Where do you go when you need to have new soles put on your boots or some snaps replaced on your leathers?

A couple of weeks ago, I was on a mission.  I had worn the softer rubber sole off my beloved riding boots.  I tend to drag my right foot as I come to a stop.  Not heavily.  Its less like “dragging” and more like “skimming” but with just enough contact with the ground to wear off the tread.  So I dropped them off at Vic’s Boot and Shoe Repair (33779 South Fraser Way) in Abbotsford.  Vic doesn’t have a website and you get the impression when you walk into the shop that it has been there for a thousand years but he came very highly recommended.  Inside the shop, I wasn’t very specific about what kind of new sole I wanted on my trusty old boots.  I really wasn’t sure what to ask for.  So I just told Vic’s wife (and I’m wing’in it here folks, I’m not even sure if “Vic” still owns the shop) what I used them for and hoped that would be enough.  She assured me Vic would know what to do.

They were ready in a week but it was raining so I forgot all about them.  That is until the next Sunday rolled around and I had to go on the Mountainview Harley-Davidson Demo Ride with my hiking boots.  Not cool when surrounded by bikers in head to toe leather.  I missed my boots.  They are perfect for riding.  They were actually ment for riding horses, thus the soft rubber sole, but they are sturdy leather with rhinestones, for a bit of bling and have a reinforced toe that hasn’t worn out with numerous shift changes.   They have kept my feet warm and safe for over 58,000 kms and I had to go and pick them up before I went on another ride.

J & I pulled up in front of the shop and with a little apprehension I got off my bike.  What if they had screwed up my favorite boots?  What would I do then?  I opened the door and there was “Vic”.  ”I came to pick up the sparkly motorcycle boots I called you about this morning”.  ”Ah yes, you will like these much better” and with that presented me with my beloved boots.  ”I replace the foam (the stuff between the leather boot and the actual sole) and gave you a harder bottom.”  I picked one up to examine it and saw that the “harder sole” was a heavy Vibram one.  You know the ones with the diamond pattern on them?  He did indeed know exactly what to do.  The work was well done and there was even put a new coat of polish on them.  Perfect!  Now for the bill.  Being that I had never had anything re-soled before I didn’t really know what it would cost.  I was half expecting it to be really expensive but I was, again, pleasantly surprised: C$44.00.  Basically I got a brand new pair of boots (that are already broken in and fit me perfectly, I might add) for $44 bucks.  Not bad really.

Vic also does other types of leather repair as well.

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This was supposed to be a post about the ride we did around Fidalgo Island this past weekend.  I was going to write about all the winding bits of twisty goodness in the roads we found.  I was going to do that, until we stopped for lunch.  I am warning you now, I am not in the business of doing restaurant reviews.  I am not a food critic and neither is J, but we do like food.  We like great tasting, fresh food and the experience of it all.  Especially on bike trips.  Some of the best meals we have had, have been on bike trips and we usually find these meals in some pretty out-of-the-way and/or interesting places.

Now we usually go for budget when it comes to bike trips. (so we can spend the money on gas and go to more places.  We know where our priorities lie.)  But there was one restaurant that we wanted to check out and we knew it wasn’t budget.  The Oyster Creek Inn is just before the hairpin bridge on the beautifully curvaceous Chuckanut Drive.  We have ridden the Chuckanut several times before and had been wanting to stop at the little Inn but it were either closed or we were on our way to somewhere else.  So this time we stopped.  The pictures on the wall show the Oyster Creek Inn has had a long history that started way back in the 1930′s.  Back then, The Chuckanut had just been paved and the small building had BEER and LUNCH painted on the side.  Our host Thomas, explained that he and

his wife had resurrected the Oyster Creek Inn two and a half years ago, making it a bit more upscale than the “BEER” and “LUNCH” days and a bit larger too.  They bring in fresh seafood from the Taylor Shellfish Farm, which sits just below the restaurant on Samish Bay and as much as the seasons will allow, fresh local produce.  We ordered the warm seafood salad with mussels, scallops and shrimp and I ordered the fish tacos with fresh caught salmon, tomatoes (tasty ones, not the cardboard ones you usually find this time of year) and cilantro.  Our meal also came with Oyster Creek’s own home made bread.  Everything was delicious!  The lunch portions were just right, we were pleasantly full.  Our bill was US$42.00 including tip.

