Timber Me Ginger's Solo Cross Country Scooter Adventure!

Any news or updates?

I know of a place that sells deerskin gloves for pretty cheap. If you still need some, you could send a tracing of your hand and I could get some and send them to you general delivery mail to some point you know you'll be in a week or so. No charge to you, I'd be glad to help in your journey. Its been fun following.

Thanks so much! That is a fantastic offer!! I THINK I have settled on the last set of gloves I have been using. They have decent venting and after they warm up in the mornings, seem to fit my hands ok. I'm just going to need to make my own gloves when I finally get to NC :) Or find these people that you speak of!
 
Thanks all for caring about me :) I did fall off the face of the internet planet for a while, haha.

Heres what's been going on since I left you last...

-Logan, UT- So amazing to be able to spend time with one of my absolute best friends and her new husband. After a few days of massive catch up, I took off into the wilderness...

-Bear Lake, UT- So beautiful, just took a quick spin around the lake and headed into Wyoming to camp for the night.

13626391_496354083887962_6687373952323100355_n.jpg


-State Line Campground (at Flaming Gorge Reservoir outside of Manila)- OH MY GOSH. Not only was the ride there absolutely FANTASTIC (one of those, you have to keep blinking to make sure you are actually looking at these pretty things, kind of rides), but the campground was great. A little weird, but great. I love how when looking up campgrounds, they don't always mention what condition the road is in to get there... So needless to say when I saw uneven gravel and silt... I was stoked o_O.
BUT, I went slow, kept telling myself to breath, and made it happen. I pretty much pulled over to the first unoccupied space as soon as I got to the lake. Walking around, I couldn't tell if there were actually any spots, or if it was just sort of a free for all. There were plenty of families out and about for Pioneer Day playing around on jet ski's, boats, and just general picnic-ness. I asked a nice lady hanging outside of her RV about the protocol, and she told me to just hang back, relax, and maybe I'll be lucky too and the ranger won't stop by to ask for the $12. My fantastic friend packed me a PB&J for the trip, brown bag and all, so I set up my chair, found some shade, and watched the festivities.

13680814_496354133887957_8583262639209607544_n.jpg


After watching the magic sunset, I was wrestling around in my bivy sack to find some early sleep to be early to rise, then I hear a small voice peeping from somewhere close by...

Young boy-"Excuse me mam?"
Me (Not sure I hear anything)- "Um hello?"
Young boy- "Yes, hi, would you like a hotdog?"
Me (still tangled and enclosed in my bivy)- "Thank you very much, but I'm ok."
Young boy- "Ok, bye!" (followed by quick footsteps off back to his RV

So wonderful to be offered a hot dog at 9:30 at night :)
Any who, the drive out the next morning was probably my favorite to date. The mountain views were just absolutely astounding, the road in perfect condition and, despite the heavy looming rain cloud who followed me around, I had perfect weather.

13775374_496515747205129_8742492364101384683_n.jpg


-Fruita/Grand Junction, CO- Aaaand, here is where I get stuck.
13686664_498072683716102_8953980949238471993_n.jpg

This is where the whole "purpose" of my trip came from. Get my stuff that my wonderful friend has been storing for almost 4 years, and ship it to NC. How exactly I was planning on doing this..... Well, yeah. Good think I have amazing friends who let me use their cars and helped me figure out how to do this! I will probably go more into depth about the ups and downs of my almost month here, but here are some highlights:
1)Went on my first Westwater raft trip
2)From there got convinced to go to my first concert at Red Rocks with a big group of friends to see the Avett Brothers
3)From there got convinced to go on another raft trip, this time for 6 days through Cataract Canyon
14046015_505086383014732_1506415058035625971_n.jpg

4)Had a birthday
5)Made a million more new friends
6)Finally shipped my stuff via Greyhound bus. Quote from guy who was accepting my bags "So... you're moving? Through Greyhound? And not going with your stuff?"
Me- "Yep! I'm just pretty sure that everything will work out :)"

-Telluride, CO- Needing to just GET OUT OF GRAND JUNCTION (AKA my vortex) I picked a pretty place that I hadn't spent much time in, found a wonderful person who had a couch, and just went for it. If I would have left a week prior I probably would have missed the rain.... BUT HEY! Adventure is fun, and rain is apart of the game. I had ridden a bit in Hawaii with rain, but never over 30mph... So yeah, I wasn't really sure what to expect.

