By T. J.

Jeff Gordon and I put 200 miles on our Harley’s to attend Christmas in the Swamp and it was a great day on 2 wheels! Each year in Groveland, a bunch of elves dressed as bikers, throw one hell of a party/charity event to provide gifts under their trees for children in the Mascotte & Groveland area! These “Santa’s elves” have a great piece of land they call the Swamp. Under a newly built covered patio was a large Christmas tree with more toys than I have ever seen collected by one group. Add to that they feed everyone a Christmas spread that was delicious all for the admission price of a toy for the tree! The Rat’s Nest Saloon had some Nam Knights slinging cocktails for the masses too. Join in for the fun, food and feeling of being a good soul by riding out next year to Christmas in the Swamp with the The Green Swamp Nam Knights of America, MC. You’ll be glad you did!

By Lulu

I never had a parent or grandparent in the military. My brother was in the Navy as a corpsman for a few years and I had older friends shipped off to Vietnam due to the draft, somehow, I developed a real love of veterans. They embody the best of what America should be…brave and patriotic. I must admit I am a bit worried about what the current administration is doing to our military, and it seems like they have lost sight of who should be protecting us.

I have attended the Ride to the Wall with Rolling Thunder 3 years and feel every American who has never attended it is missing a moving and emotional event. Eustis’ Salute to Veterans is one of the best events I have witnessed in Florida for showing off our love of those who serve this great nation. The parade, the lakefront park decked out with military vehicles, with a backdrop of veteran paratroopers from Phantom Airborne Brigade jumping from planes into the lake all morning, and the Iraq and Afghanistan National Memorial walls, made the trip to Eustis worthwhile. The Phantom Airborne Brigade and The Ranger Group hosted the morning jumps. The Sons of Mosby MCA, The Long-Range Reconnaissance Surveillance, and the Paratroopers for the 82nd Airborne Division all participated. Even veterans in wheelchairs were able to participate jumping from the plane to the lake below where boaters scooped them up and brought them to shore. An amazing sight!!

Thank you to all who served in the military, the cost of just being away from your families for an extended time is a great sacrifice. For those of you who served during wars, knowing that your time there kept us safe and helped keep us free, I am in awe of any who can be so self-sacrificing for others.

Next month I begin my 18th year publishing Thunder Roads Florida and I cannot say enough about how many wonderful people have come into my life because of the magazine and the world of motorcycling. Friendships that have lasted and grown over all 17 years! Friends I have just gotten to know in recent months, particularly through the Mystery Rides. I am writing this to thank the readers who have supported the FREE magazine by following our events calendar and showing up at ad clients’ establishments and events, and saying they saw it in Thunder Roads Florida. I even thank you for the friendships I have been blessed with by the success of the magazine. Recently T. J. was part of a golf outing that NASCAR’s Rusty Wallace generously donated to the Iron Horse Saloon’s Saddle Up for St. Judes poker run last spring. Rusty, Craiger, T. J., Mike and his son-in-law Gary spent the morning on the course, followed by a nice lunch at Oceanside County Club. Mike bid and donated $1000 to St. Judes for the day’s round of golf. Thunder Roads Florida was to pay for lunch, but Rusty wouldn’t hear of it! Rusty is one of the many amazing people who I have been blessed with knowing. I first met Rusty on a Camp Boggy Creek Ride. He is an unpretentious celebrity with a good heart! He and his son Steve now have a custom motorcycle company, Southern Country Customs, and their beautiful bikes are onsite at Broken Spoke for Bike Week 2024. The next Saddle Up for St. Judes will be at Iron Horse on April 6th with a poker run, cornhole tourney, Bike Show Mafia Bike Show, live and silent auctions, live music festival and much more. Rusty Wallace and Bill Grotto from Twisted Tea will be riding along with us. Over $40,000 last year was raised by the Iron Horse event and Sherry has a new goal of $60,000 so get on your saddle and join us! Count your blessings each and every day, take a new way to a destination because it is all about the ride and don’t forget your sunscreen.

By Adam Babcock (2023 Toys for Tots Ride Coordinator/Photos by Joshua Bugby

On Sunday, November 19th the Emerald Coast HOG Chapter (Fort Walton Beach, FL) hosted its 44th annual Toys 4 Tots Ride benefitting two local children’s charities – Children in Crisis and the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center. Over three hundred registered with over two hundred riders joining the group ride to the Niceville, Florida Mullet Festival site for food trucks, bike games, costume, and decorated bike contests, as well as 84 prize drawings. Almost $7K funds were raised and shared between both charities (plus an extra $2K from the Panhandle Eagle Aerie teams) and approximately $1K in gift cards with over four hundred toys! Many thanks go out to the riders that supported the event and for the tremendous generosity of our Northwest Florida community and businesses!

