Frank, a fun read and certainly a great trip; my first bike was a '77 CB750 and I rode the crap out of it, from Rimouski to Thunder Bay and all parts in between.Originally Posted by FrankS
Frank, a fun read and certainly a great trip; my first bike was a '77 CB750 and I rode the crap out of it, from Rimouski to Thunder Bay and all parts in between.
Thanks! It was awesome.
I have been thinking about this thread all day.
I have a brother that does solo road trips every year.
When I was in high school my favorite book was Travels with Charlie, I think everybody should read this book and then hit the road.
Excellent! I would add to that, Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon.
.
I always thought it was Steinbeck's best work; a great travelogue.
Jack Kerouac: On the Road
I watched the film adaptation the night before leaving on my trip.
Can't buy a judge in California..... Well ,not the firearm anyway.
It's the main reason I have never taken a road trip through the American Southwest, and have no plans to ever do so.
I don't think Americans realize how odd the gun thing is. For the record, in my part of Canada, hunting is practically a religion. In my circle of family and friends, every family has at least one avid hunter. But I have never seen a gun rack in a pick-up truck, and it's almost unheard of for the cops to find someone carrying a handgun in a car or anywhere else.
Steinbeck and Least-Heat Moon were... ummm... creative to say the least. Kerouac, Thompson and Brautigan were operating mostly on herbal vapors.The best travelogue is going to be the one you author. IMHO, anyway.
The open road will reveal in direct proportion to how well you see.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
Seems a shame you choose to forgo a beautiful part of the planet simply because its inhabitants sometimes carry a means of self defense. Unless you plan on holding anyone up I think you'd be fine.
I come from the deep south. Guns are everywhere and hunters are everywhere. Every person I know that owns a weapon holds an immense amount of respect for its capability. I knew some rambunctious/questionable people in Georgia, but if they let you look at their gun to check it out, you better keep your finger off the trigger or else you'll be scolded fiercely.
Are you very familiar with what Police in your area find in stopped vehicles? Maybe you are. I don't know. Maybe violent crime is low in your part of the world. I went to school in Savannah, Georgia. Its a beautiful city with shockingly violent underbelly. Since I majored in photography I would sometimes go to some remote areas to shoot, often alone. I felt much safer and confident when I had a means of self defense within reach, and I would argue it would be foolish to go without in those areas.
The last thing I want to do is to highjack the thread and turn it into a gun rights debate. Please, God no. I simply want to explain that, especially with solo road tripping, its important to be prepared. Things can get weird when you're out in the middle of nowhere. Photographers carry equipment that people understand to be expensive and are sometimes robbed. People have been killed by wild animals in the wilderness. In an extreme survival situation, a pistol could be a means to render a life saving meal.
The "Gun Thing" can certainly be taken to extremes, but having a just-in-case sitting in a glove box isn't hurting anyone.
I respect the decision of those who choose not to carry a firearm, but there are certainly a few good reasons to bring one along for those who do.
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." - Teddy Roosevelt.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks