWh26aNCVK38UocFR6Ep6hGPMuyhA0awn_1Bg/s200/IMG_1161_2.jpg" width="200" /></a>I had half a tank of gas went I came to the exit for the mojave desert national forest. It was already dark. The sign read 20 miles to the campground. That's at least 40 miles (up and back) and there was no sign for the nearest gas station. I had no choice. In the dark I rode to the campground at a leisurely pace of 35 mph. I arrived to be the lone person spending the night. I set my tent and gear under the illumination of my head lamp, opened my two legged elite camping chair, pulled out the bottle of deerhammer whitewater whiskey I have been traveling with since I left Colorado and began to star gaze. This had been the best view of the stars I have yet to see. There was no moon, just the distance glow of las vegas way into the northern horizon. The next morning I barely made it the nearest gas pump, 60 miles from the campground. My destination, and what would be home base for the next 4 days was flagstaff, AZ. Arizona has 3 eco-regions on my agenda, and two of them I had yet explored.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4yjx0AAem29pqIqwZsXAvQ5PgAP0MLIYhgEU2gTmWh_2iVVgtC0s3r0JK8uq6Jm2QkHWjQUPxAclHiqhUDBtwcI3yMbGRWorVapgnpmeZ6Z2UM6oN6jZDLdeyY93d6sMM8wzBxPFubI/s1600/IMG_1184_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4yjx0AAem29pqIqwZsXAvQ5PgAP0MLIYhgEU2gTmWh_2iVVgtC0s3r0JK8uq6Jm2QkHWjQUPxAclHiqhUDBtwcI3yMbGRWorVapgnpmeZ6Z2UM6oN6jZDLdeyY93d6sMM8wzBxPFubI/s200/IMG_1184_1.jpg" width="133" /></a>All of a sudden I realized I was traveling parallel to historic route 66. When I pulled into Kingsman, AZ I had a bite to eat in a gaudy neoned 50's styles diner. It was an overboard exaggeration on how we imagine a 50's style diner to be. The food was not the focus. I wondered across the street to the visitor center. On display was the archive and equipment from Arizona Highway's first and most famous photographer, <span style="font-family: Arial;">Carlos Elmer</span>. It was more like a shrine. I was excited to learn about this gentleman and appreciated every word in reference to his lengthy career.<br />
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Before sunset I arrived to Flagstaff, AZ. My good friend Lee was expecting me. Lee is an old Philly friend who moved to Flagstaff 3 years ago to be with his daughter. Lee is an exceptional artists and has built a steadfast business doing artistic and graphic production for Golf. He is responsible for the official logo and poster of such golf events as The US Open, British Open, Womans OPEN, etc. He is a master of his craft and an inspiration to be around. His art studio is located in the heart of historic downtown Flagstaff. It overlooks the public square bordered by restaurants, bars and galleries. This would be were I would make base camp for the next several days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flagstaff Arboretum</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ujdsdUw5CJBJSHZcwZcebSYG3zWy_WEOJj_Y7H3OpoqnOopScB09jJ76yS9OdBhIlCJ_9bdsSsIG8gXDmXydCXQbBFXMXt6NzODtOAiVnYHgnUbhQpCoPN2gbF0KUV5ug6l5aSSDU0c/s1600/IMG_1227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ujdsdUw5CJBJSHZcwZcebSYG3zWy_WEOJj_Y7H3OpoqnOopScB09jJ76yS9OdBhIlCJ_9bdsSsIG8gXDmXydCXQbBFXMXt6NzODtOAiVnYHgnUbhQpCoPN2gbF0KUV5ug6l5aSSDU0c/s200/IMG_1227.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JZfuDTCmfLAvbecEx8CZGzG6CwkraImlp9dTbwwLvGopDI0f20vEVbBIZGVOOQZCQAe787Vlx0aectPD9UxQJWyRbkeNLCo5TCDd3-8cvWPDDx5GU42Tnw776ZSZyOng93SZXB3aroo/s1600/IMG_1195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JZfuDTCmfLAvbecEx8CZGzG6CwkraImlp9dTbwwLvGopDI0f20vEVbBIZGVOOQZCQAe787Vlx0aectPD9UxQJWyRbkeNLCo5TCDd3-8cvWPDDx5GU42Tnw776ZSZyOng93SZXB3aroo/s200/IMG_1195.jpg" width="200" /></a>The next day Lee had plans to go camping in Sedona with his daughter Fiona and some friends. He invited me to join him, but I had my own agenda. While in Flagstaff I took a day trip to the Grand Canyon. I toured the local Arboretum and inquired about native plants. They had a nice native grass and lawn demo garden along with some other highlights....that may or may not have included native plants. I wasn't able to get much help from the staff, but that might have been timing. The arboretum is small but heck, it's better that not having one at all. I also went to Sedona one afternoon and checked out that region. Another afternoon had me hikin in the foothills of Flagstaff proper. And of course I was shooting what I hope to be native plants.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-eeyUQ0qWWta_jtiaxLIcBe-Lvll7zR1z46hkuiTch0Z2v86FYyXv5wefxgltQ6mqslSlqH3yVHKzw1r5n8rf2w6R8c0v6UM1IFu-tgJ26Qi4Mbm4yBhqM6knBUvBQhyphenhyphen7JKIYfSkMLM/s1600/IMG_1247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-eeyUQ0qWWta_jtiaxLIcBe-Lvll7zR1z46hkuiTch0Z2v86FYyXv5wefxgltQ6mqslSlqH3yVHKzw1r5n8rf2w6R8c0v6UM1IFu-tgJ26Qi4Mbm4yBhqM6knBUvBQhyphenhyphen7JKIYfSkMLM/s200/IMG_1247.jpg" width="200" /></a>The day I was planning on leaving, my buddy Len from Colorado agreed to meet me in Flagstaff and travel with me south to Tucson. He was only 8 miles north of Flagstaff when he called to inform he suffered a flat on the rear tire. I drove out to help him fix the tire. It took us about an hour to replace the tires tube only to discover the replacement had a leak as well. We realized that once the tube was installed. Ooops. I called a local cycle place, told them the situation, and drove the rear wheel to the shop. They fixed the tire and I drove it back to Len on the side of the highway. This was a 4 hour ordeal, so we decided to just spend the night in Flagstaff and head out early the next day.<br />
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The next morning we were off to Tuscon by way of Sedona and the Tonto Forest. It was the long way to Tuscon but the most fun on a bike for sure. Sedona is pure eye candy. We stopped in Prescott to check out the infamous Whiskey Row. We ate lunch in the legendary Palace Hotel. The short and sweet is that whiskey row had no high end boutique whiskey joints at all. Len is connoisseur of whiskeys and I like to drink them. We were appalled. We even asked around and the answer was, naw. It was 3 hours still to Tucson.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jerome, AZ</td></tr>
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We stopped in the middle of the Tonto Forest at what seemed to be the only lake in Southern Arizona. We fished and swam with cool relief from the temps that were nearing the mid 90's. Once again, for the 7th time now, I did not catch a fish. The sun was beginning to set so we headed south again. About 60 miles from Tuscon I lost sight of Len in my rear view. By this time is was dark. I slowed down and waited for him. I received a text that read, "hey, something is wrong with my bike". I turned around and found Len roadside, again. This time the teeth on his front chain sprocket had completely wore away. Not only was this odd, but it was dangerous. No matter, I would ride behind him with my blinkers on and he rode 10mph for another 10 miles until all the teeth were gone. We were 1/4 mile from a town AAA didn't even have on their map. It wasn't a town, it was a gas station, motel and mexican restaurant. Luckily I have bike/rv towing with AAA, so we called and scheduled a tow to Tucson the next morning.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saguaro National Park</td></tr>
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Len rode with three tow truck drivers to Tucson. I took my time and enjoyed the ride on my cycle. I hadn't been in Tuscon for almost 10 years. I have a unique relationship with the Sonoran desert. When I got into town I went straight to the famous hotel congress and had breakfast. I met Len at the Kawasaki dealership around noon . Once he was all set up, we went for a walk on the campus of University of Arizona. I love this small campus and it has a special highlight. It houses the Center for Creative Photography. The CCP has a gallery and resource library. I tried to get someone to let me into the archives while I was there but they wouldn't allow it without an appointment. I even called the head archivist and told her my story, the project, etc. Still, nothing. She said it's no longer open to the public. I'd like to know why and will inquire about this policy later. <br />
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We camped in the Suguaro National Forest that evening. Spectacular. We also managed a ride through some Suguaro Cacti on a dirt road. <a href="http://youtu.be/dNDDT3j2mPA" target="_blank">Check out the video!</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNDw87yP76gnxIyf6vmzi-We5Ksll9y1BnFfpjPLgrrbDXGReuE8Jb1EKijA8ePjQQUfuidNmGAHPgPB4jrkpKRR_608Qz-bXc2H-7lWy-47A77NORhYFdtx2b_N9mrpz7CiFFbQy0m4/s1600/IMG_1281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNDw87yP76gnxIyf6vmzi-We5Ksll9y1BnFfpjPLgrrbDXGReuE8Jb1EKijA8ePjQQUfuidNmGAHPgPB4jrkpKRR_608Qz-bXc2H-7lWy-47A77NORhYFdtx2b_N9mrpz7CiFFbQy0m4/s200/IMG_1281.JPG" width="200" /></a>The next morning I did my Native Project thing and photographed numerous native southern arid-desert plants. I made the campground bathroom my studio for a couple hours. You do what you need to do sometimes. After that, we headed out toward Silver City and we took the long way there!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs2GyPASmZx6C0zWfcQzcnPD1ShQxa1QYJkBwBAoYoRJjfd_5hFCC9g4jPUWF8RB0d_9OiJCGabnJS2msN4SwzJ02zvxg25lQUzm7FI8Q_fcnTG1yZmkNg19e38nuumCCFcgi0WNtqFg/s1600/IMG_2606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs2GyPASmZx6C0zWfcQzcnPD1ShQxa1QYJkBwBAoYoRJjfd_5hFCC9g4jPUWF8RB0d_9OiJCGabnJS2msN4SwzJ02zvxg25lQUzm7FI8Q_fcnTG1yZmkNg19e38nuumCCFcgi0WNtqFg/s200/IMG_2606.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Silver City</td></tr>
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By time we made it to Silver City (by way of another big lake where I again caught no fish) it was dark. Len had to leave first thing in the morning to start heading back North to Colorado and I would begin my decent south to Austin, TX.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-80752673537307167562012-09-16T11:48:00.005-07:002023-11-05T15:12:35.645-08:00West Coastin Sept. 4 -11 <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphhx0Tkded7gzjdYgmcPnF7GoM9SygUivbP3sN_wFVA9kMH9Jl8E0fcq-Yph0dI4AUXMB1RwS6FUil8I3WcEDzsseIn7NyNZ1pacYB9r5d8vMEjuHAk3N2CNMgUOCIUMQIOVa3tC_P0Y/s1600/IMG_0981.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphhx0Tkded7gzjdYgmcPnF7GoM9SygUivbP3sN_wFVA9kMH9Jl8E0fcq-Yph0dI4AUXMB1RwS6FUil8I3WcEDzsseIn7NyNZ1pacYB9r5d8vMEjuHAk3N2CNMgUOCIUMQIOVa3tC_P0Y/s200/IMG_0981.jpg" width="200" /></a>Heading from Bend, Oregon to the Oregon coast line was an easy feat. Oregon is just stunning and I had the pleasure of cutting across the Deschutes National Forest in order to catch the coast and head south. On the way I stopped to observe Crecent Lake National Park. An ancient lava crater that has since become a popular tourist attraction. Quite stunning. Then my bike fell over. No other way of putting it. I was parking in the tourist scenic view lot, and made a sharp turn while paddling the bike and boom the weight took over and the bike dropped. My bike is heavy without all the luggage, let alone packed to the gils. While lying on it's side I gingerly took off all luggage and then proceeded to lift the bike upright. Before I left for the trip I watched several videos showing the proper way of doing this as it requires a specific teqnique. Amongst the clammer and finger pointing my direction by foreign onlookers, I am happy to report that I was able to lift the bike upright, load my stuff back on and off I went. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzws0o2QFsol_jUQjAHQ5RXSf0aur9h-Yi7-mkSTyXXrjwZW9mHo2rmWrwIxW5t_Yb9XVAUiEeRE7o4kycZECBD7GTCB7CnsmSJ9geh6oxq18xP3daJHyXFl87qrM1k26SWqimnLZUl48/s1600/IMG_2523.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzws0o2QFsol_jUQjAHQ5RXSf0aur9h-Yi7-mkSTyXXrjwZW9mHo2rmWrwIxW5t_Yb9XVAUiEeRE7o4kycZECBD7GTCB7CnsmSJ9geh6oxq18xP3daJHyXFl87qrM1k26SWqimnLZUl48/s200/IMG_2523.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my studio</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Oregon coast looks like the location from the movie Goonies. By the time I arrived on the coast it was getting dark so I made camp in Bandon, OR at Bullards Beach State Park. First thing the next morning I walked along the nature trail and photographed their coastal natives. I then began my descent towards the redwoods.<br />
