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**mikesworldtour** · #1 6 Jun 2013

Living Our Dream Tour (Part I)

I have been very lucky and had the opportunity to do some long trips: 6 months in 2005 [USA, Canada, Mexico], 6 months in 2007 [Europe], and 12 months in 2009-2010 [Europe, Asia, Oceania]. I get asked if I keep a blog – I have a website (not a very good website) that is mostly pictures and really just for family and friends [www.mikesworldtour.com].

I have never really posted much on any forums – I'm more of a reader – but; now that I and my wife have decided to do some traveling for the next couple of years, I thought I would share my experience.

Beginning July 1, 2013, my wife (F650GS Twin/Low) and I (F800 GS) plan on traveling for the next two years.

My wife got her first ever motorcycle license January 2011 and during the 2012 summer we took our (what she called) “Pre-” Living Our Dream Tour. It was a great trip and she did an amazing job for a new pilot.
Pictures – [https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=11ccf47719]
Map – [https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php...5514fcc466dd58].

Since that trip she got a writing job for a Japanese, women's motorcycle magazine, Girls Biker: [http://www.zokeisha.co.jp/gb/]. And, she has put together a website of her own:
[http://samurai-rider.com/].

We are still getting all our affairs together – vacating our apartment, putting personal belongings in storage, setting up friends to handle our mail and possible banking issues, making sure any reoccurring bills are taken care of automatically, discontinuing services that we no longer need, finalizing personal documents, getting equipment together and packed, etc. It's not difficult... just time consuming.

I count myself very lucky that I have a wife who took an interest in my crazy hobby (adventure riding), and I am interested to see how our journey will effect the dynamics or our relationship – except for my 2009-2010 ride across Russia I have basically traveled alone.

I look forward to your comments, suggestions, ideas, feedback.

Ride safe, keep in touch, and – beginning July 1 – follow us at:
[https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php...5519858a9cb7fe]

-Michael and Jasmine
[http://www.facebook.com/mikesworldtour]

2005 [USA, Canada, Mexico]

**Grant Johnson** · #2 15 Jun 2013

Keep us posted when you hit the road Mike, and best of luck! Hope to see you at an HU Meeting along the way...

**mikesworldtour** · #3 18 Jun 2013

If we are close to a HU Meeting you will see us there! Count on it!

Say "HI" to Susan for us.

Ride safe and keep in touch.

Mike and Jasmine Cardwell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grant Johnson

Keep us posted when you hit the road Mike, and best of luck! Hope to see you at an HU Meeting along the way...

**mikesworldtour** · #4 12 Jul 2013

Living Our Dream Tour (Part II) – The Power of... “Power”

My wife (samurai-rider.com) and I (mikesworldtour.com) are tooling our way up the coast at a nice leisurely pace. Enjoying some of the sights and meeting up with friends and saying our goodbyes.

I have debated and discussed, over and over, with many different people the pros and cons of what 'electronics' I should bring/use on my trip. When I did my first trip around the world I made sure that I had at least one camera that ran on good ol' fashioned AA's. However; with the benefits of increasing technology (camera equipment, communications equipment, computers, tracking devices) the makers of these devices have needed to use prosperity batteries to get longer and longer life from their devices.

I have made it a point to bring some good cameras as-well-as some popular cameras (GoPro) to see how they function. But now I face the need for 'power'. Vast quantities of 'power' every evening to make sure everything is running properly the next day or two.

You can charge a few devices off the auxiliary plug on the motorcycle while running, but I do not fancy the idea of a dead motorbike battery in the morning if I charge everything off the bike while I sleep. Which leads me to making sure I get a campsite with power. Well, that is what I should have done! In an effort to safe a few $$$ the first few evenings we reserved campsites with no power/no water. And now, as I reach for my camera to take a picture that will tell an amazing story I find myself at a loss.

I will make sure to do better in the future with my 'power' usage.

Ride safe and keep in touch.

