SPROingggoingggggg......



Well well! Ermintrude looks fine to me. Munching the poppies as usual - "Let's all go down The Strand....(have a banana!)"

Hold very tight please - "Ting ting!"

:blushing:

Close Call
 

Glad you had a friend that could warn you in time. While you were getting "HOT!" I was enjoying a nice ride through some new passes here in KG. Escorted a friend to the military zone 70 km from the China boarder and took a trip back through the mountains. Almost ran out of gas. But had a great time.

Magic Moments
 

Thanks very much for that blast from the past McCrankpin, I enjoyed that episode. Glad you're all appreciating my cultural references.

Mountainous Colorado
 

Ermintrude didn't smell as bad in the morning as she had done the night before, but I still didn't linger, riding on I saw a few of her relatives, maybe they were looking for her

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4238-M.jpg

They're a bit of a hazard on the road, particularly this one waiting by the sign, looking like he's going to jump out

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4237-M.jpg

Enjoying a cup of tea at a diner, I read the local paper and found out that several towns in the area had been evacuated for the past few days due to the risk of fire, and I realised how lucky I had been last night.

It had been hot crossing Nevada and Utah in the previous few days, and I'd been warned to expect Texas to be brutal in its heat, so I tried to keep to the mountains.

At first things were still quite arid, I liked these flowers beside the road which had struggled to push their way through the tarmac.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4239-M.jpg

I've got a collection of pictures of what I call, "Dilapidated but Delightful" buildings and this particular rundown General Store fitted right into that category

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4241-M.jpg

It was in one of the evacuated towns, although people were now back in their houses, as the worst of the danger had passed by. My jacket had lots of white flecks on it from the ash last night.

Finally the road started to climb and I wasn't disappointed with the cooler temperatures and scenery that reminded me of Switzerland. Everything seemed so green

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4234-M.jpg

I discussed my route with the lad at the petrol station, and he sent me up towards Ouray...you are not going to believe how that is pronounced
Your Ray is more or less how to say it.
It's a small mountain town typical of those in western Colorado

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4244-M.jpg


I listened to a band playing for an open air wedding in the town park, they were a Bluegrass band and played some improbable covers such as the Proclaimers 500 miles and then a Violent Femmes song- pretty funny done as a bluegrass, I've just had to look them up as I always thought they were an Australian band, and have found out they're Yanks.
For those who are wondering how I know about Bluegrass, it's all due Lois, as in Lois Pryce fellow Brit and bike traveller she plays in an all-female bluegrass band and I've been to see them play a couple of times.
I had a dip in the town's hot springs which were nice but the "hot" ones were tucked away and so I was in medium and feeling chilly after a while so didn't stay long- if you go there and want a dip, make sure you ask where the HOT pool is.

the road was beginning to remind me of Bolivia

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4247-M.jpg

steep with sharp curves and a lack of safety railings and crumbling tarmac at the edges

The curves were a joy to ride (especially after Nevada)

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At the top is Red Mountain, so named for obvious reasons

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4251-M.jpg

and even more steep curves

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not only am I having to look out for stray cattle on these roads but also these animals

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4255-M.jpg

are they supposed to be moose? It's not the usual deer pictures that I'm used to seeing.

Night was falling so it was time to find another camping spot

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4223-M.jpg

Photos On the Road
 

Leaving the mountains of Colorado behind

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4262-M.jpg

I also took a picture of my camera set-up so that you can study my spophisticated techniques

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4258-M.jpg

Here's the way I do it

1. Find nice photogenic loaction
2. Think about whether I can be arsed to stop bike, set up shot and then ride past a couple of times
3. Put tank bag on ground
4. Place helmet on tank bag
5. Search for tripod (it's small), when found, place it on top of helmet

which is the scene above, obviously the camera is not on the helmet yet as it's in my hands being used to take the picture

6. Put camera on tripod, set up self-time and run like hell to get on bike to ride past, only to realise I have not clicked the shutter button!
7. Return to tripod and repeat step no.6, remembering to press shutter button this time.

I thought I was out in the middle of nowhere, but just as I was doing all this, a car came by and wondered what was going on, I reassured them everything was OK.

I always wondered what happened to Little Weed after she left Bill and Ben, rumour has it there was a spell in rehab.

Too Much Time On Your Hands...
 

:D:clap:

Ha ha ha ha!

I guess that shows our ages too....

If you get your hands on a digital camera that will shoot 1080p film you can just film the entire time you are riding past, then pull the specific frame you want for a photo late on with the computer... can be easier than trying to get the right spot with the camera timer :)

Nice! All the beste! greetz

errrr???
 

I've got to say, most of that went over my head:confused1:

Cowboys
 

After leaving the mountains, I felt as if I was in a Wild West film when I heard I saw a steam train's whistle and then watched as one chugged past in the opposite direction, I expected to see cowboys hanging out the windows.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4264-M.jpg

I caught up with it in Durango, and for all you trainspotters out, I took a picture.
I've had a couple of conversations with Yanks about anorak-wearing trainspotters, they don't seem to exist in America, and they had no idea what I was referring to I'm sure someone with more skill than I can conjure up a picture of some typical trainspotters, and we're not talking the Danny Boyle film.
Opposite the train station was a scene that caught my eye, yes, it may well look like a garage, and I almost pulled up to one of these in an earlier town for petrol, but actually it's a drive thru bank, Americans seem to do a lot of drive-thrus including post boxes and pharmacies.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4265-M.jpg
And on into Kansas, the temperatures were still hoveringa round the 100 degrees mark - and I was sweltering every day. I was intrigued by the sign which claimed this particular field was the site of original wheel ruts from the pioneers' wagons as they headed west in the 19th century.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4290-M.jpg
I read the info signs - I seemed to be the only person for miles around, and then stared out over the fields, and yes, I reckon I could see the humps and irregularities in the grass, showing where the wagons used to go. I might feel like a roughty toughty traveller on my 48 horsepower motorbike, but it's nothing compared to the hardships people used to face crossing this huge country with just bullocks and single horses.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4292-M.jpg
My only company was a grasshopper on the path.
I like to think this was his view of me.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4280-M.jpg
I was heading due east with one destination I was determined not to miss...
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4300-M.jpg

Dodge City - home of the Wild West, first I had this incredible array of ironwork sculptures to pass
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4297-M.jpg
And then I arrived at the fabled city itself, I was disappointed that there wasn't a cowboy or indian in sight.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4294-M.jpg
But I did enjoy the sheriff signs in the front gardens, a hint of the Wild West.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4295-M.jpg

Smilies Gone Mad
 

For some reason when I try using the word C H U G G E D, the website converts the word into a beer drinking symbol.

