By Lulu

T. J. and I make two treks a year up to Panama City Beach, Florida for the spring and autumn rallies known as Thunder Beach. The gulf front tourism mecca is a perfect locale for a motorcycle rally, offering residents of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia an easy ride for a weekend getaway at one of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S. This year we stayed at the waterfront Seahaven Beach Resort directly across the street from Crossroads, one of the main entertainment venues. Aside from the beach cruising, you can hop in the saddle and head north on any of the panhandles many beautiful country roads. It’s a nice change for city dwellers that want to get away from the congestion of the rally itself. The vendors and entertainment are divided into three main spots.

Frank Brown Park is full of vendors with live music all day in the center pavilion, and then nightly headliners on the big stage. At night in the VIP tent, Bourbon tasting was provided by House of Bourbon. I must admit we had a nip or two and it warmed our bones. This year T.J. and I saw some of the best music at any rally we have attended…all FREE. Thursday night the White Tie Rock Ensemble absolutely stunned us with their amazing Guitar Hero production. Friday night Jasmine Cain opened for the Fabulous Thunderbirds…another stellar night. Saturday we were looking forward to Tobacco Rd. Band opening for John Michael Montgomery and then the black clouds opened and created chaos.

By showtime, the night was salvaged but Tobacco Rd. Band had to be cancelled in order to get John Michael on stage. I was pleasantly surprised, despite the heavy rains and wet field, that the crowds came out to listen to John Michael strum his guitar and sing. At Crossroads, Geneva and Jasmine rocked the crowds, two bike shows were well attended, and the tattoo contest had men and women baring their parts to win the best ink competition. The finals for Miss Thunder Beach had to be moved last minute to Crossroads due to the heavy rains messing up the schedule at the main stage, but the crowds seemed thrilled to be up close and personal with the beautiful hard bodies.

At Harley-Davidson of Panama City Beach, circus performers were swallowing swords, long balloons, and fire, while live music, vendors, and shopping of all things Harley kept the peeps entertained onsite all weekend. At the end of the rally they gave away a Dream Harley Vacation worth $4600, although because of the rain we missed the drawing…obviously we didn’t win it! All the bars in town seem happy to have those of us on two and three wheels in town spending our hard-earned cash. Hammerhead Fred’s was a hot spot of activity with the band Buck Wild back again to entertain the masses nightly. Fred’s hosted the Official Kick-Start Party, the 1st and 2nd Prelim of the Official Miss Thunder Beach Pageant, as well as the Ms. Thunder Beach contest (over 35). With so much to do I am sure there are some things I missed mentioning. For 2020, the 22nd Annual Spring Rally dates are April 29th-May 3rd.

Come up and play for a fun weekend of beaches, bikes, beer, booze and babes in bikinis…the hotels and bars can still use a bump to their economy after the devastating storm of 2018. Come wet your whistle at cool joints like Wicked Wheel, Sharkey’s, Hammerhead Fred’s, The Salty Goat Saloon, Dirty Dick’s Crab House, Growler Garage, or Sandpiper Beacon. If your schedule doesn’t permit you to get away in the spring, the 20th Autumn Rally is October 21st to the 25th. Lot’s to explore up on the panhandle. Miles of sugar white sand and turquoise waters await your arrival!

By Ron Cox

Billed as “the World’s Only Motorcycle Rally on a cruise ship,” the 20th Annual High Seas Rally (HSR) set sail from Tampa, Florida on a seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean. The cruise was aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, a 2,000-person ship almost filled to capacity with motorcyclists from all over the world. In addition to domestic guests, people came from the UK, Canada and Germany just to name a few.

Ports of call on this pirate themed cruise included the Grand Cayman Island B.W.I., Cozumel, Mexico and Key West, Florida. Each location had a Harley shop which was overwhelmed with tee shirt buying customers.

Throughout the week shipboard activities included a Belly Smacker contest, Topless Man contest, Best Beard Contest, Tee shirt swap, Poker Chip swap, HSR tattoo contest and almost everyone’s favorite The Treasured Chest contest. About 20 pirate costumed wenches circulated among the audience collecting donations for Debbie’s Dialysis Fund (DDF). The winner being determined by who raised the most money. And did I mention the parties on shore at the Margaritaville’s or Sloppy Joe’s?

It wouldn’t be a biker event without a charitable aspect to it, and so it was with the HSR’s Debbie’s Dialysis Fund. The fund was named by HSR cofounder Dean Anderson for his late wife Debbie the other rally cofounder. The fund allows people, bikers and others, the opportunity for the vacation of a lifetime. Dialysis patients usually need a treatment every two or three days. The fund picks up ALL costs related to attending the rally including travel expenses for the patient and a companion, rental of dialysis machines, hiring medical staff, cabin costs and $500 in pocket money. Rally goers are fond of saying they’re “Cruisin’ for a Cause.”

Throughout the week tickets were sold for various drawings at the nightly “giveaway” shows. The nightly 50/50 gave between $2,500 and $7,500 to the winners who frequently gave a percentage of their winnings back for the fund. There was a Biker Bingo Night and a silent auction. Proceeds from these events and others went directly in the Dialysis Fund.

The Grand Prize giveaway show took place on Saturday, the last night of the cruise. An auction was held for various donated items including an autographed guitar by ZZ Top which netted $20,000. Other autographed guitars and banners hung at the tonsil wash emporiums on shore and aboard ship were raffled off with all proceeds going to the Fund. There were two $20,000 winners and Randy and Sheri Simpson from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania took home $10,000. About the only thing missing was a Jolly Roger flying from the ship’s mast!!!!!

As of this writing cabins for the 21st Annual High Seas Rally (December 3-10) are already on sale. Info: highseasrally.com.

For the last 18 months it was rumored that this would be the last High Seas Rally. Dean and Susan Anderson wanted more time together and wanted to find someone to take over production of the HSR. After a lengthy investigation Entertainment Cruise Productions (ECP), a firm with 20 years of producing specialty cruises stepped up and took on the challenge. Dean and Susan will stay on as consultants. ECP will carry on the mission of Debbie’s Dialysis Fund and demonstrated its commitment by donating $10,000. Bravo gentlemen.

By Lulu

The monthly Mystery Ride out of Port Orange’s Boat Bar has taken us on all sorts of highways. But to keep in the spirit of the season we decided to tour Fort Christmas in December. We made a stop on the way at Pier 220 in Titusville to knock down a drink or two, it was a bit nippily, so I chose a coffee while others got their vitamins with a Bloody Mary. After exploring the fort and out-buildings we made a few more stops at Shay’s Airport Lounge in Sanford and at The Hitching Post in Chuluota. One of the things I love about the mystery rides are the new spots we find…and the new friends we make along the route! We love having new friends join our group. The dates and time are in The Boat Bar’s ad and in the calendar of events page. So be there or be square!!!

By Lulu

Ken and Jeani were able to snap some great shots of the Rock for Tots event that Kristi and the staff at OB’s throw each year. We had a great time at the 2018 event, but our schedule kept us from rocking with them this year. Our absence went unnoticed!! The event was a tremendous success as all of OB’s charitable causes are. The bikers in Deland and surrounding areas are GENEROUS and loyal! This year they sent in the Marines! Over 71 bikes and $1886 in cash a huge boost for the Toys for Tots. 4 bands rocked the house including Sound Theory, Raging Sun, Tribucon and Crashrocket. Every little face that woke up to a special Christmas would thank you if they knew it was you guys and not Santa that placed their gifts under the tree!!! Don’t forget as the warm riding season rolls in to head your bikes and trikes to OB’s for a rockin’ good time on their Wednesday night bike nights and great live music on Fridays and Saturdays!!

One of the greatest joys on two wheels is hitting a new stretch of highway with vistas and terrains that are unique to a region. Exploring new towns and meeting new people are added pleasures. TJ and I spent five days in and around Austin, Texas. We flew there to catch some blues as this town is billed as the “Live Music Capital of the World”. Honestly, we heard a great blues band in the historic town of Gruene, but the blues we heard in Austin were just okay.

We did happen upon a great three-piece band with a dynamite guitarist who did a lot of Hendrix and Clapton…Sonny Wolf Band. We liked them so much we sought them out on three different nights. So, what was to be five nights of blues turned into three days of great rock and three days of great rides! We ended up turning in our rental car and rented a bike at Cowboy H-D in Austin. With friends Yolanda and Paul offering a personal tour of the “Hill Country” of Texas, the riding was on. Another old friend of TJ’s, Pete, happened to be in Texas so he rode up to join in on the fun.

