Back to CA: Day 2

The day began with a walk to school.

My hockey coach's daughters go to school just down the street from the house so I tagged along with Mom and kids for an early morning stroll. Temps were just hitting 70 degrees by the time we got back. After that and a few e-mails, I was on my loaner motorcycle for the first time on the road testing its capabilities on the Palos Verdes Drive Loop.

So what's the deal with this motorcycle I get to play with in CA? Thanks to Victor, I get to play with his dyno tuned 2009 BMW K1300S motorcycle, equipped with a Givi topcase, a Leo Vince carbon fiber exhaust, and Power Commander. My only instructions for using the bike this week were to "put on the miles" and "don't crash."

I felt pretty confident riding the bike after half an hour of light twisties and switchbacks, and being the native Californian I am, I was lane sharing by the time I landed back in Torrance from the scenic Palos Verdes route. It was a great feeling to use this privilege again. Even after two years away from a state where this practice is encouraged it still felt like I never left.

I then met my aunt up for lunch at The Original Thai BBQ in Carson and caught up on stories and tasty Pad See Eew, BBQ chicken, shrimp fried rice, and a Thai tea. After that, it was a quick trip to my parents' house a couple blocks away to sort through a few things I wanted to take back to Ohio. My stay there was a little bit longer than I expected; sometime during my rummaging I had misplaced the key to the bike's Givi topcase and it took some time to realize that it had fallen in the same bag as the leftovers from the restaurant and was chilling in the refrigerator. Complete brain fart.

I left the house and jumped onto the 110 North freeway toward USC at 4PM, the start of rush hour traffic. Thanks to the carpool lane, I was going no slower than 65MPH and reached Exposition Blvd. in record time. I rolled into campus, had a quick conversation with a USC employee at the information booth about motorcycle instruction classes, parked the bike, and headed to the center of campus to take a few photos and pick up some swag from the bookstore.

Tommy Trojan in front of the Bovard Auditorium, still looking as regal as he always has.

This is the newest statue on campus made in the likeness of Traveler, the horse mascot of the USC. This is one of several gifts from departing USC President Steven Sample.

Here's a side view of Traveler. I had the chance to meet (and pet) one of the real Traveler horses during my senior year at USC.

The new and very revamped student union. This would've been cool when I still went here!

You know you're at USC when...every car in the lot costs at least one year of your salary.

I ended the day with a short ride through Downtown LA to meet an old co-worker from my previous job at a nearby high school and then to Del Amo Fashion Center to visit a few friends that worked at various stores there. The mall was probably one of biggest surprises of the day. The place had changed so much and many of the stores I had remembered were replaced by unknown and smaller establishments. In fact, the Gloria Jeans Coffee shop I had grown up with was gone as of last week, ending a 30-year stay at this mall. It was so strange to see so many closed spaces and relocated stores, a far cry from the mall that I had grown up with and spent almost every Friday night of my childhood in. It is amazing what a poor economy and greedy landlords can do to destroy what was once the largest malls in the United States.

Tomorrow's plan is a quick jaunt with the aunt to Pechanga Casino in Temecula for some good old gambling fun. Hitting a jackpot would be great timing right now.

Back to SoCal - the refesher course.

It's great to be back in Los Angeles.

Leaving the dreariness of 26 degrees and ice in Columbus at 10AM (Eastern Standard Time), I arrived at LAX at 1:30PM (Pacific Standard Time) today and was welcomed with sunny skies and 70 degrees. My friend Victor picked me up from the airport and we found ourselves in nearby Hawthorne waiting for a friend of his to return a phone call. However, that friend didn't call back and I was getting a bit hungry. After six hours in the air and nothing but small snacks and a couple cups of ginger ale to pass the time, I knew exactly where to go for lunch. You guessed it, In-N-Out Burger.

Victor and I visited the In-n-Out on Marine/Inglewood right off the 405 freeway in Redondo Beach.

