Quick Bites: BurgerFi (Mentor, OH)

Brand new burger joint here in NE Ohio! And it's ahhhhmazing! If you're here in Mentor, check out Burger Fi (8748 Mentor Ave.) for super-thick frozen custard, burgers made from naturally-grown beef, and fresh fries. Very delicious. Enjoy the eye candy.

That's just a regular cheeseburger sitting next to some Urban Fries (fries sprinkled with parmesean cheese and doused in garlic aoli sauce). Good grief. That's not even right.

Drag your friends in for food you'll be talking about for several days!

Western New York Adventure - Buffalo/Cheektowaga/Batavia/Le Roy/Niagara Falls (August 9-11, 2013)

Of course, just because I'm only halfway through recapping my huge July trip to Montana doesn't mean I can't continue going on other random jaunts in the meantime.

Earlier this month, I headed eastbound on I-90 to Cheektowaga, a suburb of Buffalo, NY to join the Women On Wheels® Mz. Behavin' Chapter as they helped out with "A Salute to Sturgis" at the Peregrine's Landing Senior Community. The activities director there, who happens to be a motorcyclist and a member of this chapter, has held this event for the last several years and many of the residents look forward to a chance to hang out with bikers and dress up in motorcycle clothing. This particular year held the record for the most motorcycles to show up at the event and even included neighbors from Canada who rode over the border to join in on the fun.

Day 7: The last stretch to Billings...

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

I returned to Minot after my visit to the International Peace Garden and spent one more night at my friend's house. The next morning, I was off to finish the last 500 miles of my ride to Billings, MT. It was pretty uneventful doing the flat slabs of US-2 and I-90 for most of the way. The increase of the speed limit from 65MPH to 80MPH was a bit of a help, though. Despite all that, I had to stop more frequently than usual out of sheer boredom. Wide open skies are quite beautiful, but the straight line for several hours can be a severe turn-off, especially after being on the road for nearly a week.

Yep...just keep following the signs.

Travelling solo is a double-edged sword. The benefit of doing this includes making your own schedule, stopping whenever you want/feel, and not having to ask for permission to take detours to absurd places. Alternatively, it can get boring when the view doesn't change and it does get to the point that the drone of PSY's "Gangnam Style" on loop for the umpteenth time from the GPS can't even keep you from dozing off. It doesn't make you any weaker of a motorcycle rider if you decide to pull over for a break. Curb your hubris and think about your body's need for rest and a stretch. All the experienced and safety-conscious riders do.

Thankfully, I did get to ride most of the way back to Ohio with a dear friend (you'll get to hear more about her later in this series).

I don't think I'll follow that sign.

I did try some tasty, locally made ice cream by Wilcoxson's that I snacked on at that Conoco gas station (I still have my clothes on at this point).

This is a visual reminder to eat ice cream and ride safely, just not at the same time.

Long story short, I survived the entire way to my final destination. Man, this state is huge. See you at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center in the next post for some WOW action.

Day 6: Give the International Peace Garden a chance. It's worth it.

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

The International Peace Garden is one of the most extensive tributes to the peaceful relations between United States and Canada, two countries who share the longest undefended border in the world. I learned about this place from a fellow rider friend who had traveled there more than 20 years ago. Out of curiosity, I had to make this a part of my journey to Billings. It was so worth the detour.

For reference, Minot, ND is just a short, 100 mile ride from the Canadian border. The town of Dunseith is the "gateway to the garden" and has its own special sights (which you'll see at the end of this post).

Imagine this for 100 miles. Nothing but open skies and flat straightaways. Beautiful during the day but can be eerie at night.

The entrance to the garden is pretty obvious. Note the small white sign that says "Leaving the USA" at the bottom right corner. That'll play a role in why I had to prove my American citizenship leaving that place. Fortunately, I always bring my passport, because being out in these parts, you never know when you'll accidentally end up in Canada.

Two-Wheeled Tourist has now leaked over to Tumblr!

Be afraid. Be very afraid. You can now read all the same posts of Two-Wheeled Tourist on...

As a way of getting this blog out to the rest of the world, there is a concurrent version of this blog on Tumblr that synchronizes with this original site. For those who prefer to use that service over Blogger, you can head over there and read all about my shenanigans. Additionally, the Tumblr side of things is also attached to my Twitter feed so there's even more randomness on there.

Head over to 2wheeledtourist.tumblr.com or even better, 2wheeledtourist.net. Enjoy.

A Quick Jaunt to Pittsburgh...for meatballs and retail therapy.

Last week, I had a hankering for some Swedish meatballs from IKEA. So, I jumped on the bike and headed next door to Pittsburgh for lunch. Because that's what you do when you have a motorcycle...you ride an absurd amount of miles for food.

On the way there, I did stop at one of the service stations on the turnpike toll roads for a Starbucks and an EZ Pass so I wouldn't have to keep digging for change in my pockets every time I hit one of those toll booth stations. Here are some of the strange findings from my quick day jaunt over to my neighboring state to the east.

I needed this book...like 20 years ago.

We're up all night to get lucky.

One of the best Stephen Colbert sequences I've ever seen. Enjoy your Friday with this video dance interpretation of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky."

How did this happen? When you're scheduled for the Colbert Report, don't cancel your appearance last-minute. Otherwise, things like this happen. You have been warned. And I thank you for flaking.

Day 5-6: Minot! Why not? Fuzzies and Scandinavians included.

**This series of posts recap my two-week trip to Billings, MT and back from July 1-16, 2013. For the entire list of my featured rides, click here.**

I slept in on Day 5 of this trip, which translates to waking up somewhere between 9-9:30AM to the sparring of Mollie and Ammo, my friend's two dogs who have the run of the place. I'll talk more about them later. But first, it was off to breakfast at a nearby Perkins restaurant to catch up on our life travels (it's been a few years since we had seen each other face-to-face). On the way inside, we found these two cuties hanging out in the back of another restaurant patron's truck.

Hello, human. We be chillin' in our ride.