Whilst lagging around in Asheville to coordinate a visit with my Aunt later this week, I was able to line up some volunteer dates. Volunteering is something I mentioned doing last year. I studied non profit administration in school and have done a lot of volunteer work. For those of you who are new to this site, last year I rode 11,000 miles with just 40 days of planning-to secure the scooter, create a website, get the gear, raise some funds, etc.

With ample planning time this time I can work with organizations who focus is on community, peace and environmentalism. I have work arranged with Habitat for Humanity, the Nature Conservancy and a food kitchen. This is a good time to mention that Matua is traveling around also, focusing on volunteering. His mission inspires me often as I’m traveling and I hope we get to meet up. I celebrate the additional people traveling on scooters for good causes!

Monday was Cinco de Mayo so after “work” I went about town with my friends Hannah and Jaymii. Somehow I still didn’t get to sleep until late, and was up early for the ride to ATL. Bags packed, coffee consumed and then I was off. It was an idea day of riding until I reached the outskirts of ATL and faced traffic. I zoomed up and down the Appalachian Highway, with Blue Ridge Mountain crests surrounding me and curves seducing me. There weren’t as many as I might like, but it was fun nonetheless.

Even with all the gear, the scoot is handling impressively. The route, US 23/US 441 is worth driving if in the area. It is scoot friendly, 125cc and up. There appears to be a lot of camping available and the scenery is spectacular. It could be a good day jaunt, as a second choice to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs the other direction, north and east. I made great time, since it was a straight shot, speed limit 55-65.

Memories were flashing through my head since I went this way last year, however I was a very “green” rider. I enjoyed the ride much more this time, not tensing up whenever a truck loomed in my mirror. ATL is notorious for their traffic since experiencing a population boom since 1992. Once actually moving, not gridlocked, the pace is fast and furious. Glad to have on my gear and glad to be in the Sunny, Warm South-but those two aren’t the best combination. Arriving in town I was dehydrated and couldn’t wait to strip off the long johns I had needed in the morning and wrestle off the leg armor.

I’m being hosted by two fabulous, kind and interesting people. The location really couldn’t be better, in Little Five Points, just down the street from my favorite piece of street mural art. I’m looking forward to hanging out with them tonight, as last night we all had plans. I found them through couchsurfing.com, an international database for travelers who need lodging. It’s a community in and of itself, with an unofficial moral code that you be good to one another. It’s my first experience and so far really amazing-the house is one of the best set-ups I’ve ever seen and I have a lot of respect for my hosts.

I met a great guy last night, Dave, who approached me about the scooter. We chatted it up excitedly for 40 minutes; art, activism, war, greed, photography, and the Flaming Lips. I was euphoric from the Alice Walker event and happy to meet a random stranger with such high hopes for the world. Peace does matter, and the more people I talk to not only confirm this, but are working towards it in their own small way. Dave decided last night to do a photography series based on how he defines Peace. I look forward to seeing it and hearing from him.

I wearily made my bed and slept a delicious seven hours. Had a horrible dream about my dog getting hurt but otherwise the best sleep I’ve had in awhile.  Today I’m off to explore ATL.

Peace!

I visited Atlanta last year and some parts of the route will be re-traced to make this 20,000 mile Peace sign. I almost went around it this year though until I noticed that the WAND chapter here was hosting a Mother’s Day for Peace event with keynote speaker Alice Walker. Atlanta WAND is the local chapter of a national organization that” seeks to channel women’s voices into a powerful movement for change.” I was finally able to contact someone over the phone and they offered me a $10 activist ticket. It felt great to be acknowledged as an activist, even when I realized that means I am broke…..

It was a powerful setting- from the second I rode onto campus. Spelman in a historically black, four year women’s liberal arts college. (that’s a mouthful). Howard Zinn, one of my favorite authors and activists, was a teacher there, actually teaching Alice Walker, one of my other favorite authors.

There were about 1,000 people at this fund raising event. It was so inspirational to be in a room of people working and believing in Peace. The event also honored local activists Jackie Adams and Alice Lovelace, older women whose actions and determination have helped to improve our world. I realized we are often unaware of all the people dedicating their lives to Peace work. There were a lot of little speeches and hurrahs before Alice came out, as there often are in these events. People in these organizations work very hard, do good work, all for little money-so I was happy to applaud them.

Alice was far more soft spoken than I imagined-for all the impact her work has had. Her presence is commanding, delivered with a Jedi’s strength and magnetism. She opened by offering several definitions of Peace, most of them personal, saying it is more than just the opposite of War, but something we can all have in our immediate lives. I’m falling off my church pew at this point, within just five minutes.

Her story is inspirational. Her first protest was at age 15 and she has worked since then for social change. Her skill as a speaker is in her truth as a human. She has not just the life experiences, but the intelligence to synthesize meaning from them and teach it to others.

When she addresses greed, war, Peace, and the collective consciousness, it is with such authenticity that even naysayers would be in agreement. She navigates difficult terrain that often divide us politically, by focusing on simple truths. She quickly isolates the truths and reminds us what to work towards and how to do so.

For instance, saying that, “while war may be old, it is not wise,” and reminding us of the percentage of children and innocents who die in each war. She asked that world leaders be the ones to take the losss of children, innocents and animals into consideration. It is a good point, and why the Peace Alliance is working towards legislation for the Department of Peace, to have a dep’t that presents this information to the Dept of Defense. Like I said earlier, this something even Thomas Jefferson thought fit for the Constitution.

Alice also compared the same greed her parents had to the greed that motivates leaders to start wars. It was an interesting conclusion and an appeal for accountability, which can only start by recognizing there are no shades of grey to something like greed.

