great big world

I found this butterfly in my boot in
Sequoia NP when I picked it 

I'm sitting at the base of a HUGE sequoia. The Giant Forest reminds me of Joyce Kilmer forest back closer to home. (I am getting more homesick every day.) The trees themselves have that silent strength that reminds me of my fragility. No matter how deep and strong my roots, these massive beasts will be here long after my roots return to the earth. And I love that :) Margie stayed at the entrance of the park to have lunch with a friend. I thought we were going to ride straight through and head to Yosemite, but it was an amazing ride in, and it's nice to sit in the forest and write alone.

Napa Vally scenery

 Yesterday morning we pointed our bikes to Yosemite National Park and waved bye to Dave and Posey, rested and fresh. We got to ride through the Eucalyptus Trees again (sigh :) Napa Valley was... oookay... The scenery was mostly golden grassy hills with occasional grape vines, low scrub trees, with the occasional eucalyptus tree. Traffic was congested. Hwy 12 moved slowly. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I was in a different mood (maybe a wine drinking mood ;)

 But I wanted to be at Yosemite already ("Are we there yet?") and had more than one conversation with myself about patience and how I want to live to be an old-lady motochick. Margie's been teaching me a lot about how to be safe. I'm thinking about doing a post entirely composed of the things I've learned on this trip relating to motorcycle travel and safety. Maybe when I get home and get some sleep.

Enjoying the fresh air in Yosemite

We arrived at Yosemite late afternoon,  and I could have spent a month there. I don't even know how to describe it. The road into the valley floor twisted and turned like only National Park roads do (preserving as much of the natural landscape as possible, I assume). It took us through some fun tunnels too. I really enjoy the sound my bike makes in tunnels as it roars powerfully :)

Have love will travel

So I the trip has finally begun :) Tonight Margie and I are in Darien, GA. We rode down with a group of friends from NPRDucati for their Annual Shrimp Run. I have to admit, I am exhausted. Leaving my family and friends (and my dogs) this morning was a challenging way to start the day (so I'm sentimental, sue me). I finally got to NPRDucati at 10am, and after giving my bike one last check my favorite mechanic gave me the go ahead to move out and we were on our way :) 

 Last night was the kickoff party, and I want to thank a few people. First, thank you to everyone who came out to see me off and support The Wounded Warrior Project. Secondly, my father. He contributed significant time and resources to make the party a success. The delicious, fall off the bones ribs, were organized by him. My mother and my sister also contributed a significant amount of time and energy as well. So many of my friends and family attended (I made some new friends too!) and together we raised about a thousand dollars for The Wounded Warrior Project! To read more about the fundraiser click here. Shout out to Jordan, Joseph, Josh, Joyce, (so many J's!), Mike, Mitchell, Rick, Stacey and all the other veterans that joined us for the party. You are the reason I am doing this, to try and repay my debt to you, in some small way.

Odometer starting trip :)

 To jump back to the ride, my ass doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Luckily for me, my bike is built for longer distance, touring style riding. I like to prop my feet up on the frame, so I'm really folded up (think the opposite of the guys you see riding around stretched out like they are riding a Lazy boy on two wheels). I guess growing up on horseback really did shape the way I interact with the world, it certainly has affected the way I developed my seat on a motorcycle. 

 Okay, back to the days travels. It was cold this morning! I didn't pack the warmest clothes, other than the plug-in Gerbing jacket, because I know we will be staying close to the southern border of the US where the weather is warm. Honestly, I was in a rotten mood when I left home. I was a little too tired from staying up late, not hungover, just really tired. Finally, at our second fuel stop I grabbed a handful of almonds, and that infinitely improved my mood. I started dancing and riding to the beat in my head, and the music was grand ;)

 I began thinking about this plan of ours, the idea of not having an exact plan or route, just aiming get for the west coast :) This is what I daydreamed about for the rest of the trek to the GA coast. Who knows what kind of interesting characters I will encounter! Especially Monday when I get to New Orleans ;) and the places I can visit! I could keep going, but it's already 1am, and I want to check out the backs of my eyelids soon.

 I got to learn how to dodge objects falling off motorcycles today... it was a, erm, ...good thing to practice...? It's the only good thing I can say about that part of the trip. The guy leading the pack had trouble with his saddlebags... trouble meaning they kept falling off and turning into flying, flipping, large moving obstacles in the road. Trouble meaning fast braking and hoping the guy behind me doesn't run over me as I brake. But we arrived without further incident, I hope his saddlebags aren't ruined.

 Since I started riding three years ago, I've preferred riding solo. I suspect this is because I use my bike as a daily commuter. I just felt that it was more dangerous to ride in a group, with all the crazies doing wheelies and such. (Which can be quite impressive, I just prefer you not do it right behind me). BUT today, I started to see the merits of group riding, especially if I can ride with a group like my traveling partners from this afternoon. Our riding styles matched well, and other than my one friend throwing his saddlebags at me, the ride was downright pleasant! Perhaps it is because my riding abilities have improved, I am better able to let go and relax a little more. 

 Well, I'm going to go collapse in bed. Talk to you tomorrow!
~Amanda Terranova

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Read more about why I chose The Wounded Warrior Project