As I was nearing Telluride I kept watching the BLACK cloud of doom suspended over mountains that, of course, was exactly where I was heading. I may not consider myself a very religious person but I figured that if I keep wishing positive reinforcement upon the spots where sun was shining through onto me, that it wouldn't hurt, haha. I kept scanning the sides of the roads and the mini towns to see if there was an overhang for me to hide under/go back to for when the rain hit. Not finding anything, I kept going. Apparently there was a concert/festival that weekend, which employed a MASSIVE influx of hipsters in cars. This actually kept the traffic super slow, which I was pretty happy about, for when the rain came, I realized I couldn't see. You know that perfect mix of lighting where everything looks exactly the same? Well, that was happening, and while I LOVE my windscreen, and I was so grateful that it was redirecting a good bit of rain, it becomes a giant pallet for visual distortion. Not wanting my visor on my helmet to fall to the same fate, I just hunkered down behind it, and followed the lights in front of me, and stared painfully hard at the road, trying to avoid any standing water.

By the time I made it to the first gas station with an overhang, I was freezing. Having not thought about the effect of evaporative cooling and whatnot, I had decided that my tank top that I had under my jacket was going to be just fine. Now I know that when you see a black death cloud, pull over BEFORE you get wet, and put on all of your warm/rain-ish like protection. As soon as I parked the scoot, I was pulling out every layer that I had easy access too, quickly doubling my abominable snow man look. The two motorcyclists that were under there with me in their fancy full body rain gear, looked sadly upon me as I gave them two thumbs up and giggled that I only had a few more miles to go. Pulling into town, I found a fellow two-wheeled rider and promptly parked next to him asking him how his day was. As luck would have it, he responded with; "I recognize you."

Me: "Oh yeah?"
Moto guy: "Yep, actually it was the nose ring that gave it away. I saw you on ADVRider's forum. I didn't think I'd actually run into you anywhere..."

My second ADVRider sighting :) I knew it was a good idea to post up there!

The rest of Telluride consisted of: Extreme brunching, Fishing, bar hopping, concert poaching, and just a general good time meeting so many more people.

14202631_510301519159885_4580776356606208113_n.jpg


-Durango, CO- Had another two nights of AWESOME food, wine, margaritas, Bond movies and good conversation.

14095858_510304015826302_2480693160300320831_n.jpg


-Taos, NM- I FINALLY MADE IT OUT OF COLORADO!!! Of course not without something to leave a lasting impression... As soon as I passed the 'Welcome to New Mexico' sign, I saw some more black clouds of death looming over the giant wall of mountains to the west. Breaking out my map and weather app, I confirmed that yes, in fact that was exactly where I was going. Having already made a reservation at a Hostel outside of Taos (so that I would have a place to dry out if it rained), I hunkered down and hoped that the rain would hold off for as long as possible. After I passed the town of Chama, NM, I started weaving up into the mountains. Realizing that, yes, that giant cloud of rain was going to open up above me, I pulled over and layered up. Added a base layer and rain jacket underneath my moto jacket (don't have real moto rain gear, but that seems to work ok!), then swapped my mesh gloves for my warmer waterproof ones and added a neck buff. I was silly and didn't think I needed to layer up the bottom half too... but yes, live and learn! The wind and the rain hit at the same time. Luckily hardly anyone was on the road, but I still struggled to find the balance between adding more wind, and therefore more cold to my legs, having the wind push the rain drops off the windscreen, and just generally being freezing. Trying not to cry, I kept repeating to myself that as long as I keep going, I'll get to where I want to be. Looking behind my shoulder to see what was happening around me, I saw underneath the cloud of doom I was under, an amazing vista of Chama down below. Unable to convince myself that it was worth it to stop and spend more time being wet in the rain, I unfortunately didn't take a photo, but it will forever be seared into my memory. Eventually I found the end of the clouds and the end of the rain. Needing to warm up, I found a place to pull over, found a good song on my playlist, then danced off the chill.