Her personal story is an amazing one, as are her many books. Since no one had even charged me the $10 to get in, not sure how that happened, I purchased a book and joined my place in line for her signature. Once I was face to face with her, I asked for a picture. The person behind me then jumped up and began confessing her adoration. I stood there, with a piece of paper in my hand, with this website on it. Her Asian bodyguard noticed this and nudged Alice. “She has something for you.”

Alice turns to me to accept the paper. I tell her what an honor it would be for her to leave her definition here on the Wall of Beliefs. Her eyes are staring into me and everyone around us has disappeared, she is a powerful woman with incredible presence. She asks what this is all about and I say that I am driving 20,000 miles to make a Peace sign on the U.S. map and to hopefully inspire Americans to articulate what Peace means to them, as this is the only way they/we can acquire it.

I say I believe Peace is like health, something we must work at daily, not just wait until we are sick. She nods, as does her bodyguard. The three of us are having a counsel it feels. I tell her how exciting it was that she opened by defining Peace. She looks deeply into me again and bows, saying something like, I hope you complete this ride with mindfulness and be good to yourself too. Her bodyguard bows, we all bow, and say Namaste.

Namaste means the light in me bows to the light in you. It is a way of thanking another for an exchange. I first heard it in yoga class.

She had concluded her speech by reading from her latest children’s book, Why War is never a good idea. Sometimes the strongest messages are heard when conveyed simply.

I will conclude this entry with an excerpt of her interview about the book. And by saying that I am so glad I am visiting Atlanta. More on that and the incredible hosts I have here. This passage is profound because it addresses the questions we should ask before agreeing to go to war. I don’t feel like I have been taught to think about war in the way that is reflected below. I’m posting it because whether or not we go to war, we should think about these things.

“However, seen from the perspective of my children’s book, there is no such thing as a “good” war, because war of any kind is immoral in its behavior. War lands heavily on the good and the not good with equal impact. It kills humans and other animals and destroys crops. It ignites and decimates forests and it pollutes rivers. It obliterates beauty, whether in landscape, species, or field. It leaves poison in its wake. Grief. Suffering. When war enters the scene, no clean water anywhere is safe. No fresh air can survive. War attacks not just people, “the other,” or “enemy,” it attacks Life itself: everything that humans and other species hold sacred and dear. A war on a people anywhere is a war on the Life of the planet everywhere. It doesn’t matter what the politics are, because though politics might divide us, the air and the water do not. We are all equally connected to the life-support system of planet Earth, and war is notorious for destroying this fragile system.”

-Alice Walker

Have I mentioned yet that I want to mow at least one yard in each state into a Peace sign?
I need your help! I haven’t mowed a single lawn yet. I’m passing tons of John Deere’s on these country roads and just longing…..

Run fast to tell your friends, family, co-workers-what have you. Help me get some grass,to mow. Here is the idea. I’ve approached Black and Decker to donate a 24V Electric, Cordless mower to raffle among those who let me mow their lawns. I haven’t heard back yet. Their mower is the better alternative to gas powered mowers, which likely contributes to 5% of our air pollution.

You can reach me about a lawn to mow, or even a place to stay, by using this sweet contact form.

I had requested the cheapest groundfloor room available in Eden. The motel clerks were very generous and friendly, we talked for awhile. The trade-off for the room placed me near the highly trafficked ice maker and housekeeping laundry room. The first day excitement had me totally amped and I finally drifted off around 2am, only to sleep lightly. At 7am I was awoken by a bunch of hullaboo.

The weather forecast called for intense thunderstorms, but miraculously as soon as a couple of drops fell, I donned my rain suit and the sky cleared. This makes the Sentinel rainsuit truly water, if not storm, repellant! This fortune however was a trade off for what turned into a frustrating day of riding. The ride quickly turned into a horrible series of misdirection and searching for non-existent roads. I traveled on roads that not just took me of course, but roads mislabeled and with the mileage horribly miscalculated. I called the day itself a bad blow job-I was blown around by storm winds and blown off by a disgruntled mean shop clerk. One man kept referring to me as “the boy”. ” The boy needs directions, it sounds to me like the boy can’t follow directions.” I tried big smiles on him, but he wasn’t responsive.

I’m not exaggerating about the re-routing. The predicted mileage, 8 hours before the ride ended, was 200 miles. At the end of the day it was 275. I try to enjoy every moment of the ride, including getting lost; it’s an interesting feeling how everything looks familiar once you’ve circled around and have no bearings. And I was in the middle of North Cackalacky nowhere. I try to avoid slamming the throttle and get frustrated, despite the fact that it takes 2x as long to reroute. More than halfway through the day I stopped for coffee and conversation with the baristas at the Blue Moose drivethru. I didn’t stay long, as the sky kept changing from sunny to overcast and I was in riding mode. I became lost again when the directions led to a fictional fork in the road. The kinder locals I met at the intersection confirmed that the directions were bunk. Eventually I jumped on Interstate 40, only because 70W dumped right into it. Apparently this was the only way into Asheville or a dirt road over Black Mountain-which I NEVER found.

The scooter hauled up and over the this part of the Eastern Continental Divide, the view was gorgeous and the storm winds had ceased by this point. I was on the interstate for 25 miles, breaking the law but appreciating the direct route for once in the day. My friend Jaymii gave me the most specific directions to her house. I worked with her and Hannah at Omega and they both greeted me outside. The bags were unpacked and I had some food after a long day. Jaymii and Hannah are both talented ladies; there seems to be no food or item that they can’t craft with expert care. We went out on the town for a burlesque show and then to a bluegrass band at the local brewery. Brew, burlesque and bluegrass- a wonderful conclusion to the day.

