As I drove down I94 sleep began to take over me, it was around a 7 hour drive to Chicago from Minneapolis and I was only about half way there. I already had a sleep induced mishap when I was traveling to Minneapolis, where a little gravel and not all my wits about me caused me to take a spill on an off ramp as I was headed to get gas. I was startled and slightly embarrassed as two gentleman came over to help me pick my bike back up, this is not something I wanted to repeat.

I’m not sure of all the things Wisconsin is known for but camp grounds should be one of them, that or the fact that Wisconsin Dells seems to be the prime Google search suggestion or better known as the water park mecca of the world could have helped. It was a sign, no literally a big sign that said Camp Grounds and then had like 20 names listed under it. So I veered off and searched for a place to call home for the night. Boondocking.org wasn’t coming up with any suggestions – that or I wasn’t doing it right but either way I was too exhausted to really care and found myself camped out near a bar which was a stop on a bike tour. I rested my head on the firm ground and listened to the roars of Harley’s and the sweet sounds of classic rock as I drifted off to sleep.

The next day I was fully charged and ready to take on the road again, that is until I got stuck at the Belvidere Oasis in Illinois. I started to come up onto the Illinois turnpike and needed to get some cash to pay the toll, so I decided to head off to this rest stop to eat and find an ATM. As I perused through this large fully stocked rest stop I checked every plug until I came across an available one to charge my phone with, ate my sandwich and then prepared to take off and hit the road. What I failed to realize was that my key hit the floor somewhere, I think.

As I strapped down my helmet and put my earplugs into place I went to grab my key, but couldn’t find it anywhere. After searching high and low, asking around, talking to maintenance and waiting for about an hour I gave up and called AAA. Boy, was I glad that I included my motorcycle before my trip because it definitely paid for itself by the end. I was towed the 71 miles to Cicero were I could store my bike for the day then intruded on my friends family dinner, as he put me up for the night. I stayed at his place in  downtown Chicago, but spent little time there because I felt bad about having to be driven around to find a place that would make me a new key. After waiting around next to my bike, enjoying a few delicious snacks at a nearby Mexican restaurant and grocery store I finally had my new key. That is after I paid the man $75, which was all that was left after AAA covered the first $100.

I swung atop the bike said my many thanks and farewells and headed off towards Toledo, OH where I would spend the night until my final ride to my hometown of Lorain, OH where I could return the bike to my dad. Nearly 2000 miles later I was finally able to relax and recuperate, or so I thought. It was time to help out at the local festival – The Lorain International Festival and Bazaar, so that I could earn back some of the gas money spent on my trip.

The destinations weren’t what I had initially expected but the journey itself was more than I could have ever known. The people I met, the lessons I learned and the sights I saw as I rested atop 2 wheels completely exposed to the elements have given me more than I could have ever asked for. I could have spent my month of June many different ways but none better than what I experienced. I can only look forward towards future adventures and hope that the feelings and memories from this trip tide me over until the next.

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Motorcycle Mishaps or Homecoming Hindrances is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Well, I ended up doing what any self respecting budget traveler would do, I went where there was a free couch to crash on. No, not Couch Surfer but through an organization I joined while in college. It was kind of weird at first strangers yet friends all in the same, linked through an organization and connected by a mutual friend. The funny part is that within the first hour I felt like I was hanging out with close friends I haven’t seen in a while, even though this was my first time in Minneapolis.

I was excited to learn more about this town, and while my travels favored Minneapolis over St. Paul the overall experience was a memorable one. At first my stay was only going to be a night, I didn’t want to overstay my welcome but ended up staying a few just out of the continual fun and overall great experience there, plus the threat of tornadoes pushing through Nebraska had me a wee bit worried. I honestly can say that after three days I contemplated my continued living in a smaller city and entertained the thought of venturing off to enjoy the perks of a bigger city. The Twin cities seemed to have all the perks of a big city with a limited amount of the problems, a balance that rested along the mighty Mississippi river that separated these two cities.

