Ribbon of Highway

Thursday, June 27, 2013

A Biker Caught Betwixt and Between

I've been on the road now for three years... Which fits pretty fine, since I've been a gypsy spirit since as long as I can remember. My only regret is that I didn't just change my life to this "way" of going a Long, Long time ago.

Buuuut... There's ALWAYS a but...

I also have a very big "scheming" gene that never rests. To many it carries a face that looks just like indecision or at best a short attention span. In reality, it's more akin to an open mind mixed with a hyper active curiosity and seasoned by a hunger to try a bit of everything; all compounded by the very strong realization that my scrawny ass sits on the shady side of the mountain.

It's a lot like one of those; "If I could" grunt, grunt "just get this" gruuuuunt! "pushed into pla.... Oh Look! A Butterfly!" Clank!! as the tool in my hand falls forgotten on the ground and I go wandering off following my new interest sort of mental meanderings. ;)

Too bad all those psychological deficiencies are financed by the wallet of a gypsy biker cowboy disabled vet! :)

So anyhoo, wandering across the country, riding roads all over the west and having a warm dry bed and a refrigerator for my beer in the fiver right behind me, is absolutely fine! If I get to not liking a neighborhood all I gotta do is hitch up and move my house to a fresh place. No shortage of new places to flicker past my wandering eyes.

The ONLY drawback is there are things I want to do, things that really grab my imagination, that just don't fit into that gypsy living.

I have in my head a vision of a one of a kind camp catering specifically to traveling bikers. Keeping that company are visions of several versions of a "vintage/hot rod/classy "rat ride"/survival" sort of a bike... I'd like to carve the tooled leather seats for those bikes with my own tools... since I used to make my living doing custom leather for several years.

...then there's several, looooong... Rides I want to make that a wife, two dogs and a fifth wheel just don't fit well with... especially a wife that enjoys the occasional 200 mile day with me... but not 40 300 mile days in a row... or longer!

All of those are nestled amongst plenty of other schemes that float around behind my eyes when my vision clears after just a few miles out there on the two lane.

So... though I am as happy as a biker with new tires with the life I have... I am one of those lonesome souls that's never fully satisfied. I'm always pushin' for the horizon... reachin' for the stars... and dreamin' way beyond the world I'm in.

Ain't that what it's all about in the first place? Dreamin' the dreams... and then seein' how many of 'em we can chase down before our odometer ticks its last mile... Living Life and Chasing the Wind!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Bandon By the Sea?

Or... the lost City of Harley.

Along Hwy 10, south of Coos Bay and North of Port Orford, sits Bandon by The Sea, from the perspective of a casual count of two wheelers, it just could be the most popular spot on the southern Oregon coast... for Harley Riders.

Every rumble you hear coming into or leaving out of the lil' burg of Bandon by the Sea, seems to be a Harley... or nearly so. I did see one BMW, and a couple of unidentified Dual Sports... along with one or two each of Kawisaki, Suzuki and then there was my Yamaha nearby...

... but for the most part, it looks to be one of the premier spots for the Harley Davidson Travel guide for Coastal Oregon. 8 of 10 rides here is carrying one version or another of a Harley Badge.

Something else that caught my attention as well... Was the number of "Matched sets".

* His and Hers Harleys *

* Ha! The turn signals are different! *

* a His and... His... Set ;) *

Geeze... I guess you gotta remember which one you parked where. To each his own, but the identical twin thing doesn't work for me. Too much trouble trying to remember my plate number so I'd know which scooter was mine Before I had the embarrassment of having to climb off and switch to the right bike! ;)

The greatest difficulty a rider's gonna have in this town...

Is choosing 'tween all the Coffee and Espresso huts, Cafe's, pubs, chocolate shops...

Crab shacks...

Chowder houses...

... and restaurants for where to take their break from the road.

Best thing would be to get a room for a few days... or park your rig in the state park just up the road... and try out a few of 'em before you moved on.

In between loads of beer and chocolate you can walk off the calories checking out their Art...