It feels like home here, Asheville is often compared to my hometown in Charlottesville; both are the progressive oasis in conservative Southern states. And the Blue Ridge Mountains surround the towns. But, She-ville, as Asheville is called, has NO Ladies Arm Wrasslin League! Saturday was a late night.

We stayed up talking about politics and the importance of one creating the change they want to see in the world instead of hoping the government can do it for you. We discussed what we want in leadership, the odds that we will get it and the general pessimism that surrounds politics these days. Sunday was an early morning, made earlier by the late night. Our destination was Sunny Point cafe, the most scrumptious local spot for brunch. After a true Southern meal of fried green tomatoes and grits we came home to craft, sitting on the lawn in the radiant warmth of the sun. I finally sewed on patches that I’ve been carrying around for a year, in addition to the cool, bright pink sQream patch that came in the mail right before I left town.

I will stay here in Asheville another night. My Aunt lives in Birmingham, AL but she will not be home from the beach until Thursday. Tomorrow finds me in Atlanta, GA, for two nights. I’m excited about my first couchsurfing.com experience. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s an international network that helps travelers find free lodging. My two hosts seem to be about the coolest you could possibly find in ATL. I will arrive Tuesday night and attend an Alice Walker speech at Spelman College. I hope to attend in exchange for volunteering, but have not heard back from the two emails I’ve sent out.

Thanks for reading, thanks for the words of support and offers for lodging. The new raffle started today, they will run every week. You don’t have to dig deep to help P.E.A.C.E SCOOT fund raise, entry is only $5. ROCK ON!

There was no need for an alarm today. I leapt from the bed, showered and was packing the scoot within 15 minutes. Birds were chirping, the air smelled like spring, felt like spring. A smile broke out behind my coffee cup. Day 1 was here. My friend and boss lady Laura came by to snap some photos, while the scoot was being packed. At 1o am I was beeping goodbye to her and my roomie Wendy.

Off I sped, 40 miles down the road to meet my mom for a quick hug and lecture. Which actually never came. Mom handled the bon voyage with grace, although she declined a test drive of the scooter. The sun was higher in the sky and I felt a bit overdressed. This year a nice lady from scooterdiva.com offered me her Alpinestar knee/leg armor. Today is the first run with it on. It’s a completely necessary item, although I waddle a bit with it on, it’s hot and my knees are kinda chafed right now. Still, mere jeans don’t provide adequate protection.

The packing went rather quickly this morning, something I could do in my sleep by now. Compression sacks work magic on gear. Packed in a sack no bigger than a sleeping bag is my sleeping bag, jacket/pants rain gear, tarp, and towel. This is bungied onto the front rack. Later in the day, the weight felt like it was creating a wobble in the scooter, so some stuff was switched to the saddlebags.

When I stopped to adjust the gear, I felt a pressure to go, go, go, hurry, hurry, hurry. I’m torn about punctuality and its place. Punctuality on an epic ride like this seems to defeat the point, even though in every other situation, I try to avoid tardiness. I’m also still learning how to wrap up a candid, interesting conversation with strangers-that’s the Southern Girl in me.

Today I met and talked to 5 total strangers, all wonderful people and on most travel days, I meet more than that. I know I won’t break my back or compromise my health and safety to maintain the illusion of a schedule. It would be hypocritical of me to ask how we can improve our quality of life while compromising my own.

Dave Mangano was at Scoot Richmond when I arrived on time, at noon. It was nice to meet the man in person, having been interviewed by him for sctrsct.com. He is an intelligent man with great style and humor. Another Dave showed up to see me off and the three of us, plus Chelsea, hung around the showroom. We were lounging around on scoots and the fancy shop sofa, chatting away.

The Dave who rides a Buddy asked some questions about gear so we went outside for a tutorial. He’s a new scooterist, and we talked about his shift from driving a truck to scooter. He was a real solid guy, very generous, and he brought up some good references to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. We agreed that while in a car, everything is so insulated, framed whereas on a scooter you are part of the landscape. We talked the senses, and how they are used more. I joked this must be what makes me so hungry when scootering-shocking when all I’m doing is sitting on my rear 8 hours a day.

Dave M. asked me some questions for his podcast and shared some tech knowledge with me. Then it was time to sc00t sc00t. Time had slipped away, two hours. Chelsea thought the media might come out in addition to Sctrcst, but alas, it was NASCAR weekend in Richmond. Sadly, more interesting. It was a proper send off though and I took a moment to appreciate the absence of any stress.After hugs, I was off down Hull Street. But not before thanking Chelsea profusely for the scooter charity she has kicked my way-an amazing woman. And we worked out a fund raising idea that I will hold her to-just you wait….

Soon potholes, stoplights and urban buildings gave way to sprawling countryside. Traffic was friendly, thankfully, as I dropped my speed to handle the strong wind gusts. I was getting hit hard and had some serious wobbles that were made scarier with tractor trailers going past. The route today was a long open road, through sparsely populated countryside; couldn’t even tell it was rush hour on a Friday, somewhere at least.

Stopping for my third tank of gas, I lingered for a few minutes, making sure to hydrate. This is the most I’ve been out in the sun for awhile and I wanted to avoid dehydration. The break led to an encounter with Ricky Martin. Not the salsa dancing, pop sensation but the North Carolina raised truck driver. He had a friendly Southern drawl and asked a lot about the scooter, but never asked “Why?”

Why the heck are you doing this? So I volunteered the information and asked him how he defines Peace. He said, “I’ve never really had to answer that question.” Exactly. We talked some more and I discovered he has 2 kids and a grandaughter. We talked about how he would describe Peace to her if she asked.

