Coast to Coast (and back?) with an Italian Supermodel

Came across this ride report today, and gave it a read.

You tell a story well, thank you for all your efforts in bringing this to us.

Of all your great pics, I think this one is the best:



Dunno why, just has an interesting esthetic to me.


For Europe, get yourself a little reading material from Whitehorse Press: Motorcycle Journeys thru the Alps by John Hermann.

Written by one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, John lives just down the road from you in Coronado. Well worth your time to get together him, not only for his extensive knowledge of riding in Europe, but also for having the chance to meet such an interesting guy. Based upon those folks that struck a chord with you in your travels, John will be someone you'll never regret spending time with. I rode with him a bunch when I lived in Belgium and he was over for his trips, he made a lasting impression on me.

Safe travels, sir.

So whats the story with the awesome painting behind the bike? Where/how did you acquire it? I WANT ONE

I painted that. It's one of da Vinci's cadavers.





Macabre gallery here: http://dmatson.darkfolio.com/gallery/154061#4

Awww...
That last photo evoked no small twinge of sadness. It’s the layers of meaning inherent in it’s visual representation of the finality of what we all knew had to come. Yup, I’m being totally selfish here, I'm going to really miss my weekly philosophical fix. It’s not just the journey, places, and stunning photographs; but the glimpses of another mortal man’s internal machinery in action. The mix of time+place+challenge and resultant musing, searching and pondering, and then the raw honesty of your simple, honest, transparent style puts the secret spices on what is, without that, already an impressively presented work of art.

Thankyou, Mr AntiHero Sir, for letting us ‘tag along’. Thankyou again for putting in such an incredible amount of hard work polishing your thoughts to share with us, too. As someone who dabbles in the written form myself on occasion, I *know* how much work it takes.

I think I can safely speak for a many/most/all of us and say we’re really looking forward to what comes next! *grin*

Do it... There's no time like the present.

Your bike's major service expense would seem insignificant compared to the fuel budget for a trip to AK in the FJ. Although, a winter trip to AK would be epic.

I have followed this report from the beginning and have told many people about it. If you plan to go to Europe I may have a cost-effective motorcycle solution for you. Will PM you on that.

Thanks for the "best ride report ever".

amen.....

AntiHero,

I burned through the whole report over the last couple days and absolutely loved it. I'm sitting at my desk at work, but I couldn't focus on anything else. The narration, photography, and philosophy were all equally fascinating. Thank you very much for taking the time to document your adventure. There were several things you said that stuck with me and have impacted how I see daily life. Consequentially, I hope to make some changes for the better.

holy cow! 95 pages! I'm only on page 11! I'm thinking about buying a Ducati and moving to Colorado...

Thank you very much Anti for allowing us to share, in some small way, with you in your adventure. It has been a pleasure.

Live in Colorado, I get my Ducati fix vicariously through my buddies Panigale.....

Thank you AntiHero for an inspiring journey and taking us along with you. Truly amazing.

Whew!.. finally.. after three days of reading every word and digesting every photograph, all the while with laundry and dishes piling up, and mail left unopened on the kitchen counter, I have finally caught up.

Your RR took me back to the mid-late 70s, when I read a book by a fella by the name of "Moon" (I think, it's been a while) titled "Blue Highways". Your adventure somewhat mirrors the authors, beginning with a relationship going kaput, followed by a journey through this great land we call home.

Although it's been 35 years since I read that book, it's affect on my life has been a lasting one. I have a terminal case of wanderlust.. there's little I enjoy more than throwing a leg over the trusty steed in the garage and heading our for a long one. My desire is to retire (I've never not had a paying job since I was 13 in 1963), throw some clothes (and cold wx gear and a good rainsuit) in my luggage and head out.. without any pre-planned route, is what I find I enjoy most in my senior years.

Your style of writing is prolific. I'm not an educated man, but I found reading your prose most enjoyable.. it's as if I was the guy riding the Duc.. seeing America through your eyes.

It's been a great trip.. thanks for the journey.

Stay safe.. and don't forget that supermodel in the storage locker..

Thank you for a most excellent ride report
It is very high on my list to follow your tracks, so reading your rr was very interesting.

Thanks for all the encouraging comments. One of the most unexpected and rewarding parts of this trip has been all the feedback, which has motivated some very real changes in my life, too. :)

I'll be adding a few footnotes soon, but here's a condensation of all my geotagged photos. The map reminds me of a board game where sometimes I rolled 12 and covered great distances and sometimes I rolled snake eyes. (Hint: the higher the condensation of pins mark areas of the country that might be more visually interesting.)



While on the topic of interesting states--If I may quote Demetri Martin: "I learned something while on the road. State Shapes: The easier a state is to draw, the more boring it is to live in. Culture is attracted to squiggles!"

Well, thats an interesting visual epilogue to your journey, Dennis. But, knowing you just a bit now, I think next one is on the cards already :) Alaska first and Europe later, right ? :)

SOOOooooooo........that's what 15K + miles looks like. LOL

Great map, it puts it in perspective.

Inspirational. Truly truly inspirational. My husband and I talk frequently of packing it all away and living on the road.. I honestly believe that someday we will. Until then, we rotate between two wheels and four (KTM 990 and a Rubicon) and explore as much as we can.

I'm looking forward to your future adventures.

I think this is even harder 2 up than alone... I've seen this pair do it (dump their jobs and live on the road for ~1350 days and 160 kkm):

http://www.singapore2poland.com/eng/index.php

And to think... most people put that much on their cars every year, but it would be an indistinguishable back and forth squiggle over the same strip of road day after day.
The 'loop around the US' is a far superior way to travel that distance

Hmmm, Not

While I've mostly lived on the Right coast, I was a ski bum in Colo. And that state is probably 1 of the easiest to draw, so Demetri's logic doesn't hold...