Category: Travel

Rides Around: The Men That Don’t Fit In

Edgar, Travel

Last week’s Rides Around has us still thinking about why people like the spirit of motorcycles, and specifically adventure motorcycles.

Robert Service captured the spirit of the fabled open road in a poem called The Men That Don’t Fit In.  Taken as a whole, the poem may not accurately describe every adventure rider, but the lines that speak of the allure of the new, the challenge of the mountain and the love of the unknown can’t help but catch our attention.

 

There’s a race of men that don’t fit in,

A race that can’t stay still;

So they break the hearts of kith and kin,

And they roam the world at will.

They range the field and they rove the flood,

And they climb the mountain’s crest;

Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,

And they don’t know how to rest.

If they just went straight they might go far;

They are strong and brave and true;

But they’re always tired of the things that are,

And they want the strange and new.

They say: “Could I find my proper groove,

What a deep mark I would make!”

So they chop and change, and each fresh move

Is only a fresh mistake.

And each forgets, as he strips and runs

With a brilliant, fitful pace,

It’s the steady, quiet, plodding ones

Who win in the lifelong race.

And each forgets that his youth has fled,

Forgets that his prime is past,

Till he stands one day, with a hope that’s dead,

In the glare of the truth at last.

He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance;

He has just done things by half.

Life’s been a jolly good joke on him,

And now is the time to laugh.

Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;

He was never meant to win;

He’s a rolling stone, and it’s bred in the bone;

He’s a man who won’t fit in.

-Robert Service, Source: The Spell of the Yukon, and Other Verses (1911)
The Rig: 2008 BMW 1250 GS Adventure
The Location: Texas Hill Country
The Driver: a Robert Service fan 
The Special Circumstance: taking the long way
Edgar~

Rides Around: Sidecar Sam

Edgar, Travel
This week’s Rides Around features an eccentric motorcycle adventurist and a dear friend.  He is a legend of the west, often seen as simply a plumb purple streak wearing a rut in a Montanan highway.  That is Sidecar Sam.  We are going to focus on Sam’s Chief Darkhorse, although he has a variety of cycles to choose from.  Some wives might say too many….
Sam says, “A Motorcycle is the Perfect Vehicle to Explore the World and Your Own Backyard; the Sights, the Sounds, the Smells, the Feel of the Wind, Road, and Weather.”

Sam’s Philosophy:  “2 Wheels, or 3, is the best way to see the world.  You experience the places you visit with All of your senses – not just your eyes like when you are in an automobile, bus, train, or any other vehicle that is enclosed.  It doesn’t matter what Marque or Brand of machine you choose – they All have their Good points and Bad points.”

Sam’s been writing about his adventures for some time, and you can read more about his motorcycles, travels and family, on his website here.

The Rig: 2016 Indian Chief Dark Horse
The Location: on the open road
The Driver: Sidecar Sam
The Special Circumstance: featuring a friend
Sam was recently involved in a motorcycle accident, for more on that and how you can help, click here. 

Edgar~

Volcanoes and Banana Thieves of Costa Rica

Leigh, Surfing, Travel

This is part two of the recap of our trip to Costa Rica.  You can catch up on part one here. 

La Fortuna was a little bigger and catered to tourists.  Just about every street corner had a shop with supersized pictures of people zip lining, riding horses and jumping into waterfalls… and big signs advertising the best prices in town.  We talked to a few and found out the horse ride wasn’t exactly what we’d hoped — it didn’t go to the volcano at all  — and we decided to ride later in the week at our beach stop.  But there was an option to hike to the top of a (dormant) volcano and swim in a crater at the top!  A quick group conference confirmed we all thought that sounded amazing, so we signed up for the next day.

The climb up to the top of the volcano was no joke.  It was hot and a bit more strenuous than we anticipated, but we all felt very accomplished to make it to the summit. When we reached the highest point, we met up with a group of German bodybuilding tourists, who tried to warn us in heavily-accented English about a big, long-nosed creature that came out of the woods and stole their bananas.  I thought they were pulling our legs until they showed us the video one of them had captured on their phone.  Sure enough, there was a banana-stealing creature confronting them.  I wanted it to come back out so we could get a look, but guess it was off in the jungle enjoying its banana stash.

The water at the top was chilly.  Some of us enjoyed a dip, while others enjoyed the leftover chicken we’d dragged up for a picnic.  It didn’t take us very long to head back down, where we decided a proper swim was necessary.  We’d passed some rushing water with a natural pool and a rope swing on our way to the hike, so we pulled over and got in.  This was clearly the place where the locals came to cool off, and they welcomed us with big smiles.  Edgar even got cheers and applause for his elaborate swing, tuck and dive off the rope.

