By Lulu

On Main Street in Daytona Beach George Merced has a cool stop for purchasing premium cigars and miscellaneous gifts, T shirts and jewelry. Along with his brick and mortar location he also sets up booths at Froggy’s, Main Street Station and Affliction on Main Street and at other major rallies. George and his wife Kelly love to ride so stop in and meet them. They are in the process of moving from Ohio to Daytona and look forward to meeting new riding partners. You can also order online at chromepremiumcigars.com.

As the Co-Vid hell drags on, I worry for some of our friends and the businesses they have worked and struggled to keep afloat through recessions, lawsuits, fights with city officials and hurricanes. Some of their trials and tribulations have been self-inflicted…bad business choices, bad employee choices, failure to comply with the city etc. Others have been beyond their control, such as our redundant hurricane season. BUT I am starting to believe that this Corona mess is more than just a viral bug on steroids and our clients have absolutely no control over their destiny.

The government can’t possibly believe that it is okay to open-up restaurants and serve drinks, while keeping the bars who pay TOP dollar for their liquor licenses shut down. That isn’t fair at all! Why can’t they figure a way for social distancing just like the gyms, golf courses, restaurants, and the mall. I am much more afraid of the strangers in line at Wal-Mart than the folks I sit next to on a barstool at The Boat Bar in Port Orange. Often my fellow drinkers are more family than friends! This shut down has hurt everyone but Lowes, Walmart, and Amazon Prime. If I must catch Co-Vid, I would hope it was while I was having fun drinking with friends and not buying toilet paper.

I had to fly to Louisville to take care of my sister after a knee-replacement. The flight on Allegiant was incredibly cheap, like 58 bucks roundtrip. I was told the plane would be empty by the news channels. I was also told that I would need a mask. So, I bought a box of masks from the pharmacy, shoved a few in my purse, and TJ dropped me off in Sanford. The staff all wore masks. Some passengers did and some didn’t. I decided to keep mine on, because the plane wasn’t empty and the crazy thing is they loaded us like sardines in the back of the plane…right next to each other…no empty seats in between…the front of the plane was completely empty. I stood up and snapped a photo of it with my cell phone and a steward came and asked what I was doing. I told him I was putting the photo of our non-social distancing on Facebook. He said, “Oh we are getting ready to allow you to move anywhere you want on the plane!” I replied, “Well that is nice, but what moron came up with first loading us like cattle to rub shoulders before separating us?”. He was quite nice and didn’t take my camera or make me delete the photo. The whole world is screwed up right now. Half is caused by the left’s insane hatred for Trump. The other half is a bunch of doctors and government officials acting like they know what to do when obviously most of us have more sense than they do!

Try to ride to a local watering hole as soon as they open, buy a stranger a beer and don’t forget even with a mask you still need your sunscreen!

By Lulu

OB’s in Deland has become one of the most happening hot spots in Volusia County with theme parties during the year, monthly birthday bashes for the regulars, huge Wednesday night bike nights and live music Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Two times a year their bike shows are bigger than most rally events anywhere. The Russ & Bob Knuckle/Pan show in November and the Americana Bike Show in June fill the HUGE parking lot and property. And do not forget the food they dish out at OB’s! I love their burgers and cannot wait for them to open back up to the masses!! Bike Week was a party all 10 days with great live music! Do not forget them as a spot for poker runs. Kristi and crew love to host your events so give them a shout out!

By T. J.

A short ride from the Bike Week central madness, which is Main St. Daytona, out on Rt. 44 at Volusia County Fairgrounds in Deland is a very “HOTT” event called the Burning Bike. There is camping and vendors all week to create the party, and on the final night they torch a massive wooden motorcycle. This is the biggest and most amazing bon fire you will ever see. Word must be spreading because over the last few years the crowd size has really grown. Troy at Fastlane Productions puts on one hell of a show with a band and bikini contest rounding out the evening. The “Sgt. Will Gardner Harley Fundraiser” was also there raising awareness for their military veterans’ support campaign. See more about this effort at specopscharity.com/harleyfundraiser/. Put the Burning Bike night on your calendar for next year and enjoy a fun time.

By T. J.

On the last Sunday of Bike Week when the Corona cancellation was in effect, I did something different and took a ride to Orlando Speed World on Rt. 50 in Bithlo to watch the Sunshine Nationals Drag Races. It was extremely exciting to watch these racers reach speeds well over 200 mph and cover a ¼ mile in 6.5 seconds. The engine sound is deafening, and the horsepower can be felt from a distance. What a rush if you have never seen it up close in real life. Qualifying day was open to anybody that felt the need to test their bike and skill, but the finals were dominated by the pros and it was awesome to see. The crowd in attendance loved it. Keep up with the AMRA (American Motorcycle Racing Assoc) schedule this year and consider attending next year’s event for one memorable afternoon. I’ll see ya there.

By Lulu

So as famous as Bike Week is, Willie and the crew at Tropical Tattoo make Bike Week what it is! Old school mentality is evident even among the young riders! Wrenching on bikes, creating a masterpiece sometimes only in their own minds, and bringing it to show their art is what this day is all about!!! Sexy young ladies, emcee Roadside Marty, great tunes out back by Big Rick and the Troublemakers and one of a kind 2-wheeled pieces of art everywhere you look make this the place to be on the last Thursday of Bike Week. Thanks to our major sponsors Rue & Ziffra law firm and Twisted Tea who help Tropical put this awesome event on. Also to Tucker Rocky (V-Twin) Hot Leathers, Biltwell, Spectro Oil, USA Parts Co., Dirtbag Choppers, Blings Cycles, FNA, Hardcore Cycles, Inc., the Pocket Guide, Grandview Live, Dave Perewitz, B & D Customs, Speedking Racing, Mo’s Image, Bikernet, RiderNow, Southern Cycle, and Cycle Source Magazine for helping bring this party to the masses. Anyone who knows me will hear me say, this is by far the best event of the year! Add to that the beer and Twisted Tea sales benefit local veterans and give us all an opportunity to help those who have protected our freedom, you can check them out at www.veteranssupportfund.com.