His answer that Peace had something to do with freedom led us deeper into discussion. He said I could definitely make it to the North Carolina border by sunset, but not the original stopping point I had in mind. Around sunset I pulled into Eden. Knowing that I have free places to stay the next week made the motel room an acceptable splurge.

So here I am in Eden, North Carolina, traveling 235 miles my first action packed day out. As I pulled into town, the odometer switched over to 12,000 miles. Mostly all miles ridden on P.E.A.C.E Scooter, minus about 350.

I choose not to drive late into the night, at dark, as I find that foolish and not necessary. Did it enough last year and I know the force that is Southern bugs at night. They literally cover your coat and helmet, making visibility poor. Tomorrow is an early start to Asheville, NC, just under 200 miles away, where I have good friends to visit.

Thanks for reading and thank you to all those who sent me well wishes today!

You can imagine my excitement over the past two weeks-presenting two wheel journeys to you while preparing for my own. I’m exhausted yet in a very calm state of mind. The work that I’ve put into preparations for the past couple of months taken shape. Thank you to every kind person who has helped thus far, you are helping launch this dream. It is a joyful experience to know you are reading along and supporting me in the ways you can. Your letters of encouragement are fuel….

And so the day is here. It is the day, and somehow, I even have time to rest well before the journey begins in 8 hours. I will awaken, have some coffee, pack the scooter up, meet my mom at the crossroads for a hug. Then “officially” leave from Scoot Richmond, at noon, today, May 2, to complete the 9,000 miles remaining in a 20,000 mile ride.. The floss is packed, the sleeping bag is stuffed, and my helmet is covered in reflective tape. I am ready to complete the largest Peace sign yet. To put Peace on the map and hopefully inspire people to define Peace, to help their community and to be better landlords of our planet Earth. (a fancy way of saying be environmentally conscious) OH, and to have a grand ol’ adventure while doing so.

Adventure? Not without YOU. If you are in RVA, feel free to come out at noon and marvel at the amount of crap I have fit onto the scooter. Or just say HI, high five or even ride down Hull Street with me.

Tomorrow is International Women’s Ride Day, so ladies, giddy-up.

Peace and love y’all, I can’t wait to be ON THE ROAD AGAIN.

For more great reading (but make some time for your OWN scooting)the final three long distance scooterist stories are below:

Tom Smith: In the Long Run: A Hopeful World Odyssey. Ok, so Tom is only the second guy I’ve found who has done the distance Matua plans to ride. In 1986, he began a 34,000 mile scooter journey around the world. His answer to “Why?”

“Finally, I came up with this project: to go around the world promoting friendship and international communication, to use and develop my skills as a writer and photographer, and to grow as an individual in the process.”

3 months, 11,000 miles, on a moped! The year is 1978, I was playing with Hot Wheels, age 4.
http://mopedtrip.com/

Second Chance Tour: 2 gents retrace the same route they had taken 50 years before, on scooters, through Europe. http://www.genuinescooters.com/2ct/index.html

*Wendy, our lottery host*

Earlier today I drew the names of the winners, contacted them and mailed off the prizes. Thank you to those who contributed and your enthusiasm for winning has been contagious. All day long I felt like I won too! Really, we all win, and I want to put emphasis on that.

Only a small portion of money helps P.E.A.C.E Scooter expenses; fuel, food, lodging. Most of the money raised through these raffles is actually going to non profit organizations who work really hard to improve our world, who provide education and help maintain a quality of life for us all. And they do so without a guarantee of income year to year; often writing/depending on government grants for funding.

They provide needed services and rely on donations. They don’t get to write off Concord flights to Paris in the name of research. These organizations are the true heartbeat of America. They win, and we’ve raised $480 for them in the past two weeks. Yep, I hope we can do even better-there will be raffles for the next 12 weeks to aid in fund raising.

The golden ticket winners for this round were:

Genuine Shop Jacket: Lauren

Patches: “Firebird”

Ciao Tshirt: Mickie

Child of the Universe, art print by Ben Heine: Mary Hazelwood

Corazzo Gloves: Amy

Sctrcst Tshirt: Matthew David

GPS: Cheryl

Scooter Seat Cover: J.Mazza

P.E.A.C.E SCOOTER TSHIRT: Jacqueline

P.E.A.C.E SCOOTER TSHIRT: Dave M.

Thanks so much everyone.

Wow, the 24 hr countdown has now started. Although today I have the most incredible list to accomplish-I still owe a report about 4 more LDS. (long distance scooterists)

“PJ is a great fellow. He was the inspiration for what I’m doing scooter-wise. I hope I eventually get to meet him. Thanks, PJ!”

The above is a response to the last LDS. From a nice fellow named Eric, who just started his trip, Scoot 66. I thought you should know you will have many chances to host a wayward traveling scooterist this summer, between him, Matua, and myself-one of us will be coming to a town near you.

Eric is a really cool guy, his life always seems very interesting. We’ve never met, but I read his blog and enjoy the photos, journals and poetry. He brings a great dynamic to the scooterist legions.

Go run fast to check him out, HERE. It feels unusually cold out here on the East Coast and after reading his first posts, I’m considering my heavier jacket for the first leg.

I arrived home late last night, after two weeks out of town.

The 65 mile ride home, through VA countryside at sunset, whet my appetite for what is ahead. As far as heads, Chelsea, lovely owner of the Scoot Richmond empire, graciously donated a helmet. I’m now riding with a Z1R stance helmet. Noticeable differences already are cushion, comfort and noise reduction. It’s also just a wee bit bigger and can not tuck away under the seat. Bit bummed about that but really grateful to have better head protection. She also threw in a monkey keychain, of which there are yet no pics, but keep your eyes out for it. This monkey, as my co-pilot, needs a good name.

The bike just zipped home. Her weeks at the spa were needed, after last years 11,000 mile ride. Scoot Richmond was very kind to help out so much-they have been an important part of the pit crew. The bike is staying stock which meant no performance pipe for me. The lovely, eccentric and talented mechanic Dave changed the roller weights, front/back brakes, belt, oil, filter, clutch spring, horn, tires, and fuel filter. Isn’t it quite amazing that my front tire was JUST changed? This is probably due to all the weight going on the back of the bike. Which reminds me of all the things I need to start packing.

There were several great packages waiting to be ripped open! Tourmaster donated a women’s Sentinel jacket/pants. This suit is a crucial component in endurance riding and worth the tenacious pursuit I put into it. Last year I bought a $10 rain suit through Campmor, and well, it was barely worth that much. Plus there was nothing breathable nor reflective about the fabric.

This jacket by Helmet House is designed, patterned and styled specifically for women. I’m wearing a size small in both pants and jacket and they fit perfectly over my riding pants/jacket. It features an Aqua-Barrier under-the-helmet hood to eliminate seepage in the collar area and reflective piping for visibility. The hood easily stows in a hidden collar pocket and the pants zip to the jacket. A pouch for storing them is included, allowing more cargo room for all the other stuff I’ll have. Thanks Helmet House and Tourmaster!
I finally located some good pants, a purchase I had hoped not to make. A company had approached me, touting fancy, strong riding pants, but then they dropped off the face of the Earth. Last minute I bought some Carhartts. They are great jeans but I’m also wearing nice Alpinestar knee armor that will go underneath. Those knee pads are provided by Linda, aka TurtleVespa, who contacted me through scooterdiva.com. You never know when an accident could happen, so it’s best to be prepared. I did a test run under the jeans last night and found them comfortable. They will probably get a bit sweaty, but safety is a priority.

Right now I’m looking at heaps of stuff and deliberating my organizing process. Will film this as I’m doing it-for future reference anyone else might need.

I have a lot of personal updates to bring you, but that will have to wait. I’m finally back home, in Cville, after two weeks of traveling, before leaving in just 3 days for 12 weeks of travel. This revelation has me feeling sleepy, so I’ll play catch up with all the good news tomorrow.

Thankfully, this blog does have some readers. Not just that but they send me great photos about Peace. Pete Selkowe sent in two of the below photos. He’s gone quite the long distance himself. His God Protects the Stupid Tour was London to Athens and back. 4,300 miles, AND he got to take ferries).

Speaking of taking ferries and photos, Orin, a Seattle blogger, sent in this one. It was taken whilst riding with the Westender’s Scooter Club in Seattle, WA. I met quite a few of them last year and hope I get to see them again this year- such kind, entertaining folk.

Click on this lovely photo to discover the adventure:

Roaming Around My Beloved Land, Exploring

R.A.M.B.L,E is a distinctive travel journal, you will enjoy the accounts of America, whether or not you ride scooters. PJ Chmiel is a man of class and intelligence. He sets the bar high; just spend a few minutes on his travel blog and you will see what I mean.

The people I met were incredible; I really wish I’d had a clandestine voice recorder to capture the conversations. As it was I managed to scribble down a few quotes here and there. Besides scooterists I met good ol’ country boys, sophisticated women, gritty urbanites, hell-raising barflys, fast-talking street philosophers, soccer-moms, friendly hobos, wily entrepreneurs, Cajun swampers, Texas cowboys, back-to-the-land idealists and various students of life. The fabric of this big patchwork quilt we inhabit, all indispensable.

I am personally extending a deep bow to PJ for his assistance with P.E.A.C.E Scooter. He is the first person I contacted for advice and he has helped in incalculable way; the first was passing along Philip McCaleb’s email address.

I’ve learned a lot from this fella, and feel like I know a lot about him- it’s astounding that we have never met. But, back to R.A.M.B.L,E.

Well, what are you waiting on, go READ IT.

Just a reminder that there are two days left in the raffle. For a chance to get the goods, hit this link.

I’m excited to draw the names at noon E.S.T on May 1 and will immediately let YOU know if yours was the golden tix. Prizes in my possession will be shipped that day-and then I will be getting on the road! Crystal (of girlbike) will take care of the scooter seat cover and Scooterworks will ship their donated prizes. There are nine banging prizes in all, including a sweet Garmin GPS. The odds are still really good and many thanks to those who have entered already!

If you would like to know what the raffle is for, in addition to raising money for charitable donation to 4 organizations, you can read about it here

You have a chance to help reach the fund raising goal all summer, with raffles each week, new ones starting on Mondays each week! You are also invited to sponsor a piece of the Peace map, make at least $1 donation and it puts your name or scooter club on the map.

Thanks y’all- keep the shiny side up and shiny! Will post updates soon, I’m in Richmond waiting on the scooter so I can zoom home and take care of all the last minute details….

The other two wheel traveler for today’s honorable mention is Matua, of Vespadition. Actually, it is in his honor that the one long distance scooterist a day for two weeks even came about, as I heard him say in an interview that, “there is a reason no one has done this before.” And so I set out to see, well, who has?

Here is a link to his videos and take a look around his site. I’ve written about him before, here.

http://vespadition.com/?page_id=8

***Only 2.5 days left in the raffles!!! Buy tix now and help fuel a good cause!

Hey y’all

Well, the launch of P.E.A.C.E Scooter 08 is coming up, in just 4 days. I am back in the South, after relocating my stuff up to Maine. Yesterday was a sad day of farewells to Daphne and Marco. The thought ran through my mind that my dog Marco is at Peace when I am with him, taking him for long walks and playing ball. In a sense, I am destroying his Peace by traveling to promote Peace. It was a glum day but now I’m back in gear-taking care of last minute details. Like finding pants and getting the scooter fully tuned at Scoot Richmond. And researching my carbon offsets.