And err, the word B E E R itself as well!

beergington was beerging along the branch line when Thomas appeared from the siding.
"Toot toot beerginton! How about a jeiger before we head off to the sheds?"
"Great idea," replied beergington.
So they beerged off together for a jeiger and bier.
.

Write a little story about steam trains and you get a ready-made fully-animated party invitation....

c h e e r s

Eric or Gail?

Chugging
 

You definitely have too much time on your hands:cool4:

Not bad
 

That's a cleaner joke about that sign than I heard from others.

Onward to Oklahoma!
 

The final night on the road in Kansas was a pretty one

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4269-M.jpg

But even so, with the temperatures hitting 111 degrees plus during the day, I was looking forward to a bit of luxury and actually staying in a house, maybe sleeping in a bed if I was lucky.(and possibly those around me hoping I'd find somewhere with a showerhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif)
However when I reached RockyDog's place in Oklahoma, (an internet contact) maybe lucky was not the word that sprang to mind, he assured me he had tidied up in honour of my visit
, but his sitting room looked like this...
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4305-M.jpg


The good news was that he has electricity http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gifhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gif
and a shower http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gif (with proper shower curtain)

and actually quite a decent area for "My Office"


http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4308-M.jpg

This was my comfortable office space.
However I wasn't to have much time on my computer, I was here to experience one of America's most symbolic holidays...Independence Day, and it was to be in Oklahoma small-town style

Step One:
Establish size of town

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../photo-2-M.jpg

OK, 110 people, for me that constitues a tiny hamlet, but if the Yanks want to call it a town, I'm not going to argue.

Step 2:
Watch the parade

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...M/parade-M.jpg

Whoopshttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif, I nearly got run over by the parade- hadn't realised it was this small (apologies to residents of Hillsdale), note the vehicles to my left, doing my Brit Abroad impression of looking the wrong way as I cross the road.

I sat down to continue watching

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...ectating-M.jpg

Step Three:

Watch various races, including the unusual three-legged sack race

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...ack-race-M.jpg

Unfortunately there was a problem with the camera and so we didn't get a picture of the turtle race which I particularly enjoyed. And if I'd known, I would have gone turtle hunting the day before and brought my own one along.

4th July
 

So, what did I participate in...??

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../M/coins-M.jpg

It might not look like the most dynamic of sports, but the tension was high as I lined up (sole international entrant) for the coin tossing event. I may not have been a prize winner, but I didn't let my nation down.
This was followed by the water balloon tossing, in which we made it to the quarter finals, you can tell from the wet t-shirt who was the more skilled at catching the balloonhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../0/M/wet-M.jpg

Having failed to make the winners' podium at any of the events in this small town of just 110 people, I retired to the town hall where I assisted witht he catering activities, they weren't letting this vegetarian near any actual cooking so I helped to open the tins of beans (which I couldn't help noticing all had meat in them).

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../beans-1-M.jpg

In time honoured fashion, the festivities ended with people sitting in the back of their trucks watching the fireworks

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4478-M.jpg

Small Town Breakfast
 

Breakfast in the garden with Stephen, my kind host, with rural views and motorbikes in the background.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4315-M.jpg

More foreign food, in this case, it was his homemade Corn Bread

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4317-M.jpg

and very tasty it was too. Thelma had been out in the garden feeling very at home with two of Stephen's bikes, he is in the process of "creating" a garage space for the bikes...

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4316-M.jpg

A final cup of tea in the garden, before I had to hit the road again (On the first night I forgot to take my camera and get photos of the nightlife in Enid when we went out for a few drinks at the Irish Bar)

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...M/garden-M.jpg


Huge thanks to Stephen for inviting me and being such a great host, :clap:I loved my small town adventures.

Signs
 

Whoops, almost lost this picture, one of my favourite place name signs from the trip

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4303-L.jpg

I think they were onto a bit of a theme with those towns.

I have a theory about place names in America, as so many of them seem a bit bizarre to Brits (not that we don't have funny places names in England I hasten to add).
Obviously I've covered many thousands of miles in the US on this trip:scooter:, and I've worked out that when the Yanks were naming their towns, they sat down armed with a dictionary, a map of the world and a page of birth and death announcements from the newspaper.

They'd flick through the dictionary to random page and pick any word, throw a dart at the map on the world for the next one and then randomly point a finger at an announcement in the paper.
This is how they ended up with
Parachute, Ethel and Lebanon on one road sign.

I don't know.... But I am sure I can hear banjos off stage
Rob

Texas!!
 

Southwards from Oklahoma and I reached Fort Worth, where there are many museums, art galleries etc. For once, I was heading to one of these bastions of the Arts, I do have a bit of a reputation for not appreciating Arty Cultural stuff, so what the hell was I doing here? There was one museum I wanted to see

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4324-M.jpg

It's the Cow Girl Museum and National Hall of Fame. Things started well when the car park attendant and I got chatting here's someone with a Brit accent on his English, originally from Nigeria and who spotted from the map on Thelma's topbox that she had been very close to Nigeria. He let me park for free...Viva the Empire.
Inside I was not disappointed, lots of this...

The CowGirls of Texas

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4318-M.jpg

There was even a bronco bull to ride on, but I think in the interests of Health and Safety, they had it on Go Slow mode only, as there was no danger of me being thrown off it!
It's not very big, but it was a great museum with a lot of interesting exhibits in it, and a great air-conditioning system. This is important, because Texas is HOT, VERY HOT. I came back outside, looked at the traffic building up and spotted an antidote to riding through the heat on a bike.

Edging the kids out of the way, I stepped towards the water feature/fountain thing

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and then just didn't stop

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http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4321-M.jpg

Lone Star Wanderings
 

By the time I had negotiated my way out of town, I had almost dried off. I found a rest stop with WiFi and positioned myself near the Storm Shelter to catch up on my blogging

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4333-M.jpg

In the carpark outside, one of the workers explained to me their cunning plan to get rid of the birds that have the temerity to "poop" (such a Yank word!!) on people getting in and out of their cars.
Yes, it's abird of prey however, this one is actually made of paper and it's a kite which they're flying over the area in the hope of scaring away other birds.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4329-M.jpg

Do people in America sue because they get a bit of bird poo on them? Is it time to say "Welcome to the real world?"
A little side note, as I'd headed through Oklahoma the day before, I had thought about going to Tennessee to visit my friend Jamie Z who had been so helpful after my high speed tyre blow-out on my previous road trip in America but for some reason, as soon as I had got within 300 miles of his neck of the woods, he had set off in the opposite direction for a month long ride. I'm not taking it personally Jamie, but....http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/Annie.gif

Ahead were more sign posts (I took this picture for my friend Joski who's surname is Marlin)


http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4328-M.jpg

I stopped for a break at a Czech place (West Texas is FULL of Czech towns and settlements, which all boast at least three Czech Bakeries) I met up with these nice old dears, one of whom was in England as part of the D-Day landings, another who keeps a gun in every vehicle AND every bathroom in his house.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4327-M.jpg

The assorted trophies in the background are for the bakery's prize-winning Kolache. These are small pastry parcels with a range of different fillings, it smelt delicious as I came in through the door. With 13 varieties to choose from I thought I couldn't go wrong, however I was forgetting the East European fixation with all things meat. The assistant regretfully shook her head as she informed me they all had meat fillings of one sort or another. Once more I made do with a cup of tea, feeling a bit sorry for myself.


