By Lulu

If you are in town for Biketoberfest you will without a doubt stop into the Iron Horse Saloon. Free music by some of the best entertainers in the country, Crager’s beef tips, one of their new T-shirts, a tattoo or tattoo contest, the Wall of Death, free samples from Bayer, Aleve or Dr. Scholl, are all great reasons to ride in. This year Montgomery Gentry, Marshall Tucker Band and of course David Allan Coe were some of the crowd favorites. Iron Horse is a staple of Daytona bikers all year round!

By Lulu

Carole King sang “My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue. An everchanging vision of the ever-changing view.” My tapestry is woven with threads of the people who enter my life. The color of the threads each person adds to the tapestry is determined by what they bring into my life. White is pure love. Green jealousy. Red anger. Blue sadness. Purple passion. Black evil, pain. Grey indifference. Pink fun. Yellow cheerfulness and sunshine. The longevity of knowing someone and the closeness you experience with them determines how much color they add to your tapestry.

Sometimes the person may add a great deal of color and yet their actual time in your presence can be quite short. I met a man a few months after Bull died. I was struggling to keep Thunder Roads Florida going after his death by suicide. Struggling with the work of a magazine that I suddenly owned due to his death, I was also struggling to be in the world of motorcycling without him. I walked into The Dog Pound in Bunnell to deliver the latest issue and several men I didn’t know were standing there. Billy Neal who I later would know as Bilkey said to me, “Girl you have the saddest eyes I have ever seen.” I burst into tears. He was so concerned about me he insisted I have breakfast with him the next day. And I did. After the tragic loss of a loved one you start to think you don’t want to burden your friends and family with your feelings, so a fresh caring listener was a blessing that morning. Bilkey added lots of sunshine and cheer to my tapestry that day. I only saw Bilkey one other time, when he came to the White Eagle during Bike Week several years later, but he called often to check on me and nicknamed me “Earth Angel”. He would send me shirts from different Harley dealers when he traveled. Our two encounters lasted no longer than a few hours combined…yet his checking on me as I recovered from the depth of sorrow added much to my tapestry.

I received a text in messenger late the other night, the name on my cell was Billy Neal. At first, I thought someone had hacked Bilkey’s Facebook because it said, “Is this Beth?” Then there was a message saying it was Bilkey’s daughter and she was relaying that Bilkey had died. Suddenly a rush of blue was added to my tapestry. I was so sad that he was gone, sad that I hadn’t spent more time with him, that I hadn’t told him how much happiness he had added to my life by caring about me when I needed someone. I was sad for his children too. I never asked Bilkey why he called me “Earth Angel”. Now I will never know, but I had a feeling as I cried for him while driving home, that he was comforting me as before and that now I will have an angel looking after me from above.

Many in Florida know Billy Neal. He was a bike builder from Ohio, but he visited Florida often and had friends throughout. He was bigger than life. Funny. Intuitive. Kind…I will miss him.

Tell someone how much they mean to you, be kind to a stranger that seems burdened and don’t forget your sunscreen…

By Lulu

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Denise and Rick Hilliard. First off, Denise has one of the biggest hearts! She and First Turn are always involved in great community events! They also have a terrific venue with open air seating on their giant deck and now MOST of it is covered. They bring in great bands, fuel the Tuesday night Bike Night crowd with cheap drinks and free grub. And the number of bikers that show up during Bike Week and Biketoberfest prove I am not alone in my love for this bar. This Biketoberfest, Tim Dugger was back from Nashville, so we stopped in to see him strum the guitar and entertain his fans. If you get a chance, try their Redneck Salad, it is my favorite on their menu, although they are really known for the Sizzlin’ Steaks!