14183735_510771982446172_8463268045027908992_n.jpg


Huzzah! The story goes on :). Almost to Taos, I passed over the Rio Grande Gorge, which I had no idea existed and was pleasantly surprised that it did.

14192068_510772002446170_3885089472774116218_n.jpg


Once I made it to my Hostel for the night, I was mostly aired out, and back to normal temp. After a nice hot shower to just complete the deal, I went next door for happy hour as tequila is always the right choice. Margarita in hand at the bar, I started making friends, next thing I knew I was chatting with the executive chef on his day off, his fantastic girl friend, and another employee who had just gotten off of work. A few more joined us, but we just laughed and chatted until close. Back at the Hostel I helped removed the blackened flesh of green chillies and talked dirtbaggery with my fellow hostel-ies.

I am so lucky that the scary days are also paired with some of the best days.

Sorry that was such a long update!! I figured I owed some goods as I had been away for so long :)

General plan for the next however long is to keep heading south through New Mexico staying close-ish to I-25 (for gas purposes), then probably going through Carlsbad to get me into Texas. Still just playing this whole thing by ear as the next few states I don't really know anything about, and I don't really know many people in them. We will see how this unfolds! :D


Until next time!
-Sarah
 
Hey all you wonderful people.

Someone had sent me a message suggesting that I post here what I had been putting up on Facebook. It's been a rough couple of days for me, so I figured I'd just keep on this train of being honest, and share here:

Tuesday Sept 13th

"This, my friends, is what a broken down scooter looks like right before the sun sets in the middle of nowhere.

14322411_514969022026468_8439680037688972873_n.jpg


Yep, you read that right: Broken. Down. A shredding belt at 65mph felt like I was sinking down into quicksand. I am so grateful that nothing seized, that no one was tailing me, that there was a shoulder, and that I was able to pull over quickly. Also, I was only on the side of the road for a minute until a lovely couple on a Harley pulled over and waited for the tow truck to arrive. (Pats self on shoulder for getting AAA) We eventually attracted a very nice sherif to turn on his lights behind the bikes, so that oncoming traffic could actually see us, as the sun had officially left the building. Just another day in #ScooterLife for Jolene and I. I am safe and in a motel for the night. Jolene is parked across the street at the Harley Davidson shop with a note stuck in the windshield. Will let you all know what happens!!!"

Wednesday Sept 14th

"Ok. An update:

I am waiting to hear if my shop back in San Francisco can overnight me a belt. (Other shops are quoting me 10 days for them to get it, eBay/Amazon is at 15+ to get the part from the UK) The man I spoke to gave me some tips on what I need to do to change the belt. Also, found a fancy YouTube video that explains the process pretty well. The folks at the Harley shop are all very nice, are totally happy to keep the bike parked there while I find parts, but don't know what they can do to help service wise. Their insurance won't allow me into the shop (totally understandable), so I'm kinda SOL on that front... (Apparently I need an impact wrench thing) The sherif that helped out last has a trailer and knows of a shop that I might be able to work out of, so we will see where that goes.

I've been debating what exactly to share about the emotional side of things (AHH, feelings!).... But hey, honesty is the best policy and I don't want to paint this situation a color it's not.

I'm a little freaking out.

1) This is a big deal repair (read, above my pay grade at this point), and apparently I know more about scooters than anyone else in this town (that I have met so far). I know that I am capable, it just doesn't make me feel any less freaked out that I can't look to someone else to tell me that I did it right. I just keep telling myself that this is a one step at a time sort of thing, and it will all work out.

2) I am quickly watching the dollar signs climb up and out of my wallet and I am trying to figure out how to deal with that. I may end up needing to be here for a few more days waiting for parts and I just need to breath and take it as it comes.