-Mike and Jasmine

Our Tracking --

PreTrip Equipment Testing --

Saying Goodbye To Our King Sized Tempur-Pedic --

Outside Our Favorite Donuts Shop (Surfin' Donuts) --

Check Them Out And Get The Jalapeño, Ham & Cheese Sandwich --

One Of My Wife's Best Friends (Hitomi) --

Saying Farewell To Our Best Friends (L) Matt Youmans (R) Russ Heim --

Ventura Ranch KOA, 7400 Pine Grove Road, Santa Paula, CA 93060 --

Jasmine Enjoying Route 1 On The California Coast --

Hearst Castle --

Hearst Castle Pool --

Samurai-Rider and Hearst Sculpture --

Taking A Break Is A Good Thing --

Gourmet Breakfast (Fruit & Oatmeal) --

Foggy But Still 'Golden' --

See Ladies... Not That Difficult --

**mikesworldtour** · #5 16 Jul 2013

Living Our Dream Tour (Part III) – Thick Marine-Layer & National Parks Move Us In-Land

Riding the Northern California Coast is amazing. The roads are fantastic, and the views are spectacular... when you can see them. As we pass through San Francisco, we visit some more friends; but, begin to experience a thick marine-layer and overcast skies. No worries, the interior of Oregon (north of the great Redwood Trees of California) offers us the Oregon Caves National Monument and the Crater Lake National Park (as-well-as some fantastic riding).

After our visit to these amazing National Parks we continue North to Portland, OR, for 2 days in the 'big' city and a break from camping for 'Samurai-Rider'.

Portland's “Keep Portland Weird” motto lives up to its name with fantastic sights, sounds and food. From here we duck south towards Salem, OR, for the BMW MOA International Rally (BMW Motorcycle Owners of America > The Rally), July 18-21, 2013.

Look for 'Samurai-Rider' (her bike has a little “bling” on the front windscreen”) and say “Hi”!

Ride safe and keep in touch.

-Mike and Jasmine

Our Tracking --

Jasmine's Friend Nanaka –

Golden Gate PMP Warrior (PMP Warrior) –

Evan and Joanne 'GearChic' Donn –

Time for a 'Cow' Picture (cows are kawaii) –

The beautiful (yet gloomy) California Coast (part 1) –

The beautiful (yet gloomy) California Coast (part 2) –

Campsite Japanese Curry (part 1) –

Campsite Japanese Curry (part 2) –

'Drive Thru' Redwood –

Redwood National & State Parks –

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox –

Not your average trees (Part 1) –

Not your average trees (Part 2) –

Not your average trees (Part 3) –

Not your average trees (Part 4) –

Smokey The Bear –

A new state under 'Samurai-Rider's' belt –

Oregon Caves National Monument –

The Caves (Part 1) –

The Caves (Part 2) –

The Caves (Part 3) –

The Caves (Part 4) –

Beer... my friend, your friend, everybody's friend –

New State Sticker!! –

Crater Lake National Park –

CEnjoying the ride to Crater Lake –

Crater Lake –

Who wants to teach this young lady how to ride? –

Crater Lake area –

Crater Lake snow in July –

The legend of 'Mikes famous campsite spaghetti' continues to grow –

A much deserved break from camping –

Keep Portland Weird, live up to its motto –

Japanese comfort food... curry –

Portland Farmers Market with Salted/Caramel Ice Cream –

Portland Farmers Market –

Voodoo Donuts (Part 1) –

Voodoo Donuts (Part 2) –

**Tiffany** · #6 17 Jul 2013

Hi Mike
since our paths crossed in Japan, I wondered what had become of you and now I see this!!
Fantastic that the two of you are on the road together, hopefully you'll be coming my way in England and we can meet up??

best wishes and ride safe

Tiffany

**mikesworldtour** · #7 17 Jul 2013

Hi Tiffany:

Yeah, we plan on being in England Spring 2014! If it is okay with you, I will contact you prior to our arrival and we can get together and share some travel stories.

I think you just got done in South America -- working for BMW!!! How exciting!!! It will be great to hear your stories.

Take care. Ride safe and keep in touch.

