onetajmahal

onetajmahal, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

And Souvenirs

And Souvenirs, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

I' m going to try my first photo project and make it about Atlantic City. The boardwalk is one of my favorite places to photograph, but the city streets and the casinos are important too, just more difficult.

The casino's don't like photographs and the streets can be sketchy so I'll have to use a point and shoot for them. I would love to hear your suggestions.

The Scooter,

I am very happy with my choice of the Genuine Buddy 125 for the cross-country tour. Despite the problem of a clogged jet near the end, the Buddy performed beautifully over 4,500 miles. I crossed plains, mountain ranges and deserts on the scooter without a major issue. The Buddy's design allowed me ride for up to 8 hours a day without strain because the seat and handlebars enforce correct posture. On a 85 mile stretch through the desert I confirmed the Buddy's gas mileage at over 85 miles per gallon and after 4,500 miles of travel, I still consider the Buddy 125 or 150 the most afforable, fun and reliable vehicle for sight seeing trip, no matter how far the distance. It held me, my camera, and all my camping gear across 12 states and tough terrain on some mountain roads. I expect the scooter to be performing as well as It did when I left after I get it back from the dealership

Go Buddy!

Back to the Desert

_MG_5182, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

and on to Los Angeles. A couple of my friends are working on a movie there called "Monster Mutt". I might be able to hang out for a few days until I can find a shipping company to take the buddy back to New Jersey. He deserves a rest.

Yosemite Sawyer

IMG_3115, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

I thought I had accidentally traveled back in time emerging from my campsite to this scene in Yosemite. His name is Luke and from the spring to the fall he clears the 900 miles worth of trails in Yosemite. Upon giving him my card so that I could contact him with this picture, he said he hasn't seen a computer in months. I would love to follow them back on some of those trails with a camera. Maybe someday I will.

Speaking of Sequoias

_MG_5225, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

4,000 miles

IMG_3111, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

California, I was hoping to be the easiest part of the drive. It hasn't been. More desert, beautiful, but hard and the trail to back way of Sequoia last night was anything but accurately represented on my map. A small road, more like a trail winding through the mountains with road signs and placards that hadn't been repaired for years. The road is only open in the summer and only visited by raging scooterists searching for Giant Sequoia trees...and they were worth the 4,000 miles it took to get there.

Highway 6 - Nevada

IMG_3063, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Right around the halfway mark of this road the sun began to set and I couldn't help but to stop every 5 minutes and take another picture

Nevada Night

Nevada Night, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

I drove 90 miles through the desert at night, but it was not a wise decision. When I turned off the scooter to sit for a moment the only lights were the moon and the stars. The land was so quiet I could hear without disruption the damage to my right ear drum that happened from an ear infection when I was little. Back on the road, the darkness and the nothingness started to get to me. Jack rabbits darted across the road in pairs and always scared me. Getting too tired to drive about 45 miles in the route I had to pull off before another mountain pass, but the sand was soft and at about 0.5 miles per hour I dropped the buddy on the ground. Frustrated-tired-I pulled out my tent and went to sleep. When I got up I continued another 50 miles until I reached the Great Basin National park Utah Rob had suggested I stop at. In the morning, I drove and then hiked to the top of the mountain where there is a grove of thousand year old Bristlecone pines. They are a Gnarly bunch that grow so slow that the oldest tree there at 3,000 years old was only 16 feet tall. I wondered what it would be like to be that old and I came to the decision that it would be awfully boring, especially stuck in one spot the whole time. They should get out more.

Utah Rob

Utah Rob, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Eating breakfast near Heber CIty, a fellow rolled up on a geared up V-stream, checked out my rig and I noticed the usual confusion when he got to my license plate. New Jersey?

He came in and sat down near me and we talked about the trip. I told him I was planning on going up to Salt Lake to see the scooter dealership and he said "Not today". It didn't take long for him to tell me the Mormons are pretty strict about their day without work and after generously paying for my pancakes he he offered his garage and a hand with the oil change.

On the way to the auto-parts store(corporates seemed to stay open), he told me his daughter is about to be married in California and he got a good deal on an Rv so he and his wife could drive over for the wedding. She was just diagnosed with Colon Cancer, but when I met her I thought she was sitting the top of the world from her happy attitude. Have fun at the wedding and I wish you both well!

Hot tip

IMG_3043, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Too bad they're so far from Jersey, we only have expensive missionary clothing.

Nebraska Rob and Liz if you're listening

IMG_3045, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

I lost your card, but I made it through the rockies just fine as you'll read below. Just wanted to let you know.