Have you ever watched some place on TV and think to yourself, I want to go there? Well I went there, I got to visit Matt’s Bar, home of the Jucy Lucy that’s been featured on the Travel Channel and Food Network various times for their perfection of this liquefied cheese oozing burger. I’ve made these at home and let me tell you, they don’t taste this good when you make it. The best part of this place is the “kitchen” it’s just a small grill at the end of the bar completely open and exposed barely enough room for the dreadlocks hippie guy serving up some delicious bites. This however wouldn’t be my only experience at some delicious dining, I also was able to visit Fogo De Chão a Brazilian churascaria or rodizio as I came to know them in Brazil. If you don’t know what this is, it is a steak house that gives you a card, when the green side faces up the waiters come by with various cuts of delicious steak, rib, chicken, etc. and slice off a piece on your plate and won’t stop serving you until you flip your card over. To top it off they give you a buffet and a few appetizers on your table, including grilled bananas!

I went out a few times to various bars and clubs and while I never had to pay a cover to get in to the places I visited they certainly got their money out of you. I paid $4.50 for a Budlight, yeah that’s a big difference from the $.75 I was paying in Jasper Indiana. During the day you can sober off and save your wallet any damage at lake Hiawatha Park which offers beautiful sights, beaches and plenty of things to keep you entertained.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Wait, isn’t the Mall of America there?” and yes you would be correct but I never made it there. It’s not like I intentionally avoided it, but at the same time I wasn’t too excited to spend my time at a big mall. The only thing that got me sort of excited was the metro ride that I would have had to take from downtown to get there.

The whole trip wasn’t 100% fun in the sun though, my new found friend ‘Frio’ is not a beer drinker so after many shots of vodka after a few days the mornings were a little blurry, but that’s the downside of my job as a traveling drunken monkey, hehe. The other was that while driving around with my Egyptian friend we were pulled over by the police, the reason because he had one of those scented pine tree car fresheners hanging from his rear view mirror which is illegal in Minneapolis. Call it profiling or whatever but that was a minor speed bump while he was giving me a tour of the downtown. I wanted to fling poo at the officer to show him my kind of freshener but I didn’t want to get arrested on charges of assault under flinging on an officer hehe.

Make sure you check out all the pictures below, just click on them to open up the photo viewer.

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Twin City Travels is a post from: Monkey Brewster

The University of Iowa held a nice campus where some guy with mad frisbee skills hurled (or whatever it is you do with a frisbee) across a field not filled with corn and landed them between two goals. I guess he was practicing for a game called Frisbee golf, I must learn more of this game. There was also a building called a Pentacrest or so I was led to believe but Wikipedia sorted out why this four sided building was called the Pentacrest.

Where there are college students there must be bars, and the Ped Mall was the home for this little section of town. Along with some ‘local’ friends (both out of staters who must have never watched Children of the Corn) we ventured through this mall of sorts. We hit a country themed bar with sickles and saddles and other cowboyesque things on the wall and retro rockers staring down the 3 of us who obviously looked out of place. Cautionary note, I actually don’t get weird looks walking into bars believe it or not but that could be because I stand well below eye level. After a quick drink we headed out to a second floor hole in the wall bar called One Eyed Jake’s where the bartender informed us he just got fired. Seems they were closing the bar down and everyone was getting laid off at the end of the week. He took this news fairly well seeing that he was in a celebrate good times kind of mood because the shots started flowing for little or no cost and he matched us on every one. I hunkered down because I could tell this was a start of a good night, little did I know that it was the end! They close down the bars by 1:30 which means last call is at like 1:00 am, now I thought 2:15 in Ohio and Michigan was bad but this made me a sad little monkey.

I can’t speak on too many of the bars at this Ped Mall but from what I did explore It was all fun for me with plenty of options centrally located and barred off from under-age patrons on the weekends. On top of that there are food vendors who wait outside to help you soak up some of that alcohol.