By Lulu

Bike Week 2020 ended up chaos for the bars and vendors on Main Street. Just by an amazing stroke of luck. Phaedra Lee scheduled the Miss Twisted Tea bikini contest the first weekend of Bike Week and it was packed and went off without a hitch. Usually the contest falls the last Sunday and would have been shut down due to the ridiculous Corona lock down that the mayor decided could not wait for one more day. During the contest photographers were snapping away, bartenders were slinging drinks and Twisted Tea at an amazing pace keeping the crowd happy. The beautiful 2020 Twisted Tea Bike for their annual giveaway was revealed on stage. Chris and the peeps from Cycle Source were on hand and see the ad inside to find out how to register to enter. Each girl on stage was adorable in her own right and I would have hated to be a judge! Please do not forget as things open after this corona nightmare the huge Wednesday Bike Nights with live music and $1 longnecks.

By Lulu

Vendors, bike shows, booze, Budweiser, bands, and girls slopping around in oil and cabbage make Cabbage Patch a must do during Bike Week. Even the Budweiser Clydesdales had more fun at the Patch than any other stop they made, as in the open field they were able to canter a bit. I love Radical Randy and always make the trip out to the Patch just to snap a shot or two of the great looking bikes that show up for a chance at taking home a trophy! Had to buy a couple of the awesome blinged out bandanas from Michelle and I always stop in to see Scott Demonico’s “Rally Leather” tent. On that subject please, please make sure you support the vendors as soon as the rally schedule opens back up, these peeps make their living traveling from state to state and so much of their income was lost due to the corona virus shutting down Leesburg, Thunder Beach, Myrtle Beach and possibly even Laconia at the time of this writing. Coleslaw wrestling and all the fun that goes on with that was able to go on since Samsula was not on the closure list during the shutdown. Make sure to ride out all year long to visit Cabbage Patch Bar. Ronnie and Roger Luznar work hard to put the rally party on at their property but all year they are open and love to see you ride in!

Wow, we have just been living through the most bizarre period in the history of our country! Everyone on lock down in their homes. Only essential workers can earn a living. A crazy governor in Michigan not allowing you to buy paint or seeds at Wal-Mart even if you are there buying groceries. People dying in nursing homes and you must wonder how did they even get exposed? Through all this, our clients in Florida that own bars and restaurants are at best, able to serve food curbside or by delivery. Most bike dealerships are down to doing service and parts.

In every walk of life business has been brought to a standstill. Parents are trying to teach their kids stuff they do not even understand themselves as class work is being done at kitchen tables. Greg Gutfeld on FOX News Channel was making a funny observation today, stating that it will be a shock to the education system if at the end of the summer kids complete a years’ worth of study in 3 months and with better GPA’s. We all want our routines back, as well as the freedom to go about our normal lives again. BUT we also want to be healthy, so as good Americans we have suffered through this Covid purgatory to the best of our ability. I beg all of us to pay attention in our shopping and spending when this is over to BUY AMERICAN products.

Write to your legislators demanding that we bring our drug production back inside our borders. I had no idea that most of our antibiotics were being produced in China…did you? Smithfield Foods has supposedly been bought by China. I will not be buying their products! I also found out that wild caught frozen fish is being processed in China too. What the hell? I am not a conspiracy believer…but I have a hard time believing that people eating bats caused this to spread across the globe and kill so many people…particularly people locked up in nursing homes!

One final wish as we open our state back up, is that we can get our magazine back on course…please support our ad clients…they have all been hurt by this pandemic that crippled our country. Get on your bike and visit our ad clients, hit a bike night or two, visit a dealership or bike shop and make a purchase. Tip your bartenders and waitresses a little extra knowing that they have been without income for an extended period. I don’t have a crystal ball and have no idea if, with this May issue, our state will be opened back up in some capacity, but we can only hope.

Stay healthy, call a friend to check on them. Some are very isolated. And if you get on your bike for a ride…don’t forget your sunscreen.

By Lulu

What a crazy Bike Week 2020. Boot Hill Saloon, the most historic bar for Bike Week partying had to endure the ridiculous closing on the last Saturday of Bike Week costing the bar, bartenders, bands, and vendors dearly at their Main Street location. Luckily their new hot spot Boot Hill Outpost, which they have worked hard to make a nice drinking spot on US 1 in Ormond Beach, was able to remain open for the entire event as only the mayor of Daytona Beach closed things down less than 48 hours before the whole thing would have been over anyway, while the rest of the county was business as usual. Please spend your drinking dollars all year long with our ad clients. Boot Hill has a Wednesday night bike night with live music. They have great live music 6 days a week at the Main Street location. Stop in and see the Boot Hill Outpost with a beautiful new outside deck, new pavement and nicely redone inside! If Laconia is not cancelled and you are riding up, stop in and have a few at Boot Hill up there.

By Lulu

Bike Week and Biketoberfest the Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson is packed with shoppers inside buying apparel, bike parts and new and used bikes! Outside vendors are selling their wares or demonstrating their products to the masses. Trolley rides bring you up to the dealership from far away parking spots. TJ got an invitation to join Chris for a once in a lifetime ride on the Budweiser’s Clydesdale Parade! The horses are spectacular creatures and immaculately groomed. Live music filled the stages, beautiful bartenders kept the drinks flowing and bike shows were featured under the pavilion. Thank you for TJ’s ride and all you guys at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley for an awesome Bike Week!