86 the Freighter

I wrote this back on 7-2-2012.  I'm still getting through the original posts.  Having too much content is a nice problem to have :-)

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It’s amazing how these ideas evolve so quickly.  I’m already second guessing my route.  Here is why.  The path I want to take from Corpus to Key West is about 1800 miles.  This is great.  About 300 miles per day for 6 days.  This will give us time to look at stuff along the way.  This is less about the ride and more about discovering the gulf coast.  I’ve seen so little of my home coast.  By the end of this trip I want to more fully understand the personality of this place that I love so much.

All well and good.  How in the tap-dancing fuck do we get back?  A freighter seems like it will take a few days to get us back.  Even if it’s only 5 days, that’s the better part of two weeks away from home.  I just don’t think I can do it.  That’s if we can book a freighter and if it can take bikes.  So far, the most useful info I can find on freighter travel is that Art Garfunkel did it once between solo albums.

Digs Freighters

The other stuff says things like “Plan to travel at a moment’s notice” or “This is good if you don’t mind being away for several months” or “a good travel option if your final destination is Vietnam”.  Not looking like a good option.

Dammit!  This is the way I wanted to do it.  Over the Gulf and then through it.  May have to find some other magic for the way back…

Possibly something like this:  On the weekend before the ride, drive to Miami with a trailer, fly back to Houston, leave the truck and trailer behind.  Flights from Miami to Houston are only a couple of hundred bucks one-way.  Not too bad, might work.

NOT as sexy as a freighter 

I could knock out this drive in a couple of days easy with time to stop and look around.  We could even park the truck and use the bikes to get us some of the way back.  Like maybe a detour up to Atlanta to see a friend and her daughter (who I haven’t met yet).

I don’t have a trailer though.  Add that to the list of things to get.  Speaking of that list. I started one just now.  My favorite item on the list so far is “Adventure Bike”.  You know, ‘cause it might be a good idea to take a motorcycle with me.

On the list of things to get

This is definitely at least one year out.

Let me say, Freighter fantasy aside, that I am totally digging the way this planning is going.  It’s so organic.  I’m just writing things down and letting my mind wander.  The impediments don’t mean anything to me right now.  No stress.  Hell, its almost like the planning itself is a bunch of “mini-vacations” for the brain.  Definitely feels right.

Things I’ve done since last post:

• Revised route and created saved map on Google.
• Researched helmet to helmet communication systems. Decided on Scala q2 pro.  Asked for it for my b-day.
• Played with Google voice on my galaxy to see how well it might work with the cell feature on the Q2.  Looks pretty cool but not fully functional yet.  Still, I may be able to figure out a way to at least to do voice activated calling
• Thought of adding a soft cell phone case to my handle bars so I can just use my cell as entertainment on the bike.
• Got stuck in a rather nasty storm on the way home.  Good prep for riding in the rain.  My VTX is not the most slender of ladies (750 lbs dry) but she’s incredibly well-balanced and stable.
• Changed a flat tire on my truck at the kids’ school the other day.  Good training for the unexpected.  I did a nice job with it.

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I'll be posting more frequently in hopes of catching up to now.