I wish I could speak more about the town but it really is geared towards the college community and other than my exploration of the campus, the small down town and Corallville there was little to entertain me other than a fun night on the town.

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Field of Opportunities? is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Lover.Kitty, 'Monkeys Thinking' June 27, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

While road trips are not an uncommon experience few have the privilege to enjoy the journey atop a motorcycle. The differences are subtle yet vast greatly at the same time. Completely exposed to the elements with no distractions I kind of picture myself as a modern cowmonkey (Not sure if cowboy would apply and cowmonkey sounds like a weird genetics experiment gone wrong but you get the point). I have my steed – a Honda Shadow 1300, my cowboy hat – a helmet and whatever other things that I can pack on the bike although my pack has a few electronics.
Among other bikers there seems to be a level of respect as a fellow rider. As I come across other riders I open up my paw and hold it out, slightly downward and they do the same. I’m not sure of the history or true meaning behind this because everyone has a different version of the story. I had heard this was first reserved for Harley riders but in time has opened up and become less stringent between Harley and other motorcyclist. It’s not like I haven’t had this done to me before but somehow on this long journey I feel I have earned the right as if I have entered this club of sorts of riders to initiate this gesture while passing others.

I’ve been in road trips where we start from Lake Erie and don’t stop until we hit the Gulf via the most southern tip of Texas. On those trips even with friends and a DVD player I’ve still found myself bored, fidgety and counting the hours we were on the road. Yet on my drives where I’m going for 5-10 hours at a time I’m never bored or tired even though there is no phone or radio to keep me entertained. In fact the earplugs muffle out the loud rushing sound that previously left me ears ringing, which leaves me with just the soft purr of the engine as I cruise along miles of fields intermixed with clusters of trees here and there. I originally wanted to ride to the coast but now that I’m using my dad’s bike I don’t want to run his to the ground, yet while I’m missing out on some sights I still feel as if I’ve learned and experienced so much on this ride. It is as if for once my body is wandering as much as my mind and I have found harmony in the process.

I know this sounds all zen like but being technically outside while I travel has given me time to think and a sense of serenity, really appreciating the journey. I’ll admit right before I get on the bike for the start of my trip I get that feeling as if I need to prepare myself for sitting in the car for hours on end, but once I get on the bike those feeling melt away and I am reminded that this trip will be nothing like that. The only aspects of my journey I don’t like is bugs…they hurt and I end up picking bug juice out of my fur at every stop. Yuck. The other time and only point where I wish I had a car is rain, because rain is painful and slippery which takes all the fun out of the ride. The air dry afterwords isn’t too bad though.

As in my post On the Road Again where I learned and shared the lesson of purchasing ear plugs, I have another lesson learned. Even through my fur sitting out in the sun for a 10+ hours will give you sunburn, sunblock because the way you hold the handlebars exposes the inside of your arms to the sun which usually doesn’t get that much. I now am the proud owner of a bottle of SPF 50 – lesson learned. hehe

Make sure to check back from my post on Iowa and eventually Minnesota.

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No Monkeying Around is a post from: Monkey Brewster

What is there to do in Jasper? You ask. Well, not too much to be honest. It is a quaint little town with a strong German influence. From what I was told, there are still people here who’s first language is German. So where is the big German beir haus? Well they don’t have one. I know! They get the language and some buildings that take from German architect, but they fail to bring the most important part of their culture to this little town. They do however have a big festival that they call Strassenfest, which isn’t till August so I missed out on the temporary beir garden that they set up – I teared up a little.

I did however get to take a visit to explore Patoka Lake which for a $5 entry fee per car you get to hike, camp, fish, jet ski or whatever else you so desire. I’m not sure if they charge extra for camping but I got to check out all the beautiful scenery. I snuck into a few panorama photos that will hopefully be submitted to google maps soon – I’ll be sure to share the links once thei are posted. The one cool thing I found was the boathouses that they rent out, it’s just a small floating cottage. How awesome is that?!?!

