What goes well with a nice cicadia? White or red wine?
September 21, 2007
September 18, 2007
Three Rivers Ride
Waiting to cross the Mississippi via the Golden Eagle
Took a small 210 mile trip today as it was way to nice outside! Ending up being a tad longer than I planned as I went down some roads around Pike County to see where they went (yes Pete, I stayed out of jail)
Crossed the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois Rivers on my trip today. Saw lots of farmland, had some good catfish for lunch and just general fun with the scooter and camera.
On the ferry there was a huge grain truck fully loaded. I was like cool they always let motorcycles off first. There is a HUGE hill off the river up into Illinois. The girl opened the ferry gate and held me back and let two cars go, I was like damn, not only damn, hell no... I raised my helmet and said, I wanna go in front of the dump truck, she said they go really fast you need to be behind. I said I will be at the farmer's market 5 miles down the road before he gets up that hill. The truck didn't move he knew I wanted to go before him. She waves me through and says ok, don't say I didn't warn you. I said thanks for your concern and smiled.
I was at the farmer's market, had gone to bathroom and bought two apples when the grain truck came by.
Great River Road in Illinois
Atlas, Illinois
Bent over to tie my shoes sand saw myself
Scooter People
Over the last year I have met so many cool people associated with scooting. I wanted to share a tattoo from an outstanding scooterist, MJ. MJ is this awesome person and she LOVES to scoot! She commutes daily on her beloved plum Vespa LX150.
She is full of love for scooters and her enthusiasm for them is contagious!
Check out her Yoda Tat!! This is just wicked!!
Another person I met about 3 months ago is Rob Carver. He is a scooter mechanic, who you just have to meet! There is not a nicer guy in the world. Bobby tells it like it is and is so very very helpful. I have always been intimidated by engines and such. But through Bobby I am learning more and more every day! It is so cool to sit on his garage floor and watch him work on my scooter. Anyone in St. Louis reading this that hasn't met Bobby should make arrangements to have him look at your scooter. I promise you will not regret it. At the young age of 26, Bobby has more knowledge of two wheeled things than anyone in St. Louis.
She is full of love for scooters and her enthusiasm for them is contagious!
Check out her Yoda Tat!! This is just wicked!!
Another person I met about 3 months ago is Rob Carver. He is a scooter mechanic, who you just have to meet! There is not a nicer guy in the world. Bobby tells it like it is and is so very very helpful. I have always been intimidated by engines and such. But through Bobby I am learning more and more every day! It is so cool to sit on his garage floor and watch him work on my scooter. Anyone in St. Louis reading this that hasn't met Bobby should make arrangements to have him look at your scooter. I promise you will not regret it. At the young age of 26, Bobby has more knowledge of two wheeled things than anyone in St. Louis.
September 16, 2007
Stop over on way to Mexico
I came across a field of flowers off a dirt road near Old Gray Summit (field backs up to Shaw's Nature Reserve) and I kid you not thousands of Monarch Butterflies! Must be a stop over in their migration route to Mexico.
September 10, 2007
Columbia Bottoms CA and BBQ
"That river is too thick to drink, and too thin to plow.” - Mark Twain
Missouri and Mississippi River Confluence
Sunday evening Pete and I made a trip up to Columbia Bottom CA, located in north St. Louis County. While the route up is nothing special the park was nice near sunset. The CA provides an intimate look at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The water was very calm and the color had a pretty blue hue to it versus the normal color of the Big Muddy. Was peaceful just to sit and watch the water. We were reminded that the Mississippi is a working river with several barges moving around on the Illinois side.
Barge moving upstream on the Mississippi River
After leaving the park we headed back into St. Louis, you can see the Arch from the conservation area. Neat view, I had already tucked my camera away, so next time. Coming into the city via Riverview/Broadway it was beginning to get a little dark, so we hopped on 55 and headed south to Reavis Barracks to Pennies BBQ.
If you have not been to Pennies' I highly recommend it. I had the full slab of ribs, ate 1/2 , umm where did I leave my leftovers :) Pete had this awesome pork steak, took all I had not to reach over and eat some of his dinner!
The Big Burgman and Little Ole Me
September 6, 2007
Speed Kills
Route T is a wicked road one you have to have a healthy dose of respect for. I have probably ridden Route T to and from Washington almost every week since I got my scooter.
