• Well it's Monday, and COLD, but a beautiful day to ride, so I am off to Durango, Mexico. But first, desayunar! #

• I'm in Parral, Mexico taking a day off and getting caught up on my blog at http://www.MotoAdventureGal.com #
• Toured the Palacio Alvarado & the Museo Pancho Villa, & now am sitting here in my sarong while Cuco washes my clothing, which was necessary #

11-23-09

Due to some feminine issues, I decided to stay one more at at Voni & Paul’s and not cross into Mexico today.

So we went for a ride to explore Terlingua.

And had lunch at Kathy’s Kosmic Kafe

Mmmm…what to have…

Paul visits with the locals

Two hot chicks on bikes

Artwork in Terlingua

Pretty flowers (because I’m a girl)

The way most people arrive in Terlingua

Don’t try this at home or abroad folks,

Viva Terlingua!

I think I have to move here…

Any town that will elect a goat as mayor, well, that town is odd enough for me to live in

T shirt for sale

264

(Little did I know that night I would be awoken by Javelinas in the garden! Freaky likktle pigs running around in the dark through the cacti…creepy. Good think I was not camping…)

A visit to the Starlight Theatre

Then a rest on the infamous Terlingua porck

And then sexy Voni ready to rock & roll.

retired schoolteacher and grandmother…and totally cool.

gas in Study Butte

Then back to the adobe.

Mmmm. Breakfast. Texas style. Make-your-own tortillas. Evidently Paul’s specialty.

Paul also happens to specialize in motorcycle repair and troubleshooting. Not professionally (for pay), because he says that will take all the fun out of it, but he’s written monthly tech articles for the BMW Owner’s Group magazine, “ON”, for 15 years now (not for pay). He’s well known (almost as well as Voni ) in the motorcycle world as a good soul, a rider with some serious miles, and come serious technical knowledge. And today was my lucky day–he was going to help me rewire my GPS to the battery (Edward did a hasty wiring job for me in a NY City alley, with no tools, but I wanted it directly wired to the battery so it wouldn’t shut off every time I turned the bike off).

We went out to the workshop

And enter the wizard

Wizard’s wonderful assistant

While Paul was working on the wiring, I set to repacking to see if there was anything I could cull from my luggage.

The tools (a full 37 liter Trax box worth!!!)

The list:
cable & padlock
siphon
tire pressure gauge
WD40
Blue locktite
JB weld
Socket set
Cable lock for locking jacket to bike
front and rear tire tubes
spare clutch cable
Spare clutch and brake levers
spare shifter lever
5 oil filters + gaskets
2 spare spark plugs
extra front and rear brake pads
misc. nuts & bolts
misc. electrical connectors
duct tape
electrical tape
Spanish for travelers diccionary
Lonely Planet Central America tour book
extra rubber tape
spare fuses
spare parts for the Trax boxes
winter gloves
2 extra 10 l dry bags for packing wets / dirties
2 extra tie straps
1 ratchet tie down for tire changes
Sleeping bag
Hennessey hammock
emergency blanket
bug spray

I culled the emergency blanket since there was already one in the first aid kit Ares Cycles (www.arescycles.com) donated to me.

What else could I get rid of?

<>

After Paul rewired my GPS, I also asked hit to take a look at the mount. Yesterday it came loose from the RAM mount, and turned out the bulb that sticks out of the back came off. Was it because I’d forgotten and left the GPS on the bike in Del Rio, (TX) when I went in for a pottie break and someone tried to yank it off the bike? Or was it because the locktite I’d puit on it at Dr. Rock’s in NY City had eaten th rough the plastic? I think someone tried to steal it, Paul thought it was the locktite. In any event, it had to be fixed.

So Paul found a way to do that, too.

<>

During the GPS finagling, Paul asked how I would get to the battery should the bike not start. I didn’t realize it was a shetorical question, and soon he was back in the workshop, fabricating a lead directly to the battery terminal, so should I need to get a jump start, I now have a direct lead to the battery and do not have to remove the seat, then remove the battery brace.

<>

Then I asked about installing my fuel filter.

Voila’! The wizard strikes again.

<>

Last, he took a look at my (rather clever if I do say so myself) mount for the fuel bottle Joel gave me (unfortunately my idea of the mount probably would not have lasted very long).