Since it was late afternoon, we were in the lull before the dinner crowd started so Thomas, being a great host, came out to find out what brought us to the Inn.  When we told him what we were up to, he began telling us about the fantastic restaurants in La Connor and the great artisan bakeries and the gourmet deli just up the road in Edison.  (For a town of 133 people you wouldn’t expect to find artisan or gourmet anything.)  J’s ears perked up.  He has been on the hunt for a bakery that makes eclairs as tasty as the ones made by a little bakery in our home town.  If we hadn’t just eaten we probably would have stopped again in Edison.  But as it was, J was getting low on fuel.  We decided that we had better find a gas station before one of us, and it wouldn’t be me, had to ride bi$&% (hey it’s a family show!).  Incidentally, if you don’t stop in Fairhaven, just before the start of the Chuckanut, the next place to fuel up is at the Shell at the junction of Bayview-Edison Rd and State Route 20.  But thanks to an interesting lunch conversation we now had inspiration for the beginnings of another ride.

The Oyster Creek Inn is open daily, 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM Wednesday to Monday.  You can contact the Oyster Creek Inn by email: chef@nwcuisine.com or phone:  (360) 766-6179

Stay tuned for the rest of our day, Lynden to Fidalgo Island.

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Here is a copy of the official press release on the new motorcycle and helmet regulations in British Columbia.

NEWS RELEASE

Ministry of Justice

Province rolls out new motorcycle laws
April 30-2nd section Backgrounder updated for clarification

VICTORIA – To mark the beginning of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Province is announcing new safety regulations aimed at improving road safety and reducing motorcycle deaths, injuries and crashes.

Effective June 1, all motorcycle riders and their passengers must wear helmets that meet safety industry standards. This means motorcycle riders will no longer be able to wear novelty helmets, typically known as skid lids, skull caps or beanies, which do not meet the new requirements.

In addition, the new regulations:

· Will require passengers, including children, to place their feet on foot pegs or floorboards. Drivers can easily be thrown off balance and risk crashing if their passengers do not keep their feet fixed on foot rests. Children who are unable to reach foot rests will no longer be allowed to ride as passengers.

· Will improve visibility and enforcement for police. The font size on motorcycle licence plates has increased by 0.95 centimetres (3/8 of an inch). Since May 2011, all new motorcycle licence plates have been issued with the larger font.

In making the announcement, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond said the provincial government intends to move forward with a graduated licensing program that includes power restrictions, following additional consultation to determine the best model. Feedback will be considered along with research and best practices to develop a model that improves rider safety and reduces motorcycle crashes especially for new riders.

The Office of Motor Vehicles and ICBC will also partner on an awareness campaign to ensure automobile drivers are aware of how to drive safely when they encounter motorcycles on the road.

The goal is to reduce fatalities and injuries from crashes involving motorcycles. While motorcycles are estimated to make up about three per cent of insured vehicles in B.C., they account for approximately 10 per cent of road fatalities. In the last five years, 203 motorcyclists have lost their lives on B.C.’s roads and 5,172 have been injured. Motorcycle fatalities increased by about 57 per cent between 1996 and 2010.

The new rider safety regulations are the result of extensive consultations between the Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, BC Coroners Service, ICBC, police and other road safety partners to develop a comprehensive approach to improve motorcycle safety within the motorcycling community and industry.

The month of May will allow for a transition period that will give government time to move to the new laws by informing riders and the public about the upcoming changes. Starting June 1, police will begin enforcing the new laws and issuing educational materials to riders found violating the helmet and seating regulations.

Fines for all new helmet-related offences are $138, and fines for seating requirements range from $109 to $121. In addition to fines, riders violating seating requirements will have their motorcycles impounded.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond –

“While B.C. already has mandatory helmet and seating laws, these new standards provide even more guidance to help riders – who are more vulnerable to injury and death than other road users- enjoy a safe journey.

“Thanks to individuals like Denise Lodge and the Adey family, who have shown a commitment and passion for improving road safety, we are able to turn tragic circumstances into real improvements.”

Denise Lodge, Coalition of Riders Educating Youth (COREY) –

“Since March 3, 2005, in memory of my son Corey, I’ve been actively advocating changes to legislation, the culture, attitude, belief and behaviour to ensure other young riders don’t needlessly lose their lives.

“With more people getting motorcycle licences, risks are rising. We know that safety starts with the rider and we also know that an approved motorcycle helmet can save a life.”

“Times have changed; motorcycles are more light weight and much more powerful. Now more than ever, riders need the tools and skills to ride safely.”

Jamie Graham, chair, BC Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee –

“Police have been asking for these changes for years. We have seen the harm that inadequate safety equipment and poor choices cause. You have to be responsible for your actions, dress appropriately, pay attention and focus on driving, and you will prevent a tragedy.”

Dr. Roy Purssell, emergency physician and chair of the BCMA’s Emergency Medical Services Committee –

“The new safety requirements will save lives. When motorcycles and vehicles collide, the rider of the motorcycle is the one most often seriously injured or killed. I have provided care for motorcyclists who arrive at the emergency department with minimal injuries after surviving a terrible crash simply because they were wearing a well-designed helmet and other protective gear.”

Quick Facts:

· Helmet laws have been found to reduce fatalities by as much as 37 per cent.

