Customer Reviews

American Borders: A Solo Circumnavigation of the United States on a Russian Sidecar Motorcycle

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

From the moment Carla's motorcycle started up the road to adventure, I was with her - in the sidecar - the whole way. You discover, laugh, get pissed off, and at times, unsure what's next as King curves and glides across America. Great adventurous read. All the people you meet. I felt as though I was meeting them too. Love the Canadian border/US border group. When the bike breaks down, and it does - the uncertainity of - are we done now? Hope not. And, then on the road again. Makes you want to take off and discover the jewels awaiting you in a unique travel mode, especially for a woman. Where to next, Carla?

I began researching the Ural sidecar rig in 2000. At that time, the bike was still relatively unreliable and more suited to those with a penchant for tinkering. Ms. King's book really highlights the flaws in those early bikes, and provides an entertaining and down-to-earth look at how the manufacturer of a new and/or inferior product must go through the painful process of constant refinement and change in order to survive in a very competitive market.

Carla King and I have never met. However, we became friends when she read my book, then sent me her own. I'm a scooter person, I've never riden a motorcycle. Yet it didn't take much imagination to ride along right behind her, because every bend in the road brought a new adventure. Carla's voice is authentic, engaging, and best of all ... enduring.

I've known men who have taken off on a motorcycle trip to South America, but this is a different kind of journey. I think that it takes a lot of courage for an attractive, single woman to set off on the road alone. Whether by bike or motorcycle, it takes more than an adventurous spirit to manage the moments when you pull up alongside a motorcycle gang, or the small town loner. It takes the ability to rapidly sort options and defuse potentially dangerous situations with a tool set of inner skills.

Carla has this ability in spades. And she's also got first-rate mechanical skills. Whether her trip was prompted by heartbreak, or her heart's longing for the open road, she got what she was looking for and so much more! I read the book with delight, like enjoying a box of chocolates all by yourself; and I highly recommend it.

Alexia Parks, author of Rapid Evolution, Seven Words That Will Change Your Life Forever!

I purchased and read this book about 10 years ago, when at the age of 50 I was just becoming interested in doing long distance motorcycle traveling, and the idea of circumnavigating this country was on my list of things to do. Of course despite the title she does not even come close to doing this on this little ride. In fact the book has little to say to the motorcyclist who has actually ridden around this country (and others). It mostly talks about the problems she had with the bike (duh!, it is a URAL after all). Pretty lame book overall, with precious little human interest insight, and her very brief treatment of the north shore of Lake Superior (somewhere I had not yet been and very much wished to visit) was especially disappointing. I wish she had more of the storyteller in her and less of the--I'm a reasonably attractive blonde who rides motorcycles I bet I could sell some books if I put the right photo on the cover even if I can't write all that well-- feel to it. I actually purchased the book from her website and contemplated returning it to her with my commentary, but then just threw it out instead. Check out Jonny Bealby's "Running With The Moon", a much more satisfying tale.

First two thirds of the book moves and is interesting. Last third I felt that she was loosing interest. Book is worth buying and is a good light read.

American Borders describes Carla King's incredible 10,000-mile, four-month solo motorcycle journey around the United States on a Russian Ural equipped with a sidecar. The book begins by explaining how the author mustered the courage to undertake such a trip and why she was not afraid to travel alone. It explains that a few years before this journey, she and her husband had planned a motorcycle trip through Europe but her husband canceled at the last minute leaving her to travel alone. After recovering from her anger, she realized that riding solo gave her much more independence and pleasure than she had expected. Chapter two describes the beginning of the US borders trip and the next twenty-three chapters describe a series of problems she encountered along the way, people who gave her assistance in times of need, and random thoughts about life.

King began her trip on June 22, 1995 in Santa Cruz, California. She rode north up the Pacific coast to Vancouver British Columbia and then turned east. For the next 2,500 miles, she crossed back and forth across the border between Canada and the US. She rode through Greenwood BC, Glacier National Park, Milk River Alberta, Portal North Dakota, Thunder Bay Ontario, and Sault St. Marie Ontario. This leg of the trip was the most difficult due to repeated breakdowns. From Sault St. Marie, she turned south riding through Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia to her family's home in North Carolina. After a brief rest, she continued her trip through South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and down to the pan handle of Florida. She had planned to camp and scuba dive a few days at Fort Pickens National Seashore on the Gulf of Mexico, but her plans were cut short by an approaching hurricane. She moved on through Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas (with a brief jaunt into Mexico), New Mexico, and Arizona before reentering her home state of California. At the end of her trip, she attended a farewell birthday party for Timothy Leary.

On several occasions, King found herself stranded in remote places--especially along the US-Canadian border-- because of mechanical failures. Each time she broke down, King was calm and drew emotional support from various sources as she waited for assistance, wreckers, or shipped parts. For example, she was raised in a family of mechanics and had learned a few basic mechanical skills which were occasionally successful in solving the problem. She had been assured by the Ural America company president that mechanical advice over the phone would be available 24/7 and that replacement parts would be shipped overnight if necessary. She also drew emotional support from her grandparent's diary describing a 1927 auto trip around the US, the book entitled Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, and a book of Emerson's essays. Over and again, King was able to find mechanics in small towns and good people who offered food, lodging, and emotional support.

In addition to describing fascinating details of the trip, the book gives us a glimpse into King's personality and teaches us important lessons about life. For example, the book teaches us that we must follow our dreams if we want to make a mark in this world. And, we should not allow family and friends to prevent us from pursuing our dreams. Furthermore, we must not give up when we encounter obstacles and temporary setbacks along the road toward our goals. The episode with Harold the tow truck driver in White River, Ontario teaches us that we must recognize when we are moving in the right direction and be able control our emotions and our tongue in order to attain our goal. Throughout the book, we learn that most people admire others with lofty aspirations and are willing to provide considerable assistance. We must learn how to recognize these good people and how to ask them for help. We also must learn that when life gets tough, a few days with our family can renew our self-confidence and get us back on the road again.

King is an unusually gifted story teller who is able to weave details of her trip in with her sensations, feelings, thoughts, emotions, and dreams. After reading a few pages, I felt like I was reading a well-written novel. The heroine was confronted with one major problem after another that would have overwhelmed most other people. But King was stronger than her tribulations and eventually prevailed. You will suffer with her each time she encounters a problem. And you will rejoice with her each time she eventually prevails and gets back on the road. Once you start reading this book, will not want to put it down. `

If you ride a motorcycle and have attempted short solo trips, you will be inspired by King's courage, determination, and resourcefulness. If you have never ridden motorcycles and just want to read a good book, you will be inspired by her uncanny insights and her ability to survive in a foreign environment. Regardless of your background, you will surely enjoy every page of this book.

This book book was an ok motorcycle travel book. Eventhough it was published in 2007, it is about a trip King takes in 1996. The writing was decent, but I never really got sucked into the story. It was interesting to hear about her troubles riding the Ural. I don't know anything about Urals, but I wondered if they are better machines today than when she rode hers.

It was a decent read but there are better motorcycle travel books out there.

A wonderful story - especially interesting if you're into motorcycles. The author showed great courage and an unflagging sense of humor.

Although it was a little slow in places, overall I thought this was a great book. By the time I finished I was ready to by a Ural and retrace her steps!

This book is just ok for me. I have taken a couple motorcycle cross-country trips and I have to say my experiences were a bit more interesting than this one.