Musings from one who writes, and rides…
Originally published in RoadRUNNER Magazine. To anyone within a 100-mile radius, it’s known simply as “The Cube”: a giant cement block atop 3,486-foot Mt. Umunhum that appears ready to disgorge space aliens at any moment. This 1962 Air Force radar tower from the Cold War is sealed up tight (due to lead waste), but the…
Originally published in the October 2018 issue of Rider Magazine. I’m accustomed to giving the classic “V” sign to other motorcyclists on the road, and getting similar props in return. In California at least, it’s a thing. But as we ride around Tasmania, I’m crushed to discover I’m getting no such love. Initially I attributed…
Originally published in RoadRUNNER magazine. Halfway between the Northern California coastal towns of Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, at the nexus of some of the best motorcycle roads on the planet, lies the somnolent town of Pescadero. It just might be the coolest coastal burg that no one has heard of. So please, don’t go…
This story originally appeared in RoadRUNNER Magazine. For the fourth time in one day, I am mangling the pronunciation of town names in Nova Scotia. Is it Why-COCO-maw or Why-COG-ama? Anti-GONE-ish or An-TIG-anish. Meredith and I have been motorcycling in Canada for three days, but I haven’t gotten any better at this. Meanwhile our traveling companions,…
Originally published on the Seafood Watch and Monterey Bay Aquarium Conservation blogs. Imagine you’re a young father, from Myanmar, who has come to Thailand with this simple goal: to find work as a fisherman and support your family. But once aboard, your time at sea stretches to weeks, months, or even a year. You find yourself…
Originally published in Rider Magazine. Recently I visited one of my favorite cafes, a short ride up the Pacific Coast from my Santa Cruz, California, home. Called Downtown Local, the place is a syrupy mix of old motorcycles, vintage gas tanks stacked on shelves like cordwood, and decades worth of vinyl, which sound a little…
Originally published in Rider Magazine. Lately I have been spending a lot of time on my 1974 Honda CB 750. I enjoy the sit-up-and-grin riding position, the languid feel of the bike, and the visceral growl of those four pipes—the world’s first true superbike. But there’s another reason the old CB is so enjoyable: It never…
Originally published in RoadRUNNER Magazine. In almost every town on our trip through Vermont, people would come over to ogle our enormous Indian Roadmaster motorcycle, regaling us with stories of past glories and distant relatives who have owned, ridden, or simply lusted after the giant twin with the famously valanced fenders. The brand looms large in…
Originally published in the Good Times Santa Cruz. “I’m an athlete,” says Diane Cunningham, 32, of San Jose, before going on to recite a list of activities that would make most of us tired just hearing it: swimming, basketball, soccer, floor hockey, powerlifting, snowshoeing, softball, and bowling. She’s competed in the Special Olympics World Games. To…
Originally published in RoadRUNNER Magazine. I’ve logged a lot of motorcycle miles with my wife, Meredith, riding pillion, but I’ve never seen this before: she’s back there snapping photos of a straight, four-lane interstate, as if we’re riding god’s own highway. “What’s up?” I ask her. “Well,” she says, “It’s the most amazing thing. I’m looking…