Coming back east on T, I headed into a small town called Labadie. I wanted to stop and get some water and go to the bathroom. As I rode up to the little general store there was 3 crotch rockets out front. One of the guys said to me, sorry they are closed today. I said bummer and then he started asking me about my scooter.
He said what is the fastest you have been on that? I said, umm about 92. He said bull shit... I said no really… I said you are welcome to hop on it and see for yourself. He said Nahh, would be bad for my reputation to be seen on a scooter. He said what way are you headed on T? I said into West County, he said well follow us and show me what that scooter can do. I said I will pass; I wanted to ride out to the Labadie Coal Plant... an electric making coal plant.
I started her up and off I went. The coal plant and I have a strange relationship... I find it awesomely attractive. There is something about that huge plant that just makes me tick inside when I see it. It's just huge and powerful.
I head back on to T and started my ride home. After you leave Labadie there is this area that is switch backs with heavy elevations changes. Even curves within elevation changes. I always slow at the top of the most steep curve as there is always a lot of gravel on the road. As I hit Grand Army Road Road near the gravel, I slowed and as I start to go down a hill, I see at the top of the hill all these emergency vehicles and people waving their arms. I slow and one guy says go back and use that dirt/gravel road over the there (he points off to the north.) I said, ok cool, thanks. As I hit this dirt/gravel road my entire attention is on the road, I HATE GRAVEL.
I see all these people standing ahead on the dirt/gravel road and I slow and say to one of the ladies, a bad wreck, huh? She says yeah a motorcycle accident. She says there is the guys bike over there (about 100 feet off the embankment from the HWY T) my stomach drops as I see the mangled bike, it was the guy I had just spoke to at Labadie's bike. I turn off the scooter and start to walk up to HWY T, the lady says to me, honey you don't want to go up there. Well I did, under a sheet was the guy I had just meet. Man I felt horrible...still do.
When I came back down the hill, I was shaken up. One of the other ladies commented that someone said they were just going to fast to the road. He layed the bike down on the curve and a pickup ran over him and the bike. Bike was mangled.. dude was dead... really nice guy...he had awesome blue eyes and a wicked smile. That's all I know about him.
Like I said HWY T is a wicked road, I will not be able to ride though that section without thinking of this guy.
Picture I took sometime within the last week.
Coming back east on T, I headed into a small town called Labadie. I wanted to stop and get some water and go to the bathroom. As I rode up to the little general store there was 3 crotch rockets out front. One of the guys said to me, sorry they are closed today. I said bummer and then he started asking me about my scooter.
He said what is the fastest you have been on that? I said, umm about 92. He said bull shit... I said no really… I said you are welcome to hop on it and see for yourself. He said Nahh, would be bad for my reputation to be seen on a scooter. He said what way are you headed on T? I said into West County, he said well follow us and show me what that scooter can do. I said I will pass; I wanted to ride out to the Labadie Coal Plant... an electric making coal plant.
I started her up and off I went. The coal plant and I have a strange relationship... I find it awesomely attractive. There is something about that huge plant that just makes me tick inside when I see it. It's just huge and powerful.
I head back on to T and started my ride home. After you leave Labadie there is this area that is switch backs with heavy elevations changes. Even curves within elevation changes. I always slow at the top of the most steep curve as there is always a lot of gravel on the road. As I hit Grand Army Road Road near the gravel, I slowed and as I start to go down a hill, I see at the top of the hill all these emergency vehicles and people waving their arms. I slow and one guy says go back and use that dirt/gravel road over the there (he points off to the north.) I said, ok cool, thanks. As I hit this dirt/gravel road my entire attention is on the road, I HATE GRAVEL.
I see all these people standing ahead on the dirt/gravel road and I slow and say to one of the ladies, a bad wreck, huh? She says yeah a motorcycle accident. She says there is the guys bike over there (about 100 feet off the embankment from the HWY T) my stomach drops as I see the mangled bike, it was the guy I had just spoke to at Labadie's bike. I turn off the scooter and start to walk up to HWY T, the lady says to me, honey you don't want to go up there. Well I did, under a sheet was the guy I had just meet. Man I felt horrible...still do.
When I came back down the hill, I was shaken up. One of the other ladies commented that someone said they were just going to fast to the road. He layed the bike down on the curve and a pickup ran over him and the bike. Bike was mangled.. dude was dead... really nice guy...he had awesome blue eyes and a wicked smile. That's all I know about him.
Like I said HWY T is a wicked road, I will not be able to ride though that section without thinking of this guy.
Picture I took sometime within the last week.
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