3) I deal with depression. Each aspect of this situation has had the opportunity to wipe me out. And I am struggling to separate each aspect from the clump, and give it a realistic evaluation, so that I can call it what it is and take care of it. I am trying to do that, and take care of my self; eat, get sleep, drink water. These things that come naturally to many others, but when I get in this place, becomes rocket science. I know this might not make sense to some. All I ask is to be heard, to be seen in this place that I am in. I would love to say that I can just woman up and do it, but it is really quite hard for me, as much as I wish it wasn't. This doesn't make me weak, this is a symptom of a problem I have that I am working on. I am telling you all this and putting it out there because I think it is important that I don't disappear and fall into never never land.

I don't know what I need beyond putting these words down.

❤️❤️Thank you all for your support of this crazy adventure I am on ❤️❤️

Here's to hoping this will all be resolved quickly!"



Thursday Sept 15th

"Yesterday was both terrible and wonderful. Wonderful in that people from everywhere have offered incredible words of support on here, called me and just in general showered me with kindness. Terrible in that I asked to be seen, and I was. I forget that being vulnerable offers up the opportunity for important growth, and by golly, sometimes that hurts like hell.

I cried. And while maybe I like the idea of crying... I hate crying. It's uncomfortable and it's gross. I actually can't remember the last damn time I've cried that much. My eyes are all blotchy and swollen and that's terrible. But the great thing that follows? Not holding on to stupid bull**** that keeps me from thriving in my life.

I had such a barrage of support coming from so many directions that my silly little brain just couldn't hold off from feeling any more.

My tipping point began with someone offering to take care of paying for a mechanic, night at the motel, or what ever I needed. I started to read the message, and I just couldn't process it. How in the world could someone actually offer that to me? Then came the deluge of reasoning telling myself that I can't accept that. That this is a journey that I got myself into, and only I am responsible for getting myself out.

Then a phone call from another friend I have yet to actually meet in person, but follow on the interwebs. He told be about the kindness that has been offered to him in times of need, and what someone had told him when he was in similar shoes:

"Why do you have trouble accepting this when you would not hesitate to do the same for a friend? What makes this different?"

And there I was, on the phone with someone I have never spoken to on the phone before, and the tears just came. I couldn't tell them to bugger off any longer. Talk about a big ol slice of humble pie.

Getting off the phone, I reread the message that started off with:
"Please don't worry about me helping this situation"
My friends obviously know me quite well.

So yeah, I cried some more. All wadded up in my motel bedsheets and cocooned by pillows, balling my eyes out, I felt the least alone I could possibly feel in Roswell, NM.

After determining that no amount of splashing water on my face was going to make me look any less a mess, I marched my *** back over to the Harley shop and asked for help. I had the belt I needed being overnighted to their location and when it got there I was going to need them to put it on. Without an impact wrench, and some other tools, there was just no way I was going to pull this off safely in a parking space in the rain.

The man at the service desk went over what would be needed to make this happen. He let me send them an email with the mechanic service manual that some scooter ninja has put on the Internet in PDF form, along with the links to the YouTube videos showing the installation. He scheduled me with the mechanic he knew would take the time to watch the videos and do a good job.

I am so grateful. I am more than that. I am a lot of very happy things. I am stuck in Roswell, of all places, with an army of people, both strangers and friends, who would do anything for me. I thank my lucky stars that my life has lead to this.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I think this whole thing will work out just fine. ❤️��"



And now... Today!

Jolene is ready to rock and roll!! Yesterday I heard sort of a sketchy sound coming from the belt, but after she warms up, the sound goes away. She actually is accelerating better than she did before, too! The folks at the Harley dealership did a great job. Taking off the cover, things look clean and the belt is tight. So... Let's just go with breaking in a new CVT belt for a scooter just sounds like that :)

The road is calling...

14355652_515677458622291_9059140472208536752_n.jpg

(This picture was taken right before I got to play chase with a train on the way into Vaughn, NM. How does one do that, you ask? Well, every time we would catch up to one another, they would pull the horn and wave :) It was a fun way to spend 30 minutes!)

Until next time!
-Sarah
 
Well folks.... I think little miss Jolene has danced her last dance.


