Once again we had broken down, and once again, a dear friend was there to rescue us. This time we had a non-starting motorcycle in Boise, Idaho, and our savior was Brandon Lever. As I paced around fretting over our latest mishap, Brandon told me that everything was going to be all right, and that he had a good feeling about it. But I didn't believe him.

Since the mechanics in Idaho were all fully booked, Brandon offered to trailer us and the motorcycle down to Salt Lake City to the dealership there. And hopefully, if all the stars aligned correctly, they would be able to diagnose the problem, and the solution wouldn't require any parts to be ordered, because we had just a few days before we had to be down in Flagstaff, Arizona for the Overland Expo West. There was simply not enough time to get anything done besides a simple fix, and once again, we were alerting the heads of the Expo that it was possible we might have to cancel all our plans.

As we arrived at the KTM dealership in Salt Lake City, I recognized the building and the mechanics since we had just been there the week prior. And years before that, we'd visited two other times for minor repairs. This was now our fourth time with this motorcycle to that particular dealership, and I have to say, with quite a few KTM dealership experiences now under our belt from across the world, this one was our favorite. Every time we went there they were able to take us in right away, and they worked hard, with friendly smiles, and always did an expert job. So if there was anyone we could have faith in to do this miracle in the time it required, it was the wonderful people at the Edge dealership.

They immediately brought the bike into the back, and as we waited for the results, we said our sad farewells to Brandon. He had been a true friend, and had gone above and beyond what any average person would do. He had invited us into his home and shared his incredible life with us, and he had taken the time and energy to bring us all the way to another city in another state so that we could continue our journey. But perhaps most importantly, he had taught me an important lesson, that maybe it's not so useful to fret over every breakdown. But that I should trust my gut instinct telling me that everything is going to be ok.

We spent that night at our friend Emiliano's apartment, and it was fantastic to see him again (we had met on the road in South Africa and traveled throughout Africa with him). It was also great to meet his girlfriend Melissa whom Emiliano had met in Africa as well (small world). But at the same time we were worried about the motorcycle, and worried that this would be our last stop in our travels with it.

But Brandon had been right. Because the next day, the mechanics gave us a call that they had not only diagnosed the problem, they'd fixed it! It turned out the the throttle bodies were out of sync (whatever that means) and they'd realigned them for us. No parts had to be ordered, and after cleaning out all the inner components of the engine that we could never get to, the bike now ran better than ever!

"It's like she's brand new!" Tim exclaimed as he took the bike for a test ride around town.

And now that we had a functioning motorcycle, and it was about to be the weekend, we all decided to go on an adventure and truly test her out. Emiliano and Melissa packed up their motorcycle too, and the four of us headed south to explore the desert canyons in Moab.

Tim and I had been to Moab before, seven years ago on our Maiden Voyage around the Rocky Mountains. We had just purchased the motorcycle just a month prior, and we were testing her out, as well as ourselves. We wanted to know if we enjoyed motorcycle travel together, and spoiler alert - we did.

At the time, we had almost no experience going off road, and we were woefully unprepared for the types of roads that Moab offered. Moab is Utah's outdoor adventure playground, the perfect place to get lost on ATVs, or go rock climbing, sky diving, slot canyoning (still not sure what that is), and anything else you can think of that involves being out in the great desert landscapes surrounding Moab. Being right next to two National Parks - Arches and Canyonlands - it's the perfect jumping off point to all of the adventures these parks can offer.

But as you may know if you've read our first book, Maiden Voyage, we headed into Canyonlands without the right gear, or the right skillset, having no idea what we were getting ourselves into. And we started down a steep and sandy cliff-edged pass called Shafer Pass, and wisely decided to turn back around after the first switchback. It was beyond us at the time.

So this time around, Tim and I knew that we had to once and for all conquer Shafer Pass. And Emiliano and Melissa were more than happy to join us on this epic mission.

But as we entered the desert around Moab, we could see the dark brewing clouds of a menacing storm ahead. And soon the winds picked up, and red darkness enveloped the space. It was like the air became sand, and the skies became desert. Clouds of dust started whipping around us, and we braced ourselves against the sandy gusts that scratched at our eyes and noses.

