By Tony & Trex

After finishing up partying with ALR 359 of Brevard, we climbed aboard the farm tractor and said let’s head to Daytona. We heard the forecast and the party starts at 8am so the plan worked. We roll into the Boot Hill Saloon at about 8:30am, register and breakfast is served. Perfect morning so far except for the rain drops. But even with the rain the bikes keep rolling in. It’s 10am raining and Karin and Alan yell out mount up and the posse mounts up. We follow them out in the rain. By the time we get to the White Eagle the rain has stopped. We stop to empty boots, twist out shirts and we’re back up and running to dry everything else off. First stop the Cheyenne Saloon and Karin buys the posse a round. It kinda brought the sun out and put everybody in that mood again… “party’s on”. Just before we get ready to leave Canada Bob gets the posse fired up by putting it in the blocks and lets the rear wheel fly. We mount up and we’re off to Renegades on the River. Nice place big outdoor bar, dining room, package store and great trailer sites, even a boat dock. There’s a pond with a gator just off the outside bar, another great stop if your riding through the area. We mount up and off to the “Iron Horse”, the sun gave way to clouds. A couple miles out, you got it, rain drops, grab some throttle and we beat the heavy stuff. Then Karin takes care of the posse again, the horses are watered and we mount up in the rain and the pack heads down US 1 back to the stable. We get to the Boot and yes Karin turn’s the water off and brings out the sun to dry the posse off. The place is hoping, Stone Grey is inside blasting classics out, food is ready and the beers cold. This was an excellent ride, 3/4 of a tank of fuel, great back roads, even the weather couldn’t kill this ride. Not only was this the 45th anniversary of the Boot Hill the proceeds go to benefit the Veterans Support Fund, what a day. But there’s even more a $500 cash giveaway by Daytona Estate Jewelry for grabs if you made the run, the maps have a number on them for the drawing. But then Karin owner of the Boot Hill throws in another $500 for a second drawing and Social Misfit Customs puts up two $100 prizes, so if you rode you have 4 chances to win. Karin this was a great party and ride and I luv to ride, so I can’t wait for your 50th should be twice as big and congratulations on your new bar The Tumbleweed Tavern on US 1. We will be checking it out when we get back.

By Lulu

In the spring during Leesburg Bike Fest the city of Eustis puts on a 2-day concert event featuring different genres of music to suit all tastes. Ferran Park is situated on a beautiful lake front setting with huge sprawling oaks. Food vendors make for a carnival like afternoon of music and feasting! This year an antique car show coincided with the festival. The music line up included Blackfoot, Crashrocket, Rockit Fly and Speed Limit. I hope they continue scheduling this during Leesburg it is a nice change of pace and a short destination ride from the hectic pace of downtown Leesburg.

By Raven Van Pelt

On Saturday May 12th the American Legion Riders Chapter 9, Flamingo Lake RV Resort and Dick’s Wings hosted the 6th Annual Boots on the Ground Poker Run and Concert to support K9s For Warriors and The Florida Fallen Heroes Memorial Fund. With almost 800 motorcycles and well over 2,000 people in attendance it was another great year of supporting these great Veterans organizations. The weekend started on Friday with over 80 volunteers onsite to set up the Boots on the Ground, America Remembers Memorial Display which consists of over 3,000 boots, each with a picture of a Fallen Soldier or First responder that has perished since 9-11-01 with their information and a flag. Friday Night kicked off the Pre-Ride party with about 300 people attending, with The Third Degree Rocking the house. Then on Saturday, the day of the Poker Run, KSU for the bikers was announced by a flyover by the Dreamland Squadron, a Hot Rod Car Show hosted by Callahan Cruisers and Golf Cart Poker Run as well. Dozens of the best biker gear vendors were on site as well to support. Saturday’s music line up was The Remedy at 8:30am, Hard 2 Handle at noon, No Saints Band at 4:00pm and Blistur at 7:00pm. Once again, Staff Sgt. Tim Chambers, aka the Saluting Marine from Rolling Thunder, was onsite to salute the riders as they left the Resort with the Jacksonville Fire Fighters Pipe and Drum playing to the crowd. Make sure that you mark your calendars to be part of this great event each year. It is always the Saturday before Mother’s Day.

