You just might not get kicked out of your club if you show up on this: The Suzuki Boulevard M90 is a sport bike disguised as a cruiser, rumbling up like a Harley-Davidson and zipping away like a Ninja. With accessories it could function nicely as a light touring motorcycle, too. And with a price tag of $10,599, you might find it almost irresistible. For the experienced rider only. This power in this muscle bike can literally blow you off the back. Read my short piece about it in examiner.com.

Attention all road trippers, bikers, and tourists: Here's a great stop in a loop from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sacramento Delta area on Sunday, July 12.

Did you know that one in three mouthfuls of the food we eat comes as a result of the work of honeybees? These pollinators are in trouble and that's why Slow Food Delta Diablo invites you to spend a day at Knoll Farms in Brentwood touring the farm, eating lunch and learning about honeybees and the important relationship between thoughtful farmers and mindful beekeepers.

Learn about the life of the honeybee, the world-wide threat to honeybee health and what beekeepers and farmers on the urban fringe are doing to sustain the lives of bees. Learn about bee habitat and what the public can do to improve and support the lives of honeybees and other pollinators.

$20 Slow Food members
$30 non-members
$15 students (age 15 and up)

Well-mannered children under 15 may attend at the student price; however, there will not be child-targeted activities at this event.

Activities will include a talk and beekeeping demonstration by Alan Hawkins, beekeeper at organic farms in Brentwood, Tracy, and Marin, a tour of the farm and bee habitat with Rick Knoll, and a showing of Pollen-Nation, a short award-winning film that discusses the threat to bee health. (See movie trailer here.)

Enjoy a delicious lunch that features Knoll Farms honey and produce.

The day closes with a tasting of a variety of artisan honeys from around the country.

Wear light colored clothing and a hat as you will be on a working farm with thousands of bees in the air. Beekeepers are welcome to bring a veil.

Buy tickets here.

Lodging in and near Brentwood.

Map of Brentwood.

(This article also published in examiner.com.)

My friend Steve Frey, who used to be a trucker, wrote me with this advice about finding showers on the road, which is really helpful because by the end of the riding day it's often too late (dark, cold) to want to shower, and who wants to get their hair wet in the morning and put it in a helmet? So here you go - thanks Steve!

I know you prefer campgrounds, but modern truck stops usually have better
showers with locking doors or hotel-style keyed entry. These shower rooms are
unisex, separate from the restrooms, and are cleaned after every use. They also
have a sink, toilet and mirror.

Typically, a trucker will get a free shower ticket or credit for every 100 gal.
of fuel he buys, so he ends up with more than he needs. Or he can just pay $5 +
$5 deposit for the towels and soap. Women travelers may have to pretend that
they are with a trucker, but usually a female cashier will be sympathetic. You
may want to go in the back and check it out first. You can also get on the C.B.
radio (ch17 or 19) and ask if anyone has any extra tickets or credits. You want
to do this during the day if possible; at night there will likely be a waiting
list, especially during the week when all the truckers are on the road. Most
truck stops allow non-truckers to shower or don't even ask. Just say you need to
get a shower (like you do this all the time) and play it by ear.

The older type of truck stop showers are free, but are located in the restrooms
and may not be secure, private, or even clean. Some resemble the kind we had
in the Army with an open room and several shower heads. I've also seen these in
France and England, on their major motorways.

So the next time you pass a travel center, please stop and investigate!

Other places to find showers

• The beach. (Always take a bathing suit when traveling.)
• Public swimming pools
• University locker rooms
• Military bases. Some are open to the public. Say you want to visit the museum (they all have museums).
• Factories, large repair shops.
• Heavy Truck dealers.
• YMCAs & YWCAs
• Fitness clubs
• Homeless shelters
• Add yours here!

Last day in the Alps - The Dolomites - before returning the Ural and flying home to San Francisco.

So I'll go down the west coast after all on the N1 from Tanger, cut inland at Larache, back to the coast at Kenitra, then cut over to Mekenes on the N6, and toodle on to Fes.

From there head a bit southeast to some canyons where rock climbers go, then to Marrakesh finally to lounge about with the Wild Writing Women for a week. I have a feeling I'll be ready!

On the way home I take a ferry from Tangiers to Genova, so I only have to ride 800 km back to Linz.

Well - that's the "plan." Please don't hold me to it!

Hari Swchwighofer of Ural Motorcycles  Europe says he had no trouble identifying me at the Vienna airport. "First I looked at the luggage and then I looked at the woman." Okay, so lugging a 60-inch duffel and a wheeled carry-on stacked with another duffel, I'm carrying more than the average traveler. And believe it or not, I only packed 3 pairs of shoes: motorcycle boots, trail shoes for trekking, and sandals. It's the gear, I swear! On our 1 1/2 hour drive to Linz I get a chance to grill Hari about the motorcycle. "I won't tell you the story of the bike," he says, with a twinkle in his eye, "or you won't like to take it." Needless to say, I dragged it out of him. Read the dispatch, here.

Hari Swchwighofer of Ural Motorcycles  Europe says he had no trouble identifying me at the Vienna airport. "First I looked at the luggage and then I looked at the woman." Okay, so lugging a 60-inch duffel and a wheeled carry-on stacked with another duffel, I'm carrying more than the average traveler. And believe it or not, I only packed 3 pairs of shoes: motorcycle boots, trail shoes for trekking, and sandals. It's the gear, I swear! On our 1 1/2 hour drive to Linz I get a chance to grill Hari about the motorcycle. "I won't tell you the story of the bike," he says, with a twinkle in his eye, "or you won't like to take it." Needless to say, I dragged it out of him. Read the dispatch, here.

Scheduled Time:
    Date: Tue, May 12, 2009
    Time: 08:00 PM EDT

How to participate:
    Call in:
    Dial: (724) 444-7444
    Enter: 64458 # (Call ID)
    Enter: 1 # or your PIN

Join from your computer to join the call and participate in the live chat, or just listen along.
Join TalkShoe (follow the instructions on the screen) to choose a screen name so we know who you are.

Talk with you soon!

Carla

The Richmond Bridge connects Marin to the East Bay

Protea flowers in my neighbor's garden

In my garden