Treks Within Reflection

Views from the Gold Wing

sisocrates_musing — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 13:30:00 GMT

Greetings All ~

Have added a few more photos to share with you my views from the Gold Wing.

Oh what a ride! I miss the "open road..."

I'll sign off for now until the next adventure ~ Namaste!

HOME AGAIN IN THE SANCTUARY

sisocrates_musing — Sat, 4 Aug 2012 17:30:00 GMT

Greetings All!

After 8 weeks, 9,366 miles on the back of Richard's motorcycle, and an undetermined amount of mileage via car (i.e., to/from Spokane plus while using Andy's car in Pennsylvania), my bum and I happily announce we are safely home! And by the way, we traveled in/through 23 US states ~ Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virgina, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho.

And I shall pause here to express my Heartfelt Gratitude to Richard for making this road adventure possible!

I have much work ahead ~ the next couple of months will be spent creating my "journal story" about these weeks, but for now here are a few thoughts. (More photos to be added eventually ~ it's such a pain in the .... to resize them and get them to post. Please bear with me.)

Favorite highlights = Arkansas (my session with Dolores Cannon; Larry & the Atlantis Found Crystal Shop; Hot Springs National Park ~ the smallest National Park in America), Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Fried Pickles ("Frickles") in Oswego, Kansas!

I observed (and listened to) soooooooooooooo many people sharing their "stories" and/or dreams. I felt their need for acknowledgment, validation, and to be Honored for their experiences (and/or survival)...

The worst thing about the adventure? I observed that our Beloved Earth is excruciatingly being exploited ~ as well as Humans and Animals. It was actually painful for me to see...

I discovered the humongous need for education and awareness ~ but no time now to go into my "dissertation" about this. Again, bear with me.

I learned that the weather across the entire US has been "weird" and heard a bazillion comments from long-time residents about never seeing such "expressions" of Nature and how its definitely changing/changed.

With Gratitude to all the people I met, to Mother Earth for embracing me with her diverse landscapes and Beauty, to the road for always being there, and to Richard for his expertise of riding on that road (as well as his TLC), I'll sign off for now with another gentle Namaste and much Love!

HEADED BACK TO SPOKANE

sisocrates_musing — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 21:50:00 GMT

Hi All ~

We're headed back to Spokane and are currently in Idaho. Since Colorado, we've traveled into Wyoming and spent a couple nights in Jackson Hole trying to escape the heat! We spent a night in McCall, ID and are meandering our way towards Spokane and will arrive tomorrow (Saturday) after 7 weeks of adventure(s).

The time has been "timeless" and the miles "mileless" (with a chosen state of mind), but my poor bum has counted every moment and every mile ~ LOL!

It will take a couple of weeks, I'm sure, to process this adventure ~ the people, the landscapes, the experiences, and of course, the memories... And during that process, I am very much looking forward to my own bed, space, fresh food, clean clothes, running water, a "real" toilet, and... uh hum, internet access!

I will update one more time when Ben and I return to Portland, but we'll be making a visit to Auburn/Tacoma first (and I'll probably spend a day or two in Spokane). I'll contemplate the final page for the blog and try to record some of the highlights and more "thoughtful" (versus "factual")reflections.

So for now, I'll sign off with assurances that "all is well" and a gentle Namaste and wishing you all much Love, Light, and Blessings!

WE'RE IN COLORADO...

sisocrates_musing — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:25:00 GMT

Hi All ~

A change in plans has unfolded ~ we're not going to Yellowstone, but headed to the mountains instead ~ we've stopped in Estes Park tucked in the Rocky Mountains. Yellowstone turned out to be too many miles away for too few days of doable traveling ~ especially with the intolerable heat, so we our next destination is Evanston, Wyoming to meet Richard's and Andy's Sister for a few days camping. Where we wander after that, no one has determined that, other than it looks like we will NOT be going any further south ~ which included southern Utah, Four Corners, or Sante Fe... Richard's determined, tho, to stop in Ogden, UT to visit his Best Friend, and then maybe heading north into Canada where it may be cooler. Wherever we end up, I'm just going with the flow ~ and all is well! Afterall, this is called "an adventure!"

BTW, my bum is doing better ~ I purchased a "gel seat" at the rally, and it does help somewhat.

Okay, back to where we've been since the last time I logged on ~ we traveled across Iowa, Nebraska, a bit in Missouri (not necessarily in that order ~ LOL), and we arrived Colorado today. Weather's been a wee bit cooler, and it's definitely waaaaaaaaaaay better here in the mountains!