<>

And while Paul did the more technical items for me, I manages to tape a laminated copy of my bike’s registration into the Trax top box.

done! Now I feel “complete” about the bike prep and ready to ride tomorrow.

<>

Perfect timing! The Sunday lunch guests just arrived, and it was time to chow-down! (Sorry no food pics)

But I DID take this picture for Edward, to prove that I am not the only one that collects rocks…the after-lunch activity was to go and collect them.

<>

Just as the lunch guests rolled out, in rolls 3 BMW riders.

Grand-Central-BMW-Station.

They stayed for the evening and we all told stories about riding and life on the road.

483 miles
7:58 Moving time
San Antonio-Big Bend, TX

Well little did I know that when John Ryan said to me at the NY ADVrider send-off for me “hey, I have some good friends in Big Bend if you get that way in your travels”, that he’d actually be hooking me up with some celebrities in the BMW motorcycle world. (I should have guesed since he’s someone to celebrate as well–you know, that guy you see *everywhere* in the one piece riding suit with the NASA emblem on it–he’s also retrofitted his FJR (?) to hold something like a 13 gallon gas tank so he can go off and ride crazy stuff like Key West to Prudhoe bay in 38 (?) hours. Who’s gonna beat THAT record? It’s my understanding that John is also semi-sponsored by Twisted Throttle [ok, folks, help me out with my facts] and I have bumped innto him at a few other events, like Daytona Bike Week (2009).

Anyway, I got a late start from San Antonio–my LL Bean package did NOT come on time, so I had to wait for the mountaineering store to open so I could get the last item on my list: a water purifier (I bought the Steripen–haven’t used it yet). I figured if I drink 2-3 liters of water per day at $1/liter, that’s roughly $540 of water since it’s not recommended to drink the local water) OR I can get a Steripen for $90 and purify tap water. It’s a no brainer and then I’ll have the Steripen for future trips as well.

OK, so 11:00 was not such a great time to get rolling, but a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do. So I got going and pretty much didn’t stop. I’d had a nice breakfast with Linda, and Joel had left me a diagram of how to get out of town and onto the scenic route (90) roughly along the coast of Texas. this was the same road Edward and I’d rode West-East coming home in September, and I began to miss him lots. What a great trip we’d had this summer. Oh and by the way, Edward has finished the rider report on the first part of the trip–Trans America Trail–on ADVrider.com link: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10991980 if you are interested in a day-by-day recount and seeing lots of our pictures.

On Rt 90 I saw a lot of this

Not a lot of services along the way, so I found the most discreet pottie place I could

More of this

Then it got dark. And I ride in the dark. COLD and dark. Come on, the first time I rode through Texas (Sept 2009) they’d just broken their 2 year dry spell and we were cold and WET every day. Now it was cold. Isn’t Texas supposed to be w-a-r-m? And, dang it, I’d shipped my Gerbings electric jacket home from Dallas thinking *surely* it would be warm from here South.

Wrong!

I rolled in, frozen, after seeing 23 deer along the road (including a very nice and thankfully very stationary eight point buck). Luckily for me, Voni and Paul have decades of motorcycle travel under their belts, so they knew that immediately I needed warmth and food. We sat by the fire and talked motorcycles until I had to go to bed.

121 miles
3:09 Moving time

I left Austin after some catch-up on business (will it ever end?!? will I ever feel “caught up” enough to leave the country?!?) around noon, and decided to do some last minute errangs / shopping along the way. while it was only ~120 miles, once again I ended up arriving in the dark. The devil in the GPS sent me in loops around Joel and Linda’s neighborhood, but eventually I rolled into the right driveway. Luckily I’d been there before and recognized the place once I got on the right street.

Joel and Linda have a great adobe home, and they’ve traveled extensively in Mexico, and have some pretty awesome and unusual decorations. They have a great screened sitting porch on the back of the house, and a fancy outdoor kitchen which IMHO is the cat’s meow. Linda cooked up some delicious burgers on the monster grill/smoker apparatus, and we settled in for a nice visit. Joel went over some maps with me, Linda gave me lots of ideas of their favorite places to visit, and I waas quite happy. I’d come here to pick their brains and I got the major download. Joel had also recommended “The People’s Guide to Mexico”, which I did buy and is a great reource for my trip. I highly recomment this book to anyone considdering travel to Mexico.