More ramshackle houses, sometimes it's hard to work out if they are lived in or not.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4266-M.jpg


In so many towns on this journey, I have seen the effects of the recession biting deep, abandoned properties, shops boarded up and a general air of despair amdst the disrepair. I do feel a sense of privilege that I'm able to have choices in my life and I'm able to travel. Though it is on a tiny budget and I suspect many people wouldn't consider just sleeping in a small tent wherever they can find a bit of space for it.

A night in a field, south of Fort Worth somewhere, lately, in the desert areas I'd been concerned about scorpions in my bike boots each morning, but the main problem here seemed to be the hundreds of woodlice, they were crawling all over my sandals

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4326-M.jpg

and worse...inside my helmethttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif

Austin, where I had been recommended to visit the swimming hole at Barton Springs. Wow- over 900 feet long, a lot of swimming area

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4334-M.jpg
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4335-M.jpg


A quick dip for me to cool down and then back on with the riding gear

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A brief social stop at Horsepower Farm to say Hi to the guys, where I was due to give a talk.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4349-M.jpg

Then into central Austin where I was expected at the house of my friends Sonny and Sammie; as I pulled up outside I was greeted by Sonny himself with his baby son, Dylan

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4340-M.jpg

Hi Tiff!
 

If you make it down here to Del Rio,Tx.Have a spare room and space in Garage:)I'm planning a long wk.end trip over to Big Bend National Park next wk.end(dont know if you've been there?)Would be a pleasure to ride with ya:thumbup1:Big Bend is just 250 miles from here and we could pick up one of my coworkers to give us a tour of the place(shes a Biologist for the park system) Either way....love reading your stories:).....LTR....Harry

Invited
 

Hi Harry
I would have loved to have done that, but this Ride Tale is written up retrospectively as I wasn't able to keep it up to date while on the road. Maybe next time I'm over, I'll make it down to Del Rio, and Id love to ride in Big Bend.
cheers
Tiffany

Horsepower Farm
 

The following day, I had a radio interview and so I spent some time preparing...first of all, re-doing my nail varnish

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4344-M.jpg

And was I pleased I'd done my nails, because that afternoon, we bumped into Mel Gibson at the supermarket (Wholefoods of course), and Sonny being Sonny, bowls up to him and introduces himself and me as well (doing the whole world bike traveller bit), I mumbled something, Mel mumbled something, we shook hands and went off in our opposite directions.

Texas and the land of cheap petrol, where you see billboards like this one

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4351-M.jpg

Sonny got his GS out and we headed into town.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4350-M.jpg

We rode over to Horsepower Farm where I met Winslow, the owner, who showed me the Lunch with Tiffany Coates poster he had produced.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...s-poster-M.jpg

Whilst I got ready to give my talk, Thelma was introduced to the rest of the team. The guys in the workshop soon got to grips with her the guy standing up is the birthday boy.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4345-M.jpg

"Miss Coates....that problem with your clutch...did you realise that your clutch adjuster bolt is a few centimetres shorter than it should be??"

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4347-M.jpg

Their minds were boggling about what kind of situation causes damage like that...I had a little think about it and then remembered...it must have been after the nasty fall in Mongolia (long story where my boyfriend had to fly back to England to be operated on whilst I continued my journey). I remember the clutch bolt snapped when Thelma did her handstand, at the time I'd wondered what the Mongolian mechanics did to repair it. Hmmm, they obviously just filed it smooth and put it back in. I was donated a replacement bolt from Winslow's own bike.
I had a great time with everyone at Horsepower Farm, the talk went well and the lunch stretched from 11.00am to 4.00pm at which point they practically had to carry me out still talking.

Goodbye Texas
 

Having had a very sociable time in Austin and even having managed to catch up with one of the guys I rode to Tibet with last year, it was time to say my farewells. Before I left I to put my new sticker on the topbox.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4869-M.jpg

It seemed very appropriate for Thelma.

Sonny accompanied me out of town on his GS, he's one of those people who can make a big GS seem like a small bike.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4352-M.jpg

Luckily for me the brutal summer weather had cooled a bit as I headed east.

I stopped at a garage to get some petrol and got talking to the owner, he had an unusual accent and so I asked where he was from. He replied "Hunza",
and then was most surprised when I said it's one of my favourite places in the world...and I launched into a long conversation with him and his brother about Gilgit, Karimabad and Ishmaili people, they said it's the first time anyone in Texas has ever even known where their home village is and when I showed them some of my photos from that region (Northern Pakistan), they were almost in tears. Such lovely people.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4354-M.jpg

In typical Ishmaili fashion, they were falling over themselves to provide refreshments and food, but I had to continue as I knew friends were waiting for me further down the road..

Tiffany without doubt you bring out the best in people
 

I find in my travels if you show genuine interest in people you get it returned in spades.enjoying your travels.Noel

Meeting People
 

That's very true Noel. Glad you're enjoying my exploits, more to come.

Louisiana
 

Land of crocodile-infested swamps and creeks


http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../photo-2-L.jpg
I'm looking brave for the picture but stll keeping a wary eye on the water's edge behind me. Although the crocs here are nothing compared to the ones in Oz.
I was met at the State Line by friends and rode to Lafayette where I stayed with my good friends Bob and Phyllis, I first met them 10 years ago in Ecuador.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4440-M.jpg


Strange itmes in the shops in this part of the world

Worms in the fridge

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4365-M.jpg


I had to take a closer look,
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4366-M.jpg

To my surprise the the containers aren't even covered. I don't think we sell worms like this in shops in England, everyone has plenty in their gardens.

And then fishing hooks almost the size of my hand..to catch alligators with

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4364-M.jpg


Bob has a new toy, a Honda 90 scooter,

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4372-M.jpg


He asked if I wanted to ride it- I've never ridden anything that size before

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4367-M.jpg


It's a blurred picture as the scooter shot off out of control and I thought I was going to die on it.http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif Luckily the fence was there otherwise I would have ended up in the river.