After about 40 minutes of battling through this, we came into the town of Moab and saw a Denny's in the distance. And like a beacon of hope, we headed to it, no questions asked. Unfortunately, there was a "CLOSED" sing at its front door, but the door was open, so we headed inside in desperation.

"Sorry, but two of our chefs just quit, so we're closed," the woman at the front told us.

But as we took our helmets off and breathed in the tranquil air of Denny's like it was the first breath we'd taken in hours, the woman reconsidered. "Well, if you're just looking for coffee and a place to wait out the storm, I suppose we could let you sit down."

We thankfully did so, and huddled into a booth, holding those warm cups of coffee and tea like they were the best drinks we'd ever had.

I told Emiliano and Melissa, "Tim and I came to this same Denny's seven years ago when we were in Moab, and it was also a saving grace from terrible weather. But at the time we came here to escape the heat and the sun. I think I downed at least three glasses of cold water when we were here."

Tim smiled, and confirmed everything. "Yup, and now it's saved us again."

Thankfully, the storm let up, and even though we had to wait until dusk, we were eventually able to continue on our way to find a campground.

The next morning felt as if there had never been a storm the previous day at all. The skies were clear and blue, the waters of the Colorado River were placid. And little birds flitted from thorny tree to thorny tree.

First and last thing on the agenda of the day was to explore Moab's backroads, and most of all, to go down Shafer Pass. So we headed off to Canyonlands, and from the top rim of the plateau, we looked down at the weaving switchbacks of Shafer. And I remembered the steepness, and the loose gravel, but I had forgotten just how narrow some sections were, with an incredibly sheer drop-off to one side. This was not a road for those with vertigo.

But we made it down the pass, this time with ease, and gave ourselves congratulatory high-fives at the bottom. Then we spent the rest of the day taking dirt roads through gorgeous ravines and canyons in the desert, and had lunch in a very picturesque spot.

I want to thank Brandon Lever and his wife Katherine for all they've done for us, and also give a big shout-out to Emiliano and Melissa for being troopers during that crazy storm, and for being there with us for some of our best experiences in Utah.

Next time we'll tell you all about the Expo West in Arizona, as well as a few more journeys we have had recreating our steps from the past, as well as making new memories. So until then, have a wonderful week!

I used to think Idaho was just full of potatoes. In fact, I never gave much thought to the state until someone told me that it was America's greatest hidden gem. And then more people told me the same. It took me a while to believe them, and to be honest, I still held some skepticism for years, figuring I might as well just go and see what they were talking about for myself.

​Idaho's beauty may not be such a secret anymore, but it certainly still holds an allure created by legends of lost travelers who speak of this treasure of a state like it's a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

While we were making base camp with our friend Pete in Denver, and planning our trip to Idaho, we were inspired to do a little detour. We met one of Pete's friends, Brady of MeerkatADV, and a fellow motorcycle adventurist like ourselves, and he had made videos of his time riding some incredibly high and gorgeous mountain passes in southern Colorado - Cinnamon Pass, California Pass, Hurricane Pass, and the toughest of the four, Corkscrew Pass. And when we saw the footage, our jaws dropped.

"It looks like Peru!" Tim cried with his eyes alight.

"Or Argentina, or Chile!" I said, grinning from ear to ear.

Considering that the mountain passes we did in those countries were some of our favorite riding on the planet, this meant that we now knew what our next adventure was going to be.

We were already feeling pretty much on top of the world after our incredible weekend at the Overland Expo Mountain West near Denver. We had just spent four days meeting wonderful people, sharing stories, and it was a real honor to be given such a spotlight as the only presenting representatives of international motorcycle travel. 

But this feeling of euphoria was about to get even better as we headed off with a film crew from LA into the mountains to do a shoot on us!

This is what we've been waiting all year for... No, actually, we've been waiting two years for it - the Overland Expo.

