Bike Week is upon us! Earlier than the past several years and I can’t believe this is my 18th Bike Week as owner of Thunder Roads Florida. Geez I was only 52 when Bull and I started, and this year I turn 70! So many amazing people have helped make this part of the story of my life a pleasure, and the magazine a success! I won’t dare name them as if I left someone out, I would be mortified. But thank you to all and to the readers and advertisers. And a special thanks to T. J., my partner… “the ship steerer and shit stirrer” that has made the magazine what it is today!

And for Bike Week if you haven’t been here there are things besides drinking that you MUST do. Ride A1A north to Flagler, stop in Hanky Panky’s on your way up, the ocean view is amazing. Take a left on 100 and hit Bunnell area bars including 1405 Saloon, Crossroads Tavern and Ike’s. They are all motorcyclists owned bars and love to see bikes pull in. Ride out to Crescent City and hit up cool joints on the water. Renegades on the River has an impressive tiki bar on the St. John’s, 3 Bananas has great food and is on the lake, The Hideaway is a really cool old bar, Gnarly Gar is a GREAT dive bar that is only open Thursday-Sundays. Drifters Riverfront in Astor is known for great food, a pretty water view and has also built a huge tiki bar that isn’t up and running yet but will be by mid spring.

In Deland you have the Deland Bike Rally Saturday the 2nd, and on the 3rd Issues in downtown Deland has a bike show and live music. OB’s is hosting their Rumble & Rally on the 3rd in Deland too, with a bike show and tattoo contest and Matt O’Ree on stage. City Limits in Deland also has live music and great food with a huge outdoor area. Brass Rail and The Inn Between are also in Deland area and are biker owned! Just outside of Deland in Paisley is the Pirate’s Pub. For a bit of a longer destination The Howlin Wolf in Melrose is a cool full liquor joint! Then, for a more southernly trek, The Alibi in Geneva will have full liquor for Bike Week, and you must get one of the famous BLTs! In Longwood and Sanford is Rhonda’s Neighborhood Bar and Shovelhead’s which are stops that love bikers.

On the way back Samsula has Sorry Charlie’s Corner which features full liquor for bike week and Cabbage Patch Bar is home of the famous coleslaw wrestling on Wednesday and Saturday. All of these stops are out of the traffic and make for ENJOYABLE day trips. Of course, the normal hubs are US 1 from Port Orange to Ormond. We have The Boat Bar with $2 domestics in Port Orange. First Turn, Mark’s Sports Pub, & Chris’ Lounge takes you up through Ormond to Iron Horse Saloon, Boot Hill Outpost, Broken Spoke, and Saints & Sinners.

Don’t forget to check out Gina that owns Chris’ new bar, The Other Place on Nova for their Wednesday Shovelhead night. Then you have the Main Street madness, and you must stop in for a world-famous Boot Hill T-shirt and a cigar at Chrome. The hub of it all is Teddy Morse’s H-D with a slew of vendors, bands, Clydesdales, bike shows, bikini contest and BIKES. Surrounding dealerships have events the whole time too including Gator HD in Leesburg, Adamec in St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Seminole in Sanford, Gator in Leesburg, and Space Coast in Palm Bay where Bishop puts on great music.

They all have lots going on to lure you in! My MUST do list is always a ride on The Loop, a night of Hairball at Broken Spoke, Chopper Time on Thursday, The Burning Bike Friday night, a night at Grandview Live and a new pair of boots at Skip’s Boot. The best boot place anywhere!!! And for a great meal Big Tuna’s on A1A in Daytona Beach. We do a ride to the country on Wednesday the 6th, all are welcome. We meet at Hideout Lounge on Derbyshire at 10ish, KSU 11. Hope to see you there!

Check out the Not to Miss List with all the bike shows, swap meets, bikini contests, coleslaw wrestling, bands, and miscellaneous events. Ride safe, make new friends and don’t forget your sunscreen!!!