So, for now, I'll sign off with lots of Love and gentle tucks of "Rocky Mountain High" Namaste... Signing off from Starbucks in Estes Park (a surprise stop ~ didn't think I'd have wi-fi access for an undetermined amount of time) with a PS for my Beloved Mother ~ Mom, do you remember when we came to Estes Park (or proximity) for the Family Reunion? I do with very fond memories and Love in my Heart!

HEADING FOR YELLOWSTONE

sisocrates_musing — Sat, 7 Jul 2012 20:20:00 GMT

Hi Ya All ~

What an adventure Indiana has been! Weather has been absolutely wild and excruciatingly HOT ~ in the high 90's and 100's ~ making for bad, bad, bad sleeping and lots and lots and lots of pouring sweat. We sought daily relief in the "War Memorial Coliseum" in Fort Wayne, Indiana and we ever-so-Grateful for the air conditioning.

Okay, now the "adventure" part ~ have you all heard about the freak storms popping up throughout the mid-west and east? Well, Indiana had 2 in less than a week, and whereas we skirted the first (though we've seen tremendous tree damage), the 2nd storm popped up through our campground... First of all, we're fine, the bikes and tent campers are fine, though some of our things in the tent campers got soaked (but has mostly dried out due to the excessive heat). Some in our campground lost their tent campers and tents as high winds raced through (some said as high as 85 mph), a few trees fell (one on top of an RV), electric poles snapped, and peoples' "stuff" were scattered all over the campground.

We were actually in a restaurant when the storm blew through and arrived the campground as soon as it stopped the furious downpour. Everyone was in a daze, and we had to move the tent trailers as water was pouring from a nearby drain and the trailers were standing in about 6" of water. Just after we moved everything to higher ground, we were told to head for the shelter (bathhouse) as another high wind storm was headed our way. Men and women alike were crammed in the women's side, we were all soaked as the rain was still falling, and we stood around, people telling stories about what they saw and experienced. Shortly after, the "all clear" signal arrived and we made our way to assist in any possible way and to check on others we had met... What a mess ~ tree branches down everywhere, camping gear soaked, but most of us Grateful we only had "drying out" to do.

The Gold Wing rally was a hoot ~ looked like a "senior citizen" convention! And trikes are extremely popular with this older group. I'll try to post some of the "art pieces" that have been painted on some, but it may be a while before access to wi-fi again.

Which by the way, we didn't have access to wi-fi in Ft. Wayne because there are still phone lines down from the 1st storm, and some restaurants didn't even open until the day we had arrived...

We're heading to Yellowstone now ~ approximately 1500 miles to travel, and then we'll have about a week there. Will try to post as soon as possible after we arrive.

So for now, all is well, the weather is supposed to cool down somewhat, and the road awaits us! Signing off from a windy Hobart (near Chicago), and a gentle hug of Namaste.

HEAT WAVE IN NORTH CAROLINA

sisocrates_musing — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 17:30:00 GMT

Greetings All ~

First of all, photos are finally posted! Only took us a few days to figure out what works and what doesn't ~ LOL.

We've been keeping pretty low here this week as temps are in the 90's and 100's (mountains a bit cooler), so we've mostly taken short rides on the Blue Ridge Parkway where it's cooler ~ except one day that turned out to be a marathon ~ 420 miles! We were relying on Richard and his GPS to find a destination that was supposed to be 15 miles/minutes away, but guess Richard got GPS fever and we kept going ~ LOL. Saw some beautiful back country in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina, and finally made it to our intended destination ~ an old time General Store from the 1800's ~ the next day.

North Carolina country is gorgeous, but extremely mountainous ~ makes me wonder how anyone gets around in the winter! Hard to take photos to truly reflect the mountains, vegetation, and windy roads, but I'll keep trying.

Yesterday we visited a teeny tiny little town (if one can define it as a town ~ composed of a post office and inns, and lots of seasonal "second" humongous homes) called "Little Switzerland." Pretty little hamlet but definitely NOT Switzerland...

We've been chatting with some really interesting people ~ met quite a character along the Blue Ridge Parkway ~ and have recorded in my journal some of the things he said, which will be written about when I'm back home... Also been getting daily "dog fixes" here and there!

BTW ~ Richard replaced his bad shock the day before we left Harrisburg and my bum and back are ever-so-grateful! Richard wants me to note that Andy is the one responsible for finding a REALLY good deal for Richard to have it replaced ~ we thank you, Andy!