By Janice Catoggio

In December Crossroads Tavern and Ghost Town Punishers 5th Christmas Come True Poker Run hosted a tremendous event. There are so many people, companies, and organizations we would like to thank because standing together as a community we raised $10,737.00.  Punishers LEMC Ghost Town Chapter FL. all the ladies from their club and the Veritas ladies organized this poker run and we are proud to stand by their side.  We would like to thank the guys in their club that ran their asses off helping us whenever we needed something. There were times we needed something done and it was already done, they read our minds. They did an outstanding job. We would like to thank all the other Punisher Chapters for their support too. Thank you, Joe, The Bike Men of Flagler County, Inc.  for all the delicious food you cooked and to Crab Shack 386 for the Cole Slaw and all the different ladies that donated their delicious salads. Thank you, Nikki Robertson, once again for stepping in and volunteering.  Thank you to my girls at Crossroads Tavern for their hard work too. Thank you to all the different riding clubs that showed up and supported this poker run.  We would like to thank the local business for their generous donations Friends of The Bike Men of Flagler County, Andrew King Mobile Welding, Waterside Homes Renovation & Design, Tilton & Unger Insurance, A and S Hardware, Old Skool Bar, Charles Umpenhour Inc., Florida Podiatry, The Nurses at Halifax Adult Behavioral Services, Sunshine State Heating & Air Conditioning, Automation Logix and Harper Grace Foundation Corporation. Thank you to all the bars that participated in our Poker run Beach Front Grille, Saints and Sinners Pub, Sand Bar and The Pelican Pub  Most of all we would like to thank you our friends, family, our community, our customers without your continuous support we couldn’t have done this without all of you. Happy New Year to all and see you next year making Christmas Come True! ❤️ Janice and Marc Catoggio

By Lulu

The weather Gods did not smile down on the day of this ride. Torrential rain was projected, luckily for the children, Jim Lynch of Revelation 1 Concepts/Bike Show Mafia had put out boxes for collection of toys earlier in the month. Those who braved the severe weather mostly showed up in cars, trucks, and jeeps. A few of us rode from Broken Spoke to Sorry Charlie’s and mostly beat the rain. Other stops were canceled due to the weather. Sherry and Justin at the Broken Spoke hosted the registration and made yummy free pancakes and hot coffee. It was awesome! Once we arrived at Sorry Charlie’s, the firepit warmed our buns, and T. J. ordered an absolutely scrumptious and HUGE pork tenderloin sandwich. I think we fed five people off of it!!! Lots of children in Volusia County had a much nicer Christmas due to the generosity of those who gave, and to sponsors such as Kory Souza Originals, Faith Customs, Newsome Law, Twisted Tea, Broken Spoke and Sorry Charlie’s. The bike show that was scheduled for the day at Sorry Charlie’s had to be cancelled due to the storm, I am sure we will see Jim Lynch putting on a show in 2024!

By Lulu

So, Paul and Lisa Wane know how to throw one hell of a party. A biker destination was the party spot, Boogerville Hideout in Green Cove Springs. Ray came along for the ride just to get a Boogerville shirt! The event is geared towards children with face painting, Santa Claus, elves and Grinch and games. The first 150 kids get a gift bag with an event T-shirt, dinner voucher, toys and more. All proceeds benefit the community. Live music was by Rising Star and the young musicians and singers did a really good job. Guitars for Kids gave away a guitar to a teen boy who was speechless on stage. The vision for Rising Stars Guitars for Kids: “We envision communities united by the magic of music, where individuals are provided platforms that showcase their talents and bring their dreams to reality.” Well Paul and Lisa pulled it off on that day. Our posse on two wheels drove through torrential rain to get there, and as God would see fit within a half mile of the place the rain stopped and the field was dry. A great gift from heaven for Rockin for Stockins that day!

By Lulu

Each October Cotee River Bike Fest has one heck of a 3-day party. 3 stages rock with lots of great music. Vendors line Sims Park, Grand & Bank St. Downtown is closed for bikes only! I can’t say enough about how nice the police are at the event, keeping the peace and keeping us safe. This is a family friendly event and Tina Farrell makes this a charity rally. Bands like Hair of the Dog, Carpool (Car’s Tribute), and Welcome to Destruction (Guns N Roses tribute) entertained the crowds. Children enjoyed the park, face painting and snake handling! Minh from Venom Cycles puts on a bike show on Saturday with trophies by Fran Haasch. A bikini contest, Little Miss Biker Contest, Daisy Duke contest were held and to get the men involved a wet t-shirt contest…but this time the men got wet!

