Friday, June 15, 2012

Harley Ride to Starved Rock in Illinois

 Jake, me and THE Harley


 my wonderful hosts Elena and Jake

my first ever root beer ... yum!
 
 wonderful friends April, Robin, Elena and Jake




I am having a holiday romance with Harley
 
 biker chicks Robin and April

 I even was game enough to take photos while riding on the back of the Harley

This is an amazing country with wonderful people who have opened up their homes and their hearts to me. How does one repay such generosity??? All I can do is love them in return. It doesn't seem enough somehow. Today I got to ride on the back of Jake's Harley and let me tell ya, its something I will never forget!!! The sights and sounds and smells are amazing on the back of a bike. I even got to smell a skunk. It was road kill but the tell tale skunk smell was still in the air. A deer ran across the road ... such beautiful animals. 

It was a warm day and the breeze blowing through my hair made me feel so happy I thought I would burst. When we rode passed forests you could feel pockets of cool air as though someone opened the fridge. Everything is so green. Not like the green/grey of Australia. 

The houses are so cute. Almost like children's drawings. They don't have large verandas to keep out the summer heat and very few have fences. We rode through a little town called Ottawa and it looked like something out of an American movie. AND I WAS RIDING THROUGH IT!!!!

Their accents make me smile every time I hear them. I am already picking it up hehehe. Not so much in the pronunciation but the rhythm. The rhythm is so musical you can't help but be drawn in by it. Of course they tell me I am the one with the accent hehehe.
 
This morning while drinking my coffee I saw a chipmunk in the garden and so many different birds. They have a quiet elegant way of singing. Nothing at all like the noisy squawking and carry on I am used to.

Everywhere I turn there is something new to experience. I have a constant smile on my face and feel so lucky to be here.
 


 


12 comments:

Doris said...

Ottawa is beautiful, you must have rode past my house!

april said...

What beautiful descriptions. You make us appreciate what most take for granted. You were teary all day yesterday and now I am in tears reading your words. What a special day!

Laura said...

Uta,
Awesome that you were able to share this experience with Robin, Jake, Elena and April... so excited for you and still can't believe it that your here in the states...

Jan said...

So fun to be able to share this journey with you.

Suz said...

oh uta...welcome
and have the time of your life
you are in good hands

Glenn Stenson said...

Love looking at this adventure through your eyes.

Uta said...

Hey can you tell I love it here?????

Erik Lucien said...

Who wouldn’t be happy to travel to Starved Rock riding a Harley? And having your generous friends tag along the trip certainly made it more special. The whole experience of the trip is surely worth to remember. And by the way, Jake’s Harley looks awesome! No wonder you have fun riding it with him.

Uta said...

Erik it was one of the best times of my life ... memories were created that I will cherish forever.

Hannah Parkin said...

That definitely seemed like an excellent trip! Ottawa is a pleasant, little town, and its filled with a lots of wonderful people! It’s truly one of the most beautiful places in Canada. I’ve been there a couple of times with my motorcycle. For me, words are not enough to describe how wonderful it is as you travel through the curvy roads of Ottawa.

Uta said...

Hi Hannah, thanks for dropping by. The Ottawa I was in was a little town in Illinois. I would love to be able to visit the Ottawa in Canada one day especially with your description of it.

Claudio Mccarty said...

Hey, that’s nice! It’s never too late for a Harley ride. :D My mom was actually 50 years old when she first rode a motorcycle, and that’s not even a classic one! I’m sure everyone, even the less adventurous ones, will enjoy that. Plus, one more thing you’ll surely take pleasure in is the attention from onlookers. ;]