We'll be heading for Indiana Sunday morning, so don't know when I'll next have wi-fi access... Be assured, tho, I'll be in touch!

Sending you all Happy Summer wishes, gentle breeze hugs, and Loving whispers of Namaste...

Til next time!

Photos: GOLD WING ROAD ADVENTURE

sisocrates_musing — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:41:00 GMT

USA PHOTOS

WE'RE IN NORTH CAROLINA

sisocrates_musing — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Hi All!

We arrived Banner Elk, NC yesterday afternoon after meandering our way through Pennsylvania (from Harrisburg), into Maryland for a short distance, over the Potomac River, into Virginia traveling along the Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive (at 35 mph), and then into North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway (at 45 mph) until we had to bail off to make time in order to check into the timeshare. We have a week here (we'll take day trips) before heading to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Yesterday was the first day in 3 weeks that we had to pull under a highway bridge to put on raingear ~ not once, but twice. At one point we were joined by a few other motorcyclists taking cover, and the storm passed somewhat quickly so we could all resume our ways.

Weather is cooler than Pennsylvania (their heat wave ended the day we left), summer-like temps here in the mountains, cool at night ~ hooray!

Am trying to upload some photos for you all, but am having a bit of a challenge doing so ~ will try another option... Or even another day, now that we have wi-fi access for an entire week!

Sending you all Love and Light, and promises to update again soon. All is well!

Signing off with a Light-filled Namaste from the "mountains" of NW North Carolina!

HOT DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA

sisocrates_musing — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 04:44:00 GMT

Greetings from an excruciatingly hot and humid Harrisburg, PA! Temps in high 90's, high humidity, and constant sweat! (We're hanging low today under air conditioning.) Last few days have been meeting Richard's various relatives and seeing a few nearby sites. Went to Hershey's Park yesterday (short visit), the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, and Richard's trying to resolve issues with his bad hitch and "shot shocks" so we stopped at a couple of local shops and Honda dealer. He's decided to wait to we get to the rally in Indiana to see if he can get a better price and/or wait until he returns home to have them replaced. Meanwhile, it's like we're riding a "pogo stick!" Adds to the adventure, right?

Richard's Brother, Andy, decided to join us for the entire remaining adventure, and will ride back to Washington with us, via his 2012 Gold Wing. We'll be heading for North Carolina this weekend, and will try to download photos into the blog.

So for now, am signing off with sweat running down my face, my armpits soaked, but still a smile on my face! (And the feeling in my bum has returned too ~ we've done a couple short bike trips around locally, so my bum hasn't complained lately.) Sending you all a gentle Namaste with Love...

WE'VE MADE IT TO PENNSYLVANIA

sisocrates_musing — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 10:05:00 GMT

Hi All!

First comment is it was easier to access wi-fi in Peru than it's been since we've been on the road and I've learned how attached I am to internet access... Am sitting in a McDonald's (of all places!) and will try to catch you all up.

We arrived Harrisburg, PA about 530P last night ~ after an "oops, wrong turn" in West Virginia, which resulted in our arrival yesterday (Saturday) instead of Friday. But no worries ~ we traveled through some beautiful country (the mountains of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia are like I've never seen before ~ even photos won't reflect their essence. The only metaphor I can think of is if you set cotton balls out side by side, in a tight circle, they are like the mountains ~ rolling, side by side in all directions and lush with vegetation and trees. (Probably a poor visual description, but the best I can do working on a cup of McDonald's coffee.)

Anyway, after leaving Arkansas, we traveled across Kentucky, into Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and finally into Pennsylvania. No weather issues (no rain); it's been hot but clouds have helped filter the direct sun. We've been talking to other motorcyclists and travelers along the way and everyone's still talking about how much the weather has changed.

Will keep this short, but want you to know all is well and we've arrived our second "destination" ~ Richard had a bad case of "destination fever" since Huntsville, so we've been putting on over 350 miles/day. By about 250, my bum is done, but I've learned to gently wiggle into a more comfortable spot until it goes numb too ~ LOL.

We'll be staying here with Richard's Brother until Friday, whereupon the next destination is North Carolina for a week. Richard's eager to visit his Relatives during these next few days, so I'm not sure what specific adventures we'll pursue. Though he did promise we'd go to the Lancaster Amish country ~ hooray!

I suspect it will be a few more days before I'm back on wi-fi, so hang in there with me...