Who doesn’t love casinos? well I’m not quite sure yet because my attempt to explore French Lick Casino and Resort came up short. (Hehe and not just because I’m mini either) We took the 30 minute drive to visit the casino only to realize I left my ID in my other fur. The entryway was really cool looking but other than that I can’t speak about the home of Larry Bird. Too bad because I was excited to play the penny slots- I’m a risk taker living on the edge I know.

Overall my short stay in Jasper was fun because of the company I kept, it surely embodies the typical Midwestern small town. However I do say they need to build that beir haus to keep me entertained a little more. They can call it something cool like Hause of Cornelius, surely you can’t get much better than that.

Now I have found myself Iowa City, Iowa we will see what the state whose motto is “Field of Opportunities” presents itself during my stay here.

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Update: Here is the links to the photos

Patoka Lake Indiana

Patoka Lake Indiana – Giant Rock

Patoka Lake Indiana – Beach

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Jasper the Friendly City is a post from: Monkey Brewster

I started my trip heading from the greater Cleveland area towards Toledo, here I got held up for a few days as I soon realized that the 2010 sticker wasn’t on the license plate. After a waiting a few days through the snail mail I finally got my sticker, and I was ready to go. They really need to find a way to email things like that, but I digress. I thought I was ready to go but the rain that morning had other plans. Once I saw some sunlight shining through I took my chance and headed out. I drove maybe 25 miles until the rain started up again so I pulled off and put a bandanna around my face and the rain jacket on. I thought that bugs smacking your face at 70 mph hurt- but rain- that is a different story. After getting back on the road I caught back up with the rain storm. Should have figured that one out myself, so I had to pull off again to put on the rain pants because my furry behind was getting wet. Trust me when I say that the ‘wet dog’ smell goes across all types of animals and it’s not a pretty thing.

I took off with all my rain gear on and ended up on the sunny side of things, which would have been OK if I didn’t have my leather jacket and rain gear on. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to keep stopping so I waited till I ran out of gas – 85 miles later! Driving down 75 S pass Dayton and Cincinnati, I was filled with smog and bad traffic. Kentucky was great but Indiana had other plans for me. I thought coming across the rain earlier was bad until I came across a massive thunderstorm. I had just passed through an overpass, where I regularly see motorcyclist rest under during heavy storms, but the next one wasn’t for 10+ miles, which was also my exit. Waiting on the side of the road did no good as I was getting poured on soaking wet even through I had my rain suit on. Just picture it: with one hand blocking my face and the other pushing the throttle I drove through where winds gnashed about pushing me to the other lane, as I tried to steady myself. Luckily once I hit my exit the storm died down a bit, although it was still raining and I was soaking wet.

Even in the pouring rain, I couldn’t help but smile at my exit sign Santa Claus to the left and Jasper (my destination) to the right. I would have taken a picture but I was afraid to take my electronics out of their dry bag. As I rode to Jasper I battled between having the wet bandanna stick to my face making it hard to breath or pulling it down and having the rain directly sting my fur. All was not lost though, and mother nature has her sense of humor for the moment. I pulled into my friend’s house and the rain stopped. I was here in little ol’ Jasper, where I can now proudly think of myself as a biker: someone who has endured the journey – and this is only my first stop. I have learned one valuable lesson though – ear plugs, my ears haven’t stopped ringing in the two days I’ve been here.

More about my stay in Jasper Indiana later… until then fling you laters.

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On The Road Again is a post from: Monkey Brewster

DryIcons, "Movie Countdown", via Flickr, July 5 2008, Creative Commons License

If you have been following through with my mishap adventures you probably realize I’m moving out of my place and want to take an extensive motorcycle road trip somewhere in an effort to complete one of my resolutions and check one more thing off my Bucket List.  I bet you are wondering how far along I am to see if I’ve made any progress or if I’ve just sat in my hammock enjoying the nice weather and being a bum. Well the answer to that my friend is, yes.

