Road Tripping: Recent Road-Related Reads

Over the last month, I’ve read a few books that inspire my riding in different ways. Some directly, some less so.

• Hopper’s Places – by Gail Levin
• Filler ‘er Up – The Great American Gas Station – by Tim Russell
• The Lincoln Highway Companion – A Guide to America’s First Coast-to-Coast Road – by Brian Butko
• Revolutionary Ride: On the Road in Search of the Real Iran – by Lois Pryce

What do any of these have to do with motorcycles? Well, that depends on who you are, I suppose. For me, the what and why of things is a great motivator. When I ride past an old building that screams, “I used to be an old filling station!” knowing what type it was or having a clue to help me look for information, is an interesting pursuit for me.

My eyes are drawn the vestiges of early to mid-20th century Americana. Books like Fill ‘er Up, Hopper’s Places and The Lincoln Highway Companion help me to know, dream, seek, and understand more. They turn my rides into satisfying personal missions that don’t end when the wheels stop turning. Seek, see, question, understand, feel, know, share – those are ways that these types of books help my riding.

With Lois Pryce‘s Revolutionary Ride, the reasoning is more direct. It is a travelogue of her time spent riding as a solo Western woman in Iran in 2013/14. It is a fascinating human story that picks at the scab of long-held perceptions about people. This book is an excellent companion to her other two titles: Red Tape and White Knuckles and Lois on the Loose.