That’s right.

The 2nd “E” in P.E.A.C.E is for Environment.I want to reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible, a challenge when traveling and using petrol. The other day this topic came up on modernbuddy.com, concerning my CO2 output. Obviously, if I were traveling by car, at least 4x more pounds of carbon would be released into the air. Yes, I am using one of the most fuel efficient vehicles. And if my actions can convince just one person to purchase a scooter, I’ve earned points so to speak. But what is up for discussion here is every little detail…..

I’m going to assess what “bad” I’m doing-much of what can’t be avoided, avoid it if I can, but challenge myself to offset my polluted ways. It’s a good way for us to see what little things add up. Not to beat ourselves up, but to make more conscious decisions when we can. I’ve spent today furthering my education through some amazing websites. My dear friend Jessica works for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and she is helping point me in the right directions. I agree with her that every community is affected by the amount and quality of water available.

Now carbon offsets-ways to balance what pollution I do in effect make. This could be done by planting trees for example, which I’ve been exploring. One notable website I came across was Plant a Billion trees-a good endeavor-but I’m looking for something more community focused. That website led me to treehugger.com and Planet Green, two incredible resources and incredible vacuums of time-get a cookie and spend the day there.

For instance, today I learned about my ‘”water footprint,”that it takes almost 19gallons of water for the apple you might opt to have for a nutritious snack. Does this mean no apples? Heck no. But keep in mind that it takes 1860 gallons per pound of beef. I have no beef with apples, but I won’t be eating beef-that’s the kind of compromise I can make.

Jessica also gave me some suggestions on my goal to mow a lawn in every state. While appreciating the idea, she also encouraged me to talk about the emissions coming from a gas powered mower.

“Apparently, the EPA estimates that air pollution from cutting grass for an hour with a gasoline powered lawn mower is about the same as that from a 100-mile automobile ride. 54 million Americans mowing their lawns each weekend with gas-powered mowers may be contributing as much as five percent of the nation’s air pollution.”

Which means that Black and Decker are going to be invited as sponsors of P.E.A.C.E Scooter. My idea here is to invite them to donate one of their new electric mowers. Then, each person who allows me to mow their lawn into a Peace sign will be entered into a raffle to win this cool electric mower.

I’ve also reached out to some experts for advice on what will make travel on these by-ways as green as possible. Feel free to offer advice to me-we all need it!!!!

Tread lightly, so we can all tread longer…..

This idea would have made a great tshirt, says Daphne, “What goes around, comes around-with the closeup of a scooter tire with a peace sign on it….”

Will keep you posted on other stuff as it arises. For now I’m waiting for the scoot to be fixed, driving home to Cville, packing her up and then driving back down to Richmond for the scoot off on Friday.

I’m behind posting the daily long distance rider, so I will post a couple today. Here is a video for you, weighing in at 10 minutes-maybe a good thing to watch during lunch break. The trip was 6 days, 1,400 km-a respectable little trip on a tiny scooter. The steed? A Honda Today, a 49cc scooter. For perspective, my Buddy125cc has 9.52 hp.

The mission, in the words of the rider:

“One of the purposes of this adventure was, besides all the great fun in it, demonstrating that one can have a good life with little money.”

I owe y’all one about two wheel adventurers. Today’s guy truly has a lot of Seoul, coming right out of South Korea to the U.S. His modus operandi-see America and drink a lot of beer. Oh, and catch crabs-for dinner. I’m just amazed by this guy and so are his allegiance of fans on the totalruckus forums. He’s their celebrity ninja and it’s charming to see their devotion. He’s riding a 49CC Honda Ruckus, for perspective, that’s goes about top speed 35 mph. He saved money for a year to come over here, is now out of it, and has no sponsorship from Honda. (Although this would be the best guerilla marketed story ever) They seem to have zero interest in U.S. scooter sales.

His adventures are being documented on totalruckus.com and it’s actually an interesting way to tell a story; through the many supporters and mainly through photos. The quality of posts have become better throughout the trip-perhaps as he realizes there is a rapt audience. I meant to post about this one last night, but became so involved perusing through the 200+ threads about him, that I got sleepy! I did come across a post in the thread calling me a hippie, that made for a good chuckle. While those ruckers keep a tight crew-nor worries-we are allroad warriors. Maybe I will find him on the road and chug some beers with a fellow Wanderer.

Let me reiterate that while Wan is obviously having a lot of fun, it is no easy feat to clock 10,000 around America on a scooter that travels 35 an hour.

There were a couple of entries and photos not documented. WARNING: this entry is twice the length of my typically long travel blogs. Maybe enjoy in two parts.

I came across a box from OKC as I was packing up my stuff in preparation for the ‘08 Sc00t. It contained some items sent ahead to lighten my load-mainly gifts from others and a nice silk scarf for my roommate. Also nestled on top was a video tape with note attached that said, among its warm salutations, “The news edited the shit out of it.” Of course they did, just as CNN chose to do, down in Texas, with 30 minutes of interview time.

Shoot, CNN not only interviewed me, they doggedly kept the cameras on while introductions were being made among activists at the Crawford Peace House. Then they followed as me and Kay took our walking meditation around the Peace Labyrinth. The conversation with that particular sage should be considered news worthy- I wish CNN had broken out of the box to show the footage. It saddens me that our media is only hungry for conflict and that mainstream news overlooks many newsworthy events. Anyhow, I digress.