Usually I write about how I love the people that surround me in this world of motorcycling. I love how patriotic, generous, and down to earth they are. I was a bit let down this month by some of our peeps in the motorcycling world. I witnessed bikers talking right through the playing of the National Anthem. Not only didn’t they shut up during it…they didn’t stand. I might as well have been at Kaepernick’s stadium. Oh, I was annoyed. Who does that? I don’t even want to use the excuse of being drunk. They simply were rude. Here is a guy on stage playing his heart out. Jasmine Cain with her hand over her heart. Most of the crowd standing. And about 20 lazy, rude, unpatriotic fools!

The other item of annoyance is when festival organizers go to extremes scheduling great, free music and you don’t bother to get out of the bars to show up. T. J. and I saw some outstanding free music at many events this year and people are jammed into crowded bars pounding shots and longnecks and missing out on amazing music. I do wish most organizers would realize they need to put the concerts on earlier in the evening, that bikers don’t want to be far from their final stops late at night, but why can’t we as adults pace ourselves a bit and take advantage of the shows these events put on!!

Now none of this means I don’t still love motorcyclists, I also witnessed Jesse James Dupree of Jackyl ride on a charity event as part of Cotee River Bike Fest. Evey single weekend I see people take the last $10 bucks out of their pockets to ride on a poker run for a worthy cause. I see veteran’s riding for the Patriot Guard and people like Willie at Tropical Tattoo helping veterans like he is a bearded Santa! But please live a little and try something other than the barstool at bike rallies. And for God’s sake and the sake of America, stand for any rendition of the National Anthem and shut up!

Ride on a toy run, call your parents and tell them you love them and don’t forget your sunscreen.

Lulu

Phaedra Lee knows how to fill her garage bar with people! Great musicians all year round, bike night with $1 longnecks and scantily dressed, hot, high-heeled women on stage during Bike Week and Biketoberfest makes Main Street Station your Destination party spot! For Biketoberfest, Main Street Station featured Warrant playing to a packed house. Big Engine, Bearded Brothers, Microwave Dave, Thunder Jack, Slippery When Wet, Sound Theory and more also entertained the throngs of party peeps on two stages. Twisted Tea sponsored the Miss Main Street Station Contest and giveaways were thrown to the crowd. Phaedra and her staff work hard all year to provide ice cold beer, cocktails and music in a great venue. Head on down to Main Street for their Wednesday night bike nights!

By Lulu

Well the weather God didn’t treat the Saturday for Cabbage Patch’s world-famous Coleslaw Wrestling competition too kindly but as the saying goes “the show must go on”, and that is exactly what the crew at Cabbage Patch managed to pull off. A torrential downpour almost caused the big event to be cancelled but the field finally dried up a bit, the rains stopped, and the girls wrestled! Just the production of making the oily slaw is a spectacle. Pounds of cabbage are dropped into a giant machine that chews it up and spits it out, then gallons of oil are added the whole mess is mixed up and just like that you have a pit of coleslaw.

Coleslaw wrestling isn’t all that happens at the Patch. Radical Randy puts on great bike shows. This year we made it to the Battle of the Baggers sponsored by Fran Haasch. I don’t know how the judges can pick one bike over the next. They were all awesome.

Cabbage Patch has things going on all year long, so particularly since the weather hurt their pocketbook a bit, be sure to ride out and enjoy a drink or two. It will be appreciated by the staff! And for a fun time during the holidays show up in an ugly sweater for their annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

By Lulu

There are many
things that make an event successful. For me starting on time, organization, advertising, good people running it, celebrities, a great crowd, good music, cold beer (and TWISTED TEA), strong drinks, hot looking women, good food, interesting things to see or photograph all are the components that make an event newsworthy and successful!! Chopper Time has all of this and one more that many don’t even know about, Willie gives the proceeds of the beer and Tea sales to a worthy cause each time. Biketoberfest, the veterans reaped the rewards of Willie’s biker pals’ appetite for a few cold ones! I always prefer Chopper Time in the fall because it isn’t quite the crowd and you can get in and see the detail on the bikes without fear of knocking a whole slew of them over. The lot was still packed with all kinds of old school and radical looking “chopped” on creations. Dave and Jodi Perewitz are regulars at this event, and it is always good to see them. A special thank you to all the crew who help make this happen, to Rue & Ziffra, PA for their support, Twisted Tea and Miller Lite for their sponsorship, to Rock of Daytona for the live remote and to each and every dollar spent by you who helped make this not only the best bike show in town, but also a wonderful event for veterans.

