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No Reservations
Guest Blatherings by Phillip Orth A Counter Point I enjoyed reading Ed Mealy’s guest blathering in the last issue of our monthly SEAT Newsletter, but couldn’t disagree more - which is probably why, for the most part, I prefer to ride alone. For those riders like Ed and D&W I’m sure a canned, planned ride is a pleasure; but I believe the real adventure is not knowing exactly what meatloaf is served on any Sunday anywhere, or what hotel room has a missing toilet. Some of my most memorable rides had an eventual destination but I sure wasn’t in a rush to get there. When I spent six months in New Zealand I only knew that 90 Mile Beach was at the tip of the north island and Intercargill at the tip on the south island. Had I followed a friend from Auckland we would have stayed in the best hotels and drank the best wines and in doing so I would have missed the opportunity to meet most of the “locals” and their knowledge of the hidden nooks and crannies as well as off beat mom & pop diners. More recently when I teamed up with a couple of friends from Taos, New Mexico for a ride thru Baja California, we had no plans except to head south. What a blast not knowing what or who was around the next corner. I have ridden to Taos several times recently, each of the routes taken different than the previous one, with no schedule. I could write a book about the people I’ve sat with and visited with for hours, listening to their life’s stories. To me this is an important part of any ride. But then again I have the time. So fellow riders, this rant is in no way a criticism of how you do things, just another side. Someone once said “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. He (or she) must have been on a GS. [Ed. Note: First I want to thank Ed Mealy for his Road Captain/Chef blathering. Wanda and I had a great time being their guides. We took them on what we hoped would be an epic ride - an adventure! We even traveled down a couple of Arizona’s unique back roads for the first time. The ride up to Alamo Lake State Park was almost surreal with all the wild flowers in bloom. Its amazing the history and beauty that lurks just off the beaten path, never mind whether the path is paved or dirt. And thanks to Phillip for his Counter Point. I remember the first time I heard Phillip say, “I ride alone and keep my friends.” It’s taken a few years and several thousands of miles to understand and appreciate Phillip, and what he meant by that. Phillip is a consummate off road rider - not an off road racer - an off road touring rider who roughs it along the way. Not all of us can take that much raw, un-air-conditioned nature all at once! More power to Phillip! Riding your motorcycle around, whether it be on or off road, is the thing. How you get there, who you get there with, and how you get home, tells the story. Finding the “right” way for you may take some experimentation. It’s good to know there are more roads out there than most of us have the time to do - so the experimentation can go on for years! Deryle Mehrten, still experimenting after all these years!]
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