Modern Vespa

Northbound on Highway 17 over the Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick, Georgia.

Nice and bright day...
Wish the Kosciuszko Bridge on I 278 or BQE to us was empty like that. Even at 3 AM or 6 AM it has traffic.

This little fellow showed up a couple weeks back – looked me in the eye; uuhm lens.


All he wanted was to get something below in the cactus

Eucalyptus trunk in the rain. Miguel

Foggy morning

These guys shared the garage for a short time only.....
Burgman was sold, awaiting shipment 2400 miles.

Short-eared owl.

Admiring the mountain view in Ceredigion while waiting for the 3 way to turn green on the way to work teaching the kids cycle training at Tal Yr Bont school.

I must've had a similar expression

Near the White's Ferry grill in Poolesville, Maryland, a few years ago. The ferry, which crossed the Potomac River, closed about two years ago following a legal dispute with a nearby property owner. I hope it's able to reopen this year.

I know it's not scooter tag, but brought back memories

This was taken during a rainy day on the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2013.

From our ride up to the Twelve Apostles in December 2016. Shortly after this photo was taken the belt on my rented GTS 250 broke. We ended up after calling the shop in Melbourne we rented from riding back to Melbourne two up on the Bergman 400 that was the scoot my husband was riding. While the Bergman isn't my favorite scooter it is a lot more comfortable as a passenger than the GTS would have been.

🌴🌊😎 amazing picture this last one

cdwise,

Definitely a long way from Tenn. How did you pick flying to the
other end of the world? I always wanted to go there - just to far.
I agree, the Burgman 400 would have been a better two up than the Vespa.

Bob Copeland

We didn't fly and at the time we lived in Colorado. I stumbled across a transpacific sailing on Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas from Seattle to Sydney 26 days with stops in Honolulu, an overnight in Lahaina, on to Vanuatu, Fuji New Caledonia (I'd like to go back there) ending in Sydney. We had been promising to visit fiends there once the kids were grown so took advantage of the opportunity as fare was $2780 for both of us in a balcony. Great trip and we still keep in touch with a few folks we met onboard. Bobo from this forum met us at scooter rental in Sydney and took us on a Vespa Tour. Later we rented scooters in Port Douglas, Melbourne and Auckland New Zealand. Spent six weeks between Australia and New Zealand before returning home.

cdwise,

Wow, what an adventure. Some people go their whole life
and do not have that great kind of extended travel experience.

Also, self imposed, some can not get away. Additionally, some
are not comfortable with a kind of gypsy life staying somewhere
different every other night.

I was stationed USN ashore (communications) just North of Naples.
After living there for four years in the service, I stayed when I
got out for another year (until my money ran out). You could
be mustered out overseas - they would give you your ticket home and
final pay. I bombed around Europe in my Fiat 500 camping on the ground.

I got the travel bug somewhat out of my system because I knew the
future held "up the ladder" career shit, marriage, kids and being
responsible to others.

You did a super trip.

Bob Copeland

Bob, kiwis consider a USA to Australia/NZ a short trip. We commonly fly (or used to) to Europe, many choosing to do their "Big OE" (Overseas Experience) starting in Britain and exploring Europe while there. Mainly done by younger people it is not uncommon now for boomers like us to do the same thing, possible in shorter bursts. Mrs. Pigletpilot and I (and once with pigletpilot jnr) have been to Europe 4 times. We noted last time how the airfares were the same in 2018 as what we paid in 1978! A trip to Cyprus included coming home through the USA including New York, Kansas City (visiting relatives), San Fransisco and LA.
It's about 24 hours total time depending on the chosen route.

Gosh that sounds exhausting!

Off the Peralta Trail AZ – Weavers Needle


Oh; and a scooter picture Hatch NM

Nice image of Weavers Needle, rajron. Did you find the gold?

😊 I could easily get the Gold Bug but like gambling I never win.

One of our New Zealand photos and another from Alaska.

cdwise,

I understand that New Zealand got crushed by Cyclone Gabrielle
recently. Perhaps some of the "Kookaburra's on this forum can
provide more info.

Bob Copeland
Minnesota
"No Cyclones, no Hurricanes, just colder than a well diggers behind"

GoPam has been stuck in New Zealand due to the cyclone but reports she is at the airport and they're postponed due to airport closure return to the US has probably departed by now. Yes, they been hit hard by rains this year.

I read about it. I hope she returns to the States safe and sound.

On another note, when are you going to show us pictures of your brand new scooter?