With our waterfall and volcano boxes checked off, it was time to surf.  We got on the road again, this time headed for the coast.  On the way we saw a car pulled over and people feeding some sort of animal.  I had to see what that was, so we pulled over too and saw a bunch of the banana thieves all together! They’re called coati or pizote, and even though they look a little like an opossum to me, they’re actually in the raccoon family.   A family was there feeding them apple jacks.

It took us a few hours to reach Tamarindo, our destination for the next three days.  The hostel where we stayed was across the street from a break, and it even had a surfboard rental place right out front.  We walked into town and got some supplies for breakfast, and lined up our boards for the next day.

I don’t have beach pictures because we were all in the water and I didn’t want my phone to get stolen.  Just imagine several pretty beaches with some of us catching waves, and some of us petting dogs or playing hacky sack.

I do have some shots of the open air kitchen where we made breakfast, and the contraption that gave us delicious coffee.

I know this is sounding like quite the animal-themed recap, but I couldn’t leave out one of my favorite activities.  While Edgar checked out one more break, the girls and I took a two-hour horseback ride up into the mountains.  I asked the guide if he thought we’d see monkeys, and he said maybe.  But I think he over-estimated my desire because he kept doing little detours into more jungle and looking up, and then sadly saying, “Ohhh… no monkey…”    There was a bit of a language barrier, but I tried to communicate that I was just curious, and would not be heartbroken if monkeys were not spotted. (They were not.)

We said goodbye to the beach on Thursday and drove back to San Jose.  CR traffic can be a bear, and we didn’t want to be stressing out for our flight back to the states on Friday.  All in all it was a great visit. Everyone got a little color, a little exercise and a lot of ice cream.  Pura Vida.  🙂

Rides Around: A Car Named Helen

Travel

This feature in our Rides Around series is brought to you by Marie, who recently purchased her first car. 

There’s something about doing it by yourself. With it all, comes a whole meaning that’s more than just grease and metal and and an engine that runs.  It provides a whole new sense of self… Like a branch off of the tree of our existence; a new motive, a new purpose.  It’s not just because it’s a car that’s exciting and fun, it’s because it’s a direct learning experience comprised of patience and faith.

The Rig: 1987 Nissan Sentra
The Location: Rockford Bay, North Idaho
The Driver: A young lady learning to take off on her own
The Special Circumstance: The feeling you get when you saved up and made it yours

-Marie

Iguanas and Ice Cream in Costa Rica

Leigh, Surfing, Travel

The following is part one of a recap of our trip to Costa Rica.  Stay tuned for part two next week!

The hardest part of our adventures isn’t the planning of the trip, or finding a place we know we’ll love, it’s deciding where to go!  There are so many places to see and experiences to enjoy, but since Edgar and I had both been to Costa Rica before we met, we decided to go back together, along with his daughters.

Since we were coming from different places, we all met in Dallas and left for CR from there.  The flight left bright and early at 6am.  We had a layover in Florida, and arrived in San Jose around noon.  We grabbed our rental car and hit the road, planning to check out a waterfall or two, and then a volcano, before turning in for the night.

The roads were decent and we didn’t have too much trouble finding the first stop.  It was actually a little chilly because we were up in the mountains, and we were glad to have packed an extra layer.  We dumped our things at the hotel and went out to explore.

The weather was… moist.  It wasn’t exactly raining, but it wasn’t dry either.  There was a sort of mist that hung around the place, which made it seem a little mysterious.  We took a little hike around before dinner.

We asked the manager about a nearby waterfall and discovered it wasn’t far at all.  It is a little tough to see here because of the mist and the fact that the sun was going down.  We stuck our feet in (cold!) and Edgar even drank a little of it, in case it was the fountain of youth.  (I assured him that’s in Florida, and I had a couple gulps when I was a kid.)

For dinner, we stopped at a French restaurant we’d spotted on our drive through “town”.  It was strange to sit and have a (delicious) French meal, prepared by an eccentric French chef, in the middle of nowhere, Costa Rica.  As we finished our dessert, we were greeted by a little cat who pawed at my leg and then jumped right in my lap!  Word of my feline generosity has clearly spread far and wide.

The next morning we spotted a cow hanging out by herself, and the girls wanted to go say hello.  They pet the cow for a while and then Edgar walked over and gave her the head scratching of her life.  I didn’t know cows liked that but this one was really leaning into it. You’re welcome, cow.  There were some others on the other side of the fence – you can kinda seem them to the upper left of the photo – and they came to the fence and made some noise.  I think they were trying to say they had itchy chins too.

After breakfast and the petting of the livestock, it was time to hit the road.  We wanted to check out the Arenal volcano, since we’d seen some pictures online and it looked like a good place to explore.   We were also told there was an ice cream shop along the way that was well-populated by iguanas. How could anyone pass that up?   We consulted the map and off we went.