The Fire & Iron Chapter held their yearly poker run out of New Port Richey Harley-Davidson with stops at Starkey Market, The Drunken Mullet, and Get Hooked Grill. The winner donated the money back I believe! The proceeds went to Children’s Burn Foundation and Pasco Safety Town. A special thank you to the sponsors Harley-Davidson of New Port Richey, Team Farrell, Downtown New Port Richey, Doran, Beam & Farrell Pasco Law Team, Brown & Brown, Fran Haasch, Roman Plumbing, and Experience Florida’s Sports Coast for making this event possible. Next year’s event is scheduled for October 11th-13th!!! More photos of the event can be viewed on Thunder Roads Florida Facebook under album Cotee River Bike Fest 2023!

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By Lulu

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My second trip to Maggie Valley and the famous Wheels Through Time did not disappoint. Dale, the creator of this museum with decades of history has passed on and is riding the heavens now, but his son and a wonderful tour guide were on hand to make this an informative and great day. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, you could spend all day here! They charge a fee of $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for children, and each year they raffle off a beautiful bike which helps maintain the building and the display bikes! Not only will you see one-of-a-kind motorcycles, like the Traub, which was encased behind a wall in Chicago dated back to 1916 and discovered during a demo of the building in 1967. The history behind that one is a story you must have Andy Norris share when you take the tour. This museum, that Dale Walksler started in 1969 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, moved to Mt. Vernon, Illinois in 1977 and in 2002 made its way to Maggie Valley, NC. The 38,000 square food building is PACKED full of 300 + rare bikes and memorabilia all artfully displayed. I feel certain this isn’t my last trip to Wheels Through Time. If you aren’t headed to the mountains, visit their website where many interesting articles on their collection can be found.

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By Lulu

One of our favorite fall events is at Howlin Wolf in Melrose on State Rte 100. This bar knows how to do Ol’ School bike parties. The day is complete with a good band, bikini bike wash girls, Sexy Biker Chick contest, bike show, bike games, and burn out contest! Add in a lot of alcohol and you have a great day in the country! Mark and James are veterans, and this place definitely has grown in popularity under their control of the bar’s “Throttle”. They bought the bar in 2020 and have managed to grow this event to a packed crowd twice a year. A great destination ride from Jacksonville, Gainesville, Daytona or Ocala on any weekend, but if you get a chance put Throttles & Bottles on your list for 2024!

By Lulu

We had a huge opportunity fall in our lap this summer. Gator Ken and Jeani rented a farmhouse in Clyde, North Carolina and invited us to ride the mountains with them for a few days. I have ridden the Smokies several time years ago but had never “Slayed the Dragon” on even the back of a bike! So, it was on my bucket list! 11 miles with 318 curves and we did it in about 22 minutes! The Tail of the Dragon in Deal’s Gap was amazing, and I only had to flip off one idiot on a jap bike that passed us on a hairpin turn! Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday it isn’t as busy as the weekend. AND don’t look at the Wall of Shame before you go…you will be too nervous! The weather was amazing. The farmhouse came complete with cows and ground hogs!! We were able to spend every day riding to new and interesting bars, restaurants, the Casino in Cherokee and Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge Tn. Every day was an adventure! The place not to miss for future trips was Bobarosa Saloon in Del Rio, Tennessee. This cool dive bar is owned by a Floridian who packed up and opened this watering hole. It is situated right on the French Broad River and people create rock towers while drinking or staying there. The Iron Horse Station, a restaurant in Hot Springs, N.C had amazing food!

The Twisted Spoke in Maggie Valley, is also owned by a Floridian. And Legends Bar & Grill, also in Maggie Valley, was very cool with the beer iced down in a canoe! I wouldn’t waste a trip to the casino again. The minimum bets have gotten ridiculous. And to me even though it was cool to drive by Ole Red (Blake Shelton’s Bar) and Jason Aldean’s bar in Gatlinburg, the place has turned into a complete tourist trap. It is nothing like the quaint town it was 30 years ago. The traffic even in August was too much, it made that part of the trip not worth the trouble. Truthfully, you are in the mountains for the riding, the view, and the weather!! My favorite rides were Thunder Ride in Maggie Valley which is along the water and the Rattler which has a lot of curves, but not of the nail-biting hairpin type. We also toured Wheels Through Time again, which I consider a MUST DO! Thank you, Ken and Jeani, for an amazing few days…and the home cooked ribeye dinner. Felt a little guilty eating it after getting to know the cows at the Farmhouse!

By T. J.

