Motorcycle Touring Travel Adventure Photographer Writer Author
Michael ONeill Photographer Writer Motorcyclist Adventurer
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Photos From The Road

Motorcycle Touring Travel Adventure Photographer Writer Author

As every devoted and accomplished touring motorcyclist knows, bad weather is just part of the game. It’s not something to fear, just something you have to know how to cope with. The old adage is "There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear." This photograph was taken along the side of a remote, isolated road somewhere in southwestern Ohio where I had just pulled over to the side of the road to put on my rain gear…for obvious reasons. I was about to ride into the torrent with no refuge in sight. My Garmin GPS unit informed me that I was about 20 miles away from the next sign of civilization, a gas station; and my instincts and experience told me it was going to be a long, wet 20 miles...I had been on the road for three days at this point…the first three days of a journey that would last fourteen, and take me through twelve states in the eastern US. This was also the third day in a row that I was caught in heavy rain. Sure, I knew about April showers and all that, but I’ve got to admit Mother Nature was already starting to wear me down a bit; regardless of the fact that I was mentally prepared for the fickle spring time weather; and properly equipped to handle her storms...Within a few minutes I encountered the first rain drops and within a few miles I was entrenched in a soaking thunderstorm. Thankfully the narrow crowned road shed the water quickly and I had no other traffic to contend with on this isolated stretch through rural farmland. Twenty miles later I arrived safely at a combination gas station/convenience store/Dairy Queen where I hunkered down for a short while to consider my options...You can read more about this experience in my book, "Road Work: Images and Insights of a modern Day Explorer", available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon and in the Apple Books version on the Apple Store. This is just one of the stories I share from four decades of long distance motorcycle touring, along with life lessons learned in a similar time period as a professional photographer. The book has received critical acclaim, reaching the #1 bestseller position in Amazon’s road travel category. It has been featured in various publications in the motorcycling and photographic marketplaces...Following my near four decade long career as a professional photographer, I find myself now touring the US and Canada by motorcycle, capturing images throughout my travels and writing about my experiences, on and off the road, for others to enjoy and be inspired by. My hope is that others who share my passion and tenacity will be inspired to conquer challenges of their own. I know, from personal experience, that they will become stronger, better folks for doing so. Ride safe, my brothers and sisters!