That picture is Utah, the Mormon's can sure picked a good Holy land!

Colorado

_MG_4655, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Theres still some of the Old west left in Colorado, but you won't find it in any of the towns. I traveled off of 40 west in search of "Chimney Rock" and though I never found the Rock, I did stumble on this scene.

Before I left the Rockies, I went off I-70 (a road I did not want to be on) to Falling River Rd and followed that a few thousand feet to the top of St. Mary's Glacier. A small glacier by New Jersey standards, I hiked up it easily to the top. When I reached the top of the glacier, the mountain kept going, so I hiked to the near top of it too. Thats probably the reason I'm writing this from Yosemite right now. When I start going, I don't want to stop, but eventually I always have to. The mountain started getting dark and when it gets dark in Colorado it gets cold, and I only had t-shirt. Funny how going down a glacier is harder than going up it. I fell a few times, but made it down to a dark and empty mountain ridge. I hadn't considered that there were large predators in Colorado until I was walking down the mountain by myself while listening to the forest sounds slipping on rocks like injured prey. Fortunately, I was not eaten.

Back in Idaho springs-a town I had passed on the way up I-70- I found the only place for food after 9 o-clock, Mc D's and ordered a few pies and some dollar McChickens. A couple of locals were checking out the Buddy outside so I came out to have a talk. They were river guides for the local white water rafting company. One-the photographer- was a Moped rider so I got the always welcomed "awesome man" conversation. Josh his name was, and he invited me back to the rafting place to set up my tent.

At the rafting shop, the guides all sat around an umbrella in the back where they store the rafts. They drank Pabst and talked about the stories of the day. One of them almost pulled off a legendary manuever called the Dry Flip, while the raft capsizes and sends thrashing tourists flying into the rapids, yet the guide skillfully climbs up and over to the bottom of the raft.

Josh asked his boss if I could have a ride in the morning. I left the scooter down the shop and got a place in the raft they called the Sweeper. Our guide, Mark, also know as Extreme, had us wait for the other rafts to go past into the rapids incase anyone had be rescued. As we came on one of the more difficult rapids, we noticed something bobbing in the water. Turned out to be a lady who was thrown from her boat and now was clinging to a rock in one of the most dangerous spots on the river. Our commands came "Back one" "Forward 3- keep it going!", yelled Extremo as he reached with his paddle to the terrified rafter and pulled her into the boat as she struggled for what she perceived to be her life. We reached the shore and even though she could have got in the truck and sat the rest out, she got back in her raft and finished the ride.

Rafting rocks, thanks guys.

I think I see some mountains

_MG_4340, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Tallest mountain I have ever ridden with the buddy, 3,200 feet.

Tallest point I'll be reaching in t the Rockies, 11,990 feet with peeks soaring above me at altitudes of over 14,000 feet.

I will be asking the scooter to take a steep 7% grade up the Continental Divide until I reach Loveland pass and the decent begins. Luckily, most trucks will be taking I-70 through the Rockies and the Eisenhower tunnel, except for the ones with hazardous waste of course, they'll be with me.

Today Started Hard, Ended Nice

_MG_4278, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

I woke up to a beautiful glimpse of a 5 am Nebraskan sunrise. Then I went back to sleep. At 6, came the rain. At seven came the lighting and by 8 It was thankfully drying up. I packed up the scooter, but I was already off my game. Slow and unorganized, it took me more than 30 minutes to head-out and by that time it had started to drizzle again. Weird things happened, I dropped things when I was playing with them, I passed by street signs without knowing what they said, dangerous to have these things happening on the road. Wind, rain, and wide open throttle is not a good combination for discoordination. And then....put put...putt putt. Oh nooo. Scooter! It's sick, wheres the docoter? What? I'm the doctor? Oh noo. Seafoam...that'll do it.

Nope

Darn.

Maybe it was bad gas, trying filling it up again. Crank crank crank crank..... done.. no can do. Clean out the fuel filter. AHA! It starts! Now to put the seat back on, better turn it off when I undo the fuel cap. Crank crank crank... No!

A man comes back in from the gas station, Need some help? Yes, please. He brings me back a fuel filter, no luck. "A friend will be by in a few minutes, he knows small engines" Awesome. "There he is behind you already" Nice.

The older friend starts to fiddle near the carburetor unplugs the hose to the fuel filter and blows it through it. "Here yer go, see what she does".

VrrooOOMmm

Nice. Thank you!

