Sarah Lyon Photography

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During the sumer of 2003, Sarah left her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky to photograph friends who had moved west, to see where they had gone in their lives. Alone on her 1978 Yamaha XS 750, the farthest Sarah had ever ridden before was Bloomington, Indiana. 8,900 miles and 80 days later, she returned with over 70 rolls of film documenting her travels and the people she encountered along the way. To communicate her experience, Sarah put together an installation at Artswatch Gallery, which included photographs, the maps from her journey as murals on the walls, and the motorcycle itself.

Enter Journey

Leonard and Sarah, Magnum Cycles, Louisville KY

May 22
odometer: 15775 mi
new tires
fresh oil & filter
lubed cables

Guenther and his barn, Fredericksburg, Indiana

coffee with Dino and Guenther on my way out of town
day 1

Maggie and Steve's bedroom, Chicago

Erin

exploring David and Dave's woodshop/warehouse in Beloit, Wisconsin

we didn't really love Beloit

I bought a polaroid in Beloit, which was very important for making postcards during the journey

we had a great time
wish I could have stayed longer...

Me, Dave, and Dave's landlord

Naomi, a breast cancer survivor, and her Triumph

day 7
16,385 miles on the odometer

World of Variety

going 40 in a 35 zone, near Alma, Wisconsin

day 8
may 30

the Laue House entry sign

the cop told me the Laue house was the best place to stay in Alma (my room cost $14)

Jan and Jerry Schreiber's Historic Laue House Bed and Breakfast Inn

Alma, Wisconsin, on the Mississippi River

Holly, Minneapolis

my first visit to Minneapolis, staying with Holly and Bekah

Bekah's friends

Minneapolis, one of my favorite towns

I realized my Hasselblad SWC hadn't been working for two weeks

...so I bought a used Pentax 67 on my way out of Minneapolis

Minnesota farm

first self-portrait with the Pentax
hwy 14

first storm of the journey

actually, the first storm I had ever ridden through

(ugliest rainsuit ever)

I realized the leg had ripped up to the thigh after about an hour of rain riding

hwy 44, beautiful
crossing the Missouri River

hotel in Sturgis, South Dakota

I was cold, wet, tired

new home found during a day trip outside of Bozeman, Montana

The Lodge Motel, Thompson Falls, Montana

at least six people had been living here for over six months

chair in the Lodge Motel

my room at the Lodge Motel
(dust on the beds)

self-portrait in a very bizarre space

backyard at the Lodge Motel

Thompson Falls, Montana

hwy 200, Montana

unbelievable riding

first snow, Washington State

Cascade Mountains, hwy 20, incredible riding

self-portrait in front of a mountain peak 17 miles away

crossing Diablo Lake

Cascade Mountains, Washington

Diablo Dam

helping to power Seattle

Marble Mount, Washington (bunnies at Clark's Eatery!)

end of Cascades ride
photograph taken for Nathan

seeing The King Cobra and Le Tigre

first night in Seattle

Julie

graphic designer from Medina, Ohio

Meg and Laura

George Dean, owner of Seattle Cycle Service

first shop I had ever seen with a female mechanic

re-jetting my carbs (running rich) for the first time

George offered me a job after I removed the carbs without taking off the fuel tank first

Rose Garden, Portland

self-portrait in roses (find the object that doesn't belong)

Portland skyline

boots off for the Pacific Ocean

day 30

first camping, hwy 1, California

quintessential hwy 1 photograph part 1

beautiful weather, beautiful riding

quintessential hwy 1 photograph part 2

beautiful riding, beautiful weather

tree in Elk, California

near Manchester St. Park

I had to read Erika Lopez "Flaming Iguanas" all night, to curb fear...

hwy 1, marin county

followed by three cops for miles after shooting this photograph

Carol cooking at Slide Ranch

an organic farm on the coast that teaches inner city San Francisco children about farming

Carol leading kids at Slide Ranch

She worked there for one year, farming and teaching

Carol with her ducks

Slide Ranch, Muir Beach, California

Carol and her little green trailer

Carol in the garden

Kendra, living in the Mission

San Francisco

Kendra, living in the Mission

San Francisco

Delores Park

pre-dyke march party

Beth

party, Delores Park, San Francisco

what am I doing in Kentucky?

umbrellas

"a-list" record-spinning, drunk make out party

Gay Pride, 2003

San Francisco Women’s Motorcycle Contingent (DOB) parade

how did I end up here in time for this?

rows of bikes

Gay Pride, San Francisco

new friends in San Francisco

Beth, Kendra, Sarah

party at the Lexington Club

19th St., Mission District, San Francisco

overlooking the city

Romi, Delores Park

before the premier of "We Interrupt This Empire" on July 4

Brad and Sam's room

Romi, hugs

Golden Gate Park

Sarah in Oakland, California

day 45
july 6

Romi with Miezska

Davis, California

Chad at home on the Ridge, near Nevada City, California

chad sleeps on the futon outside for most of the year -- it rarely rains

Chad at home on the Ridge, near Nevada City, California

chad sleeps on the futon outside for most of the year -- it rarely rains

showering at the Walnut, Chad's home in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

the water in the bag on the roof was heated by the sun

Kelly at home on the Ridge

she made a home inside of the bus, equipped with a stove

the front of Kelly's home

where a bear tried to enter the bus from the front

improvisational dancers doing their thing

(seemed like a very good excuse to roll all over each other)

parking on the banks of the Yuba

fred is a dancer, and did not wear shoes during our long tubing adventure

tubing in the Yuba River, near Nevada City, California

we bought the tubes for $5 at k-mart and tubed for 5 miles

Chad's bruised knee

life goes at a different speed for people living on the Ridge -- seems to be an undiscovered paradise

Chad with his Extracycle, a bicycle SUV

Chad engineers for Extracycle, a small company situated in the Ananda Village, near Nevada City

salt flat, Nevada

self-portrait as alien

salt flat, hwy 50 Nevada

(lots of running to move the tripod away from oncoming trucks)

ominous quonset huts

hwy 50, Utah

quonset hut interior

before a very strong storm

roadkill, Colorado

hwy 71, day 58, 22,625 miles on the odometer

Nebraska Shadow
hwy 2

taken immediately before acquiring a flat tire

Martin, Yamaha, and Honda Hawk GT

rider who helped me with my flat

Dog and Hawk

the bike I rode through Nebraska to pick up my innertube

Martin with his family

Alliance, Nebraska, day 60

corn bins, Iowa

Bekah and Holly playing

Minneapolis, Minnesota (return trip)

Bekah and Holly playing

Minneapolis, Minnesota (return trip)

me and Sienna

Bekah's kitchen

wrestling match I

Sienna vs. Holly...Living Room Championship

wrestling match II

Sienna vs. Holly...Living Room Championship

wrestling match III

Sienna vs. Holly...Living Room Championship

wrestling match IV

Sienna vs. Holly...Living Room Championship

Allison and Angie

St. Paul, Minnesota

Allison

day 64 July 24