· Each year in B.C., there are about 2,200 crashes involving motorcyclists and about 42 rider deaths.

· Motorcyclists are eight times more likely to be killed and more than 40 per cent more likely to be injured in a crash than other road users.

· The main factors contributing to motorcycle crashes are speed, an inattentive driver and failure on the part of other drivers to yield to right-of-way of motorcyclists.

· Helmets that meet industry standards have a rigid head covering with a strong, stiff outer shell and a crushable liner. The stiff outer shell protects the head by distributing the impact throughout the surface of the helmet, and the crushable liner protects the head by being able to absorb the energy of the impact. Full-face helmets are not mandatory.

· Helmets must comply with standards outlined by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), Snell Memorial Foundation 2005 or 2010, or United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).

A backgrounder follows.

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect

BACKGROUNDER

B.C.’s new motorcycle safety law

Beginning June 1, 2012, B.C.’s new motorcycle safety law will come into force. It has three components:

1. Helmet Safety Standards

All motorcyclists and motorcycle passengers in B.C. must wear a motorcycle helmet that meets one of the following safety standards:

· DOT – Also known as FMVSS 218, conforms with the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218.

· Snell M2005 or Snell M2010 – In accordance with the Snell Memorial Foundation 2005 or 2010 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use with Motorcycles and Other Motorized Vehicles.

· ECE – In accordance with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe ECE Regulation No. 22.

The safety helmet must display the proper certification label. Full-face helmets and visors are not required and riders are free to choose any helmet colour they prefer. However, eye protection and brightly-coloured helmets are strongly recommended to help prevent collisions, injuries and fatalities.

Uncertified, novelty “beanies” do not meet the requirements.

Fines for all new helmet related offences are $138. Refusing an officer’s demand to produce a helmet carries a $276 fine.

2. Seating Requirements

The operator of a motorcycle must be seated astride the driver’s seat. Passengers must be seated behind the operator astride the passenger’s seat with their feet on foot pegs or the floorboards at all times (even when the motorcycle is stopped – e.g., at an intersection), or be properly seated in a side car.

The operator is responsible for ensuring passengers younger than 16 years of age are properly seated. Any passengers, including children who cannot reach the foot pegs or floorboards, are not permitted to ride as passengers.

Fines for violating seating requirements range from $109 to $121 or vehicle impoundment, if considered stunting. Failing to use foot pegs and permitting a passenger to be unlawfully seated both come with a $109 fine.

3. Licence Plate Improvements

Since May 2011, ICBC has been issuing motorcycle licence plates with larger font. Font size has increased 0.95 centimetres (3/8 of an inch) to assist law enforcement with identifying the vehicle.

Existing plates can be upgraded to a plate with larger font by contacting ICBC.

The fine for an improper display of a licence plate or an illegible licence plate has increased to $230 from $196.

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect

Adele Tompkins

Executive Director

B.C. Coalition of Motorcyclists

adele@bccom-bc.com

1 877 580 0111

Serving the Motorcyclists of British Columbia since 1985

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Our Mostly by Motorcycle eBook!

Whenever we can, we spend most sunny days riding the by-ways of British Columbia and North-Western Washington.  Our book is a collection of some of our favorite routes.  We visit some interesting places and ride some beautiful roads.  Its full of photos and maps, tips and information and it will be a welcome addition to any day trip or a week-long ride.  With chapters on Richmond, White Rock, the Duffy Lake Loop, the Sunshine Coast, Hope/Princeton, Snoqualmie, Chuckanut Drive, Ellensburg, Vantage, Whidbey Island, Fort Casey, the Olympic Peninsula and the Anacortes Oyster Run.  The book is available in a downloadable PDF format so you can put it on your smart phone or tablet.  The best part is, it’s digital!  So it won’t take up precious room in your saddlebags.

US$9.97

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On Birch Bay

The motorcycle gods were smiling on us this weekend.  Sunday was supposed to be 70% chance of rain.  It ended up being just a sprinkle and the sun came out long enough for me to get a wicked burn on my face (It doesn’t take much really, I am pretty pasty).  So what did we do on this beautiful sunny Sunday?  Spent the day out at Mountainview Harley-Davidson in Chilliwack at their Test Our Metal Event of course!  I got to ride everything from Dynas to a Road Glide and I have to say, I am kind of torn between the smoothness of a Softail Blackline (but not the riding position, it would be a bit of a back breaker on a longer trip) and the gnarly-ness and quick response of the throttle on the Wide Glide.  Both need better seats though.