The winners are as follows:
Steve Broyles-Antique
George (Good Looking Customs)-Flatty
Mark Stevens-Knuckle
Brian Buttera-Panhead
Shannon Rae- Shovel Roadside Choice
Jacque Alexander-Evo
Kyle Rice-Twin Cam
Gina-Sportster
Dirtbag Choppers-Creative Custom
Ferge Takmen/Johnny Heffin-Triumph Stock
Frank Davis-British Custom
John Benedict-Best Metric
Tony Goodwin-Jap Custom
Gus Karnes-Rat Bike
Don & Sabrina Natter-Bobber
Matt Foster-Chopper/Cycle Source Choice
Jerry Jackman-Tropical Tattoo Choice & Perewitz Best Paint
Ed Skelton-Crowd Favorite & Cochise Chops Choice
Phil Anderson-Rick’s Choice
Kacey Ann Waring-Ladies’ Choice
Tino Periat-Clay’s Pick
Bruno Guillory-Bling’s Choice
Hatch-Reverend Al’s Choice
Marty Jester-Mo’s Image Custom
Paul Jabaly- B&D Customs & Willie and Roadside Hardcore
Emmanuel Raes-Tar Ball Run Choice
Shaun Ponte-Willie’s Choice
Nick Pen Mad Pen-Willie’s & Roadside Choice
(Space doesn’t allow us to post all winners photo in the printed version of the magazine but photos of all the winners are on our Facebook page Thunder Roads Florida)

By Lulu

In New Port Richey each year, the downtown and riverfront become the home for the Cotee River Bike Fest. What sets this event apart from many others is the entire thing is built around giving to charities. Tina Farrell and her team make this yearly event mean more than great bands, bike shows, vendors and wrestling. Along with breathing some dollars into the local businesses, when all is said and done, two charities benefit from the hard work and the bikers who attend. Fire & Iron put on a poker run out of New Port Richey Harley-Davidson on Saturday morning to benefit the Children’s Burn Fund. The other charity that benefitted from the festival this year is Red Apple School. T. J. and I love this festival. Tim and his crew at Little Corona Cigar Lounge make us feel like family. The music is always great, and with four stages you are certain to find something that suits your taste. Two of my favorites this year were Stonegrey and Electric Woodshed. Of course, Jackyl filled the park and I was impressed that Jesse James Dupree rode on the poker run with us!

If you haven’t made the ride to New Port Richey in October put this on your bucket list!

By Lulu

This is by far one of my favorite events of the year. The Rossmeyer’s and Camp Boggy Creek went all out again to celebrate the silver anniversary of the ride. Over the past 25 years the Ride for Children weekend has raised over $6 million dollars to support the camp. It started with a gala on Saturday night at the Plaza Hotel with a wonderful meal, cocktails, a silent and live auction…and more generosity than you could imagine in the hearts of many. Live music by Landon Lane playing Jerry Lee Lewis’ flamed piano (provided by Derrick Ames) got people up on their feet. But the emotions of the night came as a young cancer survivor had us think back to being happy, playful, healthy 9-year olds. He told of HIS ninth year and being diagnosed with bone cancer, and entering the world of hospitals, doctor visits, multiple surgeries, constant IV’s and sickness…fear. Then the opportunity to go to Camp Boggy Creek gave him his life back. He made a best friend and found the happy child he once had been. He was able to play, explore and learn. He emotionally thanked those in the room and there wasn’t a dry eye to be seen because we knew how lucky we were to have been healthy kids, not children fighting a monster within.

