[image: turquoistrail-1web.jpg]
July 16, 2013
This summer my wife and I headed west to New Mexico to experience an earth-art installation by Walter de Maria called The Lightning Field. Created in 1977, The Lightning Field is 400 lightning rods organized on a grid 1km x 1mile. It is located about 30 miles outside of Quemado, NM and is funded and maintained
by the Dia Center for the Arts.
Kim and I wanted to go experience this art piece when we got married in 2001 but couldn't swing it. So we did it this summer...on two wheels.
For this ride Kim is once again on her intrepid KL250 Super Sherpa and I'm on my yellow VFR. Our basic philosophy (for pleasure and practical purposes) is to stay off of slab and do as much of the ride as possible on secondary roads. This means that we see some incredible things and really get a feel for the places we're riding through but it also takes a lot longer to get from A to B.
Throughout the ride Kim and I both journaled and tooks lots of photos. My journalling consisted of trying to write short poems/notes while Kim wrote a complete summery of the day. Hope you enjoy traveling with us!
Day 1
June 21, 2013
Akron, OH to Cincinnati, OH (click for route)
235 miles
Summer Has Begun
We left Akron around 1 pm with the intent of making it as far as Cincinnati. The ride was rather uneventful- taking US42 all the way from its intersection with OH162. It is busy at times, but we hit most of the towns at slow times of day. A little way out of town we stopped and selected an inexpensive motel on the North side of Cinci and headed towards it. When it felt as if we had possibly ridden on the cross road too long we pulled over to double check the motels location and found that it was just barely up the road. But, when we meant to go, Micahs bike wouldnt start. In fact when he turned the key his digital dashboard would flash for a moment and then go blank. Many things went through my head in that moment, but mostly that we were so freakin close to our destination and yet we were in the middle of nowhere, a parking lot in an industrial area at 8:15 in the evening, and Micah, at the least, had a dead battery, and at the most, well who knows. Micah was looking up auto parts stores, I had remembered seeing an Auto Zone so I knew they were in the area. I did a simultaneous search for Batteries Plus, but they all closed at 7 pm. He tracked down an Auto Zone that had his battery, was open until 10 and was about 15 minutes from us. He took my bike, at my insistence, to go take his battery and get the new one, which would take a while because motorcycle batteries must be charged once assembled. While I was waiting in the parking lot, at least one train went by, and then a motorcyclist pulled into the lot. Dave saw the seat off on Micahs bike and was checking to see if he could help. I assured him that the battery was on route, and he asked if he could stay until the battery came back, just to make sure that was the only problem. Im not big on company in parking lots when the sun is going down, but I am also a pretty quick judge of character and I decided I was ok with him staying. I texted Micah to let him know I had company. About 40 minutes later Micah came back and installed the battery. It was pitch black at this point, and luckily we had camping gear and flashlights. The bike fired right up, and we headed to our Motel for the night, giving our undying thanks and goodbyes to Dave.
[image: 001-geeks-web.jpg]
Lilacs, cut grass, diesel smoke,
no, campfire.
Sweet grass, wild flowers, mulch,
no, manure.
Were rumbling through flatland,
plowing through valleys,
baking in sunshine and
breezing in crosswind.
Our journey is out there.
Our journey is right here.
Seeking out adventure.
Stopping to smell the flowers.
[image: 002.JPG]
Day 2
June 22, 2013
Cincinnati, OH - Bowling Green, KY (click to see route)
280 miles
Rehearsal Day
We had a small panic attack in the morning when Micah thought he had misplaced his wallet. He had thrown it on the bed in the middle of all my stuff that I had out on the bed and I had accidentally packed it in my gear. He was actually back over at the hotel when I found it. I was at the gas station across the intersection and I was able to flag him down to let him know that it was found. I really hoped our whole trip wasnt going to be full of these types of adventures. We left around 7 or 7:30 in order to make it to Matt and Alisons rehearsal on time. Our non-highway route ended up taking longer than we hoped and we had to hop on I-65 for the last 105 miles, which was faster but exhausting. Following a 7 hr. drive with wedding prep and dinner and socializing was fun and absolutely exhausting. We headed out to Wes and Elisas house, got lost a few times, and then found our bed with the aid of Elisas notes guiding us to our sleeping location.
[image: 003.JPG]
[image: 005-map-web.jpg]
Pavement has patterns
seen only from
the saddle.
Tar snakes slither and
slip tires, bubbles hiss
when confronted.
Tarmak grooved, pitted, grey,
leads, receeds, obeys.
[image: 008-mattalison-01web.jpg]
Churches and
Stripmalls and
Gas stations.
Station to station,
Were churched by
Stripped gassers.
Mauled, stripped, gassy,
In church station.
State this: strip church,
Services at the mall. 10:15am.