Testing the Metal - HD Wide Glide

But believe it or not, Sunday was not the main event.  On Monday, the clouds parted again to make it quite a pleasant day for a ride.  The first long(ish) ride of the year.  We set out with the intention of going to the village of Birch Bay in Washington State.  Now I know I have it said before, but we always set out with the best of intentions of reaching a specific destination and usually for one reason or another, get side tracked or delayed and end up somewhere entirely different.  So we have developed an the attitude, especially on short day trips like this, that what ever happens, happens and if we don’t make it to our initial destination it will always be there for another day.  Birch Bay was the general idea and from our place in Aldergrove, we knew it was located approximately south-west and on the Pacific.  So with just a cursory look at a map and nothing but time and quiet back roads ahead of us, we geared up and set off.

We had to make a quick stop in Abbotsford so instead of crossing the border into the US at Aldergrove we crossed over at the Huntington/Sumas portal.  From Sumas we followed route 9 south, through leafing vineyards and as we rode along we noticed the dark musty smell of freshly tilled earth in the air.  This area of western Washington is largely agricultural so there are a plethora of dairy farms, corn and grain fields.  Did I mention that those corn and grain fields, especially in the spring, are fertilized with the effluence from the floors of those dairy barns?  That lovely earth smell was a welcome change from the scent of cow poop that sometimes assaults the nostrils.

At the junction of route 9 and 542 we continued right at the round-about and on to 542 Mt. Baker Hwy for a brief stint until we got to the first round-about, then right (west) on to East Smith Road.  East Smith is straight.  Really straight.  So straight in fact you could probably set your throttle lock and take a nap for a good 5-10 minutes, although I wouldn’t recommend it.  Follow it as it crosses over Guide Meridian and becomes West Smith road and then crosses over the I5 freeway.  Then West Smith turns right and becomes Hovander Rd and you get a bit of a wake up through a few bends in the tarmac.  Hovander ends at Ferndale, where we turned left at the stop sign and followed Main Street through town.

The town used to be called Jam because it was right next to a log jam in the Nooksack river.  Apparently the local school teacher thought that “Jam” wasn’t picturesque enough and mercifully changed to to Ferndale, named so for the ferns that grow along the river.  In addition, according to Wikipedia, Ferndale is the home of the “famous” Metallica bridge.  We had never heard of it.  Evidently this bridge has a facebook page and everything.  The story goes, somebody sprayed the Metallica logo on the railway bridge and for the last 20 years it has been a battle between the powers that be to remove it and the graffiti artists to put it back.   We didn’t discover this tidbit until we got home and I googled Ferndale, but if ever we are back through there we shall have to look it up.  We did witness a rather unusual way of unloading train cars though: backhoes perched precariously atop the boxcars lifting out rail ties.  I should have taken a picture.

After Ferndale our route gets kind of fuzzy.  We were looking for a route we could follow along the ocean to Birch Bay but we kept hitting dead ends, refineries (evidently there are a few in this area) and wildlife reserves (found right beside the oil refineries).  Please refer to the map below for the best route to Birch Bay.

The Kracken

Eventually we arrived in Birch Bay.  The bay was named so in 1792 by Archibald Menzies, a member of the Vancouver Expedition.  Vancouver’s two ships used this protected bay as an anchorage for several days and Menzies noted a number of species of birch in the area.  Thus the name Birch Bay.  We stopped at a little park at the end of a street and went out on the sand exposed by the low tide.  There is a little state park to the south near Whitehorn point with picnic and washroom facilities and lots of beach to explore there as well.  We decided we would have to come back on a hot day to better take advantage of our surroundings.  Heading off to find some place to eat, we discovered that because Birch Bay was more of a resort area than a town, most of the businesses and restaurants were not open yet.  So we continued on the road around the bay and hoped that we would, sooner or later, find some place to stop.

Stopping at a gas station for fuel and a pit stop, I asked the old guy behind the counter if there was a restaurant he would recommend nearby.  Looking very much like he stepped out of the 1950′s with his horn-rimmed glasses and bow-tie, his response was, “I donno, I don’t go out to eat”.  Luckily another 1950′s looking local over heard us and recommended the Paso Del Norte just up the road in Blaine.

Located on the main drag along the water at 758 Peace Portal Drive (between Martin and H Streets), Paso Del Norte is a family style Mexican restaurant with huge portions and decent prices.  The service was great and Mondays are US$0.99 Margaritas.  We both ordered from the lunch menu and with drinks our total bill came to just over US$18.00.  We should have remembered that crossing the 49th paralel usually means double the portion size, we could have easily shared one entree and still been full.  We also discovered that we were close enough to the border here for our Canadian cell phones to pick up their respective networks.  A quick check of the map confirmed it was a straight shot from here along H Street to Guide Meridian and within a couple hundred feet of the Aldergrove border crossing.

Just before leaving Blaine I stopped in to the visitor information centre for some local information.  I got to chatting with the lady there and discovered that she used to live within feet of my house in Aldergrove.  You never know who you will meet on these trips.  Sometimes you really notice what a small world it is.  She also offered some suggestions for future rides.  For details on those, stay tuned.

