Ann's Bayou Boogie

Hi. This is a report that details my 2011 trip from Winnipeg to Louisiana, which I took in the summer of 2011. I had ridden from Winnipeg to Boston in 2009, and had thought I would post it on here, but didn't happen. Last summer, I thought I would post while on the road to Louisiana, which didn't happen. Then I thought I would write that trip up as soon as I got back, which didn't happen. My only excuse is that I get bored easily, which is code for, "I start a lot of things and don't finish them". So, here it is, 42 days before I leave on my trip for the summer of 2012, and I figured, I better get to it. Bear with me as I do a test run with this report thing, and hopefully, this summer's trip will be that much better for me having done this practice run. Here's my bike, a 2008 BMW F800S that I bought brand new in 2009:

I'll give a quick history of my riding experience. My first bike was a keystone bike, well, that's what we called them in the 'Peg. I bought this when I was about 11 years old and loved it something fierce. I would take it to the dirt tracks and race around on it, having no idea how silly I must have looked amongst all those real dirtbikes. I had it for about 2 years until my brother dismantled it in a fit of pique because he had come home after curfew and I had locked him out of the house:eek1. Broke my heart and I haven't forgiven him to this day. This isn't my bike, but mine was just like it:



Then, many years later, once I had a licence, I bought this beauty. Again, not my bike, but mine was just like it, same color and everything. I still regret selling it:

Since I was too 'bored' to post up pics from my Boston trip previously, here's some shots from my first ever long road trip. I had originally only planned to go to Toronto to visit friends, but then I just kept going. As you'll see, my photog skills have not improved with time and practice.

Ready to roll.



My brother's dog, who I kiss, for good luck, ('cause who knows what will happen on the road and this could be goodbye) before I leave on any trip longer than a couple of days. I kiss my family too, but I don't share the downer, "this may be the last time I see you" thoughts with them. Here's Hoss:



I'm a huge sports fan, so there's no way I was gonna miss the NBA Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts:



Bird was only a little quicker than his statue, but man, could he play:



Fenway:

OK. Enough reminiscing. Up until the day before I was planning to leave, I didn't know where I was headed. I had a friend in Baton Rouge and had always wanted to see New Orleans. I also really want to see the west coast, but given my fear of heights, I'm not sure that I have the guts to cross the mountains to get there. I had never been in the South, and I thought, well, let me see what this is all about.

I also have no sense of direction. It doesn't stop me from traveling, but it sometimes puts me in some scary situations. However, that just adds tot he adventure, right? And yes, I ride with a GPS.

Here's a rough map of my trip. Simple,no? I wanted to ride the Blues Highway and I did get to travel on some of it.



Some prep shots. I ask for your kind Indulgence, please. I'm enjoying pretending this is a real adventure and one of my pleasures when I read other ride reports is reading about all the changes you've made to your bikes and the special gear that you've bought.
Since I've bought the bike I've also purchase and added: Akrapovic exhaust, mirror extenders, Vario Clutch and Brake Levers, Wheel Stripes, BMW Tank Bag, Medium Motofizz Camping Seat Bag and a number of ROK Straps and a Ram mount for my Navi 73 GPS. The GPS is one for a car since 1) I get lost even with a GPS so...2) why pay $700 for a Zumo? So far, the vibrations haven't buggered up my Navi, so I'm happy enough. I haven't set the electrics so that it plugs into the bike, which is a huge hassle. Currently I only turn it on when I need it and charge it in my hotel room or at gas stations as I go. But inevitably I find myself with the power running out, at crucial times in the ride - after a long day of riding, late at night, trying to find a hotel or a campground. This year I'm going to figure out what I need to buy so that I can leave it on all day and have it charging.

I shined up the bike a few days before I left and practiced putting up the tent. I have taken my tent on all my trips, planning to camp my way across America. Thus far, in approx. 9000 km and 35 days on the road,( between my two trips), I've managed to set it up exactly once. I'm taking it again this year, with the hopes that I will actually use it. There's way too much camping gear to lug back and forth without making use of it.





My Bering Jacket and Aerostich Transit Leather Pants. My God, in the heat of the deep South, this outfit was like wearing a rubber suit in a sauna -unbearably hot! Excuse the bugs, this shot was taken after I got back home.






Above: BMW Pro Sports 2 Gloves. Below: My Frank "supposed to be waterproof but aren't" Thomas boots:

Day One - August 20th. That is about as detailed in terms of date and mileage as this report will get. I often forgot to track the daily mileage or to make notes at the end of each day. This summer I have promised myself I will do a better job. I had planned to leave at 8 and didn't hit the road until 2:20 pm. I'm always really nervous on that first day, even though leaving is the only thing I've been able to think about in the months before I head out. So I puttered around, packed and unpacked, went with my brother-in-law and sis to pick up their new car and finally I had no choice but to hit the road.