The next morning, the serious work began. I set to changing the rear tire–something I’d been putting off because it scared me. I’d changed 3 front tires by myself, but I’d never monkeyed with a chain, the chain tensioner, etc., so I was a bit nervous about it.

Twisted Throttle installed a center stand for me, shich made the jo MUCH easier!!! without Joel, I surely wold have forgotten to tie off the center stand to the front wheel (this keeps you from pushing the bike off the center stand as you work on the bike–an added precaution). I had great trouble breaking the bead on the back tire so I could remove the rubber, and I would have tipped the bike over for sure.

It took me over an hour to break the bead (thanks Joel for letting me suffer alone–I needed to do it myself and he didnt let me sissy out).

Next thing I worked on was replacing the quarter turn quick locks on my SW Motech brackets.

These 1/4 turn screw are SO handy when you want to take the luggage off, yet I was worried with 3 quick 1/4 turns someone could remove my panniers, with the brrackets attached, and get my goods. So Twisted shipped me locks.

voila! Now I feel pprotected.

Next task: oil change

First one on this bike, and it was overdue.

My mechanically minded friend will laugh when I tell you these things took ALL DAY. I started at 7 am and did not finish until dark.

Joel took me to parts stores, shopping, etc. 3 separate trips, to get all the tools I needed, parts I needed, etc. It was an excellent dry run of doing things on the road, as I discovered there were a few things I needed (such as a 17mm socket to get the oil drain plug undone). Had I not done this before crossing the border, I would not be self sufficientt now.

I have to give a HUGE thanks to Joel for all his help and insights. I cannot tell you how many times he walked by my bike and said “do you have this”? And gave me something for my trip, gaave me an idea for the trip, etc. Joel even saved the Mexico portiuon of my trip by giving me his copy of the BICI maps. THANKS JOel! oh! Joel also gave me a fleece, which is saving my derrierre, an extra MSR 1.5 liter fuel bottle, and a 3/8 drive wrench so I can do my own oil changes from now on. How do I keep finding such gracious an generous people? I’m telling you, so far this trip has really been about the people. I hope it continues to be that way — as I conceived this trip it was as much abbout seeing all these great places and riding the motorcycle, as well as getting off the beaten path and getting to know the local people.

After my day of steep learning, Linda and Joel took me out for a yummy Persian food dinner. I’m so grateful to both of them for being so generous and getting me off to a really good start.

• Crossing into Mexico Today! (Nov 24) and plan to make it to Creel tonight. This means I'll be in the Copper Canyons for Thanksgiving. #

So at the International Motorcycle Show I was pleased to bump into Moira of Elite Track Days. I first met her at Femmoto in Las Vegas in 2008, and was immediately impressed both by her riding skills and he willingness to help riders improve. Even as I was a “professional” working for BMW, she took me out on the track, led me around a few times, and showed me the best lines to take, exaggerating where she braked accelerated and turned, so I could learn. I took her card and vowed one day I would make it to Texas and attend her school.

Well, as luck would have it, Moira invited me to her track on the Weds following the Dallas Show. Why not? I decided to put off crossing the border for a couple of days and take advantage of her generous offer.

I HAD SUCH AN AWESOME TIME!

I took the bags off the bike, took off my camelbak, the GPS, and followed Roger around for a few introductory laps. I’ll admit it was exhilarating and scary simultaneously, and it took about 5 go’s through the blind downhill chicane before I finally stopped holding my breath and flowed smoothly through it.

Basically I worked on s-m-o-o-t-h-n-e-s-s and finesse. How embarassing would it have been to wad up before I even crossed the border?!?

Moira led me on a few mor laps while Roger went off and played, and then I was on my own! Just two or three of us on the track at any given time. The excitement was high and I only took a few pictures (further below).

If you are interested in taking a PHENOMENAL track day, sign up with Moira (512) 971-1231. There’s a reason they named themselves “elite”. Check them out at www.EliteTrackDays.com.

The heaps of stuff I took off my bike

Roger and Moira yakking it up after riding

Roger’s s-w-e-e-t Aprillia

I enjoyed Roger’s sense of humor

A view of the chicane from the viewing deck

Coming down the straightaway

Beauty shot of me all loaded up and all alone on the track

Gone!