View Sumas to Blaine: The Backroads of Western Washington in a larger map

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Living out in Langley, it is never a problem finding free parking anywhere, ride into downtown Vancouver though and free parking becomes a challenge.

I started writing this post with the intention of giving my readers the inside scoop on the easiest route to the free parking spots for motorcycles within Van-city’s core.  I can never seem to find it myself; the reason is simple.  There isn’t any.  Not officially anyway.  Free parking for motorcycles (and scooters) is not a radical idea.  Cities like San Francisco, Toronto and Portland all provide free parking for their two wheeled residents and visitors.  So you would think that Vancouver, vying for status as a world class city, would provide this as well.  AND being that Vancouver has decided it wants to become the greenest city in North America by 2020 it would make sense to make it easier for motorcycles (and scooters) to find free parking within the city to help meet that goal.  That would be the theory.  But the city of Vancouver wants to squeeze every bit of revenue it can out of it’s visitors.  So, as of this writing, there are no “official” free parking sites within the city of Vancouver for motorcycles, not any that I can find anyway.  (There is however, free parking if you ride an electric scooter.)  The city doesn’t seem to consider the lower impact motorcycles have on the the streets themselves and the environment or the revenue that motorcyclists bring to the city.  OR the blatantly obvious, that less cars and more two wheeled vehicles will help it meet it’s “Greenest City” goal.  There is not much I can do about the city’s short sightedness except keep an eye on the situation and up date you as soon as something changes.  So, my dear readers, you will have to settle for the next best thing less expensive pay parking.  Here’s the scoop:

First of all, if you are travelling in pairs or a group there is no problem (City of Vancouver website confirms it) with two or more motorcycles parking in one pay parking stall as long as the bikes stay within the confines of that one spot.  Be warned though, if the meter expires all motorcycles in that space will get a ticket.

There is specific motorcycle metered parking throughout the city but as far as I am able to determine, you pay the same parking rates as regular vehicles (C$1.00-C$6.00/hr depending on where you are in the city) at the meter or, if you have a parking account set up, you can pay-by-phone and receive 50% off.  Although pay-by-phone is not the most convenient if you are a visitor or don’t actually come to the city on a regular basis.

The cheapest place to park in the downtown core (marked in blue on the map below) is in one of three unattended metered lots.  In these lots you get a discounted rate, C$0.50/hr or a daily rate of C$4.00 to a maximum of 8 hours, but only if you park in one of the designated motorcycle stalls.  The problem with this is that there are only 20 of these stalls available between the three lots (and there are approximately 26,000 registered motorcycles in the City of Vancouver alone).

If you feel you need to park in a parking lot with an attendant, which by the way, does not mean that security is any better than parking anywhere else, you have a few choices (marked in red on the map below).  The rates start at C$10.50 and go up depending on where you are in the city.  Which is about half the price you would pay for a car but again, there are only a limited number of spaces where you are able to park at that rate.  Please refer to the Easy Park website for details.

View Motorcycle parking: Downtown Vancouver in a larger map

Click here for the City of Vancouver’s complete map of metered and non-metered parking lots around the city.

Finally there are a few places that offer free motorcycle parking that are either private lots or have fallen through the city’s pay parking net.  The following are reported to be free but it should be noted that these spots are either unconfirmed by me or possibly illegal and MostlybyMotorcycle.com is not responsible for anything that may happen while parking there. (Marked in yellow on the map above)

West Cordova Street:  Between Bute and Thurlow on the north side of the street and further west beween Bute and Jervis on both sides.  This is just free parking in general, not specific to motorcycles.

Jervis Street:  Both side of the street between Cordova and Hastings.  This is just free parking in general, not specific to motorcycles.

Guilford Street:  East side of the street between Georgia and Alberni.  This is just free parking in general, not specific to motorcycles.

Beach Crescent:  Near George Wainborn Park, both sides of the street, again this is not specific to motorcycles.

Just be warned, the City of Vancouver is quick to find a expired metre or illegally parked bike and you could either end up with a ridiculously expensive parking ticket or worse, your motorcycle towed.  So read signs carefully and when in doubt, bite the bullet and pay full price for parking.  It would really mess up your day (and you bank account) if you were trying to save a few bucks on parking and ended up paying for a ticket or a tow.

Do you know of any free motorcycle parking in the city of Vancouver?  Drop me a line.

Editors Note:  April 23, 2012

I received a note from Ian Tootill at www.mcparking.ca  Here is what he says:

There is some free parking btw…We are trying to get more.  Not sure if you are aware of this but wondering if you can add an addendum to your article?   We are having our second parking rally for scooters and motorcycles on May 5th at the Vancouver Aquatic Center at 7:45 am . The reason for the early arrival is that we will then relocate to a designated spot in downtown to occupy single vehicle parking spaces for media attention. We’ll be outta there by 11am.