It was COLD, but we were warned and brought our leathers just in case. I am sure it would be much prettier in the spring when things are green and the Bluebonnets are in bloom, but just the hills and old towns were almost sensory overload even if it was a bit wintry. We explored San Antonio, checked out the Alamo, had coffee at Luckenbach, made it to The Oasis in Austin twice. The first trip the fog was so thick you couldn’t see the lake and hills at all. The food was so good we decided to go back on a crystal-clear day, and we were so glad we did as the view was amazing!

There are two big bike rallies in Texas. The Lone Star Rally in Galveston the first weekend of November and the ROT (Republic of Texas) Rally in June. I have been to the Galveston Rally twice and it is a blast! I haven’t been to the ROT Rally but will be trying to fit it in to our 2021 schedule as there is so much more to see in that area of Texas and the riding is just awesome.

By a stranger a beer, kiss your girlfriend and don’t forget your sunscreen!

by Jeani G.

On a beautiful sunny day, Main Street Station hosted the 5th annual Bicycles for Kids Christmas Fundraiser Poker Run. Phaedra Lee did a wonderful job of running the event, and with the help of sponsors Rice Law Firm, 99 Customs and 95.7 HOG Radio, an amazing total of 167 bikes were collected to brighten children’s lives at Christmas … it’s easy to picture those ear-to-ear smiles … “A bike is the first gift a child remembers!”

Mischief Makers coordinated the registration and poker hands, with Main Street Station garage bar kicking off the ride by treating everyone to a hotdog and hamburger lunch … then our adventure took us to the Cabbage Patch, First Turn Steakhouse and Guiseppe’s Pizza, where Paula served up some yummy pies! Next, we navigated our way around two Christmas parades and rolled into Racing’s North Turn for a visit with Rhonda and plenty of ocean backdrop photo ops. Our final stop brought us full circle back to Main Street Station with dinner from Backyard Boys BBQ, cash prizes, giveaways, 50/50 and gift basket raffles and live music by Crashrocket … so much excitement all day long! There was no shortage of fun and the generosity of bikers and bar patrons was so heartwarming!

The Publishers of Thunder Roads Florida would like to make a special request to their readers … Main Street Station brings you Wednesday bike nights and one of the best Bike Week and Biketoberfest parties in town, but Phaedra and the crew are there all year long and this bar’s efforts on behalf of the greater Daytona community and charitable causes should be rewarded with your patronage!!!

By Horny Dave

The greatest part of the first cold snap in Florida is dusting off the leather and taking a ride through the countryside. Ending up at the 3-D Saloon for an evening of great friends and music is the icing on the cake. Nestled in the heart of Putnam county near the St. Johns River is one of the coolest hidden treasures in the area. A short ride from anywhere will bring you by to see Donnie and Amy, where they welcome you in like family.

This particular evening, a local favorite southern rock band from Georgia, Austin Neil and Savannah Road performed to a packed house. Their soulful style of country, rock, and bluegrass music kept the bar hopping all night long. A heart felt tribute to the military and veterans inspired a feeling of unity and pride in everyone there. The place was bustling into the wee hours of the morning with lively music and great company.

Even though the cold weather and leathers never last long in Florida, a short ride to 3-D Saloon in Palatka will provide you with new friends and memories that you will keep forever. Come celebrate their birthday on Saturday, February 15th with more great music and a low country boil!

By Lulu

The tornado that destroyed Troy’s house in Bunnell made the news. AND I want everyone to know what great people can do on a chilly day for a person in need, it is newsworthy! As the bikes rolled into the Iron Horse for registration Troy was in his own words, “humbled” by the turnout. It was the type of morning that it would have been easy to just stay under the covers. But an amazing amount of us put on our chaps, face warmers and mittens to ride around in the crisp damp air of Volusia and Flagler County for a friend of many. Troy Robertson is a local motorcycle wrench and musician.

I spent countless hours listening to him strum at the White Eagle years ago. So, a lot of us knew Troy, but strangers also took the time to ride for him. Sometimes it isn’t even the money that helps someone in a time of devastation. It is the hugs and that people cared. So, it was on Troy’s run. He was touched beyond words by all of you. We made the stops at Circus II, Boot Hill Saloon, Beach Front Grille and ended at Ike’s where the band Halo Violation kept the party going. The food spread warmed our innards. And a special thank you to Iron Horse Saloon for the donuts and coffee at registration!