Cajun Hospitality
 

My wounds after I had demolished part of Bob's fence...

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4373-M.jpg

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4374-M.jpg

These were the only injuries I sustained this trip. Plucking up my courage I got back on (with Bob nervously taking a look at the damage to his fence!!)http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/lol8.gif
This time I got it sussed, the bloody thing has NO clutch, my problem had been that I'd revved up and then kicked it into gear which meant it had shot off with me on it.
This time I took it more slowly and was soon sedately riding around the garden.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4370-M.jpg

Then out on the river for a trip in the boat with Captain Bob at the helm,
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4382-M.jpg

he informed me that it's not a river, it's a bayou. Admiring the scenery,
though not all of it was picturesque, it was still interesting


http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4384-M.jpg

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4385-M.jpg


Enjoying the peace and quiet of being away from the road and traffic, or at times going underneath the roads

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4378-M.jpg


And all while enjoying a nice glass or two of chilled white wine

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Lots of reminders that we're in a french-speaking part of the world

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4390-M.jpg


I caught up with some old friends, who have a couple of vintage cars

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4398-M.jpg

Complete with genuine Vote for Hoover number plate from 1928

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I found their town rules quite amusing, with fridge magnets telling them when they may or may not water their gardens
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More socialising when Bob and Phyllis hosted a party for me, I loved the tortilla chips in a brown bag

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We had quite a crowd

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4409-M.jpg

This was me at the end of the evening, "hoovering" up the leftover food and making sure the wine didn't get wasted (not realising that Bob had my camera and was gathering evidence!)

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These Cajuns know how to party and the following night I had another social event- the Swamp Scooters Club Meeting, I've heard a lot about them and about their rally they host each year.
I couldn't have had a warmer reception and was welcomed to the club, I gave a talk about one of my overseas bike journeys which they enjoyed.
Here's a link about their next rally.

http://swampscooters.net/wp/

It's the Cajun Swamp Scooter Rally, this year it's on November 9th to 11th, near Lafayette. Unfortunately I won't be able to make it....as they say in this part of the world
"Laisser les bons temps rouler" :D

Loitering in Louisiana
 

Exploring the area by pick up truck with Clint- a fellow off-roader from my ride through Ecuador- we'd taken to the truck as the rain was torrential

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4421-M.jpg

We admired swamps, levees and bridges

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4417-M.jpg

This was definitely the wettest part of my whole journey.

I was also thrilled to getthe chance of going to the drive-thru bank; with friends who were most amused at me pulling out my camera to take a picture.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4388-M.jpg

Looking at the picture, I've realised the bloke looks like a mannequin.

The afternoon was spent sat at the dining table, uploading photos onto my computer when, looking out through the window I realised I had company

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4375-M.jpg


Instead of updating my blog, I spent time watching him (or her)

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4376-M.jpg


to us Brits, it's an exotic sight to see a bright green lizard.

The following night to a packed audience at the Pack and Paddle Canoe shop in Lafayette, I gave a talk about my travels, for those wondering what on earth I was doing in a canoe shop, I do have a canoe connection, as I have crossed the Niger River in north west Africa in a dug out canoe with my bike. This was a precarious operation and one that is not recommended, the canoe trip NOT the talk.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4434-M.jpg

New Orleans
 

East from Lafayette and to the city of New Orleans, the most European looking place I've been to on this trip.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4424-M.jpg

I stayed with my friend Libby and although it was a brief visit, we managed to pack quite a bit in. One high point was the sight of petrol being sold for just $3 a GALLON!! Fill up the fuel tank time. This being Louisiana in July the heavens opened and I got rained on a fair amount.
There are still a lot of reminders from Hurricane Katrina

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We watched tourists doing the touristy thing, from the traditional

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to the more modern

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4454-M.jpg


In America the phrase "open containers of alcohol" has strong implications, bascially it seems like you can't drink anywhere except at home or in bars. However in parts of New Orleans, they allow drinking in the streets and there are crowds of Yanks wandering around very self-conciously clutching their drinks, even in the rain. I ventured outside the bar just for a quick photo

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4458-M.jpg

Before heading down to the river for a paddle in the water

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4459-M.jpg

The famous Mississippi, seen from a different angle

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4462-M.jpg

The Storming of the Bastille
 

And we're not talking about the weather in New Orleans, although it wasn't exactly sunshine and blue skies
Downtown New Orleans and it had stopped raining, these people seemed to be following us
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4464-M.jpg
yep, it's the tourists on the Segways, they looked relieved that it had stopped pouring
In a rare nod towards the Arts, I went in search of some and found....Banksy (look him up if you don't know this guy's art- he's incredible)
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4449-M.jpg
I like to think he may have used me as his inspiration
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4451-M.jpg
We caught up with some French friends and having sampled some cocktails, went out
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4487-M.jpg
we were celebrating Bastille Day and what better place than New Orleans,
We wandered back down to the Mississippi
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4488-M.jpg
To enjoy the fireworks
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4466-M.jpg
As these were going off, our group were singing the Marsellaise, but the Americans didn't seem to realise what song it is.
Then a bar, where to the french group's delight, they could smoke
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4481-M.jpg
and we met some of these guys
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4484-M.jpg
New Orleans hosts its own version of Pamplona's Running of the Bulls, except in this case the bulls are the local Roller Derby team - The Big Easy Roller Girls. On their roller skates they pursue various hapless people who are dressed as matadors in white and red through the streets of the city.
Harking back to my ride across Siberia, we ended up in a Russian themed pub, where even the loos had this sign.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4486-M.jpg

Leaving the Big Easy
 

Breakfast in New Orleans requires a compulsory visit to the Boulangerie for croissants, my friend Libby posing in the rain outside the shop after we bought about 10 just for us but pretended we were buying for more people!!http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif

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Back at the hosue and a suspicious character is loitering around Thelma

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Turns out to be fellow Brit Biker and friend Michael Walshaw, and he was kindly donating some Kriega accessories

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4493-M.jpg

Thelma got a strap on dry bag, while I got the very, very cool hydration backpack

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4495-M.jpg

All excellent stuff and a huge thank you to Michael and the guys at Kriegahttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gif

Kriega - Select your region

leaving the city, I somehow managed to miss the massive bridge that crosses over to the north side of the bay...sorry Bob!

Heading for the Hills
 

Here's a sign that ensures you keep moving...