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I arrived at Jedidihah State Park, the Northern tip of the redwood forest well before sunset and took a leisurely and secluded walk through the giant Sequoia trees. Aww inspiring. This was a moment long overdue. The fact that the park was practically empty made the visit all that more special and I felt isolated, yet not alone.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8JQ5MQg-H2JjXtkx2JIJy_ao0CAFEPqCR8OrqNB8GWWMd9mXpaN8h8X4QjEAohXuuvfJ919hDEQY-X8UB-9qRmEr8HTTeUB76IGCdtVT77DmUI-vWvydePY8w-ardU2CWg72c0j2nrQ/s1600/IMG_1017.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8JQ5MQg-H2JjXtkx2JIJy_ao0CAFEPqCR8OrqNB8GWWMd9mXpaN8h8X4QjEAohXuuvfJ919hDEQY-X8UB-9qRmEr8HTTeUB76IGCdtVT77DmUI-vWvydePY8w-ardU2CWg72c0j2nrQ/s200/IMG_1017.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chester copperpot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUGK44MRwJBw-H23ndn2B3LmBk1MYZOcQ6UWfBxTrHY7m8MEzJsw14wg8SC9uCOxsQ8Uw2yrBi_eMQ4Ej6mTJjWhLyPI6ccpw2544KkudsaNsHoG1XYB4vBjKMnOQMNT7WahoGvMgiIM/s1600/IMG_1006_1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUGK44MRwJBw-H23ndn2B3LmBk1MYZOcQ6UWfBxTrHY7m8MEzJsw14wg8SC9uCOxsQ8Uw2yrBi_eMQ4Ej6mTJjWhLyPI6ccpw2544KkudsaNsHoG1XYB4vBjKMnOQMNT7WahoGvMgiIM/s16000/IMG_1006_1.jpg" /></a>The next morning would begin the ride of rides. I traveled south from the northern border of California to San Fransisco by way of several redwood forest passes and then through back country wine valley roads. I didn't stop all the much to shoot pictures as I was having too much fun riding the bike through hills, valleys and giant trees of northern California. 8 hours later I arrived in San Fransisco only to realized I had to climb and descend the steepest of streets to get to my friend Jon's house. My bike is carrying a lot of top weight and is loaded beyond suggested capacity on the back so I was sure this was going to be an adventure in balance. The bike and I held true and I made sure not to stop accelerating until I reach a level part of the cross street. I arrived at Jon's safe and sound and let my bike rest for 3 days while I enjoyed the company of an old friend and a new to me city.<br />
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Jon has some amazing people in his life, in and out of san fran, and I can't thank him and all the wonderful people I met while visiting for showing me such a wonderful time. But, the journey must continue. Monday morning I was off again, my destination: Santa Barbara Botanical Garden by way of Big Sur.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi069rn63QbVeqSk5Z3z_nerjPm2K5W7n47uBHu78KKWLXXv4wzlGXwIzIduFOTLsei4bGZupvrj4C_CTH5smVLreSZJJ_uZEraUv69FxkkWDrYHNnUIwqong-3hxC1svLNhjY6-jiSB1g/s1600/IMG_1057.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi069rn63QbVeqSk5Z3z_nerjPm2K5W7n47uBHu78KKWLXXv4wzlGXwIzIduFOTLsei4bGZupvrj4C_CTH5smVLreSZJJ_uZEraUv69FxkkWDrYHNnUIwqong-3hxC1svLNhjY6-jiSB1g/s200/IMG_1057.jpg" width="200" /></a>A few people told me it was a must that I camp in Limekiln State Park located in the upper middle portion of the coastal route 1 of of Big Sur. When I arrived to the northern portion I stopped to watch the sunset. This portion of the coast resembles much of the northern coastal geography with winding roads that hug the coastline set atop high cliffs with magnificent vistas of the rocky coast line. Quite amazing, especially on a bike.<br />
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Once the sun had set it was only but a few miles to Limkiln State Park. However, when I arrived at the gate, it was locked and there was sign that said closed after sunset. Oooof. Bummed, I shrugged it off as there were several campground further south along the road.<br />
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It was quickly getting dark and visibility was getting tough as the fog rolls thick in some areas of the Sur. Even worse, the last two remaining campgrounds were full. Here I was, traveling the most sought after scenic road on the west coast in the dark. Just a note: you are allowed to primitive camp for free inside of national forests. Though according to my map there were no dirt roads or fire paths that led into the San Padres National Forest that encompasses Big Sur.<br />
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Frustrated, and with spotty cell service, I pulled off at the next gas / lodging area to figure out my what I was going to do. I had plenty of energy and could easily keep driving south all night, but the whole point of taking this route is to see the coast while riding in Big Sur. I called the fancy lodge whose parking lot I was now resting in and asked for the cheapest room. The woman told me the "cliff suite" was the only thing available and that it was $360.00. I sorta laughed and choked on the phone upon hearing that and said, no thanks.<br />
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The nearest town was 45 minutes away according to the map. The fog was thick, the road is treacherous in the day, let alone in the dark and I was frustrated. Not a good combination for riding a motorcycle. I decided to gas up while I was there. The price of gas was ridiculous, almost $6 a gallon but best to be safe and not stranded.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9GNLDZsA_TreQNbAEAe8DHfekQxNuVJ5DJQrG6chIbI6jQ8w-Stse3d3IyNq0I6sOGuFvh6cuszRbQBZ6uOcADx9cdB2l6X3WSg6lHsBT10SWsrVfk1cY85T-qOq_JA47SbNLwuh-uY/s1600/IMG_1083.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9GNLDZsA_TreQNbAEAe8DHfekQxNuVJ5DJQrG6chIbI6jQ8w-Stse3d3IyNq0I6sOGuFvh6cuszRbQBZ6uOcADx9cdB2l6X3WSg6lHsBT10SWsrVfk1cY85T-qOq_JA47SbNLwuh-uY/s200/IMG_1083.jpg" width="200" /></a>Something I have come to do on this trip is ask the locals; where to eat, where to drink, best road to take etc. It usually ends with a good recommendation, and what was about to happened would be case and point. The gas station was small with only 2 pumps, and there was an older, wiry gentleman working. He came out to meet me and while taking my card told me they were about to close. I quickly told him my situation and asked him if he knew a good spot to camp nearby. He scratched his chin in thought, looked over the chaos that is my bike, and proceeded to give me directions to a local primitive, unmarked camp site. Drive a mile down the road, he said. You will see a pull off with an emergency phone box. Park your bike there and walk into the woods about 100 yards and you will see a bunch of areas to camp. In California you are legally allowed to leave your vehicle on the side of road for up to 72 hours. This was a fortuitous moment.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxsqV3aUcA7YduA03FeEcnTFd9gtvurZKrZrn50RLRlCbWrpEXol3EoKGPKXfZdxXcEqYLub-tpRZ76WXEVmglWsSkPj1tqsx9iwpUuGJmURo6qJHRAQMesr9MXWTmL1PAIoF4amhZuU/s1600/IMG_1075.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxsqV3aUcA7YduA03FeEcnTFd9gtvurZKrZrn50RLRlCbWrpEXol3EoKGPKXfZdxXcEqYLub-tpRZ76WXEVmglWsSkPj1tqsx9iwpUuGJmURo6qJHRAQMesr9MXWTmL1PAIoF4amhZuU/s200/IMG_1075.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
I did as he said, found the pull off, gabbed my head lamp, tent and duffel from the bike, threw the cover over the bike and proceeded to walk into the coastal abyss of trees, shrubs and California coastal native fauna. About 75 yards in, I found a flat of ground, set up the tent and went to sleep.<br />
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The next morning I woke up in Big Sur paradise. Though I couldn't see a thing the night before, I quickly realized that I was in a secluded natural area that had both small forest and coastal cliffs all around me. In fact, I ended up taking a 3 hour hike in and around this place that I renegade camped the night before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwntHdJGEhF6W9E3FlZ5kdVt5uAVm1qOp_w3Bv2EAontEF9zBL6zqx2EK8kcdMAcyFPIe8rMpNo3LEvPrpg4Jw7ezPySd2TQnMhWCq8tGpIvF47kvyRcflLKMEsKUxebVib4MDM4syaws/s1600/IMG_1128.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwntHdJGEhF6W9E3FlZ5kdVt5uAVm1qOp_w3Bv2EAontEF9zBL6zqx2EK8kcdMAcyFPIe8rMpNo3LEvPrpg4Jw7ezPySd2TQnMhWCq8tGpIvF47kvyRcflLKMEsKUxebVib4MDM4syaws/s200/IMG_1128.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This highlight came when I approached the cliffs which had a very treacherous narrow path that extended out beyond the coastline about 50 yards, with an elevation of around 150 feet. Honestly, I was nervous to walk out on it. But this was one of those moments where I would have regretted not taking the risk. So off I went. Slowly, step by step, inch by inch, I walked across the edge of a coastal rock structure in order to get to the far end where I could turn around and look at the coastline from the oceans perspective. The only sketchy moment was when I was startled by two huge Hawks that were perching beyond a rock that I approached. They didn't hear me coming as the ocean has sound of a lions roar, and were just as surprised to see me as I them. For the next 15 minutes they circled very close above me as to say, what the hell are you doing on our rock.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3MaK7tnGxJRfVy5hX284N9Y0SvIyT07HCsfp6NMN8DGdYxTsJAlYt4FoEu3e7i-Iy8aFfUxU8nvsXlP3x2TfEQgyG40HSjC0NB7Y_OtAX0QO1azECRVGpp_5WT3cT9B47vyrZL-W7Eg/s1600/IMG_1091.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3MaK7tnGxJRfVy5hX284N9Y0SvIyT07HCsfp6NMN8DGdYxTsJAlYt4FoEu3e7i-Iy8aFfUxU8nvsXlP3x2TfEQgyG40HSjC0NB7Y_OtAX0QO1azECRVGpp_5WT3cT9B47vyrZL-W7Eg/s200/IMG_1091.jpg" width="200" /></a>I successfully reached the end peak. I raised my hands up like many do when they climb the steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum in order to re-create the infamous Rocky scene. I always thought that was pretty lame, but here I was, arms raised and yelling at the Pacific ocean as though I just conquered the coast. And as far as I'm concerned, I did.<br />