By Lulu

If Jan at Gator Harley-Davidson in Leesburg knows anything it is how to throw a party. With martinis flowing, a fabulous food spread and scantily dressed male and female elves there was fun in the room for all! A toy drive and silent auction helped LCUMA make someone’s Christmas season full of joy. The runway included local favorites and Harley wear for all to wish for. Free gift wrapping and a nice discount made Christmas shopping easy!

By Lulu

Twisted Evolution Motorcycle Shoppe is located on a corner in Bushnell, a sleepy country town. Fred Rudat and Neil Fullilove are both graduates of Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Orlando and LIVE motorcycles! Fred graduated in 2006 and has twelve years of dealership experience under his belt. Fred’s in charge of daily operations and is the first “Twisted” face that will greet you when you walk through the door.

Twisted Evolution is a family run shop. Fred’s wife, Crystal, tracks and maintains the parts inventory. Neil graduated M.M.I. in 2016 and handles the motorcycle repairs. Neil’s brother, Adam who was a Marine, lends a hand with the bookkeeping. They offer discounts to military veterans and first responders. The focus of the shop is routine service and repair of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles 1984 to current. Extended warranty work is not a problem and Twisted Evolution keeps most common size tires for your Harley-Davidson motorcycle in stock. Located at 212 N. Main Street in Bushnell.

I have been delivering to the shoppe for the past six months and they seem to have a well-honed, organized business and they couldn’t be nicer! When I asked them about future goals for the shop they said, “We just want to be the local motorcycle shop that people can refer and rely on.” The four partners all agree that if they could do this for the next fifteen-years they would feel very accomplished. Twisted Evolution has no illusions of grandeur or of being that custom build shop, they just want to wrench on bikes and make your riding safe and a pleasure. They’re closed Sundays and Wednesdays. Hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9a-6p and Saturday 10a-2p. Stop in and visit if you are in the Bushnell area. The phone number for Twisted Evolution is 352-617-5224

By Lulu

So Yappy Hour at First Turn in Port Orange means the afternoon has “gone to the dogs” and the furry creatures were everywhere including Santa’s lap. Benefitting Pawsibilities and Sophie’s Choice there was also a huge auction to raise much needed funds. The afternoon included belly dancers, pirates (big and small), mermaids and a huge pig! Too much to photograph!!! Check out the rest of the pictures from the day on Thunder Roads Florida Facebook page so check it out and follow us there!

By Lulu

Our first time to ride over to St. Pete to participate in Bert’s St. Pete Bike Fest held ON THE BEACH at Tradewinds Resort was awesome. I must say this is something between a Biker’s Spring Break and a bike rally. Most of the activities are pool side or on the beach!! I really felt like I was on vacation with friends that ride. Tradewinds is a beautiful resort with several properties and many pools, hot tubs, amazing sunsets, great foods and enough bars to walk down the beach to, that if you finished their Pub Crawl you would need to stumble back to your room. No cars were allowed on property…motorcycles only!!! And there were bikes around every nook and hallway.

The Kory Souza bike show was held in their banquet hall. Another banquet hall was turned into motorcycle parking…it was cool that they took such care of the guests staying on site. To keep the crowds entertained, games by the pool included building a boat out of cardboard, a hula hoop contest, trivia, hairy chest contest and belly flop contest (which our friend Kelly from Chrome Premium Cigars won). She was the best and the only girl that competed!!! There was a huge tent full of vendors at the hotel including Paul Sr. from OCC.

The property really filled up as the bands kicked in. The headliners this year were Fuel, Soul Asylum, Bret Michaels and The Charlie Daniels Band all drew a huge crowd. Two stages on the beach allowed bands time to set up and only short breaks in between. Saturday at sunset, a plane dropped parachutists to a huge flag on the beach. It was a very moving ceremony. Saturday night closed out with a great fireworks display. Sunday afternoon Tobacco Rd. Band played, and I had to buy a CD I enjoyed them so much. Bert’s Barracuda H-D gave away a 2019 Street Glide Sunday as part of the festivities. A short ride from Tradewinds at Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson, was a parking lot full of vendors for those interested in shopping or buying a new bike. I can’t wait till next year. I will be poolside with my sunglasses and a frozen Margarita staying at Tradewinds…hope you join me!