A Motorcycle Road Trip

Well I survived my first motorcycle road trip. It was thrilling, exciting, and scary at times but what a great experience.

Synthia and I met in Seattle and rented bikes from a family business in Issaquah, WA called Mountains to Sound Motorcycle Adventures - about 15 miles east of Seattle. I got a 750 Honda Magna and Synth sported a Honda Shadow (1000 ccs I believe). We headed north on a country road on the east side of Lake Washington and boarded the Edmonds Ferry with little to no problems. We chatted with a few other riders and swapped some motorcycle knowledge. I'd been dreaming of riding a motorbike on a Seattle ferry for years. I lived in Seattle during graduate school and always watched motorcyclists load first and get off the ferries first. I was green with envy at the idea of exploring the beautiful Northwest on a motorcycle.

Once off the ferry we went North toward Port Angeles to visit a fairly prolific motorcycle writer (and rider) named David Hough. David has authored various motorcycle books including Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well. Synth and I stopped in Sequim to get gas and directions and her Shadow would not start again. There seemed to be something wrong with the starter. After a few failed attempts of trying to jump start the Shadow (picture two women in motorcycle outfits, one pushing the other down a small incline in the QFC parking lot) and a bit of frustration on the phone with the rental folks (yes, the kickstand is up) they agreed to trailer out a Triumph Trophy for Synthia and give us another day of rentals. While we waited for a bike that worked we continued on to talk to David and his wife Diana. It was a great evening, we had dinner in Sequim and mostly listened as David chatted about motorcycle stories. David, Synthia and I explored some of the rural roads in Sequim, WA. What a quaint little town. Some of the roads were literally on the water's edge. We said good-bye to David and Diana and stayed the night in Sequim after Synthia was able to get a new bike. The next morning we took off for Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park just outside of Port Angeles. It was a beautiful twisty ride with spectacular views of the Straight of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic National Park. This was my favorite part of the trip. I could feel quite a difference in the way the bike turned when I rolled on the throttle and leaned the bike through the turns. It felt so much more stable. Wow, a minor breakthrough in my riding I think.

After the ridge we headed to a cute small town on the northeast edge of the peninsula called Port Townsend. The next ferry took us to Whidby Island then to Mukilteo. We thought we'd try to bypass the Friday afternoon rush hour traffic on I-5 and got caught in a traffic jam on some random country road north of Redmond. My clutch hand was killing by the end of the day. We got the bikes back an hour late (sorry again Brenda) and with only one minor scratch (the Pt. Townsend ferry lot pavement ate the Trophy's left signal light after Synth and I bumped saddle bags- oopsie).

We had such beautiful weather and only a few minor problems. It was an adventure and a lot of fun. Both Synth and I had quite a few "firsts" on the trip. Can't wait for the next one! More Photos

Riding Away

Well, like Synth, I sold my car a few days ago. It was an exercise that opened a flood gate of thoughts and memories. I thought it would be adventurous to try and get around town on only my bicycle (that and my student loans are beginning to rear their ugly heads). I commute to work about 45 minutes each way and it has worked out to just ride my bike to the bus stop and take the communter bus. Besides how to get around and navigate a bus schedule, selling my car has forced me to think about the past a bit. I thought about all the trips and interesting places the car has taken me and about all the winter storms the car faithfully helped me travel home in. I thought about my dog Teddy, for whom I mostly bought the car. I thought about struggling to make payments on the car during and after graduate school and how secure I naivley felt I was four years ago when I bought it.

Last year I moved to Santa Fe from Seattle to start a new life. I was going through a divorce, trying to finish my master's degree and was offered a job in New Mexico. Ironically, I lost my dog in the divorce but got the car (and Daisy, the cat). I would have 1000 times over rather have kept Teddy than the car but I guess that's the way life goes sometimes. I think getting rid of the car symbolized an act of moving on and unburdening myself. Funny how something as simple as selling a car can make a person reflect. It forced me to think about things I've tried to keep way down inside me.

Learning to ride a motorcycle and riding with the women in the MotoFemina project has been the culmination of a dream of mine. Nearly every spring for the last six years I've found myself visiting showrooms and sitting on bikes and knowing that when I finished school I would be able to save money to buy one. The freedom and independence that I've felt from motorcycling is so thematic in my life right now. My new life in Santa Fe has given me the opportunity to be really alone for the first time in my life. The friends I've made and the experiences I've had since moving to Santa Fe have become part of new memories I'm making. I feel like I'm becoming part of a community in a town that can otherwise sometimes be very solitary.

Before I moved to Santa Fe I used to write and sing music a bit. For the first time since my divorce I was able to sit down and write a song the other night. It's rough for sure, but I'm just excited about the fact that I could actually put pen to paper and create something again. I can finally express feelings I've experienced the last year and a half and move on from them. I wanted to share it here with the MotoFemina folks because it has a bit to do with my experience here and with this project. To all I've crossed paths with here in Santa Fe, thanks for the advice and inspiration (and help) to create a new life for myself out here in the Southwest.