Dick’s Wings in Orange Park is back! Jeanina, the new owner, and general manager Beth, decided to bring back the bike night that the previous ownership had let fade away. We attended a recent one and had a great time. The band Rocking Machine rocked the house. The local Fire and Iron chapter was on hand and are big supporters, as evidenced by the display of some of their firefighting gear on the walls. The wings were hot, the beer was cold, and the service was awesome! The turnout was good even with the threat of rain which tells me that people are ready for a good bike night in Jax. It happens every first and third Wednesday at 6055 Youngerman Cir. so come on out and tell Beth and crew that Thunder Roads Florida sent you. See you there. Here is a testimonial that we received from Fire and Iron MC Station 21. I think it says it all!!!

Fire and Iron MC Station 21 was started back in 2002 in Jacksonville, Florida. Our Station is made up of Firefighters and other people associated with the Fire Service who love to ride and have a good time. Each member is either an Active Full-Time/Career, or Retired Member from the Fire Service Community. Over the past 20 years we have built a strong relationship with Dick’s Wings, originally this location was called Buffalo’s Southwest Café. We have always been a big supporter of Dick’s Wings and they have always been accommodating to us when we have Regional and National Officers in town visiting. It is our go to place for fundraisers for community outreach/support, Bike Night or just an evening out for dinner with our Station of Brothers and Sisters. The Dick’s Wings Team has always been instrumental in ensuring our legacy and relationship with the Dick’s Wings Franchise always remains intact. They are always supportive of our charity events to raise funds for fallen/injured firefighters and their family members during their time of need and to raise money for our annual donation to the Children’s Burn Camp Foundation.

By Lulu

The first Saturday of every month from April through November O’Calahan’s in Silver Springs on Fl-40 is host to a central Florida Bike Night. Live music, great food, stiff drinks, and vendors make an event worth adding to your calendar. The final one for 2023 in November had Epidemic on the stage covering bands like Metallica. Our dinner of corned beef sandwich was scrumptious! Vendors were on hand and the tent with PB Dezigns had some creative gifts to purchase. O’Calahan’s is a great spot for watching games too!

Put this on your list of destination rides for 2024! The first Saturday of April is the 6th, the fun starts at 6!

By Lulu

I don’t smoke cigars! But TJ does. So, when we met Tim, Tom, Heather and the crew at Little Corona a few years ago during Cotee River Bike Fest it instantly became our place to sit, chat, drink and get to know some of the best people on Earth. Tim Fussell is a retired fire chief so lots of firemen come by to visit. Tim rides so lots of peeps on 2 and 3 wheels feel at home here even if they don’t smoke cigars. There is an outside patio, a full walk-in humidor, ice cold beer & Twisted Tea and plenty of wine for non-beer peeps like me! If you are looking for nice Christmas gifts for a cigar smoking fellow or lassie, Tim’s humidor will be a good place to help fill a stocking or two. Next year’s dates for Cotee River Bike Fest are October 11th-13th but don’t wait until then to meet the crew at Little Corona and let them know Thunder Roads Florida said hello!!

By Lulu

For 17 years, Joe Vece and his organizations have put on a memorial service to honor those who lost their lives and continue to have health issues from the deadly terror attack on our country on 9/11/2001. I am concerned each year as we head to Flagler County for the ride that no one will show up…so many years have passed. But this year, as with every previous year, I was amazed at the community of bikers, residents and dignitaries that attended. The Red Knights first started this memorial ride 17 years ago, now Joe’s club, Knights of Inferno, along with the Punishers MC, Flagler County, Monster Motorcycles, Politis & Matovina, PA and Tropical Enterprises make this yearly memorial happen. Hundreds of riders watched the service and quietly prayed for our country, then got on their bikes and took the ride through Flagler and Volusia County to end with a great lunch provided by 1405 Saloon in Bunnell. I was pleased so many young riders were with us, many who didn’t look old enough to have been born when this tragic event occurred.

On 9/11 2001, 2996 individuals’ lives stopped! 1000s more were injured. And everyone in our country was horrified and in mourning. Only 20 survived the World Trade Center collapse. On Flight 11 ninety-two perished which crashed into the North Tower, Flight 175, fifty-one perished when it hit the South Tower and on the World Trade Center Property 2600 perished, some jumping to their deaths. On Flight 77 and in the Pentagon 189 perished. In a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, heroes on Flight 93 kept the terrorists from crashing into another site and all 44 perished. The youngest victims were two 3 years old on Flight 175. 10 were pregnant women and their unborn. 343 were New York City Fire Fighters and 71 were law enforcement officers. Since 2001 10,000 cancers in first responders have been attributed to the 9/11 event. 2,000 more have died from the exposure.

If you haven’t ridden out to Bunnell for one of the 9/11 Memorial Rides you really should make a point to, it makes you feel good about America. NEVER FORGET!!