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4496-M.jpg

The patch of sunshine I was able to take that photo in was but a small one and once more the heavens opened, Thelma and I were getting so very wet and the visibility through the spray was so poor that I decided to stop at this picnic area for shelter - in a weird way, the rain was welcome as it had been blisteringly hot just days ago. And on the plus side, look how clean Thelma is after all the gallons of water have landed on her. I wear a Rukka jacket and all the way through these downpours I was completely dry under it.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4503-M.jpg

We were heading up to Arkansas and some hill country. First I had to cross part of Alabama, and I swear that they have people with the strongest accents manning the welcome centres. I had stopped to get a state map, but at first couldn't understand the woman behind the counter. I asked her to repeat what she said and she just looked at me as if I was an alien. We managed to communicate, I got my map and continued on my way, stopping at some great small town petrol stations for snacks to eat and a chat with staff to avoid more rain.


Luckily it had stopped raining when I needed to stop for the night, I'd reached Delhi in northern Louisiana, followed an old track and found a spot flat enough for the tent.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4505-M.jpg

The mosquitoes had been bad as I put the tent up and I soon found out why in the morning, as this was behind the row of trees

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The swamps gave way to corn fields

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We'd arrived in Arkansas, and these little creatures were everywhere

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4511-M.jpg

Dead armadilloes, scattered along the roadside like discarded bowling balls, or maybe they were just sunbathinghttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif

I finally reached the Ozarks, and what pretty hills they are, I needed to gain points for the GS Giant Adventure Summit and so took a forest route, my first serious off-roading for a while. I didn't have a very good map, but the nice man at the welcome centre (they're an American version of Tourist Information Centres) had made a few suggestions and pointed me in the direction of some horse trails that were suitable for motorised vehicles. What a mistake that was, in England we have bridleways for people on horses and they tend to be leisurely tracks across fields. They are sometimes shared with other track users as well, after I entered the forest, I realised this was a very different situation.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4518-M.jpg


I checked the signs as I headed along this trail

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4516-M.jpg

Great, just to add to my problems I am now facing bears as well, I had no idea that there were bears this far south. I decided to keep moving

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4520-M.jpg

Easier said than done

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4523-M.jpg

The route ahead had some steps in it with a drop off at the bottom, I needed to try and haul rocks to make the drop off easier to negotiate. But Thelma was on a slope and I couldn't put the side stand down, hence I had to do this

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4525-M.jpg

I got through that bit, and the the upward slope on the other side was worse

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4526-L.jpg

Thanks
 

Thanks for the above Tiff.

We are heading off for about a year to the USA, Aaska and South American next April. Your blog has been inspiring.

bier

Ray

Hi Tiffany. Jim here, you know, from the BMOA Rally (i finally got to meet Tiffany). IT looks to me that Thelma must be tired. She is always laying down. Are you giving her enough sleep?

If you get up anywhere Central Illinois in your travels, please let me know. We would love to have you visit. There is room for you ty as well.

Keep up the fun travels.

Words
 

Hi Ray
Glad to hear that you're enjoying my tales from the road- you will have a fantastic time on your trip. If you've got any questions, do get in touch, make sure you try and get to one or two of the North America HU meetings while you're there, they are great. I especially loved the beautiful setting of the Western Canada meet in Nakusp, British Columbia.
Ride Safe


Hi Jim
Good to hear from you, I didn't make it back up to Central Illinois- maybe next time, so remind me next time I'm on your side of the Atlantic. As for your cheeky comments about Thelma, yes, she did have a couple of lie downs on this trip, unusually so for me, but it's always good to practice the picking up technique:D

GS Giants Adventure Summit
 

I was there for a very long time getting Thelma out

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4535-M.jpg

which afforded several photo opportunities

as for my other options...well, I'd reached the point of no return and had already decided that I wouldn't be able to get out the way I'd come in - I only got photos while I was on the "easier" bits.

After a prolonged sojourn in the forest doing the Horse Trail (never again), I made it back onto tarmac and eventually found these guys

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4543-M.jpg

ah yes, I thought, as I looked around, I must be in the right place, they're picking up GS's

The GS Giants and their adventure summit, deep in the Ozark hills at a great camping spot under the trees, fantastic food, amazing riding and good company. To my delight, there was also a creek to swim in with a rope swing over it. I caught up with some familiar faces from the previous adventure summit in Utah back in May.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4564-M.jpg

Interesting ride tales each evening as everyone came back from their adventures, including the infamous Frog Bayou ride - 60 miles in 12 hours and a group of 11 riders.They also had stories about their journeys from their various home states.
Roads in this area are very interesting

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4545-M.jpg

Thelma borrowed some air, I'd let some out for the trail riding.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4546-M.jpg

In an attempt to keep things tame I went exploring and found a pretty graveyard

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4541-M.jpg

I particularly liked this sign on the fence

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4542-M.jpg

I went in search of lunch and found this place - the Red Hog Deli
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4547-M.jpg


Not much for the peckish vegetarian, until they explained what hush puppies were. I missed geting a picture of the sign that proudly declared this establishment to be a place for "fine dining".

Meanwhile, back in the woods, an of road course was being set up, bikes were prepped

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4550-M.jpg

The riders were gathered

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4551-M.jpg


With the cute Canadian dog as mascot, he only understands french!

And they were off

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4554-M.jpg

A trials course through the woods with thrills and spills

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http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4556-M.jpg

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Still in the Woods
 

Bikes were still riding around in all directions...
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4563-M.jpg

There was even an orange bike competing.

Meanwhile, my friends Gaila and Tad had got hold of my camera and were taking selfies

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4573-M.jpg

with a very unfortunate pic of me in the background.
In my defence, I had JUST got out of the creek where I'd been swimming to cool down and therefore was not in bike gear.

However I couldn't resist having a go at the course through the woods, once evryone else had finished and left the area

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4579-M.jpg

This is one of those pictures where I've got that gritted teeth look!
and then Gaila took this photo

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4577-M.jpg

It's a good one of Thelma, but crikey http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif I look a bit on the tubby side in this photohttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif

Howlin' at the Moon
 

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...0/M/2012-M.jpg

Yep, I was off to the BMW MOA Rally in Sedalia, Missouri. We rode up in groups from the Ozarks and gathered in the GS Giants Camping area

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...thatsyou-M.jpg

Ryan wasted no time in getting his hammock up- except that his KTM wasn't sturdy enough for the job and he had to borrow someone's GS as a tethering post

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4613-M.jpg


Some of the guys found a place they felt more at home

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4643-M.jpg

and put their tents up in the shade inside the Swine Barn...http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/yelrotflmao.gif

There were so many things to do, including a Welcome Dinner hosted by Vince Winkel

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4584-M.jpg

Lots of fun and laughs, and I got to meet a female motorcycling legend...Voni Glaves, who has ridden over a million miles on BMW bikes.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4586-M.jpg


Meanwhile, they were using JCBs and trucks to create an off-raod skills course next to our campsite, it was starting to look like this

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4616-M.jpg

But to be honest, I waited until it was getting dark for my first trial run

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4587-M.jpg

the nervous smile says it all as I surveyed the scenes of carnage, where bikes had fallen all along the course

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4588-M.jpg


But actually it's Thelma's rear tyre the camera should have zoomed in on, as it was decidedly smooth looking...
and was that mud and...gulp, sand out there on the coursehttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif

on a very cold and wet afternoon in Yorkshire, I've spent a delightful hour (or 2) catching up on the last 8 pages of your inspiring journey!
stay well and upright :)

thank you
 

Elaine, so glad to hear you've been enjoying the stories from my journey.