I now get to learn the lesson of ALWAYS listen to your gut. I knew that when I left the Harley shop, that something wasn't quite right with the instal of the belt, but I was hoping it would last me long enough to get to San Antonio, TX to have a SYM dealer take a look. Unfortunately, that was not the case. While cruising through Big Bend National Park (read: REALLY, REALLY in the middle of nowhere looking at Mexico) my belt shredded yet again.

14457475_518094775047226_7182210222961500420_n.jpg


This time, the sound that followed made my heart sink deep in my chest. Somehow, because apparently I have an army of guardian angles surrounding me, I so happened to break down in a section of the park where I actually had cell service. A wonderful friend I was staying with in the Big Bend area was able to come save me from the wicked sunburn I was getting on the side of the road with his trailer. While I was waiting for him to arrive, I was able to post to my Facebook page saying that I was broken down, and really had no idea what I was going to do. I was thrilled to have a safe place to spend the night, with food, water, and great company, but from there... There was just a big question mark.

Within the next few hours, "strangers" had started to flood my Facebook post with thoughts on what the problem might be, and ideas on how to fix it. Also, I started receiving messages from people who had found my picture shared on various rider assistance pages. Next thing I knew, someone who was already planning on heading out toward my direction anyway, agreed to help me load up my sweet Jolene into the back of his truck so he could take me to San Antonio, and to the SYM mechanic. Simultaneously, there was another offer from a fellow scooter enthusiast who offered me a couch to stay on, and a Vespa to use while my scoot was out of commission. He also knew the local SYM mechanic, so got me an address to ship a new belt and rollers, with the expectation that I would be there the following morning to inspect the bike, and hopefully have a quick fix. I really am still just blown away by the generosity of "strangers", who I now hope to be friends with for a long time.

I arrived late that evening after a long drive from the desert of Big Bend. I was greeted with incredible homemade Korean and Lebanese food, amazing new friends, and wonderful conversation to take my mind off Jolene, who was patiently waiting in the bed of my new friend's pick up truck for the next morning.

Early the next day, we arrived at the shop and quickly got to setting Jolene up on the lift.

14445960_518732548316782_5822567457269096832_n.jpg


14463309_518732544983449_8264066431389011080_n.jpg



After taking off the CVT cover and exposing the rollers (laying on the lift with a close up in the second picture), the words "I've never seen this before" were uttered more than once. The belt was not installed properly the first time, and has destroyed the variator, the crank and a few other small bits. One of the bolts was barely torqued, keeping the important gears loose, and therefore completely balding out the gears. The shop would need to take apart the entire rear end of the scooter to repair all of the damage. AND, to top it off, the parts I would need to fix it, would take up to two weeks to arrive. So... With paying for parts, shipping, and lots of labor, I'm looking at a base price of $1800 just to fix the scooter, (which is more than I paid for her). I am sure you all can imagine the hit to the heart all of this is.

After specing out the cost to fix the scooter, the mechanic and I then went through a couple different options of what else they could offer me. They are willing to take her for parts at $300, or as a trade in on a new 2015 version (with two years of warranty) of my sweet Jolene out the door for $3000. At this point, $300 will get me to North Carolina, and that just might have to be that.

I am feeling a lot of things as I weigh all of my options and trying to remind myself that Jolene was and has been a tool for a job.

Even if I were to get a different scooter, I would still have to fabricate a way to cary all of my gear and extra fuel... The benefit of staying with a SYM scooter are many in that I can just transfer all of my existing add ons to the new scoot, I already have a tool set for the bike, and I feel really comfortable on the bike.

I could perhaps get a uhaul truck, stick her in the back and drive back to NC, but then that starts to get costly...

I have until Tuesday AM to come up with a plan.

A wonderful soul created a GoFundMe on my behalf knowing that I am terrible asking for help (with a message saying just that). I don't want to break any forum rules in posting a link here, but if anyone is interested in keeping me on the road to finish this journey, there is a link to the fundraiser on my Facebook page under TimberMeGinger.

I am so lucky to have made an amazing group of friends instantly being in San Antonio, and as it turns out, this place is awesome!!!

