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Interview: Roadtripping with Wendyvee from RoadsideWonders.net

Fuzzygalore — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:33:59 +0000

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.

I currently ride a 2004 Honda Aero 750. I’m just a little over 5’ tall. To make matters worse, I have a 24” inseam. Short legs on a short person – oh, what a combination!

I was interested in several other models while shopping; but I hesitated investing time and money in lowering a bike with the possibility of not liking how it handled after the modification. The Aero’s low seat and stretched frame made it easy for me to jump on and enjoy the ride from the get-go. Plus, I like the retro-styling — and the fact that it has a big bike feel in a small package.

My Aero’s name is “Bruiser”. On one of my first trips after buying the Aero, I was parked in front of a convenience store and a gentleman approached me with a big grin. “That thing sure is a big bruiser for a little gal” he said. Normally I would have protested at being referred to as a little gal, but his heart was in the right place. I thought his expression was so cute that it stuck with me … and it fit.

2. Have you been riding for many years?

I had a friend in high school who owned a few dirt bikes. I learned the basics, but I didn’t ride again until about 2000.

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

My partner, John, his family, and many of our friends ride. I’m a control freak and hate riding behind anyone; so it didn’t take long for me to invest in my own.

4. How did Roadside Wonders come about?

I belong to an “online sisterhood” of motorcyclists; Rumble Sisters. We have a very active forum and we also get together as a group once a year (we have local and regional meet-ups as well). We were discussing the “Madonnas of the Trail” one evening and it mushroomed into individuals making plans to snag pictures in front of each of the Madonnas. I took the Pennsylvania & Maryland Madonnas and offered to post pictures on a personal blog that I kept at the time.

I have always loved Muffler Men and “World’s Biggest” attractions. I started to add those to the site. Before long, friends and friends of friends began emailing their interesting roadside photos to me as well.

In early 2009, I decided that I should do away with my personal blog and concentrate on sharing roadside “wonders” with a wider audience. RoadsideWonders was born.

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

I love playing with maps and planning routes. Locating, bookmarking, and researching new places to visit satisfies that fixation. I view road trips in cars as a social activity. I often travel alone; so at those times I’d rather combine my passions and ride rather than being cooped-up in a car by myself. Posing my bike at my destination provides a bit of a personal signature to the images.

Riding alone never seems lonely. In fact, it’s good therapy. Which isn’t to say that I never ride with others; I enjoy that as well.

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?

I have a submission link in my drop-down and a clickable graphic of a camera on the front page that lead visitors to my submissions page. I ask contributors to email their photos (or send links if their photos are uploaded to a file sharing site or service) to my email address: roadsidewonders@gmail.com

I ask that they include the following:

The name of the object, person, place, restaurant, building
Its location
Contributors are free (but not required) to submit a story or narrative about how they found it, the trip they took to get there, other nearby attractions etc.

If you’d like to play along at home, visit Roadside Wonders submission page and send in your fabulous finds!

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

Initially that was the case, but I estimate the ratio is currently about 60% riders/30% non-riders. That’s great! I don’t want to exclude anyone based upon how they happened to arrive at their “wonders”.

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?

I do more on the bike than in the car – unless time constraints or weather dictate.

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

Florida. But my camera and memory card flew out of my roll bag when I was more than halfway home. I’m still not over that yet.

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

No GPS. I try to leave technology behind. I don’t even bring my laptop. I really would like to leave my cell phone behind too; but my family would have a conniption fit.

Generally, I print my trip out in segments and tape those to the inside corner of my windshield.

It’s also not unusual for me to just pick a direction and not really plan my destination unless I’m pressed for time.

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

I have several trips mapped-out that I’d like to take before winter – a New England route, a Route 30 trip, a Western NY trip. Nothing huge this year. Next year, I’d like to take a few weeks to go West. I’ve only done the American West by auto and it was a long time ago. I’d like to tackle it via motorcycle if I can arrange to have that many vacation days in a row.

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

Word-of-mouth, travel websites, books, forum, Twitter & Facebook friends, magazine articles . . . you name it. I’m always adding something to my never-ending list of places to see both domestic and foreign.

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

Absolutely. It’s great to absorb other enthusiasts’ writing styles and photography. It’s also a pleasure to interact with people who “get” why finding the perfect diner is such a treat, why driving several hundred miles to see a re-purposed Muffler Man is a completely sane pursuit, and who know the difference between a Texas Weiner and a hotdog made in Texas.

Follow RoadsideWonder on Twitter and Facebook!

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?

That question is easy to answer. Do a Google image search for the University of Delaware Blue Hen statue. There is a good reason why my photo of it is the only correct match in the results. The hen is not very impressive and it’s hard to find to boot. It’s buried in a little culvert between a hotel/conference center and a steep hill behind a residence hall.