I know, it’s an either or question but the answer is still, yes.

I pride myself in my ability to enjoy hammock time with my ukulele and a cold beverage even during my hectic move out schedule. However I have made some progress with moving, packing and selling things. I’ve sold my biggest items the washer and dryer (yippie) and have packed away a corner of things to be sold off during my garage sale that I’ve scheduled for next week. I still need to move all my furniture down to my brother and my mom got some vacation time from the Zoo so she can pick up my bed and dressers and put them back where I stole them away from when I went off to college.

As for the motorcycle trip well, that’s another story in itself. I have my license test Wednesday – wish me luck. My motorcycle however has not been cooperating the speedometer has been going all crazy bouncing back and forth between 20-70 mph when I’m really going 25 mph or at least it was. Now all of a sudden it is working fine, kind of a scary thought I’m not sure what’s going on since I’m no grease monkey.   The engine also dies out when I’m idle and I’m not sure why, I’m starting to doubt this thing can make it on a 1000+ mile journey.

What, you think I’m going to back out that easy? Ha! I fling in the face of danger, I peel doubt like a banana and toss it for someone else to slip on. I am taking this road trip one way or the other, that is once I figure out where I’m going. I have two options one is ride my bike and if it dies sell it for a bus pass home, this is not the most promising option. The other is to take up my pops on his offer to take his motorcycle which is a little more safe than mine.

Either way I have two stops planned out: visiting one friend in Jasper, Indiana and another in Iowa City, Iowa after that who knows. I plan on packing a small tent and boondocking it using Boondocking.org to help locate places to stay. I’m a little scared if I head towards Seattle which would lead me around Yellowstone since they have bears and buffalo and other big animals that poo flinging would’t affect in case of danger. But then again I could always find a motel and spend the money on a bed instead of beer, although I haven’t searched US hostels yet. Anyone know of any good US Hostel search sites?

I’ve had a lot of comments on where to go but I’m still unsure I’m kind of torn between Seattle or the Rio Grand Valley (south east Texas) I guess I’ll sort it out when I hit Iowa, unless you sway me one way or the other? What do you think? I have places I could stay in Texas but I’ve already been there, Seattle is new and I only have a ‘maybe connection’ about a couch to crash on there. Then again who knows if I’ll make it that far – or get lost along the way.

Do you have any exciting summer plans?

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The Final Countdown – Part 3 of Moving Out and Riding On is a post from: Monkey Brewster

movingcompanies, 'Moving Boxes' on Flickr, August 25 2007 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

After reading through GotPassport’s post on their purging progress I realized something, I MOVE OUT IN 30 DAYS! By June 7th I need to hand in my keys to the zookeeper, err umm I mean landlord, and have the place shiny and new. Which means cleaning the walls from failed flinging experiments and figuring out where everything goes. Holy orangutan, that is not a lot of time and I haven’t even put away my folded laundry from Monday let alone pack up anything. The only thing I have packed lately is a few pounds on my belly, luckily I can just say I’ve gotten fluffier. To further complicate everything I want to take off on my random motorcycle ride somewhere by the beginning of June, so while I have till the 7th I really want to be out before Memorial Day weekend.

Crap!

Why am I moving, well my job may no longer be there come August and I don’t want to renew my lease just to loose my job and not get free grad school, really why else would a monkey stay in the Midwest – it’s cold and the bananas aren’t fresh. Luckily I have the opportunity to live with a friend, who happens to have everything and then some so in my effort to be more mobile I’m getting rid of my stuff and even some of her’s because well she has a few too many things also. Honestly between the 2 of us we have 3 coffee pots who needs that much coffee?