When it gets home, right now it is at the dealership getting the final dealer prep, installing my GPS, an extra power point on the mirror stem to plug in phone and/or camera and the power cable for the light kit in my top case for turn signals and brakes.

Bob, parts of New Zealand have been absolutely pummelled by Cyclone Gabrielle (too close to the name of the GTS300). Almost entirely confined to the North Island, but not all of it. Northland was hit hard, parts of Auckland, our biggest city, the Coromandel Peninsula has been hit really hard, many roads still closed by slips. One major road has a monster drop out that will either take a long time to repair, or the road may have to be rerouted around the slip. The East Coast of the North Island has taken the biggest hit with many communities still cut off and at least 4500 people still not accounted for. Not necessarily missing, just not contacted since Tuesday (it's Friday night here now). Gisborne is cut off to the public, but a convoy of trucks is going in from the north west of the city taking generators and essential supplies. Hawkes Bay has been really hammered, an area called Esk Valley, a major road in, has been absolutely devastated with the whole valley having flooded taking cars, property and buildings with it. This is a grape growing area with harvest due next month. The cities of Napier and Hastings have had areas that have had varying degrees of damage from complete inundation to major wind damage. We have family in that area and our older sister in law was off grid from Tuesday until yesterday when someone (a stranger who saw a post on a community noticeboard) went and checked up on her. She and her little dog were all good, just had no power, internet of telephone. She couldn't contact her daughter in Napier (she lives in Hastings, very close) or other local family member, but we know she is alright. All the other relatives are good and power is being restored progressively. Our very good scooter friend in Napier finally got power back tonight and had no damage at home. He used his 2 cylinder generator (Fiat Panda multi air) to charge his phone and he picked up information as he could get internet coverage - very intermittent.
A a nation we have to reassess our forestry methods. Our radiate pine plantations that were put in to control erosion are harvested every 25 - 30 years and there is massive "slash" left behind. In high rainfall this gets washed down into waterways, it clogs the rivers and leans against bridges, either knocking them over or forcing the water over the top of the bridge and the slash carries on downstream causing more damage as it goes and eventually ending up either in the sea or anywhere along the way.
However, the country is pulling together and support is being provided by our armed forces, Civil Defence personnel and USARs people. The current death toll is 9, but expected to rise.

BTW Bob, kookaburra are Australian - and they can stay there.

On a serious note what you were describing is utter desolation. It's so sad such a beautiful place has been damaged so much.

One has got to find the strength somehow somewhere to get through something like that.

Having been through several major hurricanes I can empathize with all that is going on. Hopefully the vast majority of those "missing" will be able to report in soon. It can take years to fully recover from that sort of flooding and damage. My heart goes out to those who will have lost so much.

pigletpilot,

Sorry, my mistake, you are the Kiwis. God speed to everyone
in your fine country. I hope your weather is being kind to all those
recovering from this horrific event.

Bob Copeland

I call this one 'Hope for the Future.'

Beautiful hand-sized Egyptian sculpture at a San Francisco Art Museum.
Miguel

think I took a couple of good ones here : https://modernvespa.com/forum/post2601370#2601370

SteelBytes,

Excellent photos. I was going to shout out to you - 2300k ride and
no photos.

Again, amazing photos of a world I can only appreciate through you.

Thanks,

Bob Copeland
21" of snow coming in tomorrow here in Minnesota

Fabulous and intriguing photo SteelBytes. Thanks for posting them.
Miguel

UPDATE: Life in the Cyclone affected areas of New Zealand has turned to trying to get some normality into lives. Many roads are still closed and access to many communities is still cut off. The numbers unaccounted for is down to about 150 according to the Police, under 10 according to USAR. Either means our death toll of 11 is still likely to rise.
New Zealanders have absolutely opened their hearts, and their pockets. A local news site started a Give a little page hoping to raise $1,000,000 dollars. It has topped $4,000,000!!. There's more to come too with our national cricket team due to play Sri Lanka. Their principal sponsor has said they will put up $1,000,000 at the first game, and NZ Cricket will donate all ticket revenue. Transport firms, helicopter companies, all sorts are donating time and equipment to try to get some help to all the stricken communities.
Just to keep them on their toes there is more rain forecast to hit the same areas this week/weekend. Up to 200mm is forecast, but people are being optimistic.
I spent a day driving for my retirement job yesterday. I passed through some forested areas and I was flabbergasted to see pine trees just snapped off about half height. I just had my mouth open in awe at the wind force required to cause that damage.

In the State Park a few years ago.

O.S.

Yellow Springs, OH
6:28AM
3/1/23

O.S.

Tori in 3D (look at it like seeing a "Magic Eye" image).