Some background: I drafted the motion that was forwarded by COPE councillors in Vancouver in 2010 for scooter and motorcycle parking. The motion was changed to eliminate “free” as nobody would go for it. The motion was passed subsequent to our April 30th 2010 rally.

We are now going back for more parking and “free”.

About half the newly designated spots (just after the crosswalk on the far side of intersections) which don’t yet have meters are free. Essentially all over Vancouver. Caveat: Not for long though and that’s one of the reasons for the rally.

Thanks, Ian Tootill www.mcparking.ca

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Theresa Wallach on her Norton International

The Cult of Curiosity

Theresa Wallach

America is the kind of place that most people read about, but never expect to see. This applies to the citizen as well as to the foreign visitor, for seeing America is a tall order.  When I landed in New York and saw the sectioned and detailed maps of the country which were given free as advertisement by the gas stations, then the curiosity of my sex became a force to be reckoned with.

This was in 1947. I have always wanted to travel. The Powers-that-be, who claim that since the war the stability of the business world lies in controlling the exchange of foreign currency would not stop me. An attempt to tour the whole of the United States and get a glimpse of Canada and Mexico by working at various jobs whenever I needed money, would indeed be a great adventure. The most difficult part of the scheme was to make up my own mind and get started. In the many miles that I have covered in the last two years both men and women all over the country have said to me “I would like to do what you are doing if only I wasn’t married. ” Some would say “I would do something like that as things are today – if only I was ten years younger.” Others have said “I have always wanted to travel just like you are doing, but now I can’t leave the business.”  Some simply wish they had enough money.

All these people have been a great spur to my adventure, I had decided that there would be no “IFS” now and no “regrets” later.  I was well on my way towards working my way round this big country when I realized that this was travel within the true meaning of the word. In this way I had come to know people and to understand their parts of the country in a way which no other mode of travelling would have made possible.

At this rate … ” I reflected “it will take me two years to see the States and why not’!” I asked myself, for to see the world they say, is to judge the judges. The opportunity of seeing America came as a contrast to my journey through Africa, from London to Cape Town, before the war. It is interesting to compare “old” Europe with “young” America and “undeveloped” Africa. Looking back, my experiences and adventures have blended together with the interesting places I have seen and given me an understanding of a truly wonderful country and its people.

The last few months of my journey have been as full of adventure as at any time since I started. During early Spring I explored two thousand, five hundred miles of Florida. One of the most interesting’ places was at Silver Springs. The description of the beauty of its crystal clear waters tempted me to investigate. Deep down in the Silver River there is an aperture through which flow millions of gallons of spring water a day. I took a trip in one of the special boats.

Electrically driven glass bottom boats glide silently through the warm waters.  They enable one to see down to the bottom of this queer watering places of prehistoric animals. I experienced a weird sensation of Fairyland when I looked through the glass bottomed floor of the boat.  Gar fish and cat fish were swimming about over clusters of coral fern blossom. Then I saw a huge turtle take off and swim around. Usually the situation is the other way around the animals being in the cage! The boats glided slowly over the Devil’s kitchen and the Cat Fish Hotel and other beautiful underwater formations.

By the middle of March, the weather was getting really hot here. At Silver Springs there is the renowned semi – open air laboratory for the extraction of venom from rattle snakes. Mr. Ross Allen, the head of the Institute that bears his name, is the famous authority on the “milking” of these reptiles. I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Allen and then watching him perform this exceedingly dangerous operation which he does before the public.  It is only the rattlesnake that has the venom so necessary to the medical profession as a serum. All the snakes were caught in the Everglade swamps.

As Mr. Allen enters the glass pen, scores of rattlesnakes could be seen and heard shaking their tail tips, Not one would strike. He understands snakes. He is the exemplification of calm and confidence. Mr. Allen extracts the venom from the fangs which is supposed to be the origin of the hypodermic needle. His method was to squeeze the jaws which open exactly like a garden snap dragon plant. The two ugly fangs thus exposed were hooked over the edge of a glass beaker. The venom then extracted by thumb pressure resembled in color and quantity-a mere thimble full of orange juice.

“We have some very friendly Snakes … “said Mr. Allen. “Come and see Indigo.” He opened a cage and let a big black Gopher crawl about him. “Here, take it . , .” he said to me. With a little gentle handling, Indigo went on exercising himself around me. His black forked tongue went flipping in and out, picking up the sound, vibrations through which he hears. “After that … ” I said to myself “. . . Come what may Florida.”

As I was riding along the road south of Ocala, I saw a plaque beside the road saying “Historical marker 500 ft.” I pulled into the roadside bay and read the inscription on the tablet. It was to commemorate a battle with the Seminole Indians, only in 1842.