Road signs in CR can be few and far between, and our map was not great with the finer details of the small cities.  We weren’t sure of one of our turns so we stopped to ask where the ice cream/iguanas were.  The store clerk didn’t speak English, and our Spanish needs some work, so Edgar helpfully drew this on our map.

Suddenly she knew exactly what we were talking about!  A few hand signals and “directo!  directo!” instructions later, we were on the road again.   The iguanas did not disappoint.  We didn’t know whether the people at the shop fed them, or they were already there and the shop came along after… but there were definitely iguanas everywhere!  Edgar asked the server if they were friendly, and he said, “Well, they have very sharp teeth, but they are nice.”  Okay.

We were all feeling a little unsure about petting the nice animals with the razor-sharp teeth, but we were okay with tossing them some leftovers, and then as we saw more people touching them and walking away unscathed, we felt safe enough to pet them too.

No hands were damaged in the shooting of these pictures.   That’s the remnants of a mango someone fed them.

With more of the wildlife fed and scratched, we headed off to La Fortuna and the volcano… and met a group of German bodybuilders I was certain was pulling our collective legs.  That’s in part two, coming up next weekend!

Rides Around: Stretch Wagon

Edgar, Surfing, Travel

We found another great ride for our Rides Around series!  This is a custom bug on a South Texas beach.

Someone enjoyed bugs so much, they wanted more.  Instead of getting a second one, they decided to add more to the one they had.

They cut the body and frame, added some body and frame and… voila!  A little paint and some elongated linkages, and this thing was ready for the sand.  The genius behind this knew the stock bug engine was a little light, so they went ahead and through a V8 in her.  That should do it…

The most amusing part of this long bug, is the fact that the owner stuck w/ this theme and has a longboard on top.

I applaud the creativity, apptitude, and drive this creation took from its creators.

Well done!

The Rig: Stretched VW Bug
The Location: Some South Texas beach
The Driver: a creative and ambitious Louisiana gentleman
The Special Circumstance: as a species, our creative well is limitless
Edgar~

Rides Around: The Quintessential Coffee House Bus

Edgar, Travel

The next ride we are featuring in our Rides Around series is a VW bus that was spotted at a Couer d’Alene, Idaho coffee house.

It is amazing to me what these vehicles continue to represent.  They have been the quintessential mode of transportation, and sometimes lodging, for the folks living on the fringe, or at least dabbling in the lifestyle since their creation.  Their engine coughs in time to the beatniks’ groove, and the lines of their form takes the admirer to a different place in history.
My father owned one of these monsters, and I vividly remember being impressed by the functional space it had when set up as a camper.  We had spent years tent camping before he invested in this piece of luxury equipment.  He would perpetually endeavor to catch as many fish as he could, on any given weekend, at any freshwater spot within driving distance.  The van allowed maximum fishing time, due to its easy set up, and was much more comfortable than tent living.
When we were van camping, I always felt a sense of the fringe.  We weren’t living on it, but it could be seen from our camp.  Like the bug trip down the Baja, the VW drew attention and sparked many encounters w/ fellow travelers.
These rigs are fabulous and continue to  fill our minds w/ inspiration, start interesting conversations, and remind us of fishing trips w/ Dad.
The Rig: VW Bus
The Location: Lake City, Coeur’D Alene, Idaho
The Driver: a speculatively caffeinated modern day beatnik
The Special Circumstance: tripping down memory lane
Edgar~

Footloose and Heart-Free

Travel

On a recent trip to Canyonlands National Park, Druid Arch was rediscovered along with a poem by Robert Service.

This is a magnificent and awe-inspiring place.  It is otherworldly and tickles a funny place in a wanderer’s heart, the same place Robert Service’s Rover plucks at…

– C.K.

The Rover by Robert Service 

I

Oh, how good it is to be
Foot-loose and heart-free!
Just my dog and pipe and I, underneath the vast sky;
Trail to try and goal to win, white road and cool inn;
Fields to lure a lad afar, clear spring and still star;
Lilting feet that never tire, green dingle, fagot fire;
None to hurry, none to hold, heather hill and hushed fold;
Nature like a picture book, laughing leaf and bright brook;
Every day a jewel bright, set serenely in the night;
Every night a holy shrine, radiant for a day divine.
Weathered cheek and kindly eye, let the wanderer go by.
Woman-love and wistful heart, let the gipsy one depart.
For the farness and the road are his glory and his goad.
Oh, the lilt of youth and Spring! Eyes laugh and lips sing.
Yea, but it is good to be
Foot-loose and heart-free!