Luckily, that area of Delaware was a treasure trove of other things to snag for the site. All was not lost …and truthfully, no day spent riding is ever a loss.

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

I think the Stainless Steel Mary at the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in New Castle, Delaware (incidentally visited on the same day as the aforementioned lame Blue Hen). It’s beautiful and a breeze to photograph.

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

I’ve had a number of variations on the following theme, but this encounter was my favorite:

I was in a parking lot in Cherokee, North Carolina when a guy, seeing my PA license plate, asked me how I got my bike from Pennsylvania to NC all by myself. I told him that my boyfriend started it up for me and I walked beside it the entire way. The look on his face was hilarious.

I also once had a pair of elderly ladies ask me if my husband allowed me to ride on the highway. What???

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

Wow. If you asked me that every day I would probably give you a new answer each time. Tintagel Castle is my thing today. It might be somewhere in Bali tomorrow.

19. Do you have a dream motorcycle?

That answer changes a lot too. I would actually like to have the wherewithal to have a few styles of bike in my corral simultaneously. A vintage Indian, a touring bike that is small enough for me, a Ural with a sidehack …. etc, etc.

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

The Hai Van Pass in Vietnam. I’ve seen video footage of riders taking the pass and it was just extraordinary.

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!

Photos: Kevin Schwantz School at Barber Motorsports Park

Fuzzygalore — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:15:10 +0000

Kevin Schwantz 2-Day Track School. Astride a school-provided Honda 600RR and Suzuki GSX-R 600, he had an absolutely great time riding and learning from the talented riders and instructors.

The 2 day school was a mixture of classroom instruction and on-track sessions. Under the tutelage of the instructor riders Brad Coleman, Reuben Frankenfield and Lee Acree, the class clustered together in groups of 3 or 4 riders and put what they learned in the classroom into action on the 2.38 mile track.

Barber Motorsport Park - Museum Turn - Click to enlarge

“We had driven the track in the truck once, so we already knew what the track looked like. The usual nervousness about the track was already gone. The first session was reasonably slow as people were learning the track, so it was different from a normal track day where 3 laps in you are already going balls out. It was a nice pace. I was immediately excited by all of the elevation changes and how dynamic the track was.”

-Kenny describes his first session on the track.

“During the last session of the first day – it was 3 of us, running faster than we did the entire time before. We were in a rhythm, every corner felt right. We were working well as a group and I was hitting all my turn points in the right way. I had solidified where and what my gear changes were going to be – it just all fell right into place. When I got off the bike I said to Reuben If the day ended right now, that made it all worth it right there – that was great“. I found myself chasing that moment the whole second day.

- Kenny on what he felt was his best session.

Kenny in the Museum Turn

For More Information:

A Mid-March Sunday Ride on the East End of Long Island

Fuzzygalore — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:04:21 +0000

On Sunday morning I rolled out of the driveway heading out to meet up with some of the gang from ADVrider for a street ride. This was the first time in many weeks that I took the Speed Triple out. I’d been riding the DRZ for the last few weeks.

I love my Speed Triple immensely and actually missed riding her quite a bit. I was looking forward to getting it out for a shakedown. The first thing that I noticed was how heavy the bike felt to roll around in the driveway. For the first time, the always nimble Triple felt a little porky. As I saddled up and got ready to head out, the seat felt so wide and comfortable! Helllllooo, old friend! It is really quite amazing how quickly your perception of the size and weight of a motorcycle can change.

After meeting up with the last of the guys at 10:30 and a few minutes of tire kicking, we set off. We were a motley crew: 1 Triumph, 1 Ducati, 1 Husqvarna, 2 Kawasakis, 1 KTM and 1 Harley Davidson. Quite a mixed bag of marques but they all played nice together as we snaked our way through sandy lanes. We weaved our way around the east end of Long Island and finally stopped for lunch at the fabulously olde tymey Cornonet Cafe in Greenport. Friends, food and motorcycles. Does it get any better?

We hopped the ferry to Shelter Island and took in some of the sights. As I cruised along I saw about 100 places I would like to stop and take photos of one day. The sculptor John Chamberlain had a studio on Shelter Island. I’d love to find out that he’s still creating work there. One more thing to add to the To-Do List: Go back to explore.

I really like riding with everyone I’ve met on ADV. There is a really cool, laid back vibe that I appreciate. Each person brings unique and interesting knowledge to the table. Love that. Looking forward to the next time…

2009 in Review: 6 of My Favorite Motorcycle Rides

Fuzzygalore — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:19:44 +0000

When most years come to a close and I take stock of my time riding I always arrive at the same sentiment. I didn’t ride as much as I wanted to. Well, as I sit here on the last day of 2009 it is no different. I didn’t ride as much as I’d have liked to. But, the riding that I did do was pretty great.

6 of My Favorite Motorcycle Rides from 2009

The first ride after a long mental hiatus was probably the most important ride that I took this year.
Riding through the Daniel Boone National Forest in May. Our friend Pimmie was here from The Netherlands to enjoy it with us. That made it extra special.
Early spring ride out to Montauk. I was just getting my sea legs back and it felt good to just be out in the world. I can still remember what it felt like to eat my lunch in the sunshine.
Finally getting to meet Soth and the guys from SuspectsUnlimited for a dayride. The stopping is just as much fun as the going. Building a friendship with a man who shares a passion for life and riding was an important moment this year.
Riding around Dutchess, Orange and Columbia counties looking for a Mail Pouch Tobacco barn with Kenny. Beautiful day, great riding with my honey. Another reminder of how lucky I am to have a partner to move through life with me.
The Ramapo 500 Covered Bridge Tour. Great riding and sights through New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Looking forward to seeing what their ride for 2010 will be!

I can’t wait to see where the road takes us in 2010!

Pennsylvania Farm

Merry Christmas from Fuzzygalore.com

Fuzzygalore — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:01:30 +0000

Wishing you and yours a very, merry Christmas.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2010.

The Yaphank Garage Dressed for Christmas

Secret Motorcycle Santa: Live Long and Prosper

Fuzzygalore — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:45:49 +0000

I won’t divulge their name so as not to embarrass them, but Secret Motorcycle Santa was incredibly generous and kind to me this year. On Thursday night before dashing out to my office holiday party the UPS man met me at the door with a box. Inside were 2 thoughtful Christmas presents.

A Pair of Aerostich Triple Digit Rain Covers:
My battle with the rain is ongoing. I guess everyone in my little universe knows this. Now I can have dry hands, squeegee my visor and give a shout out to my man, Mr. Spock. That pretty much covers my “To-Do” list.

Aerostich Triple Digit Raincovers

When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler’s Journal of Staying Put by Vivian Swift

My mind has wanderlust. My heart and my chosen life keep me home. 80 pages in, I’ve already found some inspiration for learning to see the beauty of the simple things in your own backyard.

When Wanderers Cease to Roam - Vivian Swift

Thank You

I’m humbled. I guess what is really most touching is that people think of you, consider you and go out of their way to do something nice when they absolutely do not have to. Thank you, Secret Santa. I really appreciate it.

On the Road: California to Montana on an Aprilia RSV

Fuzzygalore — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:01:44 +0000

Back in July, Novos took the time to share his plans for a week long trip from Southern California to Montana on his Aprilia RSV. Now that the trip is in the books, he is sharing his ride as a series of posts as a guest blogger on my partner site Watermelon18.com. The photos are just awesome!

Day 1 is up and ready to roll:

California to Montana on an Aprilia RSV – Day 1

Novos' RSV outside of Bodie, California

Read the Original Post:

Heading off into the sunrise, Southern California to Montana on an Aprilia RSV

Saturday Link Love: 3 Motorcycle Blogs I Read

Fuzzygalore — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:18:03 +0000

Sometimes you stumble across a blog and just connect with it. Maybe you like the writer’s sense of humor, admire their spirit or appreciate their writing voice. Maybe it’s something as simple as they post terrific pictures. I tend to like the motorcycle blogs that tell a personal story, be it big or small. The motorcycle community has been good to me. I always appreciate it when someone links to fuzzygalore.com, so I want to return the favor or maybe pay it forward.

Here are 3 motorcycle blogs I’d like to show a little link love:

Citybikerblog
An collection of posts covering a wide range of motorcycle topics. Everything from the technical- like suspension settings to lifestyle issues.
DudeExMachina
Good friend and frequent commenter on the ole Girlie Motorcycle Blog. He’s just getting his blog off the ground with a series on a recent trip around California. Be sure to stop in and say hello
Orson’s Travel Blog
A lust-worthy collection of trip reports and beautiful photos. Reading Orson’s blog will make you green with envy.

All Points Bulletin: Suspects Heading North – Day Ride Report

Fuzzygalore — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:09:03 +0000

This past Sunday, Kenny and I joined the guys over at SuspectsUnlimited.com for their forum’s first anniversary ride. Soth of SteadyOntheHumble put out an APB that this ride would be going down and encouraged members to come along. These days, I seem to have some issues with group riding. I’m not very good at it. I have become far too skittish, too controlling to surrender to the ebb and flow of the other souls around me. Though excited, I would be lying if I said that I approached this ride without reservations. As the list of names of people who would be participating grew, so did my nervousness.

As riders started to filter in to the morning’s meet point I finally had the chance to put some faces to the names on the forum. Everyone was welcoming and warm. It can be difficult to elbow your way into a group of people that already know each other. These guys transitioned Kenny and me in easily. Handshakes, coffee and stories exchanged we got underway heading to points northeast.

