Nathan Rafferty

@nathanjr

In motion. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Park City, Utah 📍 U.S.A. 🇺🇸
Posts
417
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Corduroy in the morning, singletrack in the afternoon. Utah doin’ its thing today. Almost doesn’t seem fair.
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1 month ago
Got one last sand surfing session in before the snow surfing begins in earnest. @adambarkerphotography isn’t traditionally a moto photographer, but maybe he should be? The variety of terrain and climates in Utah just ain’t fair. All you need is the right tool(s) for the day. 📸: @adambarkerphotography
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4 months ago
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6 months ago
No Map Moto | Day 6 Geneva, NY —> Wolfeboro, NH 🏁…454 miles (trip total - 2,805 mi) Long push today to get wrapped up by sundown. Navigation definitely got harder as I moved into the mountainous and lake-strewn VT/NH zone where roads don’t just go straight east/west. As I found out, a wrong nav decision here is significantly more consequential. I got turned around a few times, and got stymied by big-ass Lake George that seemed to take me in the wrong direction for days. The riding was way more interesting, though - ups and down, curves galore. Huge shout-out to Chris Braun @rides2little , rally nav Jedi, for the tech support helping me get my arrow to pop on RallyBlitz. In the end my navigation took me about 12% farther than if i just followed Google Maps (with the no Highways option). 2,800 miles vs 2,500. Not bad, I think. Though I much prefer dirt over pavement, the nav aspect had me thinking the whole way which kept things interesting. I’m also totally enamored by small-town America. Such beautiful little hamlets with the nicest folks. Places just most people will never see (like chatting with a gaggle of older ladies playing their monthly Hand & Foot card game at the Silver Dollar Bar & Grill in Chelsea, Iowa). A few things I learned along the way: - Google Maps is incredibly efficient, navigating by a compass is not - country music is the best for roadtrips - generally, even-numbered roads go east/west, odd numbers go north/south (but not always) - most people have no sense of direction - it’s not just about the ice cream, but the atmosphere - people everywhere are way more friendly than not - having random conversations with a farmer in a Nebraska cornfield is fun - the USA grows a $hIz-ton of corn - dirt is better than pavement (“Bad roads bring good people.”) - the size of the road is directly proportional to its flavorlessness (and vice versa) - always put your rain gear on BEFORE it starts raining - motels with flowers out front are cleaner/nicer than the ones who don’t have them - the midwest is an espresso desert Finally, a sincere shout-out to @karenchristine1968 who never quite understood this one, but supported and encouraged me anyway. ❤️
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6 months ago
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6 months ago
No Map Moto | Day 5 Belleview, OH —> Geneva, NY…405 miles Started the day off with a local delicacy - “Trash Potatoes.” Nothing like a waxy slice of Velveeta to kick things into gear before heading out on a 10hr ride. Dodged a few rain clouds in the morn and finally did something I had been waiting to do for over 2,000 miles … after crossing into PA I headed …north. Then I hit U.S. route 20 which I knew would take me up past Lake Erie and Buffalo where it would turn East again and set me up for tomorrow’s final run to NH. I’m about 300 miles as the crow flies which means another 400-450 miles of twistier roads, depending on my luck. One thing that struck me this morning as I walked into the breakfast restaurant full of locals. For the 2nd day in a row a random patron looked up from their breakfast and greeted me with a hearty “good morning” as I walked to my table. I get the feeling that these small town breakfast joints see many daily regulars. Guess I shouldn’t be so surprised at the random hospitality. Think we could use more of that these days. Made me feel special. The PA ice cream was just OK. Might have been pilot error, but how could I pass up Peachy Paterno? Only had cake cones, which is a full demerit. 7.6 licks 👅👅👅👅👅👅👅.6 My NY stop was another ballgame altogether. A small, quirky, dedicated facility with plenty of room for hanging out and enjoying the bounty. I went with the featured flavor of “Cider Mill” - apple cider ice cream with cinnamon swirls and donut pieces. 🤯 2nd best of the trip with only a slight edge to Cherry Amaretto. 9.5! 👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅.5
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6 months ago
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6 months ago
No Map Moto day 4: Kewanee, IL —> Belleview, OH…455 miles Whole lotta straight today. Had the heading pegged at 90 degrees (East) the whole day. Plan is to do the same tomorrow until I hit the PA border which should have me clear of those big lakes and a straight(ish) shot to NH. Beautiful scenery today, especially through “magic hour” in Ohio as the sun began to set. Some pretty swank farmhouses out this way. Perfectly manicured lawns and immaculate landscaping. Not sure who this Brandon fellow is, but lots of signs urging him to “Let’s Go!” Yay Brandon! I let down the good people of Illinois and failed to find a scoop before hitting the Indiana border. I did stop in one spot on Route 66 but passed when I found out it was all soft serve. ✋SOFT SERVE IS NOT ICE CREAM. I shouldn’t even have to stay that, but here we are. My Indiana scoop wasn’t much better. I panicked thinking I wasn’t going to get one before reaching Ohio and succumbed to a sub-par shop that “also” served I’ve cream. I think they had three flavors and no sugar cone. Weak. Though the lady was nice enough. 5.1 licks. 👅👅👅👅👅.1 My Ohio scoop was a bit of a surprise. Open less than a week, Nini’s is a scrappy little joint located on the Paulding town square. Mexican owned and made on site with tio Nini’s family recipe. Digs were a tad spartan, but el jeffe’s passion for the craft earns a solid 8.5 licks. 👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅.5. Motel in Belleview for the night. Breaking my own rule of no Mexican food east of the Mississippi only because it’s 18 steps from my motel room door. 💥 Wish me luck.
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6 months ago
***SPECIAL ICE CREAM EDITION*** The Midwest does NOT disappoint when it comes to ice cream. Omaha’s @tedandwallys was a no BS, purist’s ice cream dream. They make it daily on premise and serve it to you with no smiles, just the confidence that you’re going to like what you get. Flavors go on the board and when they’re gone they’re gone. Dutch chocolate and almond log were my choices and didn’t disappoint. Love the “all cash, no flash” vibe - 9.4 licks. Grimes, Iowa’s Heavenly Delights was the sleeper surprise of the trip. Had a great chat with the owner who pointed me towards a great pairing of Cherry Amaretto (a new all-time fav) and the Apple Crisp (seasonal). This place had a really extensive list of flavors including black licorice (no thanks). Local high school sports team posters are a hallmark of any true ice cream joint. 9.6! 👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅👅
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6 months ago
Omaha, NE —> Kewanee, IL…450 miles. Felt a little like I was chasing my tail all day. The small roads were slow and the big roads were boring. Just keep working my way east. Turns out it’s hard to ask for directions when you don’t know where you’re going. “New Hampshire” gets a lot of strange looks and almost always has people pointing me towards the Interstate. Old guys give the best directions and young people just can’t figure out why I’m not using my phone. Gonna just keep following the big E on my compass until I get to PA when I’ll point in north a bit. Weather was perfect and the scenery sublime. The last 24 hours of ice cream gets it’s own post.
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6 months ago
Sterling, CO —> Omaha, NE…427 miles. Thought today was going to be a big one but Mother Nature had other plans. Rained on me nearly the whole day, slowing things up a bit. Still had fun exploring some abandoned buildings and enjoying small town America. Amazing shades of green and gold through the rolling hills. Pulled the plug early and opting for some big city life in Omaha. Ice cream eluded me so far today, but I’ve got a little Nebraska left in me tomorrow. Forecast looking friendlier. Rumor has it that Iowa has some corn flavored ice cream? Stay tuned…
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6 months ago
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6 months ago