For Tim and I, the Overland Expo has been our inspiration for traveling by motorcycle since the very beginning. When Tim first attended as an audience member in 2017, he was starry-eyed and bursting with excitement for what our potential future could hold. He met some of the moto-travel greats - Sam Manicom, Lisa and Simon Thomas, Ted Simon, and so many more... And he began to wonder, "What if I could do this too? What if I could also travel the world by motorcycle and one day stand up on a stage to inspire others with my stories?"

​Well, I can't even believe I'm able to say this now, but our dreams just came true. And then plus some as well!

You may recall from our previous post that we had a bit of a problem last week - the bearings on the front wheel of our motorcycle blew up. And we naïvely thought that this might be the worst of it. That once we fixed the bearings, then we'd be able to ride from Chicago to Colorado with no problems, and attend the Overland Expo there in high spirits.

But we may have been a bit too optimistic. Besides the bearings, we had also been dealing with a few other minor issues, such as a broken fuel line connector, and the bike's electrical system shorting out sometimes, which rendered it unable to start for a scary moment. But nothing seemed catastrophic, so we figured we'd get out to Colorado as soon as possible, and deal with these little repairs once there.

But Tim says he had a feeling that something awful was going to happen to us, and that we might not be able to make it. I had no such feeling. So I just blindly hopped onto the bike a week ago in Chicago, said goodbye to Tim's dad, and headed west thinking that all would be well.

As with anything in life, traveling by motorcycle can sometimes test your patience. There are times when Tim and I feel like the world is plotting against us, and as if everything that could go wrong does go wrong.

There are times when we scream and shout and end up upset with each other for no good reason. There are times when if we could watch a recording of ourselves a day later, we'd be completely ashamed of how childish we'd acted.

It's in these instances that we know we are truly being tested, but of course, we always forget about how poorly we're failing the test when we're in the moment. Only when we take a step away and look back at what has happened, can we appreciate how with every miserable break down, and every seemingly insurmountable obstacle, something marvelous was just around the corner. If only we could have known.

Our trip to Florida was supposed to be just a family visit, but it quickly turned into so much more than that. Last time, I mentioned how we were able to have lunch with Mike from Road Dog Publications, and then we met up with our old friend who we'd traveled around Africa with - Leo. And we would've been completely satisfied with all of that, until we realized we had enough time (and some very good luck) to be able to squeeze in a few more adventures - one to the Florida Keys which has the southernmost point of the continental United States, and the other aboard a small six-seater plane to the Bahamas!

There was a snake in the elevator of Tim's mom's condo building a few days ago. It was a small snake, but still. Welcome to Florida.

So yes, we're in Florida now, and at first, I didn't expect a motorcycle trip here in the heat of the summer to be a very good idea. And to be completely honest, I was kind of dreading it.

Tim and I have ridden through hot weather before - the type where you're already sweating through your underwear by the time you get on the bike. Nicaragua, Botswana, Death Valley - they all have their different types of heat, but each one can be equally unbearable. My waterproof boots quickly became like sauna chambers around each foot, my legs got scorched from the heat of the bike's engine radiating against them, and with the helmet on, I could feel my breath steaming against my face, seeming like it's suffocating me.

So in general, motorcycle riding and extreme heat don't go together very well. And even though all of that has been true as we rode through Florida, this trip has surprised us and brought smiles to our faces around every turn in surprising and incredible ways.

It might seem crazy to want to visit Florida in the middle of the summer, but Tim and I never shy away from doing something a little crazy. And so when the opportunity arose to take a long ride from the Midwest down to visit family in Florida this past week, of course we couldn't refuse.

We started our journey up in Michigan, visiting friends who have a house on a gorgeous little lake there. When we left Chicago, some grey and threatening storm clouds hung around the skyscrapers, making the whole place look like Gotham City. But by the time we got to Michigan, the skies had cleared and we were able to enjoy ourselves to the fullest on the lake. We went wake boarding and wake surfing for the first time (and I have to say, it was super fun, but my whole body was sore afterwards from wiping out on the water). The pine trees surrounding the lake gave the place a deep northern feel, like bits of wild Canada were draping down into the state of Michigan, bringing with it cool breezes and cormorants.