Much to my delight, in the morning I got a tour of the farm via the morning chores.

First you feed the goats and llamas:

Morning Goats!

Then the Horses:

Then the Mini horsey:

Then the camels:

Have you ever seen the bottom of a camel's foot?

Watch out Edward, I think I might have found a new beau

Alisa's New Beau...

Here’s Carolyn with Kermit the sweetest bull camel you ever want to meet.

So then Carolyn made a Texas-sized eating plate of breakfast:
(How does that go, Amy?)

After the morning chores, Carolyn, Stevie and I headed out for a tour of the ranch. It’s so big you should take the mule to see it all lest you exhaust yourself before lunch.

Meet Stevie:

The tour begins:

Wild Boar Trap

Limestone cut-out by the River

Tracks in the Sand by the River

More tracks...

Ghosts of dead pigs past

After the tour, Carolyn & I rode in Waco to, yes, go to the gun store (conveniently located in the same building as the BAR!), and to Kinko’s to get my press cards made (If you are reading this and work / live / communicate with a motorcycle shop and want some, email me your address at alisa@motoadventuregal.com and I will have some sent to you to promote the fundraising work I am doing…

Mary came up to us at the Kinko’s and thanked us for what we were doing–she is a ten year breast cancer survivor. So she got added to my top box. Oh! I haven’t yet mentioned my top box…a story for another day.

back to the ranch…

Carolyn is a farrier by trade (horse-shoer), for two decades now. She’s one cool chick for sure. Horses, camels, goats, motorcycles, and a crack shot, she should wear a wonder woman outfit

Carolyn at work:

Using the Anvil Andy mounted on a swivel (Andy is a welder by trade)

A finished foot and an unfinished foot

Carolyn is so smooth her horse goes to sleep on her

Then we did a repeat of the evening chores and had venison sausages on the grill for dinner. I went to bed in the guest house exhausted just watching Carolyn work all day.

Conway, AR – Valley Mills, TX
Moving Time= 8:03
477 aching miles

It was a loooooong day in the saddle. All interstate. And I resented the 23 miles the GPS made me go East to go South only to go West again. Evidently the devils in the GPS thought that would ultimately help me get there faster. I really didn’t make too many stops, an early lunch for the infamous corndog (yummy but greasy)

and later for a to-go salad from Applebee’s. I needed to make miles.

I got impatient with a trafic-re-route and thought “heck, I ride a dual sport, I’ll use this re-route on the GPS”

but wound up in front of a locked gate. So I got back into the traffic lineup, which ended up making me skirt Dallas at rush hour.

Finally, after 475 butt breaking miles I reached “downtown” Valley Mills, where I called Carolyn and she gave me directions to the house. She said she’d ride the mule out to the road to meet me as it would be difficult to see her road after dark.

Carolyn leading me down her 1/2 mile driveway.

I remember her leading me in and thinking, “man, someone must do a LOT of mowing!”. Here’s a pic of us riding in in the daytime.

Carolyn and her husand Andy (Ficklin) run “Camels on the Creek”, a Texas Ranch that caters to dual sport enthusiasts. Carolyn herself rides a KLR 650 with the *sweetest* cammo paint job you’ll ever want to see. It wins awards at bike shows.

Carolyn and I met this summer — we were both “Dirty Dozen” riders, fundraisers on the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation’s “Adventure for the Cure”. Twelve of us (plus a good handfuul of other volunteers) came together to raise over $45,000 for breast and ovarian cancer cures. So if you were wondering how I got the idea to make this ride a charity ride, that’s it. I was SO inspired by the other riders, and in particular Gin Shear and Sue Slate (Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation), that I decided to keep right on fundraising.

If anyone is traveling through the Waco area of texas and wants to stay with them, you can make reservations by calling Carolyn at 254-744-9632 or emailing them at CamelsOnTheCreek@gmail.com

There’s tons of dual sporting in the area, but let me tell you the paved roads are pretty awesome as well. It’s not the flat part of Texas we all dread when crossing the country. Just be forewarned: there’s a 1/2 mile of county maintained gravel road beforre you reach the ranch. Reservations Only.

<>