What an incredible trip we had to Salem this past weekend – perfect riding weather, scenic roads, and such an historical, and spooky town!  Such a great way to kick-off our favorite season!

The only unfortunate part – we only had two days and 400+ miles ahead of us.

So, the main reason for adding the Ural to our garage was so that the dogs could join us in our motorcycle adventures.  As mentioned in a previous blog, my Rhodesian Ridgeback, Kai, was a frequent passenger in the Wastsonian sidecar I once had attached to my Triumph Bonneville.  He loved it so much and I saw his recent disappointment every time I left the house without him to go riding.  After years of coveting a Ural Gear-Up, we finally bought one in nearly perfect condition from our neighbor.
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Now came the challenge of making sure the dogs were safe in the sidecar since it wasn’t nearly as deep as the Watsonian and now I also have a Great Dane who sits much taller than my Ridgeback.  As usual, I did a ton of research.  I read blogs about gear, harnesses, strategies of securing said items into/onto the sidecar, etc.  I also reached out to fellow sidecar riding dog lovers via Instagram.  I was so glad when we heard back from Waffles, a very famous social media side car Great Dane.  Unfortunately, by that time I had already made the commitment to purchase gear from RuffWear.  I am a HUGE fan of RuffWear.  I’ve used many of their products in the past since we love taking our dogs on adventures.  We’ve used their backpacks, collapsible food/water bowls, leashes, collars, etc.  They all have lasted years, been durable out on the trails and camping.  So I didn’t have much hesitation selecting this brand to keep my dogs safe in the side car.  My only dilemma was which harness to select.

​Although we’ve been mostly focusing on prepping for our road trip through the Great Smokey Mountains, we decided that we NEED a getaway this upcoming Memorial Day weekend.  We chose moto-camping to be sure and keep costs down, while still experiencing all we can during this ongoing pandemic.  

Beyond thankful to have been able to ride so many miles this weekend!  While it seems like most of the world has fallen into COVID despair, we have been fortunate to get out, enjoy the beautiful weather, and share lots of smiles (all while social distancing).

When you know it's going to be a beautiful Saturday, and have zero commitments, you plan a nice long ride - I figured it was finally time to give my Indiana guy a full tour of Long Island.  Since we spend so much time riding east, I decided it was time to head west.  Using what seems to be a great motorcycle app - Scenic - I put together a 200 mile ride with lots of twists and turns, and gorgeous water views.  Has anyone used that app?  If not, what navigation app do you use?

​Although not entirely a motorcycle related post, I believe this is something all the moto ladies might want to check out – beautiful, unique jewelry – By Yaeli. 

​I’ve been fortunate enough to receive two of her gorgeous necklaces as gifts from a very special someone.  After receiving a gorgeous elephant head necklace following my trip to Africa, I then received a necklace that looks just like my Great Dane, Dexter!  The prices are very reasonable for such high quality, exquisite pieces.  They are light enough not to get in the way or weigh you down (especially when layering up for a ride on the bike) yet bold enough to still make a statement.  What moto lady doesn’t want that in her life?  Also both necklaces also came beautifully packaged (score for the time-saving, gift-giver) and in time for special occasions.  Her Etsy shop will definitely be my next stop for jewelry purchases whether for a gift, or if I’m looking to give myself a little something special.  Definitely take some time to check it out! 

How about those skull studs?  YESSSSSS!!!!