Horsehead
Slow Pokin' the Southeast
When I bought the ST11 back in March, one of the main reasons I picked it was the reputation it had for reliability and longevity. My previous two motorcycles were a 1997 Honda Shadow 1100, which was loud and fun, but terribly uncomfortable after more than an hour or two in the saddle. That bike was replaced by an 2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200. It was the polar opposite of the shadow. With factory exhaust it was quiet as a church mouse. But the unassuming purr of the engine concealed a torquey monster waiting to escape. I took that bike up to Pennsylvania once, and it was a great trip, but the lack of wind / weather protection and the factory seat left me exhausted and sore at the end of the day. Enter the ST11. I knew I wanted to go places by motorcycle, and I knew I needed something better than my previous experiences.
Since getting the bike titled, tagged, new rubber, fluids, etc. in late March / early April, I’ve been riding as often as I could manage to get away. Learning my new machine and getting comfortable with both motorcycle and motorcycling once more. After a couple months and several thousand miles, I knew I was ready to hit the open road for parts unknown.
So one day, out of the blue, I said to my wife, “I think I’m going on a road trip at the end of the summer.” “Where to?” she asked. “Maine.” I replied. I’m honestly not sure where that destination came from. I suppose just the fact that I’ve spent my entire life, more or less, in and around North Carolina, and have rarely been north of the Mason Dixon line, save as a child visiting relatives on Long Island.
Maine. There it was. A destination. A goal. A complete unknown.
I started listening to podcasts on motorcycle travel, reading articles, watching YouTube videos. I even bought Ted Simon’s Jupiter’s Travels to give myself some inspiration.
I am a planner, a researcher… Someone who is often overcome by what I have come to describe as “Paralysis by Analysis.” I wanted this trip to be different. I wanted to be prepared, but I also wanted to be spontaneous.
The first thing I did was sit down on the computer and try to pick a specific destination in Maine. It’s a big state, so I needed some idea of where I was actually trying to get. Looking at Google Maps, I found place called Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. It’s on the far northeast side of the state, just below the Canadian border. That became my tentative goal.
However, a few days later I mentioned the trip to a friend and told him I wasn’t really certain where I was trying to get, but that I was definitely going to Maine. He enthusiastically informed me that he and his wife had taken a trip up there several years ago. He told me they stayed at a bed and breakfast at a place called Deer Isle right on the coast and raved about the location. I began looking into Deer Isle and discovered that it was just a stone’s throw from Acadia National Park and that certain undeveloped parts of it were quite comparable to the Acadia without all the tourists.
Not much of one for bed and breakfasts, I began to look for what other accommodations might be on or near the island. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon an off grid, back to earth, self sufficient hostel right on the island, directly bordering a natural preserve. My parents were very much a part of that movement back in the 1970s after my dad got home from Vietnam. He and my mom did a lot of Mother Earth News type stuff and my wife and I are trying to do what we can to learn more about some of those concepts, so to find this place was like the hand of destiny pointing me to where I ought to wind up. I checked on their availability and there was only 1 open night that fit my schedule. While I would love to stay longer, one night was better than none. I booked it. $40 plus tax for a room for the night, dinner, and the chance to meet some interesting people… I was thrilled.
Now I had 2 pieces of the puzzle put together. A concrete destination and timeframe. How would the rest fall into place?
I decided immediately that I would be doing this trip on a budget and on my own as much as possible. Instead of hotels / motels/ airbnbs or anything else, I would be camping. And I would be primitive camping for free, stealth camping if I must. With that decision made, I did made one big purchase. I have been wanting a proper camping hammock for years, but could never bring myself to spend the money on one. But now, knowing that if I used it for the trip instead of otherwise paying for accommodations, it would pay for itself in just a matter of days. I ordered a Warbonnet hammock and tarp immediately to ensure it would arrive on time and I would have a chance to spend at least one or two nights in it before it would be my home away from home…
Things were quickly falling into place, and I only had a couple of weeks to prepare. To make matters a bit more stressful, my work schedule picked up. Looking at the calendar, there would be very few opportunities to sit down and work on planning a route, or figuring out other details, like where I would camp on the way there and the way back.
As the days drew short, I continued listening to moto-travel podcasts and reading Ted Simon, all the while gaining confidence that somehow, it would all work out.
To be continued...
Since getting the bike titled, tagged, new rubber, fluids, etc. in late March / early April, I’ve been riding as often as I could manage to get away. Learning my new machine and getting comfortable with both motorcycle and motorcycling once more. After a couple months and several thousand miles, I knew I was ready to hit the open road for parts unknown.
So one day, out of the blue, I said to my wife, “I think I’m going on a road trip at the end of the summer.” “Where to?” she asked. “Maine.” I replied. I’m honestly not sure where that destination came from. I suppose just the fact that I’ve spent my entire life, more or less, in and around North Carolina, and have rarely been north of the Mason Dixon line, save as a child visiting relatives on Long Island.
Maine. There it was. A destination. A goal. A complete unknown.
I started listening to podcasts on motorcycle travel, reading articles, watching YouTube videos. I even bought Ted Simon’s Jupiter’s Travels to give myself some inspiration.
I am a planner, a researcher… Someone who is often overcome by what I have come to describe as “Paralysis by Analysis.” I wanted this trip to be different. I wanted to be prepared, but I also wanted to be spontaneous.
The first thing I did was sit down on the computer and try to pick a specific destination in Maine. It’s a big state, so I needed some idea of where I was actually trying to get. Looking at Google Maps, I found place called Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. It’s on the far northeast side of the state, just below the Canadian border. That became my tentative goal.
However, a few days later I mentioned the trip to a friend and told him I wasn’t really certain where I was trying to get, but that I was definitely going to Maine. He enthusiastically informed me that he and his wife had taken a trip up there several years ago. He told me they stayed at a bed and breakfast at a place called Deer Isle right on the coast and raved about the location. I began looking into Deer Isle and discovered that it was just a stone’s throw from Acadia National Park and that certain undeveloped parts of it were quite comparable to the Acadia without all the tourists.
Not much of one for bed and breakfasts, I began to look for what other accommodations might be on or near the island. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon an off grid, back to earth, self sufficient hostel right on the island, directly bordering a natural preserve. My parents were very much a part of that movement back in the 1970s after my dad got home from Vietnam. He and my mom did a lot of Mother Earth News type stuff and my wife and I are trying to do what we can to learn more about some of those concepts, so to find this place was like the hand of destiny pointing me to where I ought to wind up. I checked on their availability and there was only 1 open night that fit my schedule. While I would love to stay longer, one night was better than none. I booked it. $40 plus tax for a room for the night, dinner, and the chance to meet some interesting people… I was thrilled.
Now I had 2 pieces of the puzzle put together. A concrete destination and timeframe. How would the rest fall into place?
I decided immediately that I would be doing this trip on a budget and on my own as much as possible. Instead of hotels / motels/ airbnbs or anything else, I would be camping. And I would be primitive camping for free, stealth camping if I must. With that decision made, I did made one big purchase. I have been wanting a proper camping hammock for years, but could never bring myself to spend the money on one. But now, knowing that if I used it for the trip instead of otherwise paying for accommodations, it would pay for itself in just a matter of days. I ordered a Warbonnet hammock and tarp immediately to ensure it would arrive on time and I would have a chance to spend at least one or two nights in it before it would be my home away from home…
Things were quickly falling into place, and I only had a couple of weeks to prepare. To make matters a bit more stressful, my work schedule picked up. Looking at the calendar, there would be very few opportunities to sit down and work on planning a route, or figuring out other details, like where I would camp on the way there and the way back.
As the days drew short, I continued listening to moto-travel podcasts and reading Ted Simon, all the while gaining confidence that somehow, it would all work out.
To be continued...
.
