Sunsets, Wildlife, and Murals, Oh My!
- davisnika
- Feb 12
- 3 min read
We both have Bluetooth-synced helmets that allow us to communicate with one another as well as listen to our own music. We have very different tastes in music, so this is a big deal. While listening to music, or sometimes just listening to the hum of the bike and breathing in the air, I am drawn to certain visual things from my pillion view. In addition to the general beauty of the outdoors, popular landmarks, and national parks, I am mesmerized by sunrises and sunsets, wildlife, and murals.
When I first began riding, my enjoyment came from sunrises and sunsets. While I have seen them hundreds of times from a car, it is different from the back of a bike. I truly feel a part of the transition as it occurs. The variance of colors in a sunset is quite beautiful, and no two are the same. I see many more sunsets than sunrises because we get a good night’s rest before a ride, but if we are up, the sunrise is not missed.
The wildlife we see ranges from the ordinary of cows, horses, deer and chickens (so many chickens in Key West) to the not so commonly seen fox, coyote, and sea elephants to the extraordinary hawk with a snake in its mouth, wild turkeys in the Redwoods, a massive python in the Everglades, herd of aoudads on a mountainside, and bison grazing right before our very eyes. This summer, we will be on the lookout for bear, moose, elk and eagles as we ride in Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Colorado.
Cows are definitely the animals we see most. As a Texan, I am very accustomed to seeing cows graze in a pasture. However, desert, oceanside, and mountain cows are a bit unusual. While riding on Devil’s Highway (U.S. 191) through the White Mountains of Arizona, we rounded a corner and nearly ran right into a cow. We have a great video, but expletives were used. The Devil's Highway is known as the curviest road in the U.S. with 460 twisting turns in the mountains. My question remains, how did a cow get there?
While we had no warning on the Devil's Highway, cattle crossing signs are seen quite frequently on our rides. The vast majority are a docile-looking cow. However, Nevada's version is much more aggressive as seen on the above sign from the Loneliest Road. We named it "Toro." I heard there are UFO stickers on the cattle crossing signs in parts of New Mexico, but have yet to see that one.
The draw to murals occurred out of happenstance. Many times when trying to get a picture of a particular town, the name is painted on a mural. We were eating lunch at the Crossroads Cafe in Joshua Tree, California, and I asked about the location of a mural. The waitress asked, “Do you take pictures of murals everywhere you go?” We laughed and said no, but guess what… we now take pics of murals when seen. I guess it is our thing.
Currently, I am obsessed with love locks. The idea is for a couple to attach a padlock to a bridge and then throw away the key, symbolizing that they will always be together. There are several locations in the US to participate:
Savannah, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Missoula, Montana
Paris, Texas
Detroit, Michigan
Kansas City, Missouri
Houston, Texas
I currently have four padlocks in the saddlebag to accomplish this. I had no idea about it when we traveled to Paris, Texas, but I will not miss the one this summer as we travel through Missoula! If you know of any other legal locations, please let me know. I am aware it has been banned in certain places, but like I said… obsessed!
As the pillion, you may enjoy the ride even more if you focus on finding certain things along the way. Keep in mind, the primary rider needs to keep their eyes on the road and can't always look when you shriek with excitement. My guy finds it amusing when I take hundreds of sunset photos, or when I'm intensely focused on spotting an alligator in the Everglades, or when we drive past a mural and I ask him to turn around. Well, maybe not the turning around part, but he is the one who bought the padlocks for upcoming love lock rides. Find your thing and enjoy the ride.
The Blonde Backpack
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