All are welcome.
July 16, 2013
This summer my wife and I headed west to New Mexico to experience an earth-art installation by Walter de Maria called The Lightning Field. Created in 1977, The Lightning Field is 400 lightning rods organized on a grid 1km x 1mile. It is located about 30 miles outside of Quemado, NM and is funded and maintained
by the Dia Center for the Arts.
Kim and I wanted to go experience this art piece when we got married in 2001 but couldn't swing it. So we did it this summer...on two wheels.
For this ride Kim is once again on her intrepid KL250 Super Sherpa and I'm on my yellow VFR. Our basic philosophy (for pleasure and practical purposes) is to stay off of slab and do as much of the ride as possible on secondary roads. This means that we see some incredible things and really get a feel for the places we're riding through but it also takes a lot longer to get from A to B.
Throughout the ride Kim and I both journaled and tooks lots of photos. My journalling consisted of trying to write short poems/notes while Kim wrote a complete summery of the day. Hope you enjoy traveling with us!
Day 1
June 21, 2013
Akron, OH to Cincinnati, OH (click for route)
235 miles
Summer Has Begun
We left Akron around 1 pm with the intent of making it as far as Cincinnati. The ride was rather uneventful- taking US42 all the way from its intersection with OH162. It is busy at times, but we hit most of the towns at slow times of day. A little way out of town we stopped and selected an inexpensive motel on the North side of Cinci and headed towards it. When it felt as if we had possibly ridden on the cross road too long we pulled over to double check the motels location and found that it was just barely up the road. But, when we meant to go, Micahs bike wouldnt start. In fact when he turned the key his digital dashboard would flash for a moment and then go blank. Many things went through my head in that moment, but mostly that we were so freakin close to our destination and yet we were in the middle of nowhere, a parking lot in an industrial area at 8:15 in the evening, and Micah, at the least, had a dead battery, and at the most, well who knows. Micah was looking up auto parts stores, I had remembered seeing an Auto Zone so I knew they were in the area. I did a simultaneous search for Batteries Plus, but they all closed at 7 pm. He tracked down an Auto Zone that had his battery, was open until 10 and was about 15 minutes from us. He took my bike, at my insistence, to go take his battery and get the new one, which would take a while because motorcycle batteries must be charged once assembled. While I was waiting in the parking lot, at least one train went by, and then a motorcyclist pulled into the lot. Dave saw the seat off on Micahs bike and was checking to see if he could help. I assured him that the battery was on route, and he asked if he could stay until the battery came back, just to make sure that was the only problem. Im not big on company in parking lots when the sun is going down, but I am also a pretty quick judge of character and I decided I was ok with him staying. I texted Micah to let him know I had company. About 40 minutes later Micah came back and installed the battery. It was pitch black at this point, and luckily we had camping gear and flashlights. The bike fired right up, and we headed to our Motel for the night, giving our undying thanks and goodbyes to Dave.
[image: 001-geeks-web.jpg]
Lilacs, cut grass, diesel smoke,
no, campfire.
Sweet grass, wild flowers, mulch,
no, manure.
Were rumbling through flatland,
plowing through valleys,
baking in sunshine and
breezing in crosswind.
Our journey is out there.
Our journey is right here.
Seeking out adventure.
Stopping to smell the flowers.
[image: 002.JPG]
Day 2
June 22, 2013
Cincinnati, OH - Bowling Green, KY (click to see route)
280 miles
Rehearsal Day
We had a small panic attack in the morning when Micah thought he had misplaced his wallet. He had thrown it on the bed in the middle of all my stuff that I had out on the bed and I had accidentally packed it in my gear. He was actually back over at the hotel when I found it. I was at the gas station across the intersection and I was able to flag him down to let him know that it was found. I really hoped our whole trip wasnt going to be full of these types of adventures. We left around 7 or 7:30 in order to make it to Matt and Alisons rehearsal on time. Our non-highway route ended up taking longer than we hoped and we had to hop on I-65 for the last 105 miles, which was faster but exhausting. Following a 7 hr. drive with wedding prep and dinner and socializing was fun and absolutely exhausting. We headed out to Wes and Elisas house, got lost a few times, and then found our bed with the aid of Elisas notes guiding us to our sleeping location.
[image: 003.JPG]
[image: 005-map-web.jpg]
Pavement has patterns
seen only from
the saddle.
Tar snakes slither and
slip tires, bubbles hiss
when confronted.
Tarmak grooved, pitted, grey,
leads, receeds, obeys.
[image: 008-mattalison-01web.jpg]
Churches and
Stripmalls and
Gas stations.
Station to station,
Were churched by
Stripped gassers.
Mauled, stripped, gassy,
In church station.
State this: strip church,
Services at the mall. 10:15am.
All are welcome.