Motorcycle Misadventures

In Cedar City - Tire Changing Help FOUND

One of the other mechanics came in the shop and says he can do it, no problem. Whew! I should be out of here and on the road by about 10:30-11. See you in Mariposa, for those of you who are going to the BMW NorCal 49er Rally. 

We have a winner on the road to empowerment...

In last week's great guest blog post by Liz Jansen, author of Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment, was a free ebook offer by drawing from the people who commented on the book, and Deborah Hymes won. Congratulations Deborah! Coincidentially, I know Deborah aka her smart and funny Writer Vixen blog. In fact, she attended one of my Self-Publishing Boot Camps last year and was a pleasure to have in the seminar. Deborah wasted not time downloading and reading the book, and she offers her comments here:

----------------

Hi Carla, I'm so excited that I won this book. I'm embarking on several new adventures at the moment, and although none of them involve an actual motorcycle, the spirit of taking to the road suffuses my life right now. I immediately found inspiration and a kindred spirit in "Getting Past Go":  

"I was heading into the unknown . . . and had a whole blank slate in front of me, waiting for me to write the script. I . . . ultimately would have to let go of behaviors, thoughts and beliefs that not only no longer served me, but also hindered my progress. The trick would be to recognize fears that were creating resistance, identify self-limiting beliefs and destroy them one by one, rather than let them continue to hold me away from who I was."  [Jansen, Liz (2011-12-01). Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment (p. 80).  . Kindle Edition.]

I am revved up! Thank you so much. ;)

----------------

Thank you Deborah, thank you Liz! Liz is on to the next stop in her virtual book tour, check out 10 Life Lessons I Learned from Being a Biker in the Amazing Women Rock blog.

Meet me at the BMW NorCal Rally this Memorial Day Weekend

BMW Motorcycle Owners to Converge in Yosemite & California's Gold Country for Unparalleled Riding & Events at 40th Annual 49er Rally, May 24-28, 2012 in Mariposa CA

Hitting the Road: 7 Steps for Adventure Travel - Liz Jansen: author of Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment, helps conquer your fears

I'm thrilled to be the first stop on a virtual book tour for Liz Jansen, an author, speaker, coach and motorcycle aficionado.  Her book Women, Motorcycles and the Road to Empowerment resonates with stories of adventure and self-discovery.  She says that "The Road to Empowerment may lead around the block or around it world.  It always brings us back to who we are."

I agree! I've gotten to know Liz over the years via social media and phone conversations, and we finally met last year and became fast friends. We found that we shared many of the same experiences as motorcycle travelers timidly starting out, working through our fears and doing that thing we really wanted to do - get on a motorcycle and explore. If you are, similarly, trying to figure out whether you're brave enough to work through the fears that have stopped you - well, we're here to gently push you toward your dream. If you've done it, you'll recognize yourself in these 7 Steps for Adventure Travel, so wonderfully illustrated in her book, which is discounted for this tour -- 25% of signed books from her website and reduced ebook price to $6.99 for the tour from Amazon and other ebook retailers.

Now... here's Liz's 7 steps for getting past fear and hitting the road.

---

Hitting the Road: 7 Steps for Adventure Travel

Excitement tinged with fear framed where I stood looking forward on August 1, 2003. Forty-nine, single, healthy, unbound by work commitments, I was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: a two-month solo motorcycle odyssey across North America. 

Recognizing I had migrated into roles which no longer fit me, I had left a thirty-year relationship and a successful corporate career in the preceding eight months. I was footloose and fancy free. 

I had a new bike, been riding for more than thirty years and was confident in my skills. The opportunities ahead of me were endless. 

So why the fear?

Introducing MotoSFO, your guide to motorcycle touring in Northern California

It's my birthday, it's International Female Ride Day, and it's the day I launch my new website, MotoSFO. It's been a blast to develop this site with a community of local rider-riders who share their favorite places in Northern California. I hope you'll ride along with us, my friends. We can't wait to see you here!

MOTOSFO - WHERE LOCALS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE PLACES TO RIDE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 4, 2012 -- MotoSFO, a new website devoted to motorcycle touring in Northern California, launches today. The online magazine was created by motorcycle adventure travel writer Carla King, who lives and rides in the San Francisco Bay Area. She developed the site for her Motorcycle Misadventures blog readers who asked for information and advice about motorcycle travel in this very popular tourist destination. The site combines travel stories with maps, resources, news, and events of specific interest to motorcyclists.

The site serves a variety of motorcycle touring styles including the business traveler who has just one day to rent a motorcycle and take in the highlights, the fly-n-ride travelers on the vacation of a lifetime, and motorcyclists on a budget. Recommendations and reviews include hotels, campgrounds, state and national parks, restaurants, motorcycle rentals, repair, events, and gear. The site will also be of interest to local riders who want to break out of their usual weekend groove, says King, who says her team of writers have already surprised her with new information about areas she thought she knew well.

MotoSFO is a team of local riders and writers who live in the region from San Francisco to the Sierras, and Big Sur to the Mendocino Coast. King says that "not only will MotoSFO readers discover our favorite roads, but the quirky tourist destinations that rarely make the guidebooks, our favorite places to eat, to hang out with other riders, and the places we pull out to get the best view. We might take you to a hot springs, or an overlook where you can see elks grazing or elephant seals mating, or a quiet redwood grove where you can be alone." 

Along with King, the initial team of MotoSFO local guides are Lisa Alpine in Mill Valley, Sandy Borden in Davis, Kathy Hensley in Aptos, Cat MacLeod in El Sobrante, Carl Ribaudo in South Lake Tahoe, and Cindi Servante in Novato. At launch, guest bloggers include Christopher Gil of MAD Maps and Issa Breibish of WeLove Motogeo. Find out more about them on the site.

"MotoSFO brings all my favorite activities and areas of expertise together," says King. "It combines motorcycle touring, travel, writing, editing, photography, and web design, all in my favorite place to live and ride in the world, Northern California."  

http://motoSFO.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/motosfo
Twitter: @motosfo

 CONTACT: Carla King | contact@motosfo.com