Mukilteo Lighthouse Ride

I had to get out between rain storms a few days ago and decided to take a motorcycle ride up to the Mukilteo Lighthouse and Ferry Dock. It was a foggy day, just begging me to stay in the house and curl up with a good book. This time of year the onset of fall is a harsh reminder of the dreaded dark and dreary winter in the Northwest that is sure to follow.

I had to bundle up a little more than the previous rides that I had taken just a couple of weeks ago. The sun was trying to warm things up, so I was counting on being a little more comfortable heading back home later. I put the lining back in both of my jackets, so I chose to wear the rainproof one with the armor in all the right places. I have also changed my face shield from the dark one I use in the summer, to a clear one I start using in the fall. As the days become shorter, sometimes I am riding home from work in the dark (4:30pm!!!!!) It is illegal in Washington State to wear a tinted shield after dusk.

Anyway, I took off and decided to take a stretch of freeway until I got closer to the road to Mukilteo, which is a nice straight road that passes by the Boeing plant in Everett, WA. As you reach the top of the hill, your eyes are drawn to a clear view of the water of the Puget Sound and distant islands beyond. While you slowly descend the long hill down to the waterfront, you pass by the line of cars waiting for the next State Ferry to take them across the water to Whidbey Island.



I passed all of the cars and continued down into the large parking lot for the beach, Mukilteo Lighthouse, and boat launch traffic. I parked and walked around just looking out at the view and watching people take their boats in and out of the water. Then I took a walk around the lighthouse, which is beautifully restored, but was closed by the time I got there. The sun was out over the water by then, but still a little cool.

When I had finished enjoying the peaceful sounds of the water, and I’d had enough of the wind blowing clean air into my lungs, I headed back home. I stopped at one of our friendly local coffee chains on the way and had a great hot espresso drink to rev me up for the ride back. I took a long stretch of freeway back until I was near my home town, which is something I am enjoying more and more. It is easier than it used to be. I just try not to think about what would happen if my tire blew out at such high speeds……

By the time I arrived home I had a great ride with pictures to look back on, and the bike is running pretty good right now. I think blowing it out on the freeway helped.

The Greatest Motorcycle of All Time

The Honda Cub has sold more around the world than any other motorcycle has. It is a well suited bike that is used for major transportation, as well as carrying anything necessary for a large part of the civilized world.

I am glad that we are able to have larger bikes that are more for pleasure than usefulness. Most people remember having or knowing someone with one of these Hondas in their lifetime. I found this video nostalgic and fun. Enjoy....

Motorcycling and Creativity

It seems to me that there is a common thread among motorcyclists, and especially the women. We are creative and innovative when it comes to solving problems or dreaming up new ideas for things that we need for the motorcycle.

I have also noticed that many of the biker women are knitters, do stamping, are artists, photographers, and other creative passions. The stereotype of the ‘rough around the edges’ biker chick may be a little true. But we also like girl things, and we like to create things that can be enjoyed by others.

As for me, I knit, crochet, am an artist, and am learning to take photos. I have so many interests and hobbies that change with the seasons. My mind is always challenged with something new that triggers an idea and gets the ball rolling.

During the winter when the riding days are few, I spend a lot of time doing needlework indoors. I like to knit sweaters to wear when I ride my motorcycle, warm socks for my riding boots, and this year I will make some wrist warmers to fit just into my gloves. I also have many knitted scarves to keep my neck warm and that are fun to have flowing behind you as you ride down the road.

Music is another commonality among motorcyclists. Whether it is singing, playing a musical instrument or being in a rock band, people who ride have many talents.

Those of us who ride motorcycles have the common view of loving life, living it to the fullest, and watching the weather so we can ride as much as possible. By being creative we can make useful items that we can be proud of and that bring joy to others as well as ourselves.

Ride to Edmonds, Washington

My brother came to visit me from California for my son’s wedding. He has ridden motorcycles for years so I was anxious to go for a ride with him.

One day we had a small window of time with no commitments so we thought we would go for a ride. I found that one of my older helmets fit him well and my husband had some gloves that he could use. He would ride my husband’s motorcycle and I would ride my own and lead.

We got the bikes out of the garage and warmed them up. My brother has an ‘80’s Ninja 600cc, and the ’69 Honda 450cc that I posted about previously. My husband rides a Honda Shadow ACE-750cc. It is a cruiser style which has a very different feel than the upright bikes he was used to.

The weather was cool and brisk, and cloudy when we left my home. Edmonds is situated on the Puget Sound so there are almost always sunny skies above the town because of the marine layer of warm air over the water. As we got closer we could see the sky open up above the water and sure enough, it was sunny when we got there. We stood and admired the Washington State Ferries, and the islands that you could see far off in the distance. The water was bright blue and a little choppy, but the only miniature crashing waves on the beach were caused from a fast boat passing by. Across the water was another peninsula with tiny houses dotting the shoreline.

We took some pictures and talked about how the cruiser’s foot pegs and controls were moved far forward from what he was used to, but he was starting to get familiar as we went along. When we’d enjoyed the view and taken ample photos we decided to leave.

We had a good ride home on a different route with a few twisties through the woods. I enjoyed riding with my brother which I hadn’t had the chance to do before.



Maybe one of these days he’ll let me try out his Ninja……