If this trip does end here in the middle of Texas, I keep trying to remind myself that it doesn't mean this adventure is a failure. I know that the last few months have been filled with unbridled joy and fantastic new experiences. Perhaps after I establish myself again, I will find a way to try this again.

I will post again when I figure out what my next step is! Thank you all for coming along with me in this adventure.
 
I forgot to post this when it happened, but here's the update:

9/28/26:
Today. Today is a day filled with so much, it's hard to really put it all into words. Joy, gratitude, relief, LOTS of tears, laughter and a full ❤️heart❤️. It is still amazing to me that people, strangers and friends alike, have come out of the woodwork to offer support for me. The amount of thanks from the bottom of my heart is overflowing. From the messages, the calls, the donations and loans... THANK YOU ALL. She may not have a name yet, but let me tell you, the dreams that are about to unfold are full of unicorns and rainbows!! HURRAY for The Motorcycle Shop of San Antonio for introducing me to the next chapter of Timber Me Ginger!!!

63d4b0d618ed257889cc8b38beaedaa0.jpg
 
And here is what's going on since then!:

In a word: Joy.

14606410_522570897932947_3195566565433607455_n.jpg


Two wheels and only a single direction to go from here: East.


And now, may I introduce....
Drum roll please!!! :drums

Bowie the Phoenix!
This lil' gal has risen from the ashes to rock my world <3


After signing her into my name, switching over all my add ons, and giving her a once over, I put San Antonio in the side mirrors and headed off to Austin. The first ride was short and sweet, so I was able to keep the speeds low, and keep the belt cool (well, as much as you can in a million degree humid weather). About 30 minutes into the ride, however, I started to freak myself out to the point of pulling over. I was hearing phantom everything, unable to tell if anything sounded like it should. So, I called the Motorcycle Shop, and spoke with the man who helped me so much in this transition. He immediately told me to bring it back by and that he would take her for a spin to see if he could figure out anything that could be the matter with her. After reassuring me that all was well in new scooter land, I hopped back on, and tried to quell my fears. Of course it makes sense that I'd be a little jumpy after my last run-in with parts destroying themselves mid ride...

Austin:
14485001_521159088074128_8272655338619802386_n.jpg


I got the privilege of hanging out with an old friend from middle school, who has only gotten more amazing in the years since I have seen her last. She showed me around town, took me to see the bats under the bridge, swimming in the cold water springs, and introduced me to the best breakfast tacos I have had yet.

14484588_521159138074123_1672639305920029231_n.jpg


Galveston Island State Park:
From Austin to Galveston, I had NO idea where I was going, and that was fantastic. Ok, so it started out pretty scary as the road that google maps had put me on was most definitely a 2-6 lane highway with speeds of 70+mph, NOOOOO thank you. I really DO want to make it to the other side of this big ol' country alive!!! So, as soon as I finally got a break in traffic and was able to merge the heck off the highway, I pulled off and brought up my map. Basically I kept zooming in as far as I could until I would find a small Farm to Market road that would keep me winding in-between farms and very far away from the death that surely awaited me on that crazy road. I would enter in a town that would keep my phone navigating in that general direction, then once I got there, I'd zoom in again to find another small road. I kept this up for hours until the land started to be dotted with rivers and lakes, pushing the roads into a few main thoroughfares. Aaaaannndd welcome back wind plus bridges! Oi. I was so focused on the road, trying to keep up with traffic while still not over doing it on the break in for the scoot, that the Gulf of Mexico surprised the heck out of me once I finally made it down there. Taking a break to look around at a stop light, the sunset over my shoulder was fanning out a beautiful array of red, orange and gold feathers on the land and water all around me. Que Ziggy Stardust to come dancing into my bluetooth speakers and there you have the moment of naming :) We had zigged and zagged all day though roads where there was not a soul except flocks of birds slowly rebuilding my trust in the new sounds and mechanics. Peaceful twists and turns though the hills and grass kept the 300+ mile day filled with smiles and gratitude. While I can imagine that I will never stop pushing to keep adventure close at hand in my life, it still doesn't escape me that but a few weeks ago, this almost came to an end. With the help of so many friends, and so many more that I don't even know, I was able to press the restart button and continue this journey, and I can't thank you all enough for each of your parts in that.