II

Yet how good it is to come
Home at last, home, home!
On the clover swings the bee, overhead’s the hale tree;
Sky of turquoise gleams through, yonder glints the lake’s blue.
In a hammock let’s swing, weary of wandering;
Tired of wild, uncertain lands, strange faces, faint hands.
Has the wondrous world gone cold? Am I growing old, old?
Grey and weary . . . let me dream, glide on the tranquil stream.
Oh, what joyous days I’ve had, full, fervid, gay, glad!
Yet there comes a subtile change, let the stripling rove, range.
From sweet roving comes sweet rest, after all, home’s best.
And if there’s a little bit of woman-love with it,
I will count my life content, God-blest and well spent. . . .
Oh but it is good to be
Foot-loose and heart-free!
Yet how good it is to come
Home at last, home, home!

Rides Around: Rekombinando

Edgar, Surfing, Travel

The second vehicle featured in our “Rides Around” series is a VW combie van with an interesting story and a fantastic paint job.  I was at a little surf spot just southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, when I spotted this creation pulled up on the sand.

Before paddling out, I introduced myself to the driver, a bit of a surfing icon, and the father of an exceptional woman who was passionate about making a change and actively doing so through her “social project “.  It is called “Rekombinado” and can be read about here.  It is an educational mission based out of the van, and takes place en route from Brazil to Northern California.

I spent a few minutes discussing the van, its travels, and function w/ the gentleman in the driver’s seat before paddling out.
During my session, I contemplated purpose and passion and priorities.  I thought of how I choose to spend my time, and where I burn the most calories.  It was a bit of a self check-up that I passed w/ some ideas for improvement.

As I was wading back in from my surf, and wrapping my leash up on the tail of my board, the combie was pulling off into the setting sun.  It was undoubtedly headed out to continue its mission of education and love.

Funny how chance encounters can impact lives…

The Rig: VW Combie Van

The Location: Packery Channel, Texas

The Driver: a surfing icon named Joao

The Special Circumstances:  an amazing encounter during a Tuesday after work surf session

Edgar~

Taking the baja down the Baja: Day Nine

Leigh, Surfing, Travel, Yoga

Note: This is a recap of Day Nine of our journey driving a ’68 bug from Sacramento, CA to Sayulita, Mexico.  You can catch up on day eight here.  

The most surprising aspect of the ferry ride was the timing.  We had given ourselves plenty of wiggle room, because we didn’t know if it would leave or arrive on time.  It did both.  We cruised into Mazatlan right before 9am, and everyone lined up in an orderly fashion to disembark.  I joined the exit line, rushed back to return the borrowed movies and remote control, then joined the line again while Edgar went down below to fire up the bug.

I walked off the ramp and met Edgar in the parking lot, where he was holding our exhaust pipe.  He’d lightly tapped a truck during the unloading process, and it was enough to cause the pipe to break off.  Once again our jar of bungees came in handy, and we headed off toward Sayulita with the pipe carefully fixed to the roof rack, while keeping a careful eye out for a welding shop.

At lunch time we found a nice little place right on the water just south of San Blas, selling shrimp and cheese empanadas and the now standard coca lites.  While we wrapped up the meal, we asked around about a nearby break called Stoners.  No one at the restaurant knew what we were talking about, so we went off-roading again.  We found some pretty beaches, but no swell.

We’d spent enough time in Nayarit to know where the swell is located there, so we got back on the pavement and headed in that direction.  In La Cruz we spotted what looked like a welding shop, and quickly turned in.  We used our spanish and a lot of demonstrative movements to explain the problem, and one of the workers said the magic words, “no problem”.  He brought out the torch, and waved off Edgar’s suggestion of a helmet.  A few moments and pesos later, the pipe was once again married to the bug.

We were close to home, but had enough light to check out one of the local breaks, so we took a quick peek.  Burrows wasn’t too exciting, but the pizza joint nearby had a live band.  They sounded good and so did a slice of pizza, so we settled in to enjoy both.

After dinner, it was time to go home.  Casa Aves has the perfect spot for the bug right out front.  We spent time unloading boards and supplies, and giving the green meanie a little dust-off as a welcome home.

The next day, we grabbed a ride to the airport, and a much faster trip home.

Miles traveled on day 9:  245

The story doesn’t end here; it’s just the closing of this chapter.  Thanks to everyone for following along and enjoying the recaps with us.  It was a great adventure and we enjoyed sharing it with you.  We’d love to hear your feedback and/or questions.  What surprised you about the journey? Is there anything we didn’t cover that you really want to know? Have you, or would you want to, make a similar trek?  Would you have joined Fibber McGee for dinner, or adopted a Mexican street puppy?  Share in the comments and let’s keep the conversation going.