Believe me, behind that smile, my mind is racing, filled with images of myself encountering disaster after disaster on the road.



Look at all the crap strapped to the back of my bike! That's just plain embarrassing. This year I am streamlining my packing process.



And we're off:

More please. Thank you.

Great bike, enjoying the report, can't wait to read the rest.

That's one great name you've picked. Try to use that camping gear, lowers the cost of moto travelling greatly. You'll need it when you conquer the fear of heights and get into the Rockies on one of your trips. Good Luck to you and very good to see you out and about on two wheels. You're in good company!

Hot chick on a hot bike with great gear. I'm in too.

You gotta' go out west, though. There is no sense of altitude riding, other than those great vista's. It's spiritual.

I'm in for this one. Looks interesting. As for those not so waterproof boots, stop by any grocery store and get a couple plastic bags and stuff your feet in them before you put on the boots. Works ok in a pinch.

Me personally, if it's in the high 90's and sweltering humidity, I wouldn't care about getting wet...it will help cool you off anyway. Have a safe and exciting trip...more pics please!

Looking forward to more. I am subscribed.

YeeHaa! In

Keep it coming. And come through Alabama next time.

Keep it coming!

Sooo..Thanks everyone for the comments.

Being a sports nut, the fact that Wimbledon, the Tour de France, free agency starting in the NBA and the CFL (Canadian Football League) just getting going means this report may never get finished. Thank goodness Euro 2012 is done, and it's a few more weeks until the Olympics start, not to mention the grandest game of all, the NFL!

I took a look at the pictures from my trip and it becomes clear that there are many recurring themes when I ride:

1) I suck at photography and that means it sucks for you, whoever you are, reading this report right now. I have 41 days to improve.
2) I'm horrible at planning. Things never unfold quite like it does in my head;
3)If I'm on my bike, I'm speeding. I'm amazed at the lack of radar/police/sheriffs on the roads in the U.S. The state where I saw the most police presence this trip was Illinois. This love of speed makes for an dearth of pictures.
4) There are very few food shots. Have I mentioned that once I'm on the bike, I like to go fast? Eating does not quite fit in that equation so I ride long hours on very little food. This has caused me problems on more than one occasion, as spending long hours in the saddle in 110F temps, plays havoc with your ability to concentrate. That's a habit I hope to change my upcoming trip in August. Slow and easy will be the plan.
5) There are very few shots of people in this report. I marvel at the other reports here that have wonderful tales of how they meet a fellow rider at a gas station and within ten minutes they've made a friend. It's a skill I hope to learn.
6) I have to make the same mistake about 6X before I learn the lesson that the Fates are trying to teach me.

So, in short, my next report will be epic ;if this one hits 'meh', I'll be happy. Don't say you weren't warned.

I am in love

Looking forward to your further reports!

Like I was saying, it was a slow start to my trip. I had planned to leave early and make my first stop a campground in Minnesota. I always say I'm going to camp but then I ride for so long that it's usually too late to find a campground and set up my tent. Since I ended up leaving in the afternoon and was riding with no real purpose, the plan changed to hitting up my niece who is a student-athlete at North Dakota State U. I figured I could crash at her place and get an early start in the morning. However, although I tried and tried to get in touch with her, I didn't hear back from her. She later said she was on a pre-season scouting trip but I'm sure it had something to do with . Her secret was safe with me. Here are some shots from the first day.

I absolutely love the big open prairie skies. Even though I love the neon lights of a big city, I have developed a deep appreciation for the understated charms of the prairies.



A quick stop before I get in line at the border at Emerson, MB. I didn't buy anything because I had no idea where I would put it, considering that I'm already carrying everything I own. That packing job still makes me shudder.





Here's where I spent my first night on the road. In Fargo. And no, I can't recommend it.





Everywhere I travel, as long as I can get CNN and ESPN on the TV, I feel like I'm at home. When I traveled through Europe in 2010, it didn't matter if I couldn't find the English feed. If CNN was on the screen, all was right with the world.
If Skip Bayless makes you nuts and you spend hours thinking of ways to make him suffer for his sporting sins, then you and I are friends for life.



Gassing up in the A.M.

Like the bike, like the destination, like the way you're squared away, lookin' forward to your report.

No food shots please. That has become a sorry tradition. More ride and the story that goes with it. You'll get to the people part as we all do. On the long trail, it's hard to recognize the interactions we always enjoy and record them properly. Particularly when you are making time.

I know!