We can all connect here on how two/three/four wheels fill our hearts with joy and happiness that we can't get anywhere else, but there is something else that also comes fourth, that keeps me wanting to open up the throttle for yet another ride. Anyhow, that day was one of those rides that made me feel all of that unnamed greatness.

14462828_521811901342180_4259456829730643600_n.jpg


Lafayette, LA:

14708168_525671484289555_5919755592137384492_n.jpg


Now that's a way to start your day! My first ever ferry on two wheels! It was kind of nerve-wracking to go on a boat and not really have a parking break, or a gear to engage... BUT, Bowie did great :) A few folks had to walk over just to make sure that they were right, they did see some crazy girl traveling on a scooter.

14720441_525671510956219_3219139122213701000_n.jpg


The day was spent cruising along the shore line and in and out of marshy land. Every stop at a gas station also was greeted with: "Are you lost?" Met with me happily replying: "Only enough to enjoy the ride" :)

The Blue Moon Saloon hostel I got to stay at in Lafayette was completely empty. Apparently Monday nights are the most quiet during the week, otherwise they have live music almost every night. The building itself was old and magical, noted to come back again for a show! Exploring the town that night was beautiful, full of mosquitos and friendly people.

New Orleans:

14671342_525671530956217_9082297285685322316_n.jpg


What an incredible place!!! But wow, I am so not used to so many people! I guess riding a scooter around in the wilderness for months will do that to a person, haha. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the masses rose from their surrounding hotels to bob and weave in and out of all the bars. I mingled with the swaying river for a spell, then retreated to a balcony to people watch and listen to the live music echoing around me. While here, I ate beignets, experienced a Hurricane, consumed my weight in red beans and rice, as well as got a scooter service from Scooter's of Louisiana to get a fresh batch of oil after burning through her break in miles. I call that a success!

14705747_525671574289546_7787014492459936810_n.jpg


Pirates Cove Marina, AL:

This drive started out with an 18ish mile bridge north out of New Orleans. I am obviously a big proponent of 'figure it out while it's happening, if it happens', but dang! I should have 100% checked the milage of the bridge before going over it. as soon as I got swept up above the water, I looked down at my gas gauge. And yep, almost out of gas. YAY! Oh, and there are the tiniest excuse for shoulders on this bridge, so if I did end up running out of gas, I would pretty much have no where to go. Awesome. Live and learn right? Good thing for me, we didn't have to learn this lesson the hard way!! Just after the bridge was over, I was able to coast into a gas station :). While there, I tried finding some other roads that were going to put me further off the beaten path. Getting a later start than I had really wished for, I ended up pulling into Pirates Cove as the sun was setting, which while beautiful, is never a really good idea on the scoot. Some friends I had met in New Mexico had offered up an amazing place to camp in the Marina with a view of a sunrise that was hard to pass up!

14725562_525673424289361_3001901549502076348_n.jpg


I was also introduced to an amazing group of locals who frequent this cove and they in turn introduced me to 'Bushwackers', which are basically alcoholic frosties, and if you've never had one, you're going to want to work that into your Gulf tour ;-)

Pensacola, FL:

About 4 years ago, I gave my dog to one of my most cherished friends and her husband, and I haven't seen her since.

14695339_525951297594907_151462416217211346_n.jpg


Needless to say I am a very happy gal to be spending time with awesome people and this wonderful furry creature in such a pretty place!! I will say I am glad it's not summer here, as it is still pretty hot. Kind of crazy to wrap my head around the fact that winter, with actual winter like qualities, is just around the corner!

Tomorrow, I head north. I am officially looking at the end of this journey next week, but this time with a sense of accomplishment (among a whole barrage of other feelings). Even a breakdown in the middle of the desert didn't stop this crazy scooter gal from scootin off into the sunrise (again, with a million thanks to an amazing community!!).

So yeah, jobs... life... maybe even a CAR??? AHHHH. Ok, ok, ok, not until next week. I will cherish every last drop of this life for each second I still have it!!

14721604_525951250928245_3274507918301260799_n.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom