Tags
Adventures, Crazy Stories, KLR 650, Motorcycles, My Amazing Husband, The Great Outdoors, Things I love, travel
On Berthoud Pass in Colorado celebrating the 10 year anniversary of our motorcycle trip through North and South America.
On June 17, 2003, Chris and I locked up our homes in Atlanta and set off on an 8 month motorcycle adventure of a lifetime. This week, to commemorate the accomplishment (and to put a little fuel on our wanderlust), we put some grease under Breezy’s skirt and pulled out the bikes for an epic ride through our beloved Colorado Rockies. It was a beautiful day that brought back so many of the amazing memories Chris and I made together ten years ago.
Some of what we have done has already been forgotten but I clearly remember Tuesday June 17, 2003 because it was the morning we left. Walking out the door was very difficult but within minutes the distractions of being on the road took over and the trip had begun. Yes there are still tears and I miss my family dearly but looking back I can’t understand why it was so difficult to get it together. What sounded crazy a year ago now makes perfect sense.
Check in when you can and drop us a line to let us know what you think.
Meet Breezy, a KLR 650 with the attitude of an eleven year old b*tch. Excuse the crazy hair, we spent the night on this ferry and it was pretty rough seas…we also had to sleep in our clothes. At this particular moment I was freaking out because we were having to unload via a narrow cement ramp that kept disappearing as the boat listed to and from in the crashing waves. Needless to say (to those who followed our trip), Breezy decided not to start when it was our turn to unload, sending my nerves to DEF CON 1. She looks huge in this photo but if you look closely you’ll see that Chris’ bike is behind Breezy.
Today (6/21/2013) I want to introduce you to Breezy. From here I was thinking I’ll repost all of our “website updates” – because blogs didn’t exist at the time – from the actual trip. You’ll have to forgive the simplicity of it all, website technology was pretty new and cyber opportunities were pretty limited after we left the states.
Until next time here are a few photos from the trip – enjoy!
Aug, 2003. This is at the border of Honduras and Nicaragua. These little guys go to school in the afternoon so that they can sell their mothers’ baked goods in the morning. After the initial shock of seeing a woman on a motorcycle they finally gathered enough courage to start asking questions about the war with Iraq. They thought the fighting was taking place in North America and they were curious to know if we had seen any “war” while on the road.
December, 2003. This is in the northern part of Patagonia on the Chilean side of South America. Breathtaking!
Dec 2003, southern Argentina. The trees in this area were burned down in the late 40’s to make room for thousands of Germans leaving Germany after the war. It was a precious little crossroads of laundry hanging on the lines and horses grazing in the yards. We decided it was the perfect stop for our daily picnic.
More to come!
Spice Jones 
Looks like you had lots of Adventures with the KLR. I have not gotten the courage to ride on a bike that is so HIGH off the Ground. One of these days I need to do some sort of test ride. I started with a sports bike, then moved to a Cruiser now I am working the Sports Tour angle. I like change so maybe I should try Duel Sporting.
Hi there! Thanks so much for taking a look…and so sorry to have not responded before now. We’ve been out of town so the blog has been delayed. The travel posts are top on the list for the next few days so definitely check back and let me know what you think.
We had a blast on the KLRs. Chris has since upgraded to KTMs and I’ve adopted a small Honda CRF230 to be able to keep up with him on the trails but the KLRs will forever be the children in the family. They’re work-horses that never seem to stop and their personalities make for interesting company – good and bad.
Breezy is definitely high. I’m 5’6″ so we put lowering links on her and carved out the seat just so I could get my toes on the ground. When she’s fully loaded I can almost get flatfooted. I’ve had to learn a few tricks to keep her upright when managing tight spots… I’ve also had to learn a few tricks for picking her up.
I believe that anyone who loves bikes will fall in love with Duel Sporting. It’s a whole new type of freedom that enables you to really get away from traffic and well beyond the beaten path. There’s so much dirt out there and nothing is more amazing than knowing you can take any turn you’d like. Definitely give it a try and let us know how it turns out.
Thanks again for reaching out. As I’m sure you know, it’s a pretty big kick to receive a comment. I took a quick look at your blog and am looking forward to learning more about you and your moto adventures.
Best!
Spice
Ok, you sold me on the KLR! It’s time for me to get some tires dirty. I would love to ride in the woods for the day then camp all night. I am actually wanting to get a URAL Cycle with a Side Car. That way I could take my two boys (10 & 8) with me when I ride. Im not sure if that will happen but dreams can come true.
Reblogged this on HardRider and commented:
Beautiiful place to ride.
Great post, great photos. Wish I could have ridden along… What stories and memories y’all must have…
Thanks so much! It WAS a fabulous adventure that has given us a lifetime of memories -we can almost laugh at all of them…almost. We still have every intention of getting back out there for another long trip so hopefully you’ll follow along on the next one!
I’ll get the rest of the ride reports up over the next few weeks – would love to hear what you think!
Best!
Spice