Still with the GS Giants
 

There is a lot to see and do at the MOA Rally, including the rather bizarre firing of a heavy item into the air every day at 4pmhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/hmmm.gifI'm not sure what that was about.

Plenty of talks and seminars and also all the exhibitors, including several old friends, so I had quite a social time.

An evening in the bar with the GS Giants

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4596-M.jpg

Houston had his tattoos on display

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4601-M.jpg

Meanwhile, there was some "work" being done at the off-road course

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4589-L.jpg

The sneaky sods are making everything wetter including the already deep, slippery and tricky mud section. Step forward the driver...

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4591-M.jpg

Yep, it's that Sonny Johns from Texas - he had a bit of a telling off from me about making the course more difficult.

The next day I tracked down a bike similar to Thelma

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4629-M.jpg

Her owner agreed he had the same wheels as me, and then while he was looking the other way, I proceeded to remove the rear one.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4631-M.jpg

I popped the wheel onto Thelma and went for a practice run in daylight

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4620-M.jpg

Although the tyre was well-worn, it was a good deal better than the tyre I already had and so I negotiated to borrow the wheel for the competition. Step forward Scott "Voice of a Choirboy" Nogrady

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4599-M.jpg

Owner of the GS in question and who happily agreed to share his wheel with me, the only slight obstacle being that he was also competing, so we would need a bit of slick work in the pits to swap over the wheels between bouts.

COMPETING???http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif

Yes, the woman who does not like competitions and hates it when people are watching her ride had agreed (over a beer or twohttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/friday.gif) to take part in the GS Giants competition. As the smallest person and sole female competing I wasn't in with a chance but I hoped I might inspire other women to take part. Everyone was very supportive and now that I had the offer of Scott's wheel, I would at least be able to get Thelma around the track through the mud and sand.

The competition was due to take place the next day so we all went out to discuss tactics...in the barhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif However, the guys were distracted by the karaoke

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4608-M.jpg

and proceeded to bring the bar down with their singing

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4610-M.jpg

Even after the DJ had tried to finish, the guys were still passing the microphone aorund the table...Green Day's Closing Time will never sound the same again to me after its raucous rendition by the GS Giantshttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/yelrotflmao.gif

Lingering at the BMW MOA Rally
 

still seem to be at the MOA Rally
It's the final night so a few of us head over to the stadium http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4661-L.jpg
Ian, Clayton and Lori amongst them.
Inside it's pretty packed out
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4660-M.jpg
They start going through winners and awards and then suddenly this picture appears on the giant screen
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4648-M.jpg
My group give me a standing ovation as it turned out I'd won the furthest travelled international rider.
And then we headed to the beer tent...The final night at the MOA Rally was upon us, some people had already left- so there were some sad farewells, we'd been riding and camping together for over a week by this point. Although we weren't so upset that we didn't forget to relieve them of them unused beer tokens. Some of the guys kept them handy as we headed down to the biergarten
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4666-M.jpg
The biergarten was buzzing as usual. Our final evening together, Dawn and I were wearing Jeanae's great t-shirts (Ride Like a Girl), so the three of us decided to get on Thelma for a couple of photos.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4669-M.jpg
A suggestion was made to try a Charlie's Angels pose
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4673-M.jpg
What we didn't realise is that from the side, it looked very different, with legs flying everywhere.
http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4671-M.jpg
__________________

She's Leaving Town
 

It's early morning and the view from my tent looked like this

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4675-L.jpg


Standing in the foreground is the lovely Andre, who had ridden down from Canada solo for the first time, her husband hadn't been able to get the time off work and so she came on her own. To my good fortune, she set up tent next to me and proceeded to supply me with my early morning cup of tea in bed. All I needed to do was wave at her through the window/air vent on my tent and she would bring a cup over.

It had been a bit of a raucous night, and the evidence was obvious as I looked around

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4679-M.jpg

One GS Giant hadn't made it back to his tent....

I was busy, packing my stuff and trying to get it all to fit back into my panniers as well as the things I had been given such as my plaque for furthest travelled International Rider. The blue tarp attached to the fence was my attempt at getting soime shade for my camp spot- my Dad would be proud of me, as I checked my compass bearings when I arrived at the camp and chose this spot with the fence to the east so that I could create some shade, by 7.00am each morning it was already hot.


On the hunt for a souvenir, Thelma and I tried to fit the GS Giants' sign into our luggage, but it wasn't going to happenhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4688-M.jpg

We'd also acquired a mascot...and it's in the right colours

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4657-M.jpg


Saying goodbye to various friends and some of the great people I'd met, I struck lucky. The guys at Twisted Throttle (one of the GS Giants' sponsors) felt so sorry for me in my European winter http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif coat - yep that's right I've been sweating through all this intense heat - hence the multiple bad hair days and me looking not at my best. Anyway, Erik and the guys produced a Macna summer jacket for me, complete with all those vents and mesh that I'd noticed the Yanks in this part of the world have.
How excited was Ihttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gifhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gif and it matched Thelmahttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gif

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O...7611096n-M.jpg

We were both looking a bit more spruce, me in my jacket, Thelma with her new tyres as I loaded up my panniers, bidding farewell and headed out on my own once more- after eight days with the GS guys, it was a wrench saying goodbye and returning to my solitary ride, I knew I'd miss them all. I'd especially like to thank Ian who organised the GS Giants event (I was joking about nicking the sign, honest Ian!), Tracey the Queen and Score Keeper and all the rest of the women and guys for their friendship and the fun we had. I'd also like to thank the BMW MOA Rally organisers for inviting me to the Rally in the first place and Bill Mayer Saddles for getting me a vendor's pass to get in.

Georgia on my Mind
 

I was back on the road looking at the farms I was passing, which all seemed to be in contention for the Most American Farmhouse in the Mid-West competition.

