Gaga for Gig Harbor

Have Motorcycle--Need Food

The latest entry from Motorcycle.com was surprising, not because I discovered new places to add to my list of destinations for the Puget2Potomac, but because one of the restaurants is 4 miles from my house and I had no idea it was motorcycle-friendly.

No. Idea.

Cafe Veloce in Kirkland is a pretty unassuming restaurant that we pass every time we go to Guitar Center or Big 5 Sports. I mean, we drive within100 feet of it. I've never noticed an unusual amount of motorcycles out front and from the street it doesn't really call out any kind of rider heritage.

That said, I am now bound to go. One of these days.

As for the list of restaurants in the article, Kegel's Diner in Rockford, IL is now on the itinerary for the trip. It's a Harley hang-out, so let's see how they do when a weathered Triumph rolls up.

Let's just hope it doesn't end up like this:

You're My Density

So I was showing Cece on Google Maps where I intend to dip my tire once I reach the East Coast, and this is what we saw when viewing the street view for Bellehaven Marina:

Looks like those north-bound riders enjoyed getting the Google camera's attention.

I'd say fate is telling me that I've chosen well.

Here's the link.

Coast-to-Coast on a Motorcycle... 8 Times!

The American Motorcycle Association recently published a profile of Bessie Springfield, the "Motorcycle Queen of Miami," and African American woman who rode coast-to-coast 8 times.

When Springfield rode across America in the 1930s and 1940s, motorcycles were far from reliable, the safety equipment was rough, there were no Eisenhower highways, and she was an African American woman riding solo. Makes all my planning and worrying for one trip seem a little... excessive.

I recommend reading her bio--it's a great story--and should inspire you to take on just about any adventure. Here's the link: Bessie Springfield Bio.

Destination: Zombie Central

The current episode of "The Walking Dead" on AMC has our hairy band of heroes trying to settle down in Alexandria, Virginia--the ultimate destination for the Puget2Potomac Ride. As you might imagine, my geek-brain is in overdrive.

My brother-in-law recently snapped this photo
of my old house. That's my paint job and
landscaping still in great shape.

I lived nearly half my life in and around Alexandria. First, growing up outside the city in Fairfax County. Then returning in the mid-90s to live in the city proper for a few years before moving south outside the city limits again.

It's a beautiful city with a rich history that touches on the American Revolution and the Civil War. The first house I ever bought is a sweet little townhouse on South Columbus Street. It was 60-years old at purchase and the bricks used in its construction came from the dismantled British Embassy in DC years before that.

So while I'm watching "The Walking Dead" in full knowledge that the producers did not shoot any of the footage anywhere near DC (Atlanta to be exact), I'm enjoying the possibilities of where, in one of the most congested cities in the US, would an off-the-grid housing development be situated?

• South of the city limits. Fairfax County directly south of Alexandria is an established community of brick and split-level homes. Not a good fit.
• Duke Street and Cameron Station. This area saw a lot of new development mixed in with the old when I was living in Virginia. The new development didn't always seem tied to the architectural heritage of the area, which would suit the homes in the show.
• Del Ray. The cottages and bungalows of this area sell at a premium. Maybe a new development could find its way in with an aggressive developer who had the money for mass teardowns.

Truth be told, the homes in the show are better suited for the outskirts of DC, say in Ashburn. But all this idle thinking has me looking forward to the ride east--to which--I'm revisiting the route.

The start and end of the trip are still the same--leave Seattle and ride east on I-90 to Montana and eventually dip my tire at the Bellehaven Marina in Alexandria--it's the in-between that needs improvement.

With the side trips planned for Beartooth Highway, Devil's Tower, and Mt Rushmore combined with the long stretch of road in South Dakota and Iowa, I need better planning on the in-between part. Nine hours on a bike will be tiring for one day, not to mention doing it a couple days in a row. So I'm mapping out stop-along spots. It looks like Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is now a night stop as might be Davenport, Iowa. The tent will be packed so stopping before exhaustion hits will be an option.

Goodbye Spock

Ah Spock. You were the rock on which my childhood love of science fiction was built. Though I missed the original airing of "Star Trek" for its first three seasons, I caught plenty of it in re-runs. Kirk was the swashbuckling hero who sought to place himself in danger's path, you were the logical counter. Those of us who paid attention knew that you could pummel Kirk without breaking a sweat, should you see fit. That was the quiet danger of Spock--if he could rationalize a beating, he would inflict it.

Then you transformed into other entities; Leonard Nimoy the actor struggling for roles while a Vulcan shadowed you at every turn, the narrator of the pseudo-science TV series "In Search Of...," and the feel-good psychologist who tries to convert Donald Sutherland in the classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Your zenith arriving in a parody of yourself in one of the greatest episodes ever of "The Simpsons."

We'll miss you, Leonard. Thank you for everything.

Do-it Yourself Motorcycle Flagpoles