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Back on the bike I would ride the rest of the Big Sur south towards Santa Barbara where yet another serendipitous moment would occur. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-49720623844584135732012-09-04T11:06:00.000-07:002012-09-04T11:13:17.725-07:00Canyons, Firs & Deschutes<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbK2ICBmmkohK_4qa4sIPoI4kw7NWh-Id5sr_lfna-9A8K7LSTLBjgzQvK2_o_A0KJX8MGhuVfKQia8Q8EEoDLMkzzNLtWwwa4sSf8m060SqwXRr0w26Hbfyj1K4zVnOjHnpMdaCS3I80/s1600/IMG_0766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbK2ICBmmkohK_4qa4sIPoI4kw7NWh-Id5sr_lfna-9A8K7LSTLBjgzQvK2_o_A0KJX8MGhuVfKQia8Q8EEoDLMkzzNLtWwwa4sSf8m060SqwXRr0w26Hbfyj1K4zVnOjHnpMdaCS3I80/s200/IMG_0766.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">good morning moab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JCKQfaQ5W9ur_l2Pvx061tllKR9w86J1Ml6PCn_hcmVMBoO2k690K-jMTcEsHbxLBf5-uOpAVDjgK9fCFaLBGURhKLnkRjjWA1dxFisFJ0yhNV7uZ6VIICsdWfh63drwSp15-Jp_eYQ/s1600/IMG_0732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JCKQfaQ5W9ur_l2Pvx061tllKR9w86J1Ml6PCn_hcmVMBoO2k690K-jMTcEsHbxLBf5-uOpAVDjgK9fCFaLBGURhKLnkRjjWA1dxFisFJ0yhNV7uZ6VIICsdWfh63drwSp15-Jp_eYQ/s200/IMG_0732.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">moonlight moab</td></tr>
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I was sad to say goodbye to Colorado. I absolutely love the Rockies. Headed west from Beuna Vista, I rode for 5 hours through some of the most spectacular scenery I have encountered up to that point. I went from a straight route through Kansas to the most curves and twists one can image through the Rocky Mountains. I arrived in Moab Utah just before sundown. I set up camp along a winding river in the depths of a bright red canyon. The moon was almost full so I was able to take some long exposures of the canyon illuminated by the moonlight. Waking up I was greeted to a mesmerizing view. This area is eye candy, Arches and Canyon Lands National Park are just miles away. I could have easily spent a week exploring but I have an agenda to keep so I was on my way bright and early.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJxEfZUrsPVMsUlZWI30dGP6vIT-koF62S1JbMJFP9EutkOdtgx3_rbNOrPSl9wVOiJp1-LxsjjHl_mSp7MpK2ZcB0qivh7gDxmqvVwOAFRx2b3cMjjRqiLhbblUYLU1NY5MN_nfO-Vk/s1600/IMG_0779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJxEfZUrsPVMsUlZWI30dGP6vIT-koF62S1JbMJFP9EutkOdtgx3_rbNOrPSl9wVOiJp1-LxsjjHl_mSp7MpK2ZcB0qivh7gDxmqvVwOAFRx2b3cMjjRqiLhbblUYLU1NY5MN_nfO-Vk/s200/IMG_0779.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Boise host, Mike</td></tr>
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11 hours later, via the hot desert plains of Utah and Idaho I arrived in Boise. ((WHAT A LONG RIDE)) and immediately found a brewpub! Once again I hooked up a place to stay with motorcycle enthusiast. Big Shout to Mike Costanti for allowing me a sweet bungalow type bedroom at his place. Mike was great and was preparing his newly acquired adventure bike for a South America trip this winter. Can't wait for his ride reports. What little I saw of Boise I really liked, small town feel with a touch of urban. Thanks again Mike! <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuynVs9FVQqirBJH0B3uzE3MzB83OpiV5w6dYolIJO_mIMitVb9THbGnhhrpxR48iLJSRfaGYLSTUf4CjCg4GrKmxnJrsDO2829G03USQckdfBU80D-tmb_f83d4KWxTKNOMIyVRdyBc0/s1600/IMG_0777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuynVs9FVQqirBJH0B3uzE3MzB83OpiV5w6dYolIJO_mIMitVb9THbGnhhrpxR48iLJSRfaGYLSTUf4CjCg4GrKmxnJrsDO2829G03USQckdfBU80D-tmb_f83d4KWxTKNOMIyVRdyBc0/s200/IMG_0777.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boise Bungalow</td></tr>
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The next morning I was off! My destination: Portland, Oregon. It has long been my dream to walk in the old growth forests of Washington & Oregon. I am lucky to have a couple friends, Jenny and Dave, Philadelphia ex pats, living in Portland. They offered to let me bunk down with them while I explored the area.<br />
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Another 8+ hour ride from Boise to Portland and arrived to Jenny and Dave's house in the midst of a birthday party for Dave. Smoked pulled pork and some of the finest wine you can imagine were my welcoming committee. What a treat after 1300 miles of riding in two days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0bDiRtabHy0ncS0_2xrk3ayDghyphenhyphen9R7v1WmTDDKnsuehVmY4BvJVK7VImor3CxYcP3C5g2yiP-FH8fz64gHlDAK16AiNyQTpciuJzpa9Pm1Lmw-776oDEwC9Xt4g0JZtBfFcBomIuhv4/s1600/IMG_0812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0bDiRtabHy0ncS0_2xrk3ayDghyphenhyphen9R7v1WmTDDKnsuehVmY4BvJVK7VImor3CxYcP3C5g2yiP-FH8fz64gHlDAK16AiNyQTpciuJzpa9Pm1Lmw-776oDEwC9Xt4g0JZtBfFcBomIuhv4/s200/IMG_0812.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoyt Arboretum</td></tr>
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The next day Jenny and I explored Portland's nature resources. We went to the both the Audubon center and Hoyt Arboretum where I spewed out my project to the rangers there in order to be guided to the areas native plants. I was lucky to meet Martin Nicholson, Curator at the Hoyt Arboretum. He was happy to show me the small area dedicated to the native plants of the region. After leaving nature Jenny and I took a quick tour of the <a href="http://newspacephoto.org/" target="_blank">"NewSpace"</a> Photographic Art Center, in NW Portland. I was curious to see this place and it honestly blew me away. What an amazing facility. I spoke to the staff there, told them about the Light Room and extended a friendship. I recommend visiting this photo center and gallery if ever in Portland<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVB75VBNaPk3ya34HGc_4huBTvHsZ1-OhSKBCHJM6pfiUfj3SwWmv1adX0xmCqVduLP9QfLku4qgKaR3azYueRi7lhqtqMvrjZb84Y76amSE9nCBytQl8nPwhC_c37Cw4F6mAWDvj9gM/s1600/IMG_0809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVB75VBNaPk3ya34HGc_4huBTvHsZ1-OhSKBCHJM6pfiUfj3SwWmv1adX0xmCqVduLP9QfLku4qgKaR3azYueRi7lhqtqMvrjZb84Y76amSE9nCBytQl8nPwhC_c37Cw4F6mAWDvj9gM/s200/IMG_0809.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
That evening, Jenny, Dave and I checked out some of the local bars in Portland. I really liked the vibe of the city, and although it has an over exaggerated hipster feel (see Portlandia) I thought it's location next to the forest and it's commitment to "green" made it a place I would certainly visit again and again. <br />
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It didn't take long for Jenny, Dave and some of their friends to convince me to drive north a few hours and visit the Olympic National Park in Washington state. I mean hey, what's 3 hours on the bike at this point.... no big deal. So, the next morning I awoke, packed a few things and off I went. 4 hours later I arrived in what seemed like a dream world. The Largest Old Growth Forest in the Unites States. It was getting late so I found a campground, set up the tent and immediately took an 8 mile hike through the woods. Amazing. And because the previous day I learned about the native plants in this eco-region I could easily identify the vegetation as I walked through the largest Spruces and Fir trees in the world. That evening I experienced a full moon rising over the top ridge of these wonderful trees reflecting over a pristine lake. It was 10PM and I was sitting lake-side in the moonlight fishing. Again I caught nothing, but what a moment.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">olympics</td></tr>
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The next morning I awoke a went for an hour cycle ride on dirt roads through the park. I made it to a trail head and did a 3.5 hour hike into the rain forest. This is certainly another place I could spend a week at and not see enough. A 4 hour drive and I was back in Portland for what would be my last night there. Jenny , Dave , Gus (their black lab who couldn't get enough of me) played cards, drank wine and laughed the evening away. Can't thank them enough for being wonderful hosts! ( I will be uploading a picture of Jenny, Dave & Gus as soon as I can!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">olympics</td></tr>
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The next day my goal was to begin moving south. Bend, Oregon was my destination. It seems everyone I meet in Oregon couldn't say enough great things about this town. A good friend of Len's offered to put me up for a night or two in Bend. I met Mo and her friends at the infamous Deschutes Brewery (brew pub). Mo has an amazing outlook being from Mass and re-locating here. She is a speech therapist, world traveler and avid outdoors woman. Her friends were all very cool and were happy to show me the best way to get to the coast from Bend, via some mountain passes and stunning scenery.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">olympics</td></tr>
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Now, here I am, catching up with the interweb and having a cup of Kombucha at local Coffee shop in Bend about to move onto to the second leg of this trip. From here I will head west, catch the coast, ride south, hug a redwood and discover more native plants!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-41306696725991461442012-08-27T17:01:00.002-07:002012-08-28T21:20:31.470-07:00Kansas, Rockies, Whiskey and NativesAugust 20 - 26<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesse and Family, Kansas hosts</td></tr>
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It was two full days to get through the great state of Kansas. Big thanks to Jesse and his wife and kids for hosting me midway on Sunday evening through this straight... and I mean no curves...straight journey. Jesse offered up a very scenic camping spot on his property. He has some lovely acerage near Salina, Kansas with rolling hills and prairie grass pasture. They plan on building their house INTO the hillside for both aesthetic and geo-thermal reasons. Very cool. I can't wait to see the progress.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waking up in Jesse's yard</td></tr>
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The next morning I awoke bright and early and headed straight for Denver. Jesse recommned an alternate route to avoid the highway for a few hours. By taking smaller routes you can really appreciate the landscape as you pass through small towns and terrain that you would not normally see via a highway. The eastern and middle part of Kansas is lovely, with rolling hills and grasslands. As I entered the western part of Kansas I had to get onto I70 and things got blustery and boring. I traveled over 8 hours before I arrived into Denver proper and needless to say I was wiped out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqrCtu1lt-Q9im3RPBAz0CnGzRPrSlc85l8vtb6ETYiu30XE2mmIZ-Av8K25rBuyyq4mcoa60Nx_eN8NZ-9PxmkKr07oXv5ilaiqkBuDG_z0yMs9CA1xvG4ykgv3RZr2E_h9rkUWlGhA/s1600/IMG_0523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqrCtu1lt-Q9im3RPBAz0CnGzRPrSlc85l8vtb6ETYiu30XE2mmIZ-Av8K25rBuyyq4mcoa60Nx_eN8NZ-9PxmkKr07oXv5ilaiqkBuDG_z0yMs9CA1xvG4ykgv3RZr2E_h9rkUWlGhA/s200/IMG_0523.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you know Paradise is in Kansas?</td></tr>
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I have been visiting Colorado for the better part of 10 years. Some of my oldest friends live here. It's always a treat to see familiar faces after 16 hours of motorcycle riding especially over some beers. My friends Corey and Sarah hosted me in Golden for two nights and I got to spend the next day in Denver running around, sorting out motorcycle things and visiting one of my old dear friends and artist, Tara aka Toughy T. I was hoping to get to the botanical gardens so I could explore some native plants, but it closed early for a concert, which was probably best because I was really wiped out from the past two days of riding and didn't have a lot of energy to, well... learn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorado Rest Stop</td></tr>
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Lucky for me Corey and Sarah have a sweet hot tub and after a soak, I was ready to roll onto my next destination... Buena Vista, Colorado where the soon to become infamous Deerhammer Distilling Company is located... and subsequently owned and operated by one of my oldest and closest friends, Len and his wife Amy. <br />
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Len has been the main reason I have been visiting Colorado all these years. We were college roommates in Philadelphia for four years and have been close ever since. We have both worked in the graphic design / web world for years.. A long time home brewer / distiller, he and Amy made the leap to open a Whiskey Distillery and Tasting Room last year. I couldn't be more proud of his success. You will never meet a more humble, passionate and driven person. And dayum does he make some good whiskey. Check out the movie below for a quick look into Deerhammer Distillery and Tasting Room!<br />
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<a href="http://deerhammer.com/" target="_blank">Check out his website for all the details</a>. I might mention that Len also outfitted most of my camping gear for this trip. Tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Basically I am sponsored by Deerhammer.<br />
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Len and I have been riding motorcycles for years. In fact we both took the motorcycle safety course together in '98 in Philadelphia. In anticipation of my arrival (so I like to think) Len upgraded his dirt bike to an adventure bike, Kawasaki KLR.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">riding with the aspens</td></tr>
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I arrived in Beuna Vista around 11am on Wednesday morning, a 2.5 hour trip from Golden. Len hasn't had a break from the distillery all summer so no sooner did I get there, did we make plans to do an overnight camping trip into the Gunnison Forest in the Rocky Mountains on the bikes. We left around 2PM and headed out on dirt roads through some of them most gorgeous mountain scenery you can imagine. Of course I made us stop quite often to take pictures and document native plant specimens (at least I thought they were native!). We arrived in Crested Butte before sundown and made camp at Oh Be Joyful camping area.<br />
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After setting up camp we headed into town for a slice of pizza and brew. Back at camp, a less than impressive campfire was made and a cantina full of whiskey was passed between us. I awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of rain pitter pattering on my tent. It took me a few moments to realize all my gear was left out on the bike and was now getting soaked. I ran out and covered everything up. Len was less than fortunate and awoke with his gear a bit wet. Ah well, the 8 hour ride through the mountains we were about to embark on would dry things off. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of many views</td></tr>
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This was the first time on my trip I rode along with someone, let alone a friend, and there is nothing like it. Checking out scenic views, swapping stories of close calls on the bike and generally having someone to talk to while gassing up makes all the difference. I knew this trip would get lonely at times but you only realize it when you have the experience of riding with another. After two days of dirt roads and scenic views, we rolled back into BV where Amy had an amazing meal prepared for our arrival. Doesn't get much better! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">native or not? ... not.</td></tr>
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Now, let's talk native plants. The Colorado Rockies are one the eco-regions I'm looking to document native plants specimens. There doesn't appear to be a shortage of native plants you might experience when you are near a big city. Other than Denver and surrounding areas, urban sprawl is at a minimum and Colorado is vast with wilderness. So on our ride, I documented quite a few specimens I thought to be native. However when I arrived back to civilization, I was hard pressed to find them listed in my native plant guides / database. Arrgg.<br />
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Then the serendipitous moment happened. Frustrated about the lack of native plant findings, Len remarked about a gentleman named Garry who specializes in local grasses and seed who happens to have a nursery right behind Len's house. Oh right I thought, I met this guy a few years ago while visiting. We were there because Len was interested in buying grass seed for some land he had just purchased. I recall this guy having a lot of knowledge so I figured, it doesn't hurt to ask. I went over and met Garry. After explaining to Garry about my project he was excited to talk to me about all the native plant species through-out Colorado and gave me a walking tour of what is considered to be Colorado's largest native plant nursery. OH YEAH! It was like finding the holy grail in your (or your friends) backyard. Garry has acres of native plants, shrubs, trees, etc. and could very well be Colorado's leading expert in native plants. We talked for a while and he allowed me free run on his property to explore, learn and photograph. And over the next few days I did just that.<br />
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Unfortunately, most of the people buying plants in this area are not very interested in planting natives in their backyard and Garry's business relies mostly on non-native ornamental, etc which makes his retail business a struggle as he specializes in natives. You could almost hear the sadness in his voice when he pointed out a row of native shrubs that he would soon have to pull because they were beyond the point of full propagation. To drive the point of my project home even further, I showed Garry some clippings of the specimens I found on the mountain pass and 4 out of 5 of were non-native. Here I thought the Colorado wilderness was free of human interaction.<br />
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Now, it's true that not all non-natives are growing wild because of human interaction as birds and other animals could have brought them here. And it's also true that not all non-natives are invasive. But, when 80% of your findings are non-native, well.... just goes to show you don't need a huge populated city to impact the loss of bio-diversity in your area. That is to say, the more non-native species found on your land, the less birds, bees, insects and wildlife that will be flourishing.<br />
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Needless to say, Beuna Vista has much to offer in terms of education. Between learning how to ride my new cycle in dirt, learning about Colorado's native plants, and learning how to distill malted barley and rye to make whiskey, my mind is on overload.... and I'm loving every second of it. Not to mention I didn't even have the change to visit the goat dairy, the organic farm and all the other amazing things this small mountain town has to offer. There's just not enough time as I need to be moving on.<br />
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Today I am waiting for UPS to deliver ink jet cartridges for my printer so I can continue making custom postcards and I am waiting for new motorycyle tires as well. Even though I probably have about 1000k miles left on my stock tire tread, it's a good idea to change them now while I can.<br />
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Tonight I will print and write postcards and organize my bike, tomorrow I will have the tires mounted and then head off to my next destination, Portland, Oregon by way of Utah and Idaho! I can't wait to visit the old growth forest and explore what that eco-region has to offer!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-21021648812139506152012-08-19T07:30:00.003-07:002012-08-19T07:47:10.976-07:00Keep Calm and Carry On - The Mid WestAugust 13 - 18<br />
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Wisconsin is amazing. I had a wonderful stay in Stoughton, WI with my friends Matt & Amy and their boys Jack and Gavin. I also got a lot work done, via some nature walks and the University of Wisonconsin Arborteum. What an amazing place. They have an extensive display garden of native plants and I was able to learn about the native species growing through-out the upper mid west ecoregions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEhT5mRw3fV544jXsT42jaHazqykCUXZiEdzRtPFWlQvmJ5priLh7DLWDvys1wXv5b97q9YUMufg4gyu5jOsWKkMvT986tABtl90nLfixoIX-40WVrSTYXjGot-PRsTfTrtAp-XJ4CQc/s1600/IMG_0256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNEhT5mRw3fV544jXsT42jaHazqykCUXZiEdzRtPFWlQvmJ5priLh7DLWDvys1wXv5b97q9YUMufg4gyu5jOsWKkMvT986tABtl90nLfixoIX-40WVrSTYXjGot-PRsTfTrtAp-XJ4CQc/s200/IMG_0256.jpg" width="200" /></a>While in Stoughton I was also able to sort out the first round of photo postcards for all my kickstarter backers. If you didn't get a postcard yet.... you will! My last day I checked out Madison, WI about 1/2 hour north. I got there near happy hour. They blocked off a street to do a "LIVE AT FIVE" jazz fest. I found a comfy seat near the capitol building and watched a dog drink out of a water fountain while listening to soft jazz.... I then ate fried cheese curds. hhmmmmm cheese curds.<br />
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On Thursday the 16th I said goodbye to my upper mid west family and began heading south towards my middle mid west family! Feyette Missouri was my next destination, but it was about 10 -11 hours away. Instead I found another motorcycle enthusiast to allow me to bunk out for a night. It traveled from Stoughton, WI south to Davenport, Iowa. The ride was little over 3 hours, but probably my hardest yet. The wind gusts were nearly 15 mph as the corn fields don't offer much shelter. My bike tends to drift a bit in high winds as my gear/luggage act like a large sail. It's without a doubt a struggle to ride in that condition, but I made the best of it by stopping often, but was very exhausted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave from Iowa</td></tr>
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I met up with Dave in Davenport's neighboring town of Bettendorf, Iowa. Big thanks to Dave and his lovely family for having host me for the night! Dave was a gracious host and I had a great nights rest on a comfy pullout couch . I was back on the road at 8 am. I decided to find a local place for a quick breakfast and WOW did I have a treat. A ton of food, great service and cheap to boot. Also I noted the sign hanging in the cafe that read "Keep Calm and Carry on" - I like that - Big Up Indigo Cafe. Before I left, Dave recommended I travel a few miles west on interstate and check out the largest Truck Stop / Truck Museum in America. Hey, who can resist that!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdCtyiihQG9igxvjW6dT6qYj08gG8TH_W4R5aBk854z4iziTNDv1A2PCCIiQrMIzqmdktBsyqSU7m2YScNJC2Di_MX7WNGvi2TmlG5ApbR75sTFoX9s6Gu1H-DkAyJfkg7pI_TWq_q-w/s1600/IMG_0351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdCtyiihQG9igxvjW6dT6qYj08gG8TH_W4R5aBk854z4iziTNDv1A2PCCIiQrMIzqmdktBsyqSU7m2YScNJC2Di_MX7WNGvi2TmlG5ApbR75sTFoX9s6Gu1H-DkAyJfkg7pI_TWq_q-w/s200/IMG_0351.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">truckers museum</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZDLAhEn7tw132qK0z2FiLRkYoVuX8TKjiFpL3guWBU8Osc_rG8kTGaEuSBQrhhuqWN3inVHvW1pqwM8j_GFqAV9QsS3BUdrRXSYxJv8WV2vPsYYgBonVwbnFl9a_8o4iiWqay4Jj01U/s1600/IMG_0348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZDLAhEn7tw132qK0z2FiLRkYoVuX8TKjiFpL3guWBU8Osc_rG8kTGaEuSBQrhhuqWN3inVHvW1pqwM8j_GFqAV9QsS3BUdrRXSYxJv8WV2vPsYYgBonVwbnFl9a_8o4iiWqay4Jj01U/s200/IMG_0348.jpg" width="200" /></a>What was 4 hours and 55 minutes on my google map took me about 8 hours in travel time. The ride was south from Davenport Iowa to Columbia, Missouri . I took smaller routes and hugged the Mississippi shore line! And heck I decided to stop off and try my luck at fishing the mighty missss. Speaking of miss, no fish again, no matter, was a lovely moment.<br />
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While cruising along I became really excited when I saw a sign for the Mark Twain wildlife preserve! I was still excited when I saw the sign for the Mark Twain Creek. I started getting curious when I saw the sign for the Mark Twain Caverns. I realized Mark Twain was being turned out when I saw the sign for the Mark Twain Riverboat and Casino, Water park, RV Campground and Spa.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke3GfXRdwkdobPT5ppxTmKrpWOU0NO9RlsgzUJfikcJZQXN2B9qAsK3M4NPEU7M-r3OWABbharOrKUQqybm-2_UX2uhmK8tNvcKx6o8dM6b1rC9vILRAa8M0f9Rc-52bemSzZ889XQqo/s1600/IMG_2459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke3GfXRdwkdobPT5ppxTmKrpWOU0NO9RlsgzUJfikcJZQXN2B9qAsK3M4NPEU7M-r3OWABbharOrKUQqybm-2_UX2uhmK8tNvcKx6o8dM6b1rC9vILRAa8M0f9Rc-52bemSzZ889XQqo/s200/IMG_2459.jpg" width="149" /></a> Meanwhile, while stopping to shoot some roadside goodness, my camera battery went dead. Oops, I forgot to buy a spare for this trip, I'm gonna need a charge. Luckily, not more than a few miles a away I saw a sign for Starr Cave Park, Nature center and Reserve.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKrCNG4O8hdJuC14S5nI4mY8ywzUeQavFPg9w-1My-l59ahL35G9zfOO_xKvF8zfaDj6xMIrJLVIN-jcLHvO-0yLh0s8dsFoHm-9aNgYEAipg66nc2lHivyIpVE43E1VoL3czr2LvWSo/s1600/IMG_0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKrCNG4O8hdJuC14S5nI4mY8ywzUeQavFPg9w-1My-l59ahL35G9zfOO_xKvF8zfaDj6xMIrJLVIN-jcLHvO-0yLh0s8dsFoHm-9aNgYEAipg66nc2lHivyIpVE43E1VoL3czr2LvWSo/s200/IMG_0345.jpg" width="111" /></a>When I arrived I politely asked if I could plug in my camera's battery charger and of course, learn about Starr Cave Park and Preserve and the native plants. Turns out this is a big destination for seeing my buddy the Brown Bat, that is, up until a year ago when they closed down the cave due to...yup you guessed it....... white nose fungus. I'm feeling a bit like batman. I will note that women working at the park were very helpful in talking to me about the natives and they had a lot of signage on display telling you about the different trees and shrubs on the trail, very informative. Alas, my charger was charged and I was on my way again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scott mcmahon</td></tr>
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If you don't already know, in real life I help run a photo arts organization in Philadelphia. We have a Facility and a Gallery. Our upcoming show next month features two amazing photographers: Ahmed Salvador and Scott McMahon. Both went to school at Uarts in downtown Philly. Three weeks ago Scott moved to Missouri and is the heading the photo program at Columbia College, which subsequently is the neighboring city to Feyette where my next destination / hosts / friends live. Scott will soon fly back to Philly to hang a show in our Light Room Gallery. I might add that I have been inspired by Scott's photographic work long before ever meeting him, which was just recently in fact so it was a real treat to meet with him over a glass of local beer after such a long trek! Thanks Scott!<br />
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With only 1/2 hour ride from Columbia to Fayette, Missouri, I made my way to meet one of my oldest and closest college friends, Janine, along with her husband Fritz and children Brian and Sidney. Janine works at a local bar and grille and I arrived just as she was getting off her shift. Not surprising Janine has managed to make time to sort out an amazing studio in the neighboring town of Boonville where she continues her artistic endeavors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the pond & serious drought conditions</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janine's studio</td></tr>
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The next day was spent traveling in and around their 300 acre farm in the heart of Missouri. Janine's husband Fritz is a local arborist and was happy to show and discuss the plants and trees that reside on their property. They are also in the process of hand building a new house which will facilitate not only the family, but farm equipment, glass studio and wood shop. Not bad! A quick note to mention this area of country has had no rain in weeks. They are calling it the 100 year drought and the wildflowers I was hoping to see are all but non existent. The good news is I will have to come back again to see to visit and re-explore this area of the world.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Brockting-Daniels</td></tr>
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My next stop will be on the outskirts of Wichita, KS where another family I met via the cycle site will host my tent on their property, then it's off to Colorado!! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-13287207368992965732012-08-13T08:35:00.000-07:002012-08-13T10:42:08.455-07:00Riding the Great Lakes and BATS!August 11 & 12 <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fishin with Josh</td></tr>
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I was grounded in Erie on Friday, August 10th due to the weather. Towards the end of the day the weather began to clear and I decided to break out my portable fishing rod I have been traveling with. I stopped by a lagoon in Presque Isle, put on a random lore and began to fish. I caught nothing, but enjoyed the peacefulness of it. I then decided I would meet with a group led by Brian Gula, the ranger I had spoken with the day before, and participate in the "great bat count" of Presque Isle. Bats counted from the previous year roost in a maintenance shed located on the Isle. The idea is that a group of people stand guard at different areas in front of the shed and count the bats when they fly out a dusk to eat. We then compared the number to last years count. My job was to watch the cracks of a single door for escaping bats. In total the group as a whole counted near 400 bats. I counted 1. Despite staring at a door for a solid hour, learning about the soon to be nearly endangered (google: white nose fungus) brown bat was fun and informative. The next morning I said farewell to Erie and headed out towards Sturgis, Michigan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqf_AbdTpbXgUIGt2S1wxJwyLxFvXrY83CViF2Rv7u6DcYmu7RRsCk7qRH8YlpBQaHzaYQdrjNRoZ-B-r3j5stlJiShxUDUIpL2zczwe-xDZx2XNqEjjJUS6084Ln7RRqrjmZc1XcYZA/s1600/IMG_0201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqf_AbdTpbXgUIGt2S1wxJwyLxFvXrY83CViF2Rv7u6DcYmu7RRsCk7qRH8YlpBQaHzaYQdrjNRoZ-B-r3j5stlJiShxUDUIpL2zczwe-xDZx2XNqEjjJUS6084Ln7RRqrjmZc1XcYZA/s200/IMG_0201.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bat door</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Motorcycling is more than just a means of transportation. It's a community. And to many it's a way of life. Have you ever noticed two bikers waving a hand as they pass each other across the road. Take notice. There is an unspoken bond between bikers that makes you feel as though you are in on something a person driving a car (cager) doesn't understand. Furthermore the virtual online community is robust. Because of this, within a day I was able to find someone to host me for a night while traveling through the Midwest. Neither of us knew anything about each other aside from we both ride bikes and are members of advrider.com.<br />
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I decided to make some time and highway slab the ride from Erie, PA to Sturgis, MI. by way of Cleveland and Toledo (made infamous from Mash's Klinger). It took me approx me 6 hours, 3 thunderstorms and intense gusty winds blowing off of lake Erie to arrive at my host Pete's house on the border of Indiana and Michigan. Needless to say it was some the hardest slab riding I have done to date.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNe4FJqzK8bl9LLkxuHdkc1QKVqxy_B7GUanIkFB7Hw3XxDfMpJww1H_8Uo2ExE95w9Y3XwB6sVZU_7CZ1JO4KclKCqz0wrY69ed8-fpf7beclXkwtWVTnGDev0OuRZ2SZ5Tol16Q9Pww/s1600/IMG_2447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNe4FJqzK8bl9LLkxuHdkc1QKVqxy_B7GUanIkFB7Hw3XxDfMpJww1H_8Uo2ExE95w9Y3XwB6sVZU_7CZ1JO4KclKCqz0wrY69ed8-fpf7beclXkwtWVTnGDev0OuRZ2SZ5Tol16Q9Pww/s200/IMG_2447.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My host Pete at the Dark Horse</td></tr>
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No sooner that I pulled into Pete's garage did we and his two friends Eugene and Josh drive off to the local Micro-brewery! Meeting new folks is always best over local brews and flat bread pizza. The place is called the Dark Horse and is located east of Kalamazooooo. Great spot! By time we got back to Pete's I was exhausted and called it a night. Pete has a new house in the town of Sturgis 10 minutes off I-94 and was a most accommodating host as he allowed me to bunk down on an air mattress in a spare bedroom and left me with some energy bars, almonds and chain grease in the morning! Thanks again Pete!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYvzKIYmZhBJQQ6fz463DJy58VVMct8Fdz8droM2jnSh1alXlBaOMrEmruC1E_Tr1Mf9Tm_XH6ipa-_8oix3JftXgTY1QyFRUJQ_SOxjv1bBfcQbWwyQftPoOcwcSDCxZQE8Mtipg-4M/s1600/IMG_0207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYvzKIYmZhBJQQ6fz463DJy58VVMct8Fdz8droM2jnSh1alXlBaOMrEmruC1E_Tr1Mf9Tm_XH6ipa-_8oix3JftXgTY1QyFRUJQ_SOxjv1bBfcQbWwyQftPoOcwcSDCxZQE8Mtipg-4M/s200/IMG_0207.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Josh, Eugene, me, Pete & Puff</td></tr>
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The next day I was up early, out the door and on my way to Stoughton, WI by way of Chicago. Pete recommended I take Rt 12 towards Chicago as a better alternate, non-highway / scenic route. He was right, RT 12 was great, although a bit slow, as it took me way longer than expected to get to Chicago. A lot of that probably had to do with the numerous U-turns I made to go back and photograph random roadside things. As I neared Chicago I got back on the highway, as I had already been on the road for close to 3 hours and wanted to make up some time. Uhmm, that was a mistake. Between close to $10 in tolls and dead-lock traffic on the local bypass highway of I-90 it took me another 2 hrs to just get through the skirts of Chicago. This is on a Sunday mind you. If I do decided to spend a day in Chi-town I will be taking a train. I was now on my bike for almost 5 hours and still had 2 hours until my destination in Wisconsin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXoAX9KhyphenhyphenllbUAjUSoCRWId8OYHAJ63WrwMseWcLUFEUIzKAtJ4dO1AUbmq7KksL9TbFJ2kYig6q8vBOh-E-l7hHt3rfHjmfJx6eZWOj3Nc7VsYzZctrgXY7bf2kJZBf6s17xWj7Ib8k/s1600/IMG_0236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXoAX9KhyphenhyphenllbUAjUSoCRWId8OYHAJ63WrwMseWcLUFEUIzKAtJ4dO1AUbmq7KksL9TbFJ2kYig6q8vBOh-E-l7hHt3rfHjmfJx6eZWOj3Nc7VsYzZctrgXY7bf2kJZBf6s17xWj7Ib8k/s320/IMG_0236.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">somewhere in Michigan</td></tr>
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I had my first odd sketchy encounter north of Chicago, beyond O'hare airport as I pulled off to stretch and gas up. Unlike every other service station so far on the trip, I decided to take in with me the magnetic tank bag that holds small valuables such as camera, pocket knives, cables, basically small personal items. Being this to close to a major city, I just know better than to leave something on the bike someone can easily walk away with. All was fine at the Oasis (Chicago's version of a service station) and I headed back to the bike. No sooner that I starter to put my gear back on the bike, some random sketchy dude comes over and asks to borrow my phone to make a call to his mom to wire him some money. Here we go, I thought.<br />
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OK, I've seen or have been approached with every scam there is.. ahhh the ol borrow your phone make a run for it bit. However, I'm at service station off the highway, and feeling much more able than this guy, meaning if he dashes with my phone, I will be right behind him. So...I think, ok, maybe this is a sign, maybe this guy is for real and without a phone. He looked like he was in his mid 40's, dirty, kinda cut up, and stinks. But, I'm a traveler and perhaps I will be needing a favor like this at some point in my trip, so I reluctantly let my guard down and allowed him to use the phone as long as I dialed the number (like that matters). He says "great, it's a Maine number." I dial it, he uses the phone, an says "oh, you musta dialed it wrong, let me". Up my guard goes and now I am ready to chase this guy if he bolts. He dials, and still no answer, hands me the phone back and says thanks and walks off. I don't know, the whole thing still seems shady. My Philly instincts are on fire. Did this dude just make a drug deal using my phone? Did he bug it? Did he just somehow download all my personal info? He doesn't look capable of any of that so I shrugged it off, thoroughly cleaned off my phone and went on my way. I might mention that I sat and watched him for about 10 minutes after to see what his deal was. He was with some other guy who looked shady too and they were picking up butts from the ashtrays. Maybe they were just down on their luck. Hopefully my reluctant generosity will be observed by the traveling gods! Off to stoughton.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHK1FH6H7x5e0H2-FQtDqodd57Vri_ERSXf1FMB5d0Ooa7XU7HXt0NFY-zpN7q8a4aacc9FAgV0g6Wcm5y-CBQ6aaJqs_GD9-R6ykAkDeEW2LDAOLwrevLmbddQLiP9KdXY_SD17i_Lk/s1600/IMG_0251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHK1FH6H7x5e0H2-FQtDqodd57Vri_ERSXf1FMB5d0Ooa7XU7HXt0NFY-zpN7q8a4aacc9FAgV0g6Wcm5y-CBQ6aaJqs_GD9-R6ykAkDeEW2LDAOLwrevLmbddQLiP9KdXY_SD17i_Lk/s200/IMG_0251.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I want my own motorcycle helmet" - Jack Dunn</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvtN-dwfj4jWZ1YwzfFbIaEX2rdjf89GfMmqbsyuq_PT23kbCaspIU5FSiohVXYAP2qqyrIqjShO5fo1mHgRn5jBaxt4QohRotW5L61RaIfPrFnpECwHOJR_DA36jYcB96Ln6Z9iBb1g/s1600/bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzvtN-dwfj4jWZ1YwzfFbIaEX2rdjf89GfMmqbsyuq_PT23kbCaspIU5FSiohVXYAP2qqyrIqjShO5fo1mHgRn5jBaxt4QohRotW5L61RaIfPrFnpECwHOJR_DA36jYcB96Ln6Z9iBb1g/s200/bat.jpg" width="149" /></a>A couple hours later I pulled into the driveway of my dear friends Matt and Amy who have just moved back to their home state of Wisconsin after living in Philly for over 10 years. These two are an amazing couple and I was sad to see them leave Philly, but now excited to have a wonderful place to visit in the Mid-West. They just purchased a beautiful new house with detached garage, huge yard and garden, and HOT TUB! ... far cry from the South Philly row home they used to reside in. They have two boys, Gavin (2) and Jack(3) and both are amazing. Jack couldn't wait to get on the motorcycle. Once settled in Amy and Matt cooked up a wonderful dinner. We were eating outside on their deck and it started to drizzle so Amy opened the patio umbrella and low and behold a Bat flew out!!!! Looks like they are thriving here in Stoughton!! So that's two I counted. Tomorrow I will go and visit the <a href="http://uwarboretum.org/index.php" target="_blank">University Of Wisconsin's Arboretum</a> to photograph their native plants!<br />
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In the last two days I have ridden over 700 miles for a total of 12 hours riding time. phew. What a haul! <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/eIPpC" target="_blank">Check the Map!</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-59148534860444968262012-08-10T09:34:00.000-07:002012-08-10T10:17:03.895-07:00Rain, Lightning, and Presque Isle, Erie PA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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August 9<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT7Bs0XYG16GwkacI2drM5pIO4HRjW_utyYg80X0GxujoGAZ1XvW89V0HykHwhQctBiYDamnctT1jUqeOM2wNstuTJ-xvhZUskSxZselkPujDmlkBHsRUwsTZoCIsknEQkSsdEEh_OqU/s1600/route666sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuT7Bs0XYG16GwkacI2drM5pIO4HRjW_utyYg80X0GxujoGAZ1XvW89V0HykHwhQctBiYDamnctT1jUqeOM2wNstuTJ-xvhZUskSxZselkPujDmlkBHsRUwsTZoCIsknEQkSsdEEh_OqU/s200/route666sign.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was lovely waking up in the <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/VFU45" target="_blank">Allegheny National Forest</a>. I had to haul my camping gear back to my motorcycle about 1/8 mile away. Once packed up I was ready to ride. Except one thing.... I had no idea where I was going. I didn't have any cell, data or GPS. I was on Route 666, the mark of the beast! I knew I needed to head west, so west on 666 I went. It had been threatening to rain ever since I got into the park the day before but had held out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrgQbiUA_tY4zhEt7dvZjL2uHhtPucv_Ii72d1yxIJvl8OR0Db2PCvKxQkF9DxMZzEYp97HcReb0MPQUcbIIqNst9T8p-u35QcZKhr4w_Fel_iNT4wr8APmowxWxYemxxdgLk4OYMTWM/s1600/IMG_0123_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrgQbiUA_tY4zhEt7dvZjL2uHhtPucv_Ii72d1yxIJvl8OR0Db2PCvKxQkF9DxMZzEYp97HcReb0MPQUcbIIqNst9T8p-u35QcZKhr4w_Fel_iNT4wr8APmowxWxYemxxdgLk4OYMTWM/s200/IMG_0123_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rain shelter, phew.</td></tr>
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For the next 45 minutes I was on a wonderful twisty stretch along a river. Then all of a sudden I saw nothing but dark and stormy cloud cover. Uh Oh! I still had no clue where I was, so I followed a sign to the town of <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/wAQLs" target="_blank">Tionesta</a>. No sooner that I arrived, it began to down pour! Luckily I found a carport to pull under and I waited out the storm. The weather was so severe that a lightning bolt hit the mountain ridge bordering the town and a tree caught on fire. The locals at the only place to eat, Subway, were saying there was no way for the fire dept. to get to that spot and they were hoping it wouldn't spread. Needless to say I bought an analog map, picked a route to Erie, and when the rain let up, headed North!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1UHmXzA_8PDKfw_PHxTgkpp1p0XBi0rHUZ3BJpxklziL5cFDjmbn6RAyGe3dhBHCpn8m-gk5Yr6A0jQxTxsoYJ41GvKHacJCtdYW0VOx1527jYd_kE_9AENZ2JLe_upuZ4msvHmLMkU/s1600/IMG_0136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1UHmXzA_8PDKfw_PHxTgkpp1p0XBi0rHUZ3BJpxklziL5cFDjmbn6RAyGe3dhBHCpn8m-gk5Yr6A0jQxTxsoYJ41GvKHacJCtdYW0VOx1527jYd_kE_9AENZ2JLe_upuZ4msvHmLMkU/s320/IMG_0136.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">native plants?</td></tr>
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Once arriving in Erie I scouted the two camping spots I had read about. The first was overcrowded, and the only available spot was a communal area on the Erie Lake beach waterfront. Not very conducive to motorcycle camping as there was no where close to park, and it was really windy on the water and still stormy. I decided to try another campground about 8 miles away from Presque Isle. This was also on the waterfront, $30 a night, no shelter and mostly RV's. The woman who runs the campground was really nice and let me know Erie was in store for some serious storms over the next 24 hours. That was enough for me to find a cheap hotel for the night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip25wDaNOssgW0e_vc_3htT8b1taC-ivrKAsmp2NYL0SYxJeuJtRbtwCu3sXh4E2Q5pwZE7mwVkuDwcZvpUhFRYSz-uUyYEznmjNWp3DCA4PP4QCPzumJTtCt49lHbKM4x6Zl-Qd2SgiU/s1600/IMG_0131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip25wDaNOssgW0e_vc_3htT8b1taC-ivrKAsmp2NYL0SYxJeuJtRbtwCu3sXh4E2Q5pwZE7mwVkuDwcZvpUhFRYSz-uUyYEznmjNWp3DCA4PP4QCPzumJTtCt49lHbKM4x6Zl-Qd2SgiU/s200/IMG_0131.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Gula from TREC</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOShlwdjdWdWOCiV0T7IejTugeNUrSGwKGg3js35Fx_GNM6605Mwev3U_6q24JlaOfTgm6drAAYRb3rU7cd-jV0-2d_Ew-cHt3BKbLOD1Jh_QBJsAcMv1Uim9KMoRqSw8t5_inx1Hv5ms/s1600/IMG_0125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOShlwdjdWdWOCiV0T7IejTugeNUrSGwKGg3js35Fx_GNM6605Mwev3U_6q24JlaOfTgm6drAAYRb3rU7cd-jV0-2d_Ew-cHt3BKbLOD1Jh_QBJsAcMv1Uim9KMoRqSw8t5_inx1Hv5ms/s200/IMG_0125.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TREC</td></tr>
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Finally I arrived at the <a href="http://www.trecpi.org/" target="_blank">Tom Ridge Environmental Center</a>. I have been in correspondence with Anne who is an educator there. Unfortunately she was not available to meet, so I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Gula. Brian was excited about the "Natives" project and spent an hour or so showing me around the TREC demonstration gardens. They planted tons of natives found on Presque Isle State Park here in the parking lot of TREC and Brian was happy to talk with me about the local native plants and their beneficial properties. This gave me a well suited idea of what to look for while on Presques Isle. Let me say that TREC is an AMAZING facility. A big Thank You to Brian for taking the time to educate me on the native plant life here!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-dwNsf6k9eUhtFgn55TQcYnxjiHDb2m4kFNnqwQ_03-h7b4yUTTGYqcWHpdTgoqJ4ff74UrMpAK_mPPrHUUEZAY92MPr4o2B_HzGmBFxlYTKqXyMHPNjLFbA1t38qvROMU6umLg2uY8/s1600/IMG_0160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-dwNsf6k9eUhtFgn55TQcYnxjiHDb2m4kFNnqwQ_03-h7b4yUTTGYqcWHpdTgoqJ4ff74UrMpAK_mPPrHUUEZAY92MPr4o2B_HzGmBFxlYTKqXyMHPNjLFbA1t38qvROMU6umLg2uY8/s200/IMG_0160.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presque Isle State Park, PA</td></tr>
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Before sunset I went into the Presque Isle State Park. I hadn't the slightest idea how beautiful this park would be. It feels like you are at the ocean i.e. Cape May, NJ. Brian mentioned a trail that is using natives specifically for land restoration. I went and I photographed. I was up all night working on my images. Needless to say a huge front is coming through Erie and I seem to be stuck here for another day. Plenty of work to catch up on so I'm not that upset... though this hotel is crummy, it beats sitting in a tent for 24 hours in the rain. Time to find a some local eats!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPpKTy0p6UQmKwVC-ArPWDKRsrgKi96UZlN8PFHi3XhA7y8aofKwzHBQV_okv7sKdqnxGarJcknBlDgseqsHIhRV_cXJ_9LeOiCtr4xx6X-ylIqjfEOBF_7C9IEL2luzcbKBiSSASxk4/s1600/IMG_0142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPpKTy0p6UQmKwVC-ArPWDKRsrgKi96UZlN8PFHi3XhA7y8aofKwzHBQV_okv7sKdqnxGarJcknBlDgseqsHIhRV_cXJ_9LeOiCtr4xx6X-ylIqjfEOBF_7C9IEL2luzcbKBiSSASxk4/s320/IMG_0142.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvisYNk5Z1gVnGSkxWRE3fbKBBLH7G9G0Kt9fzfBM8c8xKEN9E6uqSZS33MoVSGyeTqRYdQ6I28kcJkit7hug5ogH2X42FhSI58hgpX6hSIzXZCgiTaP3zWInSuaw2emlnJ1QoXPzmQI/s1600/IMG_0164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvisYNk5Z1gVnGSkxWRE3fbKBBLH7G9G0Kt9fzfBM8c8xKEN9E6uqSZS33MoVSGyeTqRYdQ6I28kcJkit7hug5ogH2X42FhSI58hgpX6hSIzXZCgiTaP3zWInSuaw2emlnJ1QoXPzmQI/s320/IMG_0164.jpg" width="320" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-77231165871488190842012-08-10T07:47:00.005-07:002012-08-10T09:57:36.285-07:00Allegheny National Forest<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday August 8</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJe5DAdkX4AaTsw021eYdem1UhAkg6DzEXtf3jyVmucIikvvA_TmTewtKLoCTdftGzf-2vqcLBiuTtBzGxu7_S_-tg2K7QeAr0yYHs8unh4IeLyUXK6_u2FIPoNUIwqstnm_nAMW6B8k/s1600/IMG_0070_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJe5DAdkX4AaTsw021eYdem1UhAkg6DzEXtf3jyVmucIikvvA_TmTewtKLoCTdftGzf-2vqcLBiuTtBzGxu7_S_-tg2K7QeAr0yYHs8unh4IeLyUXK6_u2FIPoNUIwqstnm_nAMW6B8k/s320/IMG_0070_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone Creek Valley, PA Fire Engine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Woke up at 7am in <a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/greenwoodfurnace/" target="_blank">Greenwood Furnace State Park</a> and packed the bike so I could get an early
start. Within five<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>minutes I sighted a
black bear crossing the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a
good look at him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first glimpse at
wildlife!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really foggy and fairly
chilly so I pulled over to an old firehouse to put on a jacket liner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to strap my camera around my neck
so I wouldn’t miss any more prime opportunities at photographing wildlife,
etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
25 miles later I pulled into Penn
State main campus, no shortage of wildlife here. I found a coffee shop with
wifi. With everything that has happen to Penn State in the last year, I was
surprised to see how busy it was early august. I was there for a good 3 hours
doing freelance work, looking at maps and updating my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grabbed some quick snacks at a grocery
store and headed out to <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/eKnTT" target="_blank">Allegheny National Forest</a>. This is the Northern Forest Eco-Region. It’s free to camp in US
National Forests.. saaweet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTEOl5OfUQsuze0j3hyc3XDjnWklBbnbQ4mFQlp8C5JZ2qLxAHZdi0f81aRj21HjsoDFvtmAJ3b9BrSFSEVgmes700Lv4yj34UWZJSqGrArpT-7RIGnZUx7TXObSyzPybjmV5iebKM-8/s1600/IMG_0073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTEOl5OfUQsuze0j3hyc3XDjnWklBbnbQ4mFQlp8C5JZ2qLxAHZdi0f81aRj21HjsoDFvtmAJ3b9BrSFSEVgmes700Lv4yj34UWZJSqGrArpT-7RIGnZUx7TXObSyzPybjmV5iebKM-8/s200/IMG_0073.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">camping spot minister trailhead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz-BFLIwCrGcj6UTGOKfbvov-Bt0dF-ayazC17VVj7px7t8FIdND8Y90PR8RhJFAu0kTFOqVylU1g_VWF99Qg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>3 hours
later I arrived and set up camp a few hundred feet from a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trailhead right next to a brook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went for a 2 hour walk and explored the
forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This forest is part of the
appellations with an altitude of approx 2000k feet. It’s truly beautiful and
quite lush with moss and ferns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
discovered some wild flowers and other plants I thought to be native to this
region. Luckily a friend gave me an Audubon book of wildflowers and low and
behold, these were native.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no
electric or cellular coverage here so I connected my peripherals to my
motorcycle and got to work once the sun was set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had several people ask me if I was okay as they
had no clue what the hell I was doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tomorrow I head to Erie
PA where I will visit the <a href="http://www.trecpi.org/" target="_blank">Tom Ridge Environmental Center</a> and explore <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/FI1m3" target="_blank">Presques Isle Sate Park</a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi35cjLLI3tgDawRVjbpahVkc92-kyhDgsc8vhGd2J5heBSre6iukEQyrSGrX994jF2xAaMGv-Ks8Dholy7bVxcqi3ZGhjvq4wgVjlO77K8WBFLcOJxeYFqRILj4C3N8e-qIfM11Jl4u0/s1600/IMG_0083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi35cjLLI3tgDawRVjbpahVkc92-kyhDgsc8vhGd2J5heBSre6iukEQyrSGrX994jF2xAaMGv-Ks8Dholy7bVxcqi3ZGhjvq4wgVjlO77K8WBFLcOJxeYFqRILj4C3N8e-qIfM11Jl4u0/s200/IMG_0083.jpg" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">woody sunflower</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IPrGswEdcpbtBGgPNj1vyBMDm-eDOYA4EDINQXRTbQ56ZqIXhstlNgYFA635Jg-vWMf0GwwM4facqZUkCBu_Qn7SGxNq-Bl5R9V48sRR1SN5Y5yTev4W481c6270DxAwmbV7N9OsAhE/s1600/IMG_0079_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7IPrGswEdcpbtBGgPNj1vyBMDm-eDOYA4EDINQXRTbQ56ZqIXhstlNgYFA635Jg-vWMf0GwwM4facqZUkCBu_Qn7SGxNq-Bl5R9V48sRR1SN5Y5yTev4W481c6270DxAwmbV7N9OsAhE/s200/IMG_0079_1.jpg" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fertile soil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBUTloMyQGITLFjU4-5G-1iaf_nrp17ffwInOLg_-He73hC-20CNA66HSL_DZi-IA389bfcl-DQ-PWYnDKbr9ZIQu4Gwy4uzC-RfMhNVOlEIfVdZ_Is6RsCWijmfal_JfjB0qjF2dPkk/s1600/IMG_0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBUTloMyQGITLFjU4-5G-1iaf_nrp17ffwInOLg_-He73hC-20CNA66HSL_DZi-IA389bfcl-DQ-PWYnDKbr9ZIQu4Gwy4uzC-RfMhNVOlEIfVdZ_Is6RsCWijmfal_JfjB0qjF2dPkk/s200/IMG_0088.jpg" width="110" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aquatic mushroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-27680890889417632372012-08-08T07:06:00.002-07:002012-08-08T07:23:03.613-07:00The Journey Begins!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDrYzPXw4o4U4_MdVps7d6a5xNsH-MUtP8jCphjxMs4F5jiSuvAUKVc5-3tOJMnAjIK8b35HRyuJWZwv2sM1AwvXVQldRrrF0b5HE9UY7HE1tM5juh2W-O7bVppe5OTyVHBvNRXrQ7GU/s1600/wallace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDrYzPXw4o4U4_MdVps7d6a5xNsH-MUtP8jCphjxMs4F5jiSuvAUKVc5-3tOJMnAjIK8b35HRyuJWZwv2sM1AwvXVQldRrrF0b5HE9UY7HE1tM5juh2W-O7bVppe5OTyVHBvNRXrQ7GU/s320/wallace.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">loaded and ready to roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With only 2 days to go with <a href="http://kck.st/PNpFsi" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>, I finally left on my epic journey!<br />
<br />
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Day one started with much to wrap up in Philly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2:00 PM I had successfully loaded the bike
with a ridiculous amount of baggage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Every passerby decided to make an off handed comment regarding the overload
of the motorcycle. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPZ53D5Ul3eMORQhVseRRSVmUmCZbp3wctQTgRDSXlZtuOk7xKslapxNnQwjGD-FheJr-cSwSPFnas5c2kBde3jAtJ1MZhyphenhyphenXIWHNFCCF7zKtp5SxfZqF55HqWI4BaIBCU6Y2UA1xleX0/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPZ53D5Ul3eMORQhVseRRSVmUmCZbp3wctQTgRDSXlZtuOk7xKslapxNnQwjGD-FheJr-cSwSPFnas5c2kBde3jAtJ1MZhyphenhyphenXIWHNFCCF7zKtp5SxfZqF55HqWI4BaIBCU6Y2UA1xleX0/s320/IMG_0061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's the fixin bar?</td></tr>
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I left 2024 Wallace street, my former residence and current
location of the Light Room Gallery at 3:30 Est. time. I want to get as far as State College
and find a place to camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I had one last
chore to do before fleeing the city. I recently misplaced my motorcycle
registration. Well, it flew out of my wallet on 95N in New Hampshire about a
month ago, but that is a story of another time. Now I had to go to across
center city, through mid-day heat and traffic to an auto-tag place to get a dup
of my registration. Here’s to waiting until the very last minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured it would be the ultimate test to
see how my overloaded cycle would hold up to the fury of a hot august day of
driving in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philadelphia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from what appeared to be a crack head
gingerly dancing across a red light will all the leisure of the world, and a
slew of maddening horns in response to her exhibition, my registration was
safely secure and I was on my way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Needless to say, it was about 4:15 by time I hit deadlock traffic on I76
through the dreaded Conshohocken curve with the city skyline in my rear
view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An hour later I pulled into my
favorite turnpike rest stop where I normally load up on the fixins bar at one
of the only Roy Rogers left in the area. This time I would refrain from indulging
in all you can pile pickles and re-sort my load as I had very little room for
comfort they way I had things piled on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Comfort is everything on long trips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>½ hour later I was re-sorted, much more comfortable and on my way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz11HrmEwE87gxYhQ-KFLnl5saDXHnBJjS-I6jLbT065Jwlc8mp6YNZeD5aBnCrDwO0sHl5TH8XHE4k-PGN3dQEwzezqbVLlUGI9foe3S7tVJzRNI_fXbDZepV8Cj-YQOpkAcRrLh8DcM/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz11HrmEwE87gxYhQ-KFLnl5saDXHnBJjS-I6jLbT065Jwlc8mp6YNZeD5aBnCrDwO0sHl5TH8XHE4k-PGN3dQEwzezqbVLlUGI9foe3S7tVJzRNI_fXbDZepV8Cj-YQOpkAcRrLh8DcM/s400/IMG_0063.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lewistown, PA</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cost me $7.10 when I exited the turnpike.
