June 9 – Amanda Zito got on her motorcycle because she couldn’t get her horses to Portland.
A sixth-generation girl from a Corvallis farming family, she left the horses behind when she moved to Oregon for college in 2010. From then on, her passion for motorcycling, and especially taking it on long distances, continued to grow.
“Motorcycles just seemed like the best alternative for my horses,” she said.
Zito has pioneered work for female motorcyclists to connect with the environment through her brand As the Magpie Flies, a creative collection of her experiences. Zito documents her travels on YouTube and has cycled into every state in the Lower 48, with plans to add Alaska to the list in 2025.
In 2016, Zito completed her bachelor’s degree in fine arts and became a tattoo student. After her internship was over, Zito lived off her motorcycle for 70 days to reset, implementing rules for herself along the way — she could only use paper maps and not stay in hotels, a rule she had to break when her 1980 motorcycle continued to break down .
“I had this visceral feeling that she was going to leave me somewhere, and she did that several times, but that trip was so formative for me,” Zito said.
From that moment on, road tripping on motorcycles became Zito’s new normal. In 2020, she completed her first cross-country trip, driving to North Carolina and back. In 2022 she crossed the southern United States, from San Diego to Florida, and last fall she toured New England.
On her first trip, Zito lived on pasta and artichoke hearts. Zito camped every night with just a single burner and quickly discovered that mealtimes were a pain. It’s much more budget-friendly to make food yourself, but she wanted to explore how she could expand her options.
Based on her experiences eating on the road, Zito has been creating a cookbook over the past two years.
“The Motorcycle Camp Cookbook” was officially released a few months ago. The self-published book features more than 65 single-serve recipes that redefine traditional camp food. The book, which sold 1,000 copies in its first two weeks, was also a fundraiser, raising money for Zito’s upcoming trip to Alaska with her brother.
“That was the big motivation behind the book,” Zito said, “but also to give people the tools they need to make camp food that isn’t just hot dogs or s’mores.”
There was a gap in the market, she said. Cookbooks about camping are often created with car camping in mind, where a camper may have a large cooler, or about backpacking, which requires a lot of preparation, which isn’t feasible if you’re biking for two weeks, she said.
The “Motorcycle Camp Cookbook” fills the gap because it features single-serve meals that don’t require a huge cooler or multiple burners. It also contains resources and information, such as information about different types of foods and food safety tips.
“I wanted to create a legitimate resource, not just recipes,” she said.
Zito now lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving between Portland and Montana when she’s not traveling. She is looking forward to her upcoming trip in 2025, when she and her brother plan to drive to Alaska, including camping at the Arctic Ocean.
“It was incredible,” she said, reflecting on where she is now.
To follow Zito’s adventures and view her cookbook, visit https://www.asthemagpieflies.com/
Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.
Amanda Zito with her motorcycle and tent. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
Amanda Zito’s Cookbook. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
While writing her cookbook, author Amanda Zito wanted to add resources and information in addition to camp recipes. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
Amanda Zito prepares a meal while motorcycle camping. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
Amanda Zito’s motorcycle and tent during a trip. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
A Camp Meal by Amanda Zito. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
Amanda Zito cooks while motorcycle camping. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
Amanda Zito cooks a meal while motorcycle camping. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
A meal from Amanda Zito’s cookbook, The Motorcycle Camp Cookbook. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
Amanda Zito’s new cookbook, inspired by her solo motorcycle travels. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Zito)
