Germany - One journalist had the adventure of a lifetime: a roadtrip by Vespa across the US for six months straight. And one stop felt a lot like home.

Former TAG24 DE editor Bernd Rippert, aged 65, and his wife Heidi, aged 64, circumnavigated the US on their Vespa in six months.

16,727 miles, 39 states, one accident - the traveler from Chemnitz, Germany went through it all.

Bernd Rippert left the TAG24 editorial team in the summer of 2024. Saying goodbye also meant moving on - in his case, across the ocean.

So that fall, Bernd and Heidi began to prepare for their epic roadtrip, with research, applying for documents, and lots of planning.

"Americans noticed me on Facebook and waited for us, took us on trips and invited us to dinner," said Bernd of his adventure.

The pair were no strangers to Vespa travel, they've been riding across Europe by bike since 2011 – back then on a Vespa with 12-horsepower.

For his big trip to the US, Bernd bought a lime green Vespa with 300 cc and even got a motorcycle license.

He shipped the Italian ride overseas before the trip began. And in April 2025, he set off from Orlando to the South, then to the West, to the North, and back.

"We took this route to avoid hurricanes and tornadoes," explained Bernd.

"There were good days and very good days," Bernd summed up of his travel.

The trip over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco over particularly emotional for him: "The feeling of riding on there on two wheels was overwhelming."

He felt the same about their timing touring the Rocky Mountains, at nearlx 11,000 feet.

Heidi was most impressed by the Redwoods in Northern California, a National Park where the giant trees grow natively.

"She thought the trees radiated a majestic calm," Bernd recalled.

Yet, not everything went according to plan.

"We had an accident in the middle of nowhere in Texas," he said. A tire blew out on the way, causing the Vespa to brake down and overturn – along with Heidi and Bernd.

"At that point, it was getting dark and I got scared," the motocyclist admitted.

When they overturned, he kept Heidi away from the grass on the side of the road: "I didn't want any rattlesnakes to get [us]!"

In the end, the Vespa had a few scratches, Bernd had a sprained shoulder, but everything turned out okay.

His lesson? "[Life] always goes on and there's always someone there to help." And, "the scratches on the Vespa stay because they're part of the adventure."

Bernd recorded his experiences in the book Mit der Vespa um die ganze USA – or in English: A Vespa tour around the USA. He also shares his travels on Instagram.

He's planning second book, as the couple set off on their next trip this month. They'll travel this time to Morocco, and from there to the North Cape.

On his tour, Bernd also made a special stop paying homage to his German hometown - visiting Chemnitz's twin city Akron, Ohio.

He carried back some special cargo: A Chemnitz Capital of Culture sticker on his Vespa, and in his luggage, a gift and a letter from Chemnitz Mayor Sven Schulze for Akron's mayor Shammas Malik.

"The letter was relatively uncrumpled, besides the fact it had been traveling with me for four months," laughed Bernd.

Schulze had given him a small nischel as a gift - a replica of the Karl Marx monument located in Chemnitz. The gesture was one that cemented the partnership between the cities.

Tying a sweet bow on his trip from Germany to the US, Akron actually reminded Bernd of Chemnitz.

"It's also a former industrial city," he said of the Ohio outpost. "All the American tire manufacturers were once based here."

Similar to the tires that helped him hit the road - on both continents.