So for now, I'll sign off with a "Thinking of you all, Namaste" and a PS ~ thank you everyone for your comments regarding the blog! Loving you ~ Always!

HALF WAY THROUGH ARKANSAS

sisocrates_musing — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 20:30:00 GMT

Hi All!

Currently in Mountain Home, Arkansas making our way towards Pennsylvania...

Weather is hot, hot, hot ~ been in the 90's for days! So far, we've had no weather/riding issues (except the high, severe winds on Day 2), and only rain 2 nights, but dry by morning. Last night we had lightening & thunder right over the top of us, but nothing severe or long lasting.

My search for "Frickles" (fried dill pickles) was quelled in Oswego, Kansas (LOL, Oswego!), had fried catfish last night in Huntsville, Arkansas, saw my first fireflies last night, and have seen a few cardinals...

People sure LOVE to talk in this part of the country. And they all share their "Life stories!" Have been making notes for more details later when the serious writing begins. Yesterday we visited the smallest National Park in the nation (never knew this!) ~ Hot Springs National Park in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas! Picked up some awesome Arkansas crystals in the town of Mt. Ida (a story in itself regarding my experience in the "Atlantis Crystal Shop), and for those who knew in advance, my session today with Dolores was VERY interesting ~ I'm still somewhat numb, and definitely "processing" all the information and experience... Another story in itself... To be continued!

It may be a few days before being able to access wi-fi again, though tonight's access was unexpected, so just goes to show you ~ the possibility exists that I will have access sooner!

Be assured, everyone, "All is well!" And I shall be in touch again asap. And hopefully will have more time for better detailed reports (and photos)... So for now, I'm sending out a very bright "Namaste!"

WE'RE IN NEBRASKA!

sisocrates_musing — Thu, 7 Jun 2012 18:55:00 GMT

Greetings from Broken Bow, Nebraska!

First of all, I'm trying this approach for adding stories in hopes everyone doesn't have to dig so far to get updates... Sorry if you all had to dig so deep for update #2 ~ we'll give this a try.

Day before yesterday we arrived South Dakota ~ stopped at the Crazy Horse monument, but turned around as they are charging $10 per person just to drive into the center. We stopped at the "bottom of the hill" and I took photos and was content with that. Yesterday we we drove around Custer State Park (have some awesome photos), saw our first herd of buffalo... And then ~ yes! Continued on to Mt. Rushmore ~ I was extremely touched by what I saw so magnificently before me (took LOTS of photos here and will post when we reach Pennsylvania)... WOW! Joined a fascinating guided 30 minute walk with a Ranger/Guide Dude explaining fascinating facts about this monument.

Today we put on around 350 miles (Nebraska surprised me with it's rolling hills!) and Richard is treating us to a motel tonight with a shower, access to wi-fi, electrical outlets to recharge everything (puter, camera, and phone), and we'll continue tomorrow through Nebraska, Kansas, getting closer to Arkansas, and depending, maybe into Arkansas.

Signing off for now and heading to the shower, but will first pause with a gentle Namaste and I'll be in touch at the next wi-fi access!

ON OUR WAY!

sisocrates_musing — Tue, 5 Jun 2012 17:50:00 GMT

Well... You know for sure we're in a realm of no schedules, no deadlines, and in a true realm of Freedom when the speed limit is 75 and we're cruising along at 65!

All is well (currently a thunderstorm passing over, with big drops of rain, but no rain yesterday or today while traveling) ~ we are spending tonight in Buffalo, Wyoming (we stayed in Bozeman last night), then heading to Mt. Rushmore tomorrow.

Yesterday we traveled 379 miles and today we did about 300 miles...

I know this is short, but just want you all to know all is well. This is SO fun!!! Seen some beautiful country, met some fascinating travelers (everyone comes up and asks where you're headed, where you're from, and makes some comment about the Kwik Kamp tent. Whereupon the conversations extends to our asking them where they're headed, where they're from, and if they on a bike, there's even more bike stories shared), and seen lots of humongous RV's!

So 'til next time, signing off from this Camino trail with another Namaste!

Gold Wing Camino 2012

sisocrates_musing — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

“I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” – Lillian Smith

Another “Jackie” journey begins… Departing Sunday, 03Jun! Traveling with Richard ~ who will definitely enhance this adventure with his humor, munificent Spirit, and fervor of adventure...

Via a Gold Wing motorcycle throughout the US ~ oh what a ride! (Why do I entitle this journey "Camino?" It's a "pilgrimage" of sorts, to be written into story form after our return!)

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