A Widow's Ride

The time has finally come! The Scooter Cannonball Run is almost upon us, and after a bit of a scramble, I’m making my way to the starting line in beautiful Seaside, Oregon. This leg of the adventure has been a logistical puzzle, but I’ve navigated my way through cars, planes, Ubers, and even a hostel to get here.

From Alabama to Atlanta: A Timely Departure

Living in Alabama, the small local airport often means a pricier flight and a layover at a larger hub like Atlanta. To save some cash and have a bit more control, I opted to drive the 2 1/2 hours to Atlanta. However, a quick check of my schedule revealed a critical oversight: I had booked a boutique hotel in Seaside for Friday night, but I really needed to be there by Thursday to pick up my scooter.

Knowing that 300 of us scooter enthusiasts would be descending on Seaside during peak season, finding an available room seemed like a long shot. I scrambled, searching every hotel listing imaginable, and that’s when I stumbled upon the Seaside Lodge & International Hostel. Hostels, with their shared rooms and bathrooms, are a different experience from hotels, but I’ve stayed in a couple while bike touring and they’re usually much more affordable. I wished I’d found it sooner, but I managed to snag a bunk bed for Thursday night which is a small victory!

Next up was Wednesday night. With Juneteenth thankfully observed as a holiday this year, I booked my flight from Atlanta for 9 pm, scheduled to arrive in Portland around midnight. I held off on booking a room in Portland just in case of flight delays, deciding to take my chances on finding something near the airport upon arrival.

The critical timing for leaving Alabama was getting to the Atlanta airport by 7 pm, allowing for the recommended two-hour pre-flight arrival. With a 2 1/2 hour drive from Central Time, I initially calculated a 4:30 pm departure. But then I remembered the hour time difference, pushing my true departure time to 3:30 pm. This meant hitting Atlanta right in the thick of rush hour.

I’m one of those people who hates being late. My father instilled in me a deep-seated need to be early – I have vivid memories of being the first in line at Disneyland, waiting for the gates to open. While I like to think I’m not as extreme as he was, I still prefer to arrive early and have time to relax before boarding the plane. So, Mark and I agreed to leave a couple of hours earlier than strictly necessary. Our contingency plan was to stop at Chattabrewchee The Hangar, a brewery near the airport, for an early dinner and a craft beer.

As luck would have it, we hit no traffic whatsoever and arrived with ample time. We got to the brewery, only to find their food truck wasn’t there, it’s a weekend-only affair. But they had a brilliant suggestion: order Domino’s Pizza and have it delivered! So, that’s exactly what we did. I enjoyed a delicious sour while Mark savored a milk stout. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend Chattabrewchee.

We finished up early, and I told Mark he could drop me off at the airport; I didn’t mind hanging out there. This would give him plenty of time to get home before it gets too late. To my surprise, navigating through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport – the busiest in the US – was a breeze. Baggage check-in and TSA security were remarkably quick.

As I made my way to my gate, I received an alert: my flight was delayed by 10 minutes. Then another alert: another 15-minute delay. Frustrated but ever-resourceful, I scanned the departure board and noticed another flight to Portland departing sooner. I quickly headed to the customer service desk, expecting to beg for a standby spot on what I assumed would be a full flight. To my delight, being a Delta rewards member paid off! They not only booked me a guaranteed seat but upgraded me to Comfort zone. Whoohoo, I scored!

Even better, I’d now arrive in Portland around 10 pm instead of midnight. This gave me a better shot at snatching a room at a nearby hotel, which I successfully did at the Hampton Inn. When I walked into my room, I noticed a thoughtful touch: a complimentary pair of earplugs. The room, it turned out, faced the airport runway. I chuckled, pulling out my hearing aids. Problem solved. It’s one of the perks of being deaf – I can “take my ears out” whenever I want!

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From Portland to Seaside: Bus, Bunk Beds, and Bike Buddies

The last stretch of my journey to the Scooter Cannonball Run starting line involved navigating from Portland to Seaside. My goal was Union Station to catch a bus, and while the hotel concierge suggested the MAX Light Rail, I ended up taking a different route.

I hopped on the hotel shuttle back to the airport, intending to catch the MAX. The ticket was a steal at two bucks, but when I looked closer at the schedule, I realized it would be a very tight connection, leaving no room for delays. My inner “nervous Nelly” kicked in, and the stress of potentially missing the bus was too much. So, I scrapped the train idea and hopped into an Uber from the airport to Union Station. Of course, I got there with plenty of time to spare!

While sitting in the lobby waiting for the bus, I noticed two women, Claire and Terra. Their interest was piqued by my thrift store luggage, which I’d decorated with extra motorcycle stickers and “Scooter Cannonball 2025” – a dead giveaway of my intentions! We started chatting and I learned it was their second Scooter Cannonball Run, and they offered a ton of helpful advice, which I really appreciated as a first-timer.

Soon, it was time to board. Interestingly, they had bicyclists go first to break down their bikes and load them into the bus’s underbelly – pretty impressive how quickly they dismantled them! I guess they ride down the Oregon coast after taking the bus up. We also spotted two other fellow scooter riders in line. Once on board, I sat across from Claire and Terra, while the guys went further back. We exchanged numbers, promising to stay in touch and help each other out during the journey.

During the three-hour ride, it suddenly dawned on me: Claire and Terra were the famous Scooter Tailwind from YouTube! I’d watched their videos on prepping scooters for the Cannonball Run. They were the reason I’d added the Thunderbox to my scooter at the last minute for all my electronics. What an incredible stroke of luck to run into them!

The ride up to Seaside was beautiful, with lush scenery all around. We even had an unscheduled stop at Camp 18 Restaurant & Giftshop for the northbound and southbound bus drivers to swap. I was itching to check out some roadside attractions, but alas, no time to hop off the bus. Another one for the bucket list!

Finally, we made it to Seaside, and serendipitously, the bus stopped right in front of the hostel! No long walk with my luggage, which was a huge relief. Six of us got off the bus, including another seasoned Cannonballer, Kevin from the Northeast, who is also staying at the hostel (this will be his fourth attempt!). We all parted ways with a plan to meet up for dinner later.

We’d arrived early, and thankfully, the hostel owner allowed us to check in. There were several bunk beds available. I had a choice between a top bunk next to the window (the bottom one was taken) or a bottom bunk with no window. I opted for the bottom bunk without a window because I’m sensitive to light. Being deaf, I can’t rely on an audible alarm to wake me up; I use light and darkness to help me fall asleep and wake up. In the Northwest, it stays light late into the night, which would make it hard to sleep, and I was worried about not waking up in time to get my scooter the next day.

One of the things I bought specifically for the Scooter Run was a small vibrating alarm watch. I’m happy to report it worked surprisingly well! I kicked myself for not getting one sooner – it would have been incredibly helpful during my work travels when I often slept very little, fearing I’d oversleep. Oh well, lesson learned!

Stay tuned for my next blog post about picking up my scooter from Motoshipper and doing the final inspection before the Scooter Cannonball Run!