Just the way I like it: a Double Double and Animal Fries, both covered in gratuitous amounts of grilled onions. I waited to indulge in this deliciousness for over a year! Nom nom nom.

After that, we drove back to Brea (North Orange County) to go see his new apartment and to pick up his motorcycle, which will be my mode of transporation for the week. Here are today's fuel prices in Brea, courtesy of your local Chevron.

I wonder which one of my organs I'll have to donate for a full tank.

These are temps you wouldn't see in Ohio until at least May.

Very familiar surroundings and a sunset I haven't seen in a couple years.
Look closely and you might even see the Downtown LA skyline in the distance.

I've got quite a bit to enjoy and accomplish in the upcoming week. As much fun as it is to go sightseeing, I am also job hunting and some research on possible places to send applications. So far, my findings have seen me looking at a possible opening at Cal State Northridge. I hope to find more inspiration during my stay here. Tomorrow brings motorcycle riding, lunch with my family, and more research!

I'm headed back to California!

Today begins a week-long trip back to Los Angeles, Orange County, and the surrounding areas. Two-Wheeled Tourist is going on tour and sharing the sights that were a part of my life for almost a quarter century.

Stay tuned on the blog for random pictures and tales of my (mis)adventures throughout Southern California!

International Motorcycle Show (Cleveland, OH) - 1/28-1/30/11

I had the chance to volunteer a few hours of my time last weekend at the Women Ride booth at the International Motorcycle Show at the I-X Center in Cleveland, OH. The show itself has downsized in the past few years due to the poor economy but is bouncing back with a revamped look and a new approach toward its ever-changing customer base. I was quite impressed with the show's larger emphasis on female riders which is, by far, the fastest growing sector of new motorcyclists today. I had a great time helping ladies try on several different types of motorcycle jackets and overpants and answering questions about helmets.

Here's a small part of the Women Ride section of the motorcycle show. Here ladies had the opportunity to try on some of the touring gear available for female riders. I got to assist in that for three hours!

When all that was done, I perused the show to check out some of the new (and redesigned) bikes coming out for 2011. Here are some of my favorites.

The new Kawasaki Ninja 1000 definitely has potential to be a great selling aggressive touring bike. With a 5.0 gallon gas tank, a three-way adjustable windshield, and the heart of the new Z1000, and a neutral seating posture for those long hours, it's a comfy crotch rocket that can travel.

Here's the new 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 650R. It's gotten a little facelift and a few new features. I like that metallic take on the trademark Kawi green.

Yay! I got to see and sit on a fully loaded 2011 Yamaha Super Téneré for the first time! Yamaha is definitely going after the BMW's R1200GS market with this bike, and I think it'll be a formidable alternative to spending the $20k for a loaded Bimmer.

Here's the 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 ready for a quick romp down the road or some state-hopping action. Triumph is going after BMW's F800 series bikes with this gorgeous addition. I'd definitely want to test this thing; I'm a big fan of its brother, the Tiger 1050.

The Triumph Speed Triple (and Street Triple) were both redesigned for 2011. That thing looks even more diabolical than the previous model. Me like.

And finally, here's Ducati's long anticipated Diavel (Carbon edition). Kinda reminds me of what would happen if a Duc Monster and a Yamaha Warrior had a one-night stand. Looks like fun! I so don't want to see the price tag.

Overall, it was a decent show this year. The booths weren't all leather shops and cruiser-only accessory stops. I was disappointed that BMW, Aprilia, and Moto Guzzi among others didn't show up in Cleveland again. It still boggles my mind that the dates for the International Motorcycle Show in this part of the United States take place so far into winter that it's impossible to ride a motorcycle there. I miss the days when I ran a Women On Wheels® booth at IMS in Long Beach, CA where there are test rides because weather in the first week of December is always going to be 70 degrees and sunny. If I had my way with the schedule, put the Midwest/Northeast shows earlier so riders can catch the last parts of fall! Driving a car to a motorcycle show is a walking oxymoron! Oh well, at least the bikes were shiny.