I have been slightly productive I’ve made a list of things I need to pack on my bike for the trip and scheduled my test to get my license. Although they only do the driving test on Wednesdays – why Wednesday I don’t know but those damn four wheel drivers get to take their test all week including Saturday at some places. I’d start flinging at the DMV, or is it BMV -what’s the difference, but then I’d get assault with a smelly weapon and they probably wouldn’t let me take my test.

The upside of things I have a younger brother Prometheus who is a poor college student unlike his cooler older brother the poor college graduate.  :-/  He needs a few things and it just so happens that I have a few things so I am going to hand off things like my couch set, my fold out couch, a kitchen table with bar stools (haha stool get it?), my coffee table and end tables, and other things that I don’t really care if he needs or not like my plates and dishes. Some of my other possessions are going back home since I stole them when I went to college like my bed and bed set while others are going with me, like my hammock, ukulele and home brew kit. That still leaves some big things like a huge TV stand, washer & dryer and a few vacuums that I need to sell or give away.

I’m not sure how this is all going to work out but I’m sure I’ll find a way somehow, although I probably should work on what needs to be sold. Luckily I have boxes to pick up this weekend so that I can get started. I just hope all this moving doesn’t cut into my drinking beer while lounging in hammock time.

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30 Days to Get Rid of Everything is a post from: Monkey Brewster

She has to work, she can’t get off so I am stuck with finding an alternative way to entertain myself for the month of June. Further, I have no responsibilities to tie me anywhere since I’m kind of couch surfing for the three months until I find out if my work grant gets renewed thus continuing my job and my free grad school plan. It seems my landlord isn’t too keen on the month to month thing and I’m not paying almost double what I do now which would prevent me from saving any kind of money. Sure I could work on perfecting my poo flinging but I’d rather work on the #1 of my New Years Resolution List – TRAVEL.

Here’s my plan I get on my motorcycle and go places, far away places but most likely still in the US seeing as Canada is well Canada and the border towns of Mexico are a wee bit dangerous and my bike isn’t out running anything. The catch is that it’s an old bike so I will likely be taking back roads since she tops off in the 70 mph range before she starts wheezing, I mean it’s a 1983 Kawasaki LTD 440 it’s older than me and it wasn’t even that bad to the bone of a bike when it was new.

My biggest dilemma is where the heck do I go? I’ve never been to any major cities on the east coast but I’ve never  spent time outside of Los Angeles when I was out west. I love Texas but only explored the Rio Grand Valley and I have a place in Puerto Rico I could visit if I can find a way to get my bike to the island, fishing boats anyone?

Seeing as this is a travel blog I’m up for suggestions, especially from people who are doing just that, motorcycling their way around the US like Brian from BikeAndBoots.com. I mean serious this guy has his gear and stuff planed out, he added freaking heated hand grips while I just added new spark plugs to get it working again after changing the oil pump and giving it a horn. Do you see the difference – I’m just making my bike run while he is adding comfort and style. If we worked at TGI Fridays he’d be the one with all the flare, while I’d be getting questioned by the manager about all the missing bananas.

I am perfectly comfortable with the idea of letting some of my readers help plan out my future endeavors, seeing as I change my plans and seem to go on a whim of an idea anyways. Where should I go, I figured I could use up my rent money to supplement my travel which means some serious budgeting I’m talking Natural light beer and Super Duper Extra Cheap Motel 8² or some couch surfing across the US, do they couch surf in the US?

So what do you think, besides I’m a little over crazy and under prepared.

My current checklist off the top of my head of things I need to do.

• Get my actual motorcycle license (only have my temps)
• Call AAA because I don’t want to pay for tows and things I can’t afford
• Find out what I’ll need and how I’ll store it on my bike with what I have or inexpensive purchases
• Make a test run where I ride my bike for 3+ hours to make sure she can handle what I’m planning
• Figure out where to go – then contact friends in cities along the way
• Create a realistic budget

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Motorcycle Diaries-Tell Me Where I Should Go! is a post from: Monkey Brewster