-Mike and Jasmine

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiffany

Hi Mike
since our paths crossed in Japan, I wondered what had become of you and now I see this!!
Fantastic that the two of you are on the road together, hopefully you'll be coming my way in England and we can meet up??

best wishes and ride safe

Tiffany

**mikesworldtour** · #8 1 Aug 2013

Living Our Dream Tour (Part IV) – Alyxmoto, Alyxmoto... do you know Alyxmoto?!

I have been very fortunate over the years to have run into a handful of really amazing mechanics. With that said, on an even more rare occasion I have run into – what I call – a “true artisan”. An individual who has found their calling in life and spent their years learning and perfecting their craft. Alyx (of Alyxmoto [www.alyxmoto.com]) is one of these individuals. I met him at the BMW MOA event in Salem, OR. He had teamed up with Remus and Ohlins to install shock and exhaust systems purchased at the rally. After watching him work and speaking with him I could clearly see his passion for working on BMW motorcycles. After I had my new Ohlins installed I struck up a conversation with a rally attendee, Mel, later in the day – he was interested in getting a new suspension system for his 1200GS. Mel indicated that he saw Alyx install the Ohlins on my bike; and, that I was lucky to have him as my mechanic and indicated that Alyx does all the work on his 1200GS. This unsolicited praise brought me back to Alyx to arrange a full service of my and my wife's motorbikes later in the week.

I arrived at Alyx's shop and he went to work immediately. Trained in Germany, you could see the care and efficiency as he went about his task. He allowed me to watch, ask questions, loaned me tools to make some minor adjustments on my own, and made suggestions (no hard sales pitches) on some things I might consider doing to increase performance of my and my wife's motorbike. He also took the time to make some additional fabricated adjustments to make sure my wife's bike operated more efficiently.

I even had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Jenny, and two daughters.

When everything was complete, the bill was more than fair. Watching him work I even threw in a little extra – I felt that good about the time and care he put into his work and felt it was worth every penny.

If you are ever in Western Washington State, or making the Alaska to Ushuaia run, be sure to stop by Alyxmoto and have an 'artist' work on your BMW motorbike. He is completely independent so he does not have heavy overhead costs driving his prices up. He only accepts cash, but no worries, there is a ATM 5 miles from his shop as-well-as a Starbucks Coffee should you wish to take a day and catch up on your correspondence.

Be sure to check him out! Do you know Alyxmoto?!

Please note – be sure to call him before you "drop in" for service as he primarily works on a by appointment basis. Phone: 503-270-7088

ALYXMOTO [www.alyxmoto.com]:
30120 SE Retreat/Kanaskat Rd, Ravensdale WA 98051

GPS Coordinates: N 47.34071 W 121.94122

**Noel900r** · #9 3 Aug 2013

Enjoying your post's so far ,some nice photo's too.Noel

**aditya raj kapoor** · #10 6 Aug 2013

Good luck both...my wife n me are planning a rtw from april 2014...shall follow ur blog..ride safe!

Sent from my GT-I9082 using Tapatalk 4

**mikesworldtour** · #11 8 Aug 2013

Hi Noel900r:

I am happy you like the post's. Sorry they are coming so slow. Internet access has not been as available as I had thought it would be and I have not been managing my time correctly. I hope to change this in the next few months.

Take care, keep in touch, and ride safe.

-Mike and jasmine

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noel900r

Enjoying your post's so far ,some nice photo's too.Noel

**mikesworldtour** · #12 8 Aug 2013

Hi aditya raj kapoor:

That is GREAT!! I hope you and your wife have an amazing time! If you have any questions or need any help you can always ask (and Horizons Unlimited is the BEST source of help and information on the internet)!

Take care, ride safe, and keep in touch.

-Mike and jasmine

Quote:

Originally Posted by aditya raj kapoor

Good luck both...my wife n me are planning a rtw from april 2014...shall follow ur blog..ride safe!

Sent from my GT-I9082 using Tapatalk 4

**mikesworldtour** · #13 8 Aug 2013

Living Our Dream Tour (Part V) – BMW MOA International Rally, Salem, OR

I don’t often go to rally's. I’m not for them, I'm not against them. I usually find myself just missing them or off riding somewhere else when I hear about them. There are a handful that I have made it a point to go to since they specifically target adventure riding (Touratech Rally Germany, Horizions Unlimited – Cambria, CA, and of course the BMW Motorbike Days, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany). So, when my wife's editor asked her to go to the 41st Annual BMW MOA International Rally in Salem, OR, I was very interested to see what it would be like.

