​So, our first moto-camping trip of the season was a huge success!  We took a quick trip across the Long Island Sound for the 4th of July weekend to escape the Hamptons tourists here on the East End.  We rode a few of the gorgeous roads we discovered last year, as well as some new gems.  All were so beautiful; it was almost impossible to trim our video montage any shorter.  

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.

Wow, an epic motocamping trip this Memorial Day weekend!  Although it was a quick trip, it couldn’t have been better!  

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​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 it was a bit cool, we decided to take advantage of the sunny clear skies and get on the motorcycles and head east.  We found ourselves cold and hungry out in Greenport.  Luckily, we came upon a place that looked welcoming and vacant – First and South.  Despite this quarantine situation, they still had an inviting front porch with clear instructions for social distancing.  I was so grateful that we were the only people there; and at a distance, the owner was welcoming, turned on the porch heater as she could tell we were chilly, presented us with a hot tea selection, and brought us a large bottle of Pellegrino with cups of fresh cut lemon.  So we comfortably sat on the porch waiting for what turned out to be a delicious meal.  The small mushroom mac and cheese with truffle oil was more than enough for two people to split, and the black bean burger was literally overflowing with the freshest ingredients – avo, onions, lettuce, tomato – and accompanied with a plentiful salad that was more than enough for us.   Because of this stellar service even in such a crazy time, I would highly recommend this place and can’t wait to return again when we can enjoy this place to it’s fullest.   

Best present of the season (other than my brother surviving a car accident on Christmas Eve – yes, God is good!) The Cardo Packtalk Slim – helmet communication device.  Never having any type of communication device beyond a cell phone with wireless headphones that fell to the ground every time I took off my helmet, THIS feels completely surreal!  I can finally listen to music, talk to fellow riders, communicate with Siri, and control the device-all with my voice!

(No more texting and riding!  Safety first – New Year’s Resolution)

I haven’t put on a full face helmet since I traded in my sportbike for a chopper over ten years ago.  I had then opted for a brain bucket before settling on the vintage open face style of helmet which seemed to better suit the Sportster/bobber I purchased once I moved back to the States.  And, that style also seemed to work with my most recent purchase – a Triumph Thruxton R. 

But during the recent chilly fall days, my boyfriend had me go to Maximum Motorsports to pick up his brand new Ducati 959.  So it was time to dust off the old full face Suomy (couldn’t be seen on a luxury machine with a nerd helmet).  And instantly, I remembered the advantages of a full face helmet (beyond safety, of course)  I was significantly warmer than when I wore the open face helmet.  And for me, that was a game changer.  Those of you that know me, know how stubborn I can be, especially in regards to gear.  And my dislike of the typical bulky, stiff, uncomfortable cold weather gear, has kept me from riding on cool days for…about…as long as I can remember.