At this stage of my journey, it was difficult to recall what I might have expected of America before I started. I didn’t realize how young it is. I spent almost three months in this “Sunshine State” which included a jaunt down to the Keys. The work of the mosquitoes almost spoiled my ride back from Key West to Miami. At times I was riding hands off and performing all kinds of contortions to soothe the effect of these pests. “Those are peculiar mosquito bites .. ” said my hostess, watching me scratch myself to distraction next morning. That’s poison ivy. . .”  Suddenly I thought of Marathon Key. Although I camped near a cafe, I checked my camp site for obstacles that might harbor a snake or scorpions. I had removed some small boulders and remembered uprooting some weeds with my hands. However, a few days discomfort and the proper lotion soon put that right.

Leaving Florida in a space of words that hardly do justice to those entered in my diary, I continued northwards into Georgia . Riding northwards through typical Georgian small towns and along the Ocomee River Valley, I felt that I had cheated myself out of something. It was of feeling the first warmth of early seasons sunshine.

In fact, I was catching up with Spring. When I saw the young crops in the fields and the colored worker with mule and hand plough I got the real “feel” of Dixieland. The characteristics of the beautiful Smoky mountains and Shenandoah hills and caves also made themselves apparent as I gradually trekked my way towards the Nation’s Capitol.

There could be no more fitting” time to see Washington and what it stood for, than towards the end of my 25,000 mile journey. This National Shrine radiated the true spirit of comradeship and hospitality of the people I met in different States. The big cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia followed in quick succession.

With feelings of sadness and gladness I crossed the Hudson River, this time in the other direction and re-entered New York City.  There was never a thought about whether this journey would pay, Pay what with? Pay how? All my adventures cannot be valued in money. For nearly two years I have been living. Never at any time in my life have I had less or earned less yet at no time have I enjoyed life more.

One hears with envy of influential people who travel. Of film stars off to Hollywood or of a business director to visit a State Capitol or some such place. Perhaps people with money to spare go to Florida for the winter or a VIP to White House in Washington.

I am not included in one of these categories. I have not been promoted to sufficient importance in a firm for them to send me to conduct any overseas business on their behalf. I can understand other people seeing wonderful places like Niagara Falls – Oklahoma or Miami. Sometimes I ask myself ” … How did I get here, am I dreaming’?” Yet there I was. Me, just plain me. Surely one’s world is for him who knows how to look for it.

At this stage it is difficult to recall my impressions of what to have expected of America before I started. Whatever they were, even my wildest imagination did not anticipate the kindness and hospitality that I have received from people everywhere.

My journey makes no claim to a high mileage. The average daily worker can perhaps claim more miles a year. My travels are simply a concentrated effort in a forward direction.

When travelling, of course there have to be sacrifices. One cannot have the comfort and security of home. Neither can one enjoy the companionship of one’s own friends. but the Law of Compensation as Emerson says is the Law of Life itself. Every advantage has its disadvantage. Every loss, its gain.

THE END

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Theresa Wallach

With the wet winter finally giving way to a (hopefully) drier spring, any rider worth their salt is chomping at the bit for the sun to come out.  If you are anything like me when you are not watching for a break in the clouds you are reading about new places to ride and planning the next trip.  So while I was surfing around the various motorcycle-related sites I followed a link to a link to link and somehow ended up at the American Motorcycle Association’s Hall of Fame Museum website.  While there I found an article on Theresa Wallach and the motorcycle trip to beat them all.

Theresa Wallach was an amazing woman and you probably have never even heard of her!  She was a motorcycle adventurer, motorcycle racer, engineer, author, military dispatch rider, mechanic, dealer, riding school instructor and the first Vice President of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association.  She not only redefined the role of women in motorcycling but she smashed through the boundaries of gender roles in general.  She was an explorer and possessed bigger cajones than most men of her time (or ours for that matter).  In 1934 she and her friend, Florence, decided to embark on one of the most epic motorcycle adventures of any generation.  In her send-off speech, London socialite Lady Astor declared, “I am an unrepentant feminist and convinced that whatever a man can do, a woman can do too”.  And Theresa Wallach proved it (not that she needed to)!  Read on.

Below is the article from the AMA website.

Wallach was born in London, on April 30, 1909. She grew up near the factories that produced the famous British brands of Norton, BSA, Triumph and AJS, and got to know many of the people working at the factories, including test riders, engineers and racers. As a young woman, Wallach learned to ride from some of her motorcycling friends. She was trained by some of the best riders in England and rapidly became a solid rider herself. She tried to become a member of a local motorcycle club, but was denied membership because of her gender.

Undaunted, Wallach continued to ride and learned to work on her motorcycle, again with help from her friends in the motorcycle industry. Eventually, Wallach’s skills on a motorcycle could not be denied. She began competing in local meets and earned numerous trophies. Wallach’s parents made her keep the trophies out of sight, since a woman motorcyclist was still looked down upon in 1920s England. In 1928, she won a scholarship to study engineering at what is now the City University in London.