Managing a group of 14 bikes took a team effort. Soth at the helm, GLantern with a mid-pack lead and Cru Jones for the sweep allowed the riders to naturally segregate themselves into comfortable groupings. There was no issue of egos jockeying for position. What a relief! We’ve all been there. The ride leader says “ride at your own pace,” and it falls on deaf ears. There was none of that here. Once I came to understand that this wouldn’t be like some of the clusterf*cks I’ve been on before, I was able to settle down and just enjoy the day. And enjoy it I did.

The route that Soth put together was excellent. It took us over hill and dale of the Catskill Mountains. He led us through sweeping curves, tight uphill decreasing radius turns and scenic byways. Our wheels hummed under a beautiful canopy of the peak colors of autumn in New York. There was a little something for everyone. It was obvious that he put a lot of care into route planning to give us a safe, scenic and enjoyable day out. As I rode caboose on the Soth train I got to watch an articulated centipede crawl its way through the landscape. It was one person at a time falling in line and into a turn. I had the best seat in the house. Sometimes watching a line of bikes cut along the roadway is like poetry.

The backroad riding for the day came to a close at the Roscoe Diner. How some of the guys managed to ride home with bellies full of deep fried French toast is beyond me. Apparently it can be done without falling asleep on the bike though. Given the fading daylight we opted to depart for home via Route 17. From the vantage of mid-pack the group shuffled down the road like a deck of cards. One lane of the column moving left, the second column filtering in as you do when you bridge the cards. On it went, eating up the last 100 hundred miles before we split off to head our respective ways home. It was an excellent day out on the bike. I’m so glad to have tagged along.

A Big Thank You To Suspects Unlimited:
Tom, Cru Jones, Dizzle, Suspect74, Bones, soth, GLantern, He-Man, Mookie, ArcDeDucati, Univox, and RCPete. You put together a really enjoyable ride. Great roads, great riding and great company. The Riding Trifecta!

What Did I Learn:

I need to relax and not be such a Nervous Nelly. Give people a chance, sheesh!
Soth plans a great route.
Each one of the guys I got a chance to speak with had something interesting or funny to say.
I’d be happy to go on another Suspect ride. It was big fun.
There will always be one weirdo in a gas station. If you can’t spot them, it is probably you.

See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil

First Stop of the Day

So then I tweeted... ;o)

ArcDeDucati

ArcDeDucati - the Novos doppelganger

Autumn in the Catskills

GLantern

Wassuuup He-man?

Scenic Overlook

Say Hello to the Sexy People: Putting Some Faces to Names

Fuzzygalore — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:01:11 +0000

Sort of.

We communicate with each other on a frequent basis here, albeit kind of anonymously. I like to think of us as you know – a little community. No blog can exist without its cast of supporting characters to keep things interesting. The life of a post doesn’t stop when it’s published. It’s you the readers who breathe life into topics with your wit, quips and anecdotes. This is just a little shout out to some of my motorcycle friends and the frequent commenters here on FG.

The Supporting Cast

Crudmop: Former beer guzzling frat boy turned impatient motorcyclist. Blondie here is too pretty for his own good. Has a vicious hate of fender breaking disc locks and squids in white sneakers. Thinks everyone is a douchebag.
Novos: Conspiracy theorist who is convinced that the utility company is watching him through his thermostat. Able to take photos, knit a sweater and do long division on an abacus all while riding his motorcycle.
OG: Currently building a margarine powered full scale working model of a lunar lander in his basement. Might have a touch of the “Charlie Brown” but that’s part of his charm.
Duc748: Deep thinker. Could write a 35 page dissertation on the weight savings benefits of riding your motorcycle sans undergarments. An accomplished mime and comes with his own leather thong!
Pimmie: The Dutch Menace. Former captain of his high school’s downhill clog-sledding team. He can make fun of you in 5 languages after he stuffs you in a corner. Don’t ask him about the “oven”.
Soth: The best thing outta Brooklyn since the BK Broiler. He’s probably ridden his RC to Saskatchewan and back for a grilled cheese before you even had your first mocha-choca-latte of the day.

Without Further Ado

It’s always nice to put a face or in this case helmet to those internet nicknames we become familiar with. As motorcyclists with our faces covered all of the time our helmets become our calling cards. They become the face that we show to the world and how we most often see each other. Here are a few motorcycle faces I’ve met so far. I’m looking forward to meeting some more of you and getting a few more helmet shots. See you on the road!

Crudmop!	Duc748!	Novos!
OG!	Pimmie!	Soth!

Gravatars

Oh and hey! While we’re putting faces to names – If you haven’t already, why not mosey on over to gravatar.com and get one of those fancy little comment avatars of your own?

Every time that I read the word gravatar I immediately think of Grover. Grovertar. Everyone using the many faces of Grover. Definitely a better idea, right? No? Fine.