Pam from the Atomic Brown Scooter (ABS) Shop had called a family member to tape the blip that aired on OKNews Channel 9. That was really a kind gesture, just one of MANY that ABS made to me in my brief visit. In fact, ABS was one of the few places able to get the news out to the shop.

I pulled into OK City as the sun was setting, often the case last summer, when sundown marked my quitting time. Cruising into town from 81S, a straight shot, bumpy, two laner, I was reminded of a line from one of my favorite bands. The Flaming Lips happen to hail from OK City. “Do you realize the sun doesn’t go down, it’s just an illusion caused by the world going round.” I placed this into context that PEACE Scooter was coming to a close for 07. OK City was my next to last stop and I was exhausted-also a little stressed about the final stop ahead in Crawford.

The 261 mile ride had been a pretty straight shot South, through tiny towns with bad names like Assateria. The past week people had been asking me: “What’s after PEACE Scooter?” Perhaps move to Kansas, I thought, to open a gas station, and charge $6 a gallon-as I wouldn’t have any competition. Of all the 21 states visited, Kansas is the one I recommend carrying a gas can through. I managed to run out of gas there three times. The thing that prevented me from actually picking up a gas can was, well, lack of space, and the abundance of farmers with extra gas around.

The starting point of the drive was Salina KS, the only place I visited twice-it was the bellybutton of the Peace sign. Salina is that place where good ol’ American tradition lives. Where you can find Peace in baseball games, watermelon slices, messy hamburgers at local BBQ’s, Fourth of July; a night time grasshopper symphony, and bluegrass music. It struck me as a good, safe place to raise kids. It’s predominantly white, Christian, middle-class and agrarian. Driving around the neighborhoods over to Jerry’s house, I wondered if it really was that safe-Salina might be a hard place to do anything but conform. My host Jerry, though, is a interesting fellow, someone who has a connection to Crystal, of www.girlbike.com. I really appreciated that he welcomed me so generously. He had asked if I liked pizza, and said he was craving some. I had expected delivery but there was a tasty homemade pizza waiting when I arrived.

We spent dinner discussing the importance of buying local food. I expressed my disdain for shipping food in from other countries, especially if it can be grown in the states. He explained that eating out wasn’t something you really did growing up in rural Kansas. We talked about arts, and debated when culinary trades-preparing coffee, making wine, food, etc. can be considered art. After dinner we moved into the living room to talk about music. He is a bluegrass enthusiast and shared his collection of ‘pickin greats with me. It turns out he attends an annual local festival that features some really talented known/unkown musicians. Our conversation steered into one about spirituality, namely about a book called the Celestine Prophecy.

I read the book back in 1993 and suppose I never saw how pivotal it was in my life until the conversation with Jerry. I think he enjoyed being able to share his perspective with someone. At least I can hope so, because it was enjoyable to listen. The conversation was fitting, the main character in the book is on an adventure to find and understand nine spiritual truths. These truths are rooted in ancient Eastern psychology and spirituality.

I’ve taken the time to list them below. Also, remember the warning, this might be the time to go pee, stretch your legs and get some H2o

1. Feeling restless? You’re not alone: Everybody’s starting to look for more meaning in life. Start paying closer attention to those seemingly “Chance Coincidences” - strange occurrences that feel like they were meant to happen. They are actually synchronistic events, and following them will start you on your path to spiritual truth.

2. Observe our culture within its proper historical context. The first half of the past millennium was spent under the thumb of the church; in the second half we became preoccupied with material comfort. Now, at the end of the twentieth century, we’ve exhausted that preoccupation. We’re ready to discover life’s ultimate purpose.

3. Start to get acquainted with the subtle energy that infuses all things. With practice, you can learn to see the aura around any living being and to project your own energy around it to give it strength.

4. An unconscious competition for energy underlies all conflicts. By dominating or manipulating others, we get the extra energy we think we need. Sure, it feels good - but both parties are damaged in the conflict.

5. The key to overcoming conflict in the world is the mystical experience, which is available to everyone. To nurture the mystical and build your energy, allow yourself to be filled with a sense of love.

6. Childhood traumas block our ability to fully experience the mystical. All humans, because of their upbringing, tend toward one of four “control dramas”: Intimidators steal energy from others by threat. Interrogators steal it by judging and questioning. Aloof people attract attention (and energy) to themselves by playing coy. And Poor me’s make us feel guilty and responsible for them. Become aware of the family dynamics that created your control drama and you can focus on your essential question, which is how to make of your life a higher- level synthesis of your parents’ lives.

7. Once cleared of traumas, you can build energy through contemplation and meditation, focus on you basic life question, and start riding a steady stream of intuitions, dreams, and synchronistic coincidences, all guiding you in the direction of your own evolution and transformation.

8. That evolution can’t be done alone, so begin to practice the new “Interpersonal Ethic” by uplifting those who cross your path. Talk to people who make spontaneous eye contact with you. Avoid codependent relationships. Be there for people. Call attention to other people’s control dramas. In groups, speak when the spirit (instead of the ego) moves you.

9. Our purpose here is to evolve beyond this plane. Fewer people (a result of reproductive abstinence) and more old-growth forests will help us to sustain our energy and accelerate our evolution. Technology will do most of our work for us. As we begin to value spiritual insight more and more, we will pay those who bring it to us, and this will eventually replace the market economy and our need for paid employment. We can connect to God’s energy in such a way that we will eventually become beings of light, and walk straight into heaven.

Source:
http://galactic2.net:81/kjole/nordic/nineinsights.html

Looking back through those, and looking around at even the mainstream news, I notice that our culture has begun to embrace these ideas. These ideas are no longer as “fringe”today as in 1993.