In 1935, Wallach and her friend, Florence Blenkiron, or “Blenk,” as Wallach called her, embarked on one of the most ambitious motorcycle journeys of the era. Riding a 600cc single-cylinder Panther complete with sidecar and trailer, the two rode from London to Cape Town, South Africa. No roads, no back up, just straight across the Sahara through equatorial Africa, and South to the Cape – in 1934, without even a compass! It was quite simply one of the most radical motorcycle journeys ever.

Wallach and Blenkiron in Africa

Undeterred by nomads, sand drifts, heat, rain, rivers, breakdowns and politics, Wallach and Blenkiron completed an expedition that might well defeat a modern motorcycle. From oasis to oasis, arguing with the French Foreign Legion for permission to continue, and winning; fashioning a tow hitch for the trailer when it broke in the desert; rebuilding the entire engine from scratch in Agadez: meeting gorillas, lions and snakes on the road; staying in African villages and meeting an amazing variety of friendly and helpful people. Not to mention having an accident in Tanganyika (Tanzania) with the only car seen on the road for days. At one point the women succeeded in pushing their rig for 25 miles following a total engine failure. The trip made the women celebrities among motorcyclists in England. Wallach documented the fantastic journey in her book “The Rugged Road.”

With her popularity from the Africa trip, Wallach was accepted by the British racing establishment. In 1939, she achieved her greatest racing accomplishment when she won the British Motorcycle Racing Club’s coveted Gold Star for circling the famous Brooklands circuit at over 100 mph. She was the first woman to accomplish this feat and she did it on a 350cc single-cylinder Norton. The triple-digit average was very rare for such a small-displacement motorcycle in the 1930s.

Wallach continued to be a pioneering woman motorcyclist in World War II. During the war, she served in the Army Transport Corps, first as a mechanic and later as the first woman motorcycle dispatch rider in the British Army.

After the war, Wallach fulfilled a lifelong dream by coming to tour America on a motorcycle. The tour lasted for two-and-a-half years. Wallach supported herself on the long trek by stopping and taking odd jobs – everything from airplane mechanic to dishwasher – just long enough to earn enough money to get back on the road. In all, Wallach rode 32,000 miles across the United States, Canada and Mexico on the tour.

After her American trip, she returned home to Britain only to find a depressed economy and what she described as narrowing horizons. So in 1952, she returned to live in the United States. She moved to Chicago and made a living as a motorcycle mechanic. Early on, no shop would hire Wallach, but after hearing of the quality work she did in her own garage, a shop finally hired her. Eventually, Wallach opened her own motorcycle dealership specializing in British machines.

Her teaching career began unofficially in 1959. Three Chicago businessmen came into her shop to buy BSAs for a European motorcycle trip. Their inexperience was obvious so Wallach refused to sell them the bikes until she taught them the fundamentals of riding. The trio of businessmen took lessons from Wallach and consequently had a very successful trip. It was then that Wallach began devoting more time to instruction.

In 1970, Wallach’s book “Easy Motorcycle Riding” was published and became a top seller. The success of the book led to TV appearances and newspaper articles on Wallach. In 1973, she sold her shop and moved to Phoenix to open the Easy Riding Academy.

“Most of my work is done on an individual basis,” Wallach said in a magazine interview. “One-to-one is still the ultimate teaching ratio. With 20 students in a class, each student is lucky to get a mere 10 minutes or so of instruction. An instructor must be there to guide and direct each person as he is performing.” Over the years, Wallach successfully taught hundreds of students to become safe and fundamentally sound motorcyclists. In addition to her school, Wallach was heavily involved in the formation and running of the Women’s International Motorcycle Association. She served as WIMA’s first vice president and was active in the association until her death. Having never owned a car, Wallach continued riding until she was 88, when vision problems forced her to give up her license. She died on her 90th birthday in 1999.

Wallach’s love affair with motorcycling is summed up in a quote from a 1977 interview with Road Rider Magazine.

“When I first saw a motorcycle, I got a message from it,” she said. “It was a feeling – the kind of thing that makes a person burst into tears hearing a piece of music or standing awestruck in front of a fine work of art. Motorcycling is a tool with which you can accomplish something meaningful in your life. It is an art.”

Below is some silent archival footage of the African journey.

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This little video, A Ride Through Time, was shot by Westworld Magazine at the Trev Deeley Motorcycle Museum in Burnaby BC.  J & I have been there several times and I always love looking at the older motos.  Wandering through the exhibits, even non-riders can appreciate the curve on a tank or the shine on the chrome.  The motorcycles, old and new, really are works of art in their own right.  I would love to have Terry’s job, although like he said, I think the line up for it ends in Hope (140kms away).

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