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4694-M.jpg

And loving signs as simple as this

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4695-M.jpg

Yieldhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif??? That's not something you do with a vehicle, it's a wrestling term, or something that kinights used to demand in days of yore.
Despite my best efforts I'd been just about the last rider to leave our camping area (probably not a surprise to the others)- I must remember not to chat so much, the late start meant I didn't get too far on my day's riding...I'd been expecting to camp somewhere in Tennessee but my map is small and I somehow managed to be in a different state, though on the plus side I did get an unexpected view of that archway thing in St Louis which I've heard about on the telly.
I ended up in Illinois and stumbled across a great camping spot, which I have to confess I accessed via a small footpath which was a squeeze for Thelma, but when I saw the view from my tent in the morning, it was worth it

http://tiffanystravels.smugmug.com/O.../IMG4700-M.jpg

I'm sure a real camp site would probably charge a fair amount of money for this type of location. Further round it became even more picturesque

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Much as I enjoy camping, I was looking forward to a couple nights in a real bed having spent the past 14 nights in my tent. Humidity was rising as I went southwards and arrived at Fabrizio and Geoffrey's house in Atlanta, that bastion of southerness. The combination of a warm latin american welcome combined with legendary southern hospitality welcome was fantastic, some wine, great conversation and a comfortable bed awaited me. I also had a go on Fabrizio's BMW bike...

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It looks a bit like Thelma without her seat http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif and was a lot of fun to ride.

I stayed in Atlanta for a couple of days, my hosts were amused by my version of a GPS

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Yep folks, that's right good old pen and paper (and a nice view of one of the dents in Thelma's fuel tank!) A close up of the pages, and apologies to those of you wincing at my liberal use of sellotape on the petrol tank, but a few adhesive marks are nothing compared to the the battle scars that Thelma has.

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The Final Camp Spot
 

Most nights on this journey have been spent in my tent, which is my little home from home when I'm on the road. I love camping and now I was about to have my final night under canvas.

Dragging myself away from the great hospitality of Atlanta, I rode north and found myself passing through seven States in 24 hours (and I wasn't even trying to!). My small map book was struggling to cope.

I found a wonderfully green camping spot, I think I was in one of the Virginias.

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I had mixed feelings as I put up my tent, looking around and making the most of being outside and in the fresh air. I was getting towards the end of my trip (had you noticed that the East Coast and the Atlantic Ocean were getting closer?)

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I was aware that this was going to be my final night in my tent (unless things went wronghttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eek7.gif), I cracked open my half bottle of wine and toasted Thelma and my tent drinking a nice Shiraz out of my enamel mug.

Things seem a bit quiet in Pennsylvania
 

Leaving the southern states behind I reached rural Pennsylvania and the home of Chris and Judy nicknamed the Bates Motel

it was a misty night as I pulled up

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Inside the Bates Motel, things were pretty normal, Mum Judy was in her rocking chair, while her son Chris was lurking with the meat hook/sickle

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The scary thing is...see that book in Judy's hands??

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It looks like I'm probably related to them, especially when I looked inside the book and there was this picture

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Charles is my Dad's name!

Actually, Chris and Judy proved to be fantastic hosts, Judy even made me some lovely food to prove it, although this was a very strange dish in my opinion

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Beetroot in lime jelly (as a savoury dish)http://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eek7.gif

Thelma and I had a bit of a clean up.

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Hospitality at Hermy's
 

The house didn't look so scary in the daylight, Chris and Judy were great hosts - it' a typical Pennsylvanian farmhouse.

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They let me out one evening and I headed to Hermy's which is a BMW dealership where I gave a talk. Everyone there was very friendly and I had a great audience with some interesting questions. Thelma was brought inside and was the centre of attention,
Hermy got me to look at one of the newer models from BMW!

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A full evening was made of it with food and refreshments as well although they were serving up hotdogs, but I was in luck as one of the staff is a vegan and she provided me with a yummy selection of food.

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From Rural Wanderings to Urban Guerilla
 

All too soon, it was time to depart, as I headed out onto the road, aware that this was my final long ride of the trip

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I paused to grab a couple of photo opportunities in the woods on my way.

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It's easy enough to head east until you reach the coast, and it's easy enough to find New York City as most the roads seemed to head there.
I had no map, no directions (not even the scribbled down and sellotaped to my petrol tank kindhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif).

I found myself on a bridge

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It was all starting to look familiar, although I've never been to New York (probably the only one of the World's major cities I've not managed to pass through), but there are enough telly programmes that feature the city, that I could work out that I'd arrived, even without welcome to New York signs. I was busy keeping an eye on the erratic driving of the vehicles around me to look for signs, although to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of congestion.

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I took a random turning off the dual carriageway, finding myself in an area called Harlem...didn't they used to have a famous basketball team? I kept riding, and suddenly saw Lexington Avenue on a signpost- what luck, that's the street that my friend lives on, and here I was just stumbling upon it. However her address was a couple of thousand house numbers away- the American streets can be so unbelievably longhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eekers.gif
I rode and I rode
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until finally I reached her building - she's a Brit who lives in a flat, with a good view (if you like looking at buildings)

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I can't remember what they are, but one of them is the Chrysler building

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I dumped my bags on the floor and relaxed with a glass of wine, I'd finally made it to the East Coast.

Life in New York
 

From leading a relatively solitary life, camping out in the wilds on my own I was thrust into the social side of life in Manhattan, touring round bars and pubs with my hostess, Sabs, and her Yank hubby in tow, I did my best to keep up with them but then, their Irish friends took us to a place that was serving all night until 10.00amhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/eek7.gif
I took the easy way out and retired to bed a lot earlier than that, heading back to my cosy room, I have to say that it felt very safe walking around on my own late at night- a big plus about any large city in my bookhttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/clap.gif

Whilst I was out and about sampling gin, Thelma was parked outside the block of flats for a few days, illegally in a parking slot without a meter ticket as the 24 hour tickets were just so expensive. She was gaining some notoriety amongst the neighbours and curious passers by.

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Actually I must confess, that bloke is a fellow Brit whom I'd last seen riding across the Salar De Uyuni on a KLR... 10 years ago - I have ways of tracking down people. It was good to met up with him again and relive the adventures we'd had down in South America.

A celebratory lunch, plus a glass or two of winehttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif with the lovely Sabs (my host- think AB Fab's Joanna Lumley but 30 years younger)

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I don't actually come from a motorcycling background, so Sabs, along with most of my friends has no concept about what is involved in bike travel, especially, my kind of travel where I'm wild camping most nights, something she finds frightening to even think about. But she's quick to suggest drinks and a toast to the successful completion of my journey.

That was before she saw the state of my room in her apartment...

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In my defence I was having to sort out all my kit, as the day was rapidly approaching when I'd be taking Thelma to the shipping agent and so I had to decide which of my belongings went with Thelma and which I would be able to carry myself.