The next morning the ride departed from Destination Daytona expertly escorted by seven local law enforcement agencies; Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange Police and the Volusia County, Flagler County and Lake County Sheriff’s Departments. As we turned to enter the camp, I thought of the young man who spoke the night before and wondered what his emotions were the day he arrived at camp. I imagined how excited he must have been, but also the fear of leaving the safety of his home and the medical care he was familiar with. I remembered myself as a child being afraid when my parents took me to 4-H Camp and dropped me off with strangers. I cried myself to sleep that first night…and I was healthy.

As we arrived passing signs held by campers and parents thanking the riders, I really understood how strong their gratitude for this camp is. The camp is beautiful. Boggy Creek is everything a camp should be. 232 acres with welcoming bunk houses, a huge dining hall and a beautiful lake. Horseback riding, fishing, archery, crafts and zip-lining are some of the amenities that the kids get to enjoy. We were treated to a wonderful meal of chicken and steak provided by Outback Steakhouse where. all the employees donate their time for this event. Another silent and live auction raised more funds. The live entertainment at the camp was the Tobacco Rd. Band and we all enjoyed their mix of country and rock. This year’s Grand Marshalls, Jimmy Van Pelt, Michael Austin and Doug Danger were on hand to add to the festivities.

For a $50 registration/donation you get a chance to help a kid be “just a kid” for a week. No child is ever charged for camp. The camp was founded by Paul Newman, General Norman Schwarzkopf and other community leaders. But it has been funded by dollars generously given by large and small donors too numerous to mention. The cost of $2500 for a week at camp takes many generous hearts. A special thank you to the Rossmeyer Family, John Hamlin, Robert White, Collin & Jeanmarie York, Heather Larsen, Eva Connors McMullin, S. R. Perrott, Inc., Patricia Miracle and Frank Scott, all the sponsors and to each and every rider throughout the last 25 years that keep the legacy of Bruce Rossmeyer alive.

By Lulu

For the second year Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson took notice of how many trike owners there are and planned a 3-day event to celebrate their 3-wheeling lifestyle. As we age and live longer than our forefathers, we aren’t spending our days playing bingo at retirement homes. Bad knees and backs don’t keep us off the road or the breeze off of our happy faces. We drop a few bucks and buy trikes! Women also love trikes probably more for the extra storage space than anything else. Mandy Rossmeyer decided to plan a yearly event in the trike owners honor. Starting with a Meet and Greet on Friday, a morning trike ride on Saturday, trike show Saturday afternoon, live music and a dinner ride, everyone seemed to enjoy the camaraderie. Sunday included a Blessing of the Trikes. Plans are to continue this yearly event so shine up your trike and join in on the fun in Daytona next year.

By Lulu

Big news in the motorcycle world!! A brand-new state of the art motorcycle store just opened in St. Augustine. The fourth for the Adamec family! Adamec already has dealerships in Orange Park, Jacksonville on Baymeadows and one at Regency on Atlantic. The first was purchased with $50 dollars down in 1931. Adamec also has a retail store in historic Ancient City St. Augustine. The Adamec family and their fabulous staff work hard to bring you a huge selection of motorcycles and apparel. And the new dealership does just that. A special thank you to Missy, Sarah and all the LAMAs that made the weekend run so smoothly. In designing the new location, they made a great stage with plenty of space for outdoor events. Located at 380 Outlet Mall Blvd. right off I 95 it is a must stop when cruising through Florida.

By Lulu

If anyone knows Rudy, the owner of Rudy’s Bar & Grill in Holly Hill on US 1, they know he is one of the hardest working bar owners in town. If you get a chance to sit and chat with Rudy, you will find out he is one of the most patriotic Americans on the planet. He loves the USA, our military, our troops and even our president. Having immigrated years ago from a country where the government wasn’t of the PEOPLE, he really understands all we could lose! His bar on US 1 is a good stop for a stiff drink or a bite to eat. We stopped in to see one our favorite bands, Crashrocket, and the place was packed! Thanks, Rudy, for a great night!