Girlie Motorcycle Blog

Okay, everybody. Let’s give a nice warm welcome to Mr. Millennium! “Hiiiiii, Mister Millennium.”

He stands ever-smiling, braving the elements in front of North Sea Auto Radiator. Hmm. Auto radiators… yea, that seems like a likely place for a 20ft snowman.

When I pulled over on the shoulder to take his picture, I took my helmet off. I don’t usually do that when I stop for a snap-and-go-photo. After taking the picture  I put my camera away in my tailpack and stood momentarily looking at him in all his dirty snow glory. I heard someone say ‘are you okay?’ in the distance and thought nothing of it. Then it came again, ‘Miss, are you okay?’ I turned, smiled and waved and said I was fine.

Now, I’m left to wonder if seeing my un-helmeted head makes people think there is something wrong with me or he didn’t get why anyone would be looking at the giant snowman. Tough call.

• See Mr. Millennium on Google Maps
  

Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

We don’t generally have very much graffiti here where I live on the North Shore of Long Island. When it does pop it, it usually gets whitewashed very quickly. Lately I’ve been seeing a tag showing up all over the place: “Keanu Reeves” or just “Keanu”. I’ve see it along the expressway, on the sides of small stores, underneath overpasses. Keanu has been busy.

Thought it’s obviously not him I just find it comical to think of the actual Keanu Reeves running around Suffolk County all pigeon toed with a rattle can, tagging. Ooh, but he is indeed a motorcyclist. Maybe he’s been zipping around on his Norton with a can of Krylon in his tankbag.

Can’t you just see it now? Keanu stands on the side of the road leaning against his shiny black Norton in a tight white t-shirt and black leather pants. He’s just run out of gas trying to stay one step ahead of the police after a suburban tagging spree. The golden summer sun is setting and there is an evening breeze flowing through his hair. I then pull up next to him on my 996, dressed like Trinity in black patent leather (of course). I flip open my visor and say, “you look like you might need some help there,” and he says…”whoa.”

If you’re looking for a 1-2 punch of good riding and interesting roadside attractions, Maine has a lot to offer. Just a hop skip and a jump from a 3 story outhouse, a giant butterfly sculpture and down the road a piece from Rumford’s Paul Bunyan Muffler Man is the World’s Largest Telephone. It is a 14 foot tall statue of a hand-cranked candlestick model.

Plaque Reads:
“This sculpture by Gil Whitman is dedicated to the memory of Barbara & Elden Hathaway owners of the Bryant Pond Telephone Company the very last hand crank magneto telephone system in the U.S.A. They purchased the company in 1951 and operated it from their home as a family business until selling it to the Oxford Network Company in 1981, when it was integrated into the national dial system.”

When I first found RoadsideWonders.net it was like discovering a long lost road sister; another woman motorcyclist who is crazy about muffler men, giant chickens and roadside treasures that the kooks of the world put on display.

Since then, I’ve been hooked on Roadside Wonders. There is always something fabulously kitschy popping up in her funky database of roadside goodness.

20 Questions for: Wendyvee – woman motorcyclists and proprietress of RoadsideWonder.net, the home of “Tacky, kitschy, big, weird, fabulous and funky roadside finds.”

1.    Tell us about your motorcycle.

2.  Have you been riding for many years?

3.  Was there someone or something specific that encouraged you to start riding?

4. How did Roadside Wonders come about?

5. What do you think makes traveling by motorcycle to visit roadside attractions such a great fit?

6. Your website Roadside Wonders encourages other people to submit their roadside finds and photos. What are the rules? How do we send you the goods?

7.  Are most of the folks who submit roadside wonders for posting on your site also riders?

8. In your opinion, what makes something Roadside Wonder-worthy?

Wow, that’s a hard one! Anything from the Washington Monument to a teddy bear made from stacks of hay (Yes, RoadsideWonders has one of those!). I don’t discriminate between vintage and brand spanking new though I’m more often personally drawn to vintage places/things. Statues, diners, “world’s ____est” anything, cool signs, old barns, unusual bridges, offbeat museums, historic sites, weird memorials, unique motorcycles and cars tend to be the best finds.

I also have a thing for locations where movies were filmed. That might be stretching the roadside wonder theme . . . but hey, it’s my blog and I’ll blog them if I want to, right?

What’s not a wonder? Well, we all have Danny’s, McDaniel’s, and Saltine Barrels (names changed to protect the mundane) seemingly around every corner, so they probably won’t be roadside wonders until they’re nearly extinct.

Visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater

9. Do you do as much road-tripping in the car as you do on two wheels?

10. What is the farthest ride mileage-wise that you’ve taken just to see some roadside wonder?

11. Do you use a GPS when traveling or do you go old school with paper maps and a route sheet?

12. What are you hoping to visit in 2010? Do you have any big plans to mark something off of your “Must See” list?

13. How do you find things that you want to visit? Do you have any regular haunts for finding information?

14. Has social media like Twitter and Facebook made it any easier for you to pick up tips?

15. Have you ever been let down by an attraction? For example – have you ever ridden a long way only to find something closed, gone or simply not what you had imagined?

16. On the flipside has anything really knocked your socks off?

17. Every woman motorcyclist has been asked some cringe-worthy questions while out on their bikes. What is your “favorite”?

18. Do you have a holy grail “wonder” that you hope to see one day?

19. Do you have a dream motorcycle?

20.  Close your eyes and think about riding your motorcycle… Where do you see yourself?

Many thanks to Wendy for sharing her story with us. Roadside Wonders is one of my favorite sites on the net so I hope you enjoy it, too!

When I first started riding, one of the sage pieces of advice that I received regarding dealing with animals out on the road was: “if you you can eat it in one sitting, you can ride over it.” Sure appetites may vary, but there’s probably some truth to that.

Tip: Dealing with Chasing Dogs

Don’t kick or swerve towards the dog. Vary your speed by slowing down and speeding up until you can put it safely behind you. This technique keeps the dog unable to estimate where you will be in relation to them.

I’m happy to report that has worked for me when I needed it.

Avoiding Bambi – Deer

Being a NY Metro girl, the biggest animals I usually have to deal with are deer. Such a sweet looking animal can strike terror in your heart when you see them up close and personal on the roadways.

If you see deer signs posted, here’s an idea… heed their warning! Slow down and scan the shoulder as you ride. Deer often move in groups so if you see one, expect to see another.

Be extra mindful during the early morning and at dusk, this is when deer are often active. One good thing to note is that a deer’s eyes will often reflect light to give them away when they aren’t in plain sight. The Blue Ridge Parkway Journeys blog has some good tips for avoiding deer collisions.

Brake for Moose

Moose are huge. If you see moose crossing signs, slow down and keep your eyes open. They won’t necessarily be frightened by the sound of your bike so be prepared to stop.  The Heart of New England offers some advice on how to prepare yourself to ride in moose country.

Moose spotted in Maine

In 2003, I took my first ride to Maine. I can still remember sitting at lunch saying “I hope we get to see a moose.” I wish I knew then that it would put a check mark in the foreshadowing column of my scorecard.

As the dark settled in, Mother Nature unleashed a storm on us as we worked our way across the unlit Kancamagus Highway. I sat tucked behind the anemic headlights of my Ducati 996 following Kenny. With no streetlights helping us along, we rode through the dark rainy night. Suddenly a hulking, dark shape stepped towards the roadway. As Kenny applied his brakes, my wet visor went red with the reflection of his taillight and I saw nothing for a moment. My only thought as I began to brake was ”Oh God, please let it keep moving.’

Luckily, the moose did just that and continued it’s walk across the road. I saw my first moose but it was nothing like I’d planned.

Kenny and the bear in Cooke City, Montana

Lions and Tigers and Bears – Oh My!

On a trip through Yellowstone in 2005, Kenny and I used a minivan as cover to get around three ornery looking buffalo that were in the roadway.  We did our best to improvise by putting the van between us and them.

Though buffalo appear to be docile and minding their own business doing buffalo things, it’s important to remember they are wild animals;  2,000 pound, unpredictable wild animals.  It’s best to keep your distance.

• Yellowstone National Park – Information Every Visitor Needs to Know

In Sequoia National Park, I nearly peed in my pants after almost hitting a bear. I was entirely unprepared to even see a bear let alone be what felt like a few inches away from one on the bike. That also cured me of “wanting to see a bear.”

And then there was this other time I was riding with Kenny and he swears he saw a Jackalope… but that’s a story for another day.

Let’s hear from you:

• Do devices like deer whistles work?
• What’s the most biggest and/or most interesting animal you’ve encountered on the road?
• Do you have any safety tips to share?
• What’s the weirdest animal crossing sign you’ve ever seen? Turtles, Grizzly Bear, etc.