Tiffany i always enjoy your blog's
 

So where are you off to now?Noel:D

Hello
 

Hi Noel, glad you enjoy the stories of my riding exploits. At the moment I'm not making plans for any long term travel as my Dad is a bit poorly and so I'm spending time with him and my Mum - luckily they live not too far from me in Cornwall. Fingers crossed for his health. You'll be the first to know when I'm back on the road properly again Noel...errr, you and the several thousand others on HUBB!
On the plus side if I'm not away travelling, it should mean that I am around for the best travel event this side of the moon- yep, the HUBBUK :funmeteryes: in May/June.

I will be in Cornwall at the end of May for a few days. I have never been before and am really looking forward to it. I will not be on the bike but in a car with my parents.

In Cornwall?
 

head on down to Lands End for a visit, parents welcome as well!:D

Saying Goodbye
 

I loaded Thelma up and we headed out into the traffic once more, looking to get over or under a river, I managed to find this tunnel...

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(another in the occasional series of don't tell my Mum I was taking photos as I rode along!)

In search of the shipping agents - James Cargo, I ended up in New Jersey somewhere , it's the usual locations, seedy looking warehouses and almost no people in sight. Success when I saw the sign over the door and I handed over Thelma to a very nice man called Arpad, the paperwork took us very little time, then he did a visual check of Thelma, as she is so battered after the 15 years of travel that I've put her through, it didn't take long to note on his sheet that almost every panel is damaged! And before I knew it, Arpad was wheeling Thelma away into the warehouse.

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I always find it hard saying goodbye to Thelma and leaving her in someone else's hands. Picking up my bag, I headed back into NYC on the train, clutching bike helmet and seat as a reminder that I'm usually a bike traveller

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It was my final night in America, Sabs had a drinks party to wish me farewell

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Heading Home
 

Thelma was last seen being wheeled into the shipping agents' warehouse somewhere in deepest, darkest New Jersey, whilst I was then partying in New York for my final night before flying home.
I always have mixed emotions when I'm heading back to England after a journey. Even more so if I'm not actually riding Thelma, and thus having to once more navigate through a busy airport with a load of bike gear.
I feel a sense of accomplishment at having achieved something, a sense of loss that the journey is over and anticipation about going home- I love where I live and have a close network of family and friends whom I'm always looking forward to seeing again.
JFK Airport, incidentally had the most unpleasant jobs worth person I have ever encountered at any airport...and Yes, I did tell her thathttp://d26ya5yqg8yyvs.cloudfront.net/icon10.gif

But they let me out and I made it back to England, shortly after, Thelma arrived...
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The Aylward Brothers, friends of mine from London had come alongg to assist collecting Thelma from the docks.

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It was a bit of a struggle because I'm a bit short to be of much use once Thelma is on a ramp and neither of these guys rides motorbikes...at all!
We eventually got Thelma into the back of the van

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Proof that I was back in England
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We unloaded Thelma onto the street in Deptford, South London and I waved my Union Jack


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Clouds were gathering and I had to move quickly

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As Thelma's seat was still on its way back from America, I had to create a substitute

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I rode across London and found a Knight in Shining Armour...Steptoe

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He happened to have a GS from a similar era which he's in the process of doing up in his workshop- he's a genius with BMW GS bikes.
And he was happy to lend me the seat, which sort of fitted and was definitely a big improvement on my gaffer tape and foam creation.
Huge thanks to Steptoe AKA Neil a veritable hero in English GS circles.

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In Cornwall
 

So, I'm safely home, what next??
Thelma's new saddle arrived from Bill Mayer
BILLMAYERSADDLES, aftermarket motorcycle seats, custom motorcycle seats, the Original Mayer Saddle

And she looks great with it on.

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I'm ready for more adventures. As many of you know, I was due to head overseas this Autumn, but I had to put that plan on hold. My lovely father was diagnosed with cancer - Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, just before I left America and flew home. I've cancelled all long trips away while we wait and see; he's coping well with the chemo and has an incredible attitude and fighting spirit so we hope for the best. We'll know more in the New Year when they do the next batch of tests and I'll maybe make plans then. All those exotic faraway places that lure me away from home will be there next year and the year after, but my Dad, maybe not. I'm spending a lot of time with him and my Mum and feeling lucky that I live relatively close to them, which makes it easier to pop in and see him. He's the best Dad in the world and I don't want to lose him. All positive thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Now that I've made myself cry, I'd better put up another "Tiff and her weird bike habits" picture.

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With Thelma's new bike seat here, I had to send the borrowed one back to Steptoe in London, I don't have a car and so I attached the rather large parcel on the back of Thelma and off we went to the post office, where they're quite used to me and my postal habits. And although it's sunny, it's pretty cold here in England and so I am back to my multiple layers under my bike gear, leading to my Michelin Man appearance.

Hi Tiffany,

I enjoyed reading your stories and seeing your pictures of your trip to the US.
Sorry to hear about your dad and I hope he gets better soon.

Best wishes for you and your dad.

Tiffany first of all Merry Christmas
 

I wish your dad every success with his battle,hope this can be a special time for the two of you to share.Noel:D

Hi Tiff,

well there's no better reason to postpone your riding plans, as family always comes first.

Good luck to your dad with his treatment.

Regards

Reggie

Season's Greetings
 

Thank you for your kind thoughts and comments.

Merry Christmas to you all and thank you for taking the time to follow my ride tale here on the HUBB. To all my friends and supporters around the world I hope 2013 brings you everything you could wish for.

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I have enjoyed reading your posts. Have a great Christmas & a super new year.

Bright Future
 

Hi Tiffany,

Great writing and great riding! For what it's worth, my brother was diagnosed with non-hodgkins Lymphoma 14 years ago. I fortunately was a perfect match for a stem cell transplant. We now share the same DNA (I'm stuffed if he kills someone) and he leads a healthy and active life.

Don't write the old man off yet!! :thumbup1:

Hi Tiffany,
First time reader of any threads here. I'm glad U enjoyed your trip to America. And thanks for the words and pictures of your rideabout in the state. I keep saying I'd like to travel like that but I'm one 90%er that sit at home and lust after someone elses travels. Were U by any chance at the Horizons meeting in Cambia,Ca. I was to attend but got sick. See Ya on the road.
Bob

DNA>>>
 

Wow Paul, I hadn't heard of people doing that before. We won't be sending him to the knacker's yard just yet, we had word this week that he is now officially in remission so that is great news.:D
Thanks for your thoughts and sharing your own experience.

Hi Bob
Good to hear you enjoyed the ride thread, I'll try for somewhere a bit more exciting next time. And unfortunaty I wasn't at the Cambria meet, I flew home just before it took place. Keep on dreaming, because you know one day you will be hitting the road on your own adventure.
safe riding
Tiffany