DerSchlechtSpecht

Saw a tumble weed come though, though I'd post.

Christian

hoffman912

lol.. its good to know im not alone here on this board.. at least you have a 4 banger.

hoffman912

the tumblin' tumble weeds look anything like these?


i always thought nevada was cool myself





but utah is a little more senic




but nothing.. and i mean nothin! beats cali

hoffman912

hoffman912

DerSchlechtSpecht

Thanks harry. I never seen real tumble weeds before.

hoffman912

yup thats what they look like before they dry up, die, and are blown around the landscape.

DerSchlechtSpecht

I should probably go on a road trip one of these days. I've never been further west than Ohio!!

Christian

hoffman912

you should.. in fact it should be required for males to do so alone, with just $1500 in their wallet to make it with, as a right of passage.

honestly it was the greatest adventure of my life. the friends i made, people i met, the scenery, the people.. you know.. real americana.

i discovered more about myself than i probably ever could, learned more about america than i ever could (outside of school and text books etc), and i learned what life is really all about.

exc911ence

Fast cars and faster women!!!

hoffman912

EXACTLY!!

bmwloco

$1500 to go cross country? I suppose times have changed.

1984, I hitched around the US for 3 months. NC to Mississippi, to California to Washington to Montana and then home.

I spent $200. I learned a lot. I was 21.No

Since then, I've been across the US 5 times on old BMW Motorcycles. In some ways, it's a better way to go. You stop and go when you want, but you don't meets as many interesting people as you do when you hitch.

My last trip was from Seattle to Denver to NC. All I took was a toothbrush, a change of clothes, and my wallet. No saddlebags. 11 gallons of gas.

My fastest trip was from Seattle to LA to Daytona Beach Florida for Bike Week. 3.5 days.

When I bought my 912, I picked it up in Oklahoma. I drove it from there to Alabama and then on to NC. All with a bad starter motor. Ever tried to bump start a 912 in the flats of Oklahoma?

Now I work overseas. I suppose traveling is in my blood. My dream trip? An old school Vespa scooter coast to coast. America at 40mph.

hoffman912

Dean,

well you gotta figure gas is alot more expensive these days. you can spend 200 on gas one way. plus food. plus you have to figure in how long youre gonna stay where ever you go, and then take away 'entertainment' (getting drunk at the winery with all the other 912ers), lodging where ever you go... sometimes you cant find a good 20-30 buck dive, and have to settle for what ever you can find. plus extra to cover any work you might need done if somthing breaks down... i was covered to get a new electric fuel pump, starter, and some other stuff that went wrong... but i wasnt prepared for needing a head job.

i had to drive an hour north west, to find the nearest hotel with a vacancy when i was in iowa on the way home. and that was for a 2 bed room, 60 bucks . it was the only thing available anywhere, as the state fair was goin on, and everything in central iowa was booked solid. i was lucky the woman at the desk of one of the hotels was kind enough to let me use her phone, and gave me the number of every hotel chain she knew of in the area. it was either that or keep driving til i hit illinois.. i had been driving since cheyenne, where i left that morning, and half awake as it was.

ah.. the good ol bump start. had to do it often on the way there, but Dave and Howard were with me.. we pushed for howard, they pushed for me, and no one pushed for Dave, cause his worked. the only time i needed to bump start where i didnt have any help was south of san francisco, in the parking lot of a jack in the box, when i had to run in to use the facilites. by that time my starter was cooked well done, and i didnt have a hill to go use, but when you really gotta go...
needless to say, after a few times of running like hell with it and jumping in and popping the clutch, i finally got her goin. not quite oklahoma, but l never want to go through that again!!


sounds like you have had some great road trips!! i know one of these days i'd like to do it on a bike, but do a loop; go up through the dakotas, montana, washington, down to cali, around Az, NM, texas, then see the
delta, and back north again. ive gone through the center.. why not see the states on the outter edge? that with my interest in history, there would be alot for me to see. also id like to see civil war battle fields some time, and then maybe new england.. oh well

hitchiking.. god what i wouldnt give to do that just once!!! too bad its not a smart thing to do in todays society.

bmwloco

I think the fear of hitching in the US is largely just that - fear. The reality is pretty much the same as it was in '84. Stay off the interstate proper, stay on the exit ramps. Look presentable, and have a sign. It makes a big difference.

I generally never travel without a tent and sleeping bag. I can always "find" a bed that way. Underneath billboards are surprisingly good. Flat ground to get the truck changing the board in and out, a road leading to it, a the foilage is generally kept up.

Another thing: any National Forest has camping. Either developed or 500 feet off any paved road.

Personally, I'm as happy "on the road" as I am at home - maybe moreso. Life is easier, that's for sure.

BrianG

Do the first pass on a motorcycle. Do the second in the Porsche!