Bessie and Me: Shifting Gears

My ‘BikeIt’ List May 2012 Ride in all 48 Continental US states - 45 completed; 3 to go. Ride up the East Coast from Key West to Canada - June of ’08 Ride ‘Blues Alley” Route 61 - July ’07 - And I stood at ‘The Crossroads’ Route 66  - Completed the Western portion from Oklahoma City to Santa Monica Grand Canyon - 2X Circle Tour of Lake Superior - June 2011 Circle Tour of Lake Michigan - June 2011 Circle Tour of Lake Erie Circle Tour of Lake Huron Circle Tour of Lake Ontario Canadian Rockies Pacific Coast Highway - Completed Malibu to San Diego only Blue Ridge Parkway - June 2010 Natchez Trace  Indian River Lagoon Cherahola Skyway - June 2010 Deals Gap - Tail of the Dragon - 2X Sturgis Rolling Thunder Memorial Day Ride to the Wall Nova Scotia, Bay of Fundy, and the Cabot Trail The Gauntlet The Twisted Lady Italy, France, Germany Tunnel of Trees Road White Mountains - Vermont - July 2008 The Hellbender 28 - North Carolina

May 26, 2013 I've checked several off; have several more to go! My day started with a plan, and ended up with an unexpected journey. Got a text from a friend of mine who was working over in Melbourne - ‘I forgot something I need for work; any way you can get it from the house and ride over to the beach to bring it to me?’   Bessie2 and I don’t need a reason to ride! and the destination is inmaterial; its about the journey....right? Slathered on the sun block and jumped on alternate 27 over to Masterpiece Road; the back way to Highway 60 out of Lake Wales.  Highway 60 runs EastWest and is a direct route to Vero Beach on the East coast; it’s a great ride, not much in between except ranch land - no twists, no turns, and the only thing to break the monotony of the ride is Yeehaw Junction!  I can’t begin to tell you what a gorgeous day it was in Florida today. If someone would have lined up 100 bikers and asked each one to describe their perfect riding weather, they

May 19, 2013 Summer has officially arrived in Central Florida - sans humidity - the Florida sun did the Department of Tourism proud this weekend.  I put over 400 miles on Bessie2 the last 24 hours; its a test. My body is screaming....’we failed, we failed!’ My right shoulder was ‘impinged’ in the accident, my neck was ‘compromised,’ and the tendons in my right hand were ‘stretched.’ And oh...did I mention I turned 58 this weekend!? Which actually is the least of my concerns - the first three are paramount, and they will have an impact on my Summer Road Trip. Saturday morning I headed out early to enjoy the ‘cooler’ weather and catch the entertainment at Yalaha Bakery in Lake County. Always a joy to ride through the lush, hilly countyside between Leesburg - Brooksville - Polk City.  http://www.yalahabakery.com Yalaha Bakery attracts a somewhat incongruous crowd; retirees from the many ‘golf communities’ in the area, campers from the various RV resorts, and a hos

May 16, 2013 Brandon Farms Strawberry Shortcake I glance at the clock every fifteen minutes or so, anxious for 4th period to end. I hurriedly complete the mundane, end-of-the-day-teacher tasks, grab my bag and practically race to the parking lot. Since taking delivery of Bessie2 in March, I have designated Thursday as my ‘start-the-weekend-early’ ride night. I rush home, anticipating the evening like I would anticipate the time spent with a favorite lover.....only better. I practically take the turn into my neighborhood on two wheels, scream down the driveway, and as I stumble in the backdoor, I’m peeling my teacher clothes off as I make my way through the kitchen, dining room, and into the bedroom....a swath of garments laid to waste behind me. It takes me about two minutes to transform from ‘Teacher Chick,’ to ‘Biker Chick.’  I stop to slather on sunblock, grab my boots, my keys, and head back out the same way I came in, ignoring the discarded clothes with a resolv