Both I and my wife had a great time! The facilities, the vendors, the speakers, the entertainment, the weather & the food all combined to give everybody something to do and see with fellow BMW enthusiasts. It gave us the opportunity to make new friends and meet up with some friends that we have only corresponded with over the internet.

How to properly fit a helmet – Nolan Helmets

The USA counterpart to BMW BIKES Japan – on of the magazines my wife works for

Simon and Lisa Thomas (2ridetheworld.com)

Great food at the BMW MOA

Feeding eveybody!

One of the little bonuses about having the BMW MOA International Rally in Oregon was the “NO Sales Tax” offered on items purchased at the Rally. With the additional savings of “NO Sales Tax” I could not resist the opportunity to upgrade both my and my wife's suspension to Ohlins.

(Öhlins performance suspension, shocks, struts, and dampers home)

Discussing suspension options with Matt from Ohlins

One of the best seminars I attended was the “ADV Setup for Prime Off-Road Riding” by Jeremy LeBrenton. The information was well presented and very informative. And I never pass up the chance to see “How to Change a Tire Anytime, Anywhere!” by Grant & Susan Johnson.

“ADV Setup for Prime Off-Road Riding” by Jeremy LeBrenton

For my wife, I would say she enjoyed the “Women Who Ride – By Women Riders, for Women Riders” by Heidi Still. My wife not only attended this meeting she was also given the opportunity to speak for a few moments to describe our current adventure.

Samurai-Rider checking out “Women Who Ride – By Women Riders, for Women Riders” by Heidi Stil

Samurai-Rider speaking for a few moments to describe our current adventure

I don't know where we will be next year, but if I have the chance I will definitely attend the 42nd BMW MOA, St. Paul, Minnesota, July 24-27, 2014

**mikesworldtour** · #14 8 Aug 2013

Living Our Dream Tour (Part VI) – The Adventure Rider Family

While at the BMW MOA in Salem, OR, I had the chance to meet Mel. He got me in touch with a amazing mechanic (Alyx of Alyxmoto). He also offered space on his property should we be passing through the Chehalis, WA, area. We were; and, as we got close, I gave Mel a call. He not only offered us space on his property, he let us use the shower and bed in his 'Toy Hauler' he had parked in his driveway as-well-as a fantastic dinner and company (with he and his wife Jo) and breakfast in the morning! My wife is new to the Adventure Riding Lifestyle, the little things that we take for granted every day, like a hot shower and soft warm bed, are an amazing gift to give. Thank you Mel and Jo for a wonderful stay and we hope to return your generosity in the future. Ride safe and keep in touch.

**mikesworldtour** · #15 8 Aug 2013

Living Our Dream Tour (Part VII) – The Adventure Rider Family Grows!

While getting some service on my bike from Alyxmoto we found out that we did not have a part he needed to complete the task (a water pump). Since Alyx does some contract work for Ferndale, BMW, I called ahead and had the part shipped to their location. Alyx asked where I would go while I waited for the pump to arrive (of course this 'part not available during repairs' happened on a Saturday!). I told him we would just look for a campsite. Alyx asked if I was interested in staying on a Blueberry Farm. Blueberrys... Of course! After a few minutes on the phone all the arrangements had been made and I was going to stay with friends of Alyx on the “Eastview Blueberry Farm” [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eastvi...3937836006623]. Jasmine and I were guests of Dave, Leah, Peter and Jenny. One of my favorite TV shows is “How Its Made” and now I get the chance to live it and learn where and how blueberries are picked and processed. In addition to this very neat adventurer my wife was once again pampered with a soft bed, hot shower, good food, and internet access – which came in handy to finish an article for 'Girls Biker' magazine.

What made this stay special is that everyone in the family is a GS owner. Dave 1200GS. Peter... 1150GS. Leah... 650GS Twin. Jenny... 650GS Single.

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