Another man asks me if I need a place to stay. Rob. I heard about thunderstorms coming in tonight. "Sure", I say. He takes me back to his house and I meet his wife, Liz, and his daughter and we go back in the agrage and he shows me his BMW touring/offroad bike. Sweet.

The night goes on, we replace a fuse on the Buddy and we make designs out of reflective airline tape he had. Liz made some lips for my "Kiss my Rebel Ass" sticker I have on the rear. I eat some delicious macaroni cassarol and cucumber and onion salad mix and she lets me use her computer to write this blog.

Now to find out what else happens. Good night!

- OLD UPDATE

What else happens is that I woke up this morning, but the buddy wouldn't roll out of bed. Alittle starting fluid and it was going, but oh man the acceleration is killed. I'm waiting for a motorcycle shop to open up across the street. I can't get cell phone service here either. Nebraska has been hard, but Rob and Liz softened it right up for me.

- NEW UPDATE

Just really bad gasoline with too much water in it. The scooter is running like a champ.

Riding with the King

Riding with the King, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Outside Genuine Scooter's home base.

Now if only 20 people could get on those scooters and ride with me all the way to Yosemite.

Scooter Gets A Bath

_MG_4255, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Thanks to the Lisle Lionettes, the old buddy has a sparkling new shine. Itt was just too hard to pass by a 15 strong dance team yelling car wash while doing their best michael jackson impersonations.

"Don't Stop in Gary Indiana"

IMG_2837, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Was what I was told on my way through Cleveland. I knew immediately where I was going.

And although their were more Adult "bookstores" than I could count on one hand, I never felt impending doom. Gary just seems like a Steel town past it's glory days. The people are still friendly-even though you could pass some parts of the city for the unrepaired sections of New Orleans- and these kids asked me if I was going to put the pictures up on myspace..I told them "sorta, here's my e-mail address if you want I can send them to you". The only piece of paper I had on me was my map, I only slightly regreted that later on the South Side of Chicago, but the kind folks at Taco Bello and McDs gave me good directions. Who needs a GPS?

Morning in Chicago

IMG_2833, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

The people over at Genuine and scooterworks set me up with a hotel room in Chicago. My tent sits lonely and unwanted in their service shop. A good nights sleep and i'm ready for another long haul into Iowa today.

I've come almost 1,000 miles

Almost to Chicago-20d 018, originally uploaded by Bog Iron Pines.

Cleveland Rocks

Well, I hope so. I'm sitting outside of it right now. How do you know a scooter traveller is taking a break? He's standing up. Yes, the butt does take the brunt of travelling by scooter, but do not fear. A product blunty named as Butt-wax accompanyed my new riding jacket. At first I sneered at the bag of goo intended for netherly use, but after 8 hours and one too many potholes, I was rubbing it on like a frenzied chimpanzee.

To any future scooter travelers I have this advice for you--watch out for gremlins. One pulled off one of my exhaust nuts today. Sneaky little guy. Later on he let some of the air out of my tires. I thought I heard something at camp last night. I'll just have to lay out some traps, see what I come up with, maybe my dog Buddy will get a new friend.

Starbucks lights are dimming now, time to find a place to sleep. Scooter service in the morning, then my first glimpse of the Great Lakes.

Pride of Cleveland here I come.

On the road

Seemed like this day would never come. Here it is.

I hope to get a good way through Pennsylvania today and into Ohio tomorrow. Wait till the Amish get a load of me.

A Decision

I want to see the world, but I'm not flying first class. I have figure out ways to live and travel for cheap while on the road.

My ride was a 1992 Ford Explorer - 16 miles per gallon

Distance to California from New Jersey - 3,145 miles

Gas Price at the time - 3.35

Dollars in my bank account - 315 and 47 cents

I couldn't even make it to Houston to tell them I had a problem.

What to do? I need another way.


Walking-biking-hitch-hiking...all good, but none allow me the freedom of movement I want on the road.

Moped

130 miles per gallon -- That's a start.

$1,500 - Alright.

35 miles per hour - flat tire. A cross country trip could take months I don't have.

After more searching for nitrous injected Mopeds and glorified go-carts, I come across the transportation machine known as the Motor Scooter.

Brand names like Vespa, Lambetta, and Piaggio spawned images of a tanned Charlton Heston riding half-naked on 1960s beaches. I immediately closed my browser-yet, the thought lingered, not of Heston, but the crossbreeding of moped and motorcycle. A beast incapable of reproduction, but perfectly capable of attaining speeds over 60 miles an hour at an incredible 80 miles per gallon. So, I stepped in to Philadelphia Scooters, sat down on one of their brand new Genuine Buddy 125's, and made a decision.