Christ, I was only on the thing for an hour. Let that be a sign that I should
be avoiding all pay highways… all highways for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once off the turnpike I started north through
mid PA towards state college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With about
50 miles to go until I reached the campus of the tarnished Nitney Lion, the sun
was setting quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pull off at the nearby town of
Lewistown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled into a gas station,
looked on my iphone for the nearest campground and asked the attendant where I
could purchase a six pack to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously
I have plenty of room on this bike for more shit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found a campground about 30 minutes away in
a Pa State Park (no alcohol allowed) and the attendant pointed me to a local
grill, where I bought a 6 pack <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of beer and some chicken fingers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
I strapped those necessities onto the bike, I was on my way to the
campground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me mention I seem to be
in the heart of the Appalachians and there is a large amish population here. I
was excited to pass several horse and buggies<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>while approaching the entrance to <a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/greenwoodfurnace/" target="_blank">Greenwood Furnace State Park</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too bad I haven’t rigged a camera to the bike
yet. No sooner that I entered the campground the sun had set and it was getting
dark quick. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found an open spot ($20) ,
strapped on my headlamp and made camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The insects are fucking loud and I have zero phone service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ahh the wilderness at last. Next stop... Erie</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuLBjDZy8hLaPF4qWDMEfCc6u3DIfegvu1T6sgNB7ybBHWDGGpYew3YqWM7DGydSXAT794tg5e37Cqm3VmR3muqovcaQPeTIDfMKyOcsiX56CV6QPyBlUf9h8qDuDcpGPZvrlWTfJQAQ/s1600/IMG_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuLBjDZy8hLaPF4qWDMEfCc6u3DIfegvu1T6sgNB7ybBHWDGGpYew3YqWM7DGydSXAT794tg5e37Cqm3VmR3muqovcaQPeTIDfMKyOcsiX56CV6QPyBlUf9h8qDuDcpGPZvrlWTfJQAQ/s320/IMG_0065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping at Greenwood Furnace State Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-84501586239489409782012-07-19T20:52:00.001-07:002012-07-19T20:54:15.285-07:00Kickstarter Staff Picks "the natives" project as a favorite!<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/photography?ref=home_spotlight">http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/photography?ref=home_spotlight</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-66726679076869314342012-07-11T19:39:00.001-07:002012-07-19T21:55:25.481-07:00Kickstarter is Launched!<img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3Q9oEjdLE65vOw24OyfUI-5JzeijwRmoAHmKx-IuezhbkPb_C_TVYKIKcp1ablocBbSk6MbvT2yRX2r6evuNlTtZjAgDtox2ChbrdcjIf0Q06xpQeKtTdjDJifGnyNYsBK1UzenHRj0/s320/thenatives-title.jpg" title="" width="320" /><br />
I launched a <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1245717226/the-natives" target="_blank">Kickstarter </a>project to help fund this project. Kickstarter is website that allows you to have you project funded by public pledges. Those who pledge money will get rewards in return. Here is a list of some of the rewards I will be offering for pledges received for my project.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1245717226/the-natives" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO SEE THE KICKSTARTER PROJECT</a><br />
<br />
• Everyone receives a thank you on my website!<br />
• Postcard along the road<br />
• Postcards along the road from all 9 ecoregions I'm traveling through<br />
• Cyanotype postcard hand crafted and sent on the road<br />
• 8" x 10" unique hand made Cyanotype print<br />
• 8" x 10" unique hand made salt print<br />
• 6" x 6" hand made box of 1/2 dozen salt prints <br />
• 14" x 20" unique hand made salt image<br />
• A one-of-a-kind hand bound book of salt images<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-2244336432992003742012-07-06T18:54:00.001-07:002012-07-06T18:54:09.807-07:00Test Ride To Maine!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPZGs-jscnE_7Zg2BnNBCikuvPyX1BHhSfyincr0OBtVPnzezLdZ7A-fikWljtTPRSx8qKwE5e3poHDCco1qfe0Ajt0ahwDbRZUOhnSZtGAQEMsGupF4JkS-OjPI1xi0AuVsx60rhuoE/s1600/IMG_2314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPZGs-jscnE_7Zg2BnNBCikuvPyX1BHhSfyincr0OBtVPnzezLdZ7A-fikWljtTPRSx8qKwE5e3poHDCco1qfe0Ajt0ahwDbRZUOhnSZtGAQEMsGupF4JkS-OjPI1xi0AuVsx60rhuoE/s320/IMG_2314.JPG" width="320" /></a>I decided to take the new bike on a test ride to see if she will be worthy of the cross country trip I will soon be embarking on. Proud to say she made it to Bar Harbor, ME in fine fashion. The new seat still needs some breaking in, but that aside, I believe I will not have to worry about the bike during the trip. As much as I like wrenching, having a bike that performs with basic maintenance will be a real pleasure. Here I am on top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak on the continental east coast!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-47741042196250022582012-06-22T14:02:00.001-07:002012-06-22T14:02:20.081-07:00Figuring out my route?!I am in the planning stages for figuring out my route for this exciting adventure. Thanks to the excellent resource from <a href="http://wildflower.org/">Wildflower.org</a>, I have decided I will link up with organizations who purpose is to conserve and promote the need for sustainable natives!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWtR9tr_tcyjt4cdC-qKfPNtVbhPcii_mCT14UL-t2KgazniuXwNKypAeWIMqYH6CTpGEbvIsSWAJkrLfTvFhETBtw-VcVdvnU181cpTLTswYw4gclcuEC2D-YeAh8L_0v1J5vHtwx1g/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWtR9tr_tcyjt4cdC-qKfPNtVbhPcii_mCT14UL-t2KgazniuXwNKypAeWIMqYH6CTpGEbvIsSWAJkrLfTvFhETBtw-VcVdvnU181cpTLTswYw4gclcuEC2D-YeAh8L_0v1J5vHtwx1g/s400/Picture+4.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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This path will take me across the country and will allow me to touch down into the 9 aggregated eco-regions through-out the United States.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aFLof13qMZMo7SiTfWskjVgcHpVb3CwyXrbKPiBjoDM5Vha3vvHP_dTpLhRsMqBDAvQ15JNyYIylDDbQ87u9uk0DIIgJvDyqlLLPYF_7050v5YzajtEowAm4ImbKpNvtVy2EJKSA8k4/s1600/Fig2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aFLof13qMZMo7SiTfWskjVgcHpVb3CwyXrbKPiBjoDM5Vha3vvHP_dTpLhRsMqBDAvQ15JNyYIylDDbQ87u9uk0DIIgJvDyqlLLPYF_7050v5YzajtEowAm4ImbKpNvtVy2EJKSA8k4/s400/Fig2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219558721158647361.post-46454410523837561472012-06-22T09:38:00.001-07:002012-06-22T09:46:01.118-07:00The Project Planning Begins!The ride is in the works! First thing was to procure a proper motocycle
for this trip. I decided on a 2004 Suzuki Vstrom. Now I have to sell
my old classic 82 gs1100E. One bike for another to make this trip
happen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk44D9Vgw6LfCZBdJCIRHfzI_nIH4pAWdDeAsmY0NvHIHzLa2_gaFZdQKCVU2gwgLxA5AvibsFMPLEp4CrY4HDJVsg-JQwWPjVf0kvZWt6FGrDMgr7-c5p8gVdsGAehhH8xFjQNe21vdg/s1600/IMG_2211+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk44D9Vgw6LfCZBdJCIRHfzI_nIH4pAWdDeAsmY0NvHIHzLa2_gaFZdQKCVU2gwgLxA5AvibsFMPLEp4CrY4HDJVsg-JQwWPjVf0kvZWt6FGrDMgr7-c5p8gVdsGAehhH8xFjQNe21vdg/s200/IMG_2211+1.JPG" width="200" /> </a></div>
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Above is the 04 Suzuki V-strom 650DL! It has no farkles yet.</div>
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Below is the 82 GS1100E that is for sale now. sadness is felt</div>
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