Tour busses can be amusing

I have taken to riding my ATV to work on the weekends and since I live on the north side of Wasilla, and my workplace is on the south side of it, I am left taking the trails through town to get from point A to point B. This is something that is allowed in Wasilla, provided riders follow the City of Wasilla rules for ATV use in the city. They are quite easy to follow, actually.

• Maintain a maximum speed of 10MPH on trails, 5 MPH in parking lots.
• Wear a helmet at all times.
• Must be over age 16 or accompanied by an adult.
• No 'stunt riding'; IE jumping driveways or skidding to kick up dust etc.
• Come to a full stop at all road crossings and look both ways before crossing.
• Stay off paved bike paths and avoid spraying gravel onto them or roadways.
• ATVs must be equipped with both working headlights and working taillights.

Simple rules that are easily followed by any courteous ATV rider, and as long as they are followed, then ATVs should, hopefully, be welcome in the city limits of Wasilla for many many years to come.

So, anyway, I was crossing through the city on my ATV and am paused at the corner of the Parks and Kinik in downtown Wasilla waiting for the chance to cross the road to continue my trek and two tour busses pull up at the northbound turn lane. A moment later first one then the other pulls around and onto Kinik-Goosebay, pausing for the train tracks.

I look up as the first one pauses and see tourists staring down at the ATV in the middle of town. Then the next bus pauses and again, tourists are staring at the ATV rider sitting in downtown Wasilla.. At that point the amusement hits me that there are probably very few places where ATVs can jsut drive down the side of the road and people can go shopping or to work on their ATV.

It is just one of the great things to love about Alaska, the ability to drive your ATV to work.