My evening in Salina ended with a deep slumber. The next morning before I left he showed me his personal Peace-a Chevy. Wish I had taken better notes, at this late point I can’t remember the dang details. I know the price he paid for 2 decades ago was mainly for the hood ornament. Insert full hearted WOW in though, as I saw the before pictures. Jerry transformed this truck and in many ways made his own personal transformations while doing so. Not knowing much about antiques, or cars/trucks in general, couldn’t keep me from recognizing this as a masterpiece.

It was October 9, in four days I would reach Crawford, TX. For 3 months, all around the country, this life defining experience, creating common ground with strangers; discussing transformation, community, and Peace-despite our diverse religious and political backgrounds. Riding into Oklahoma, I knew I was one state closer to the stopping point for ‘07, yet I wanted to stay present. What I did, without a reply from the ABS shop, was check into a cheap motel and fall promptly asleep-and snoozed for 12 hours. At some point I woke up and caught the Daily Show on TV, I laughed so hysterically that a prime video clip is included at the bottom of this entry.

The next morning I reluctantly climbed out of bed and went to visit the folks over at ABS. They are a very cool, diverse group of people. As I discovered earlier in the summer, with a stop in Tulsa, Oklahomans are a unique breed, very fun to be around. They went out of their way to help with anything I needed-so insistent to help that I felt a bit shy. I mean everything was taken care of-lunch, coffee, scooter ride, dinner, beer. Even a haircut-they took me to a shop owned by a lady named Estrella, who rides a Stella. Steve, shop owner, also has a special limited edition Stella, issue number 2, and we know who has 1-Philip Mccaleb.

ABS/OKCSC scooter club won a P.E.A.C.E Scoot award for seemingly able to drink more beer than anyone else I met. However, they were also some of the most enjoyable people to be around. Dinner and drinks that night passed the time rather quickly. I met Marke, another long distance scooterists, who had ridden about 9,000 miles. Steve is also Buddhist, although he has studied longer than I. This winter, I studied a lot, inspired by our conversations.

The clock was ticking away, my friend Daphne was driving from Virginia with her daughter, to meet me, and others at the finish line in Texas. I was beginning to experience some anxiety, wondering about the political climate ahead in Crawford. The source of this fear was that P.E.A.C.E Scooters intent might be contorted. ABS let me voice these unnecessary worries and helped me keep my head on straight. They also gave me their number saying I could make that late night call if I had to-that get out of jail call….

David did some work on the engine before lunch time, my scooter was running really rich. The speed had been a noticeable 5mph faster. Steve offered to escort me down to the Alfred P. Murrah Memorial and then I would make my way out of town.

We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.

In 1995 my friends and I stopped through OK City while crossing the country. It was 4 months after the attack. The town was subdued and we were overwhelmed by the palpable weight enshrouding the city. Rubble was still being bulldozed, signs were posted in every shop asking citizens to report any leads to the FBI. This visit back through OK City, a memorial had been constructed and I went to sit and meditate at it. There are many pictures you can see by visiting my flickr. I was emotional, thinking about the innocent lives lost, at the hands of an American terrorist. This thought was compounded by our current involvement in a war to fight terrorism, and recognizing the amount of terrorism here in our country, within a decade’s time. My meditation was also a prayer, that people visiting really take heed to the statement, “may people who leave here know the impact of violence.” Violence that I pray we learn how to avoid-in our personal lives and in our institutional systems that often breed it-whether deliberately or not.

I left town after two encounters with the security guard, a paranoid fellow who almost confiscated my riding jacket that I left behind while taking photographs. But, first, I placed a P.E.A.C.E Scooter sticker on the Memorial shrine and prayed that we make history by creating peace, than become history in its absence.

*photo image from www.bikerlady.com/bikerladyweb/saltlakecity.jpg

Above are the first women to cross the country by motorcycle, Avis and Effie Hotchkiss. This duo braved a land still inhabited by real Cowboys and Indians; a land devoid of Starbuck’s monuments and, gasp, good roads. Seeking no fame nor fortune, they completed the tour to the Pacific in four months, returning in just one. The first thing that struck me about this ride is their departure date-May 2, 1915. My trip starts May 2, just 8 days from today. I picked the day in honor of International Womens Ride day. Perhaps this day is in honor of the mother/daughter duo?

In September of 1915, The Harley-Davidson Dealer magazine reported that the team faced “bad roads, heat, cold, rain, floods, and all such things with a shrug of their shoulders.”

Now that’s the mojo I will be bringing with me….

There is scarce reading to be found of these two. Here are two links:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Women/women_history_2.jsp?locale=en_US
http://www.bikerlady.com/bikerladyweb/effie!.htm

was the persistent echo…..urging me into the belief I could ride cross country on a scooter.

I, too was the owner of a 49cc Honda Metropolitan. When I found Laird Van Dyck’s (brief) account of his 9,000 mile cross country ride-it was all green lights. Without furthur ado:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/vandyck/ 

P.S. It’s not a pretty website. But, it’s a heck of an accomplishment.

Ok, it is day 4 of two wheel travelin’ tales. I’m presenting one that you just couldn’t make up. The story over at Crappy Little Dreams is hypnotic, hysterical, totally original. I only hope to keep my travel tales as interesting as this fellas-he’s really got that mopeder, off-the-cuff spirit. This is one of the most fascinating stories I’ve come across yet. The tone is equal parts genuine consciousness, crusty punk nonchalance and sarcasm, to travel reporter-all these hats without ever skipping a beat. So far, this one is my favorite, I haven’t even read all the way through-YET. Total wack-o. Oh-his mission? Bigfoot. To find himself a Sasquatch. Buy the book if it ever comes out.

*pictures from http://www.crappylittledreams.com/expedition.htm*

*pictures from http://www.crappylittledreams.com/expedition.htm