By Deborah Speicher

On the first Saturday in May of every year, lady riders are told to “just ride” to commemorate and celebrate being just that – a lady rider! Across the world, several organized rides have started with some events claiming over 1,000 riders. Closer to home, 300+ of us gathered at Crystal Harley-Davidson (Crystal River, FL) for some riding, shopping, music, food and camaraderie. Most of the ladies were from Florida and Georgia but one rider, Lynda Schrauth, rode from Wisconsin to be part of this event!
Staging started at the dealership for some breakfast, bike blessings, and shopping with great discounts. The group later took off for an escorted country roads ride which ended at High Octane Saloon. The Straightjacket Smile Band was rocking the house and it was a great time to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. The winners of the raffles were also announced at that time. In addition, to two Harley-Davidson jackets, several other great prizes were given away.
Kudos to the ultimate Road Queen herself, Linda Dalton, and the ladies who assisted her (Patti, Kathy, Beth, Debbie, Roberta, Linda’s mom and more!), as well as Crystal Harley-Davidson for organizing this over-the-top day just for the ladies.

By Tony and T-Rex

Suns up a beautiful first Saturday of the month, just put the “farm tractor” back together, time to test her out. Go for a morning ride and around 1pm we know ALR 359 has the party going. We show up camera in hand and realize there’s been a change. Larry, the director, grabs a hold of me and starts explaining what’s going on. Besides a brand new outside deck, they moved the band stand so now there is “more dance floor”. They are going to move the tiki to the other side of the deck, install a new bar and extend the deck even more. The parking has been moved around for better bike parking and he’s got too much more to list but you get the drift. They are going to town with this project. But like always the place is hopping, under construction or not. The Hit And Run band is blasting out tunes all afternoon. Food is being cooked and beverages are being sold at a great price, so all this construction can be paid for. This is always one of my favorite spots, a morning of riding then an afternoon party with great people. ALR 359 great job! Can’t wait to see the end result.

By Ron Cox

More than 60 riders and passengers registered at the Southwest Florida Military Museum in Cape Coral on June 2nd for its inaugural Miles for the Museum poker run. It would not be an overstatement to say that a majority of the participants were Veterans.

Following registration and a continental breakfast, riders set out on the 75-mile course which included card stops in St. James City and North Ft. Myers before ending up at the Museum. Rob Galbreath won the $150 first prize with a hand of two pair, aces and queens.

The post-run inhouse BBQ featured delicious pulled pork, baked beans, pastries and coffee. Adult beverages from a cash bar were available.

A total of $912 was raised from registration fees, raffles and 50/50 tickets. The monies will be used to further the programs and services offered by the Museum.

This is the largest military museum in Southwest Florida with more than 30,000 square feet. The Museum also provides space for representatives from the Disabled Veterans Association (DAV) and Veterans Service Organization (VSO).

There are thousands of military items on display ranging from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And well worth the visit!!!!!

By Lulu

If you get a chance to ride on the second Sunday of the month to Daytona Harley-Davidson on US 1 and I 95 you will find the parking lot full of vendors selling bits and pieces of motorcycles and gear from 8a-2p. The event is called “Super Swap Sunday” and features motorcycle and car stuff. The band on Sundays is a jam session at Saints & Sinners, had to love that one of the drummers was TJ’s drum teacher! The sandwiches at Saints are awesome! Drinks crafted perfectly! Vendor spots are 18×30 for only $10! All proceeds benefit a different charity each month. The Rossmeyer’s continue to follow in their father’s footstep of being philanthropic, particularly to Camp Boggy Creek. That ride will be happening on October 7, 2018. If you haven’t made the ride to Camp Boggy Creek, please join in the ribbon of a thousand bikes and help raise money for seriously ill children. Campboggycreek.org

by Phoenix and Metric-HD

The Main Street Tap Room has been an iconic biker bar in Avon Park for a long time. The Tap Room is tha;t kind of local bar “where good friends meet”. The Tap Room teamed up with Thunder Roads and Twisted Tea to bring “Bike Night” back to Avon Park. In spite of the monsoon weather we have had for the past few weeks, a lot of brothers braved the “hit or miss” downpours of rain to come out and support us. The Tap Room is home to the “old school” games; the table top shuffleboards that are still in existence. Come out and try your hand at something different. The night was filled with games, food, fun and music for all. On hand was the “OUTTA HAND BAND” to provide was some great music. So, mark your calendar for the “LAST” Wednesday of each month. The party starts around 7pm. If you ride your bike next month (July) and tell them Metric sent you the 1st draft or soda is on me. Hope to see you there.

By Lulu

2018 was by far one of the most enjoyable Leesburg events ever. The weather was perfect, not too hot during the day and not too cool in the evening. The bands were great. The bikini girls smoking hot. With 4 stages of music there was something for every type of music fan. The Leesburg Partnership does a great job filling the streets with vendors, and entertainment in the form of bike shows, tattoo contests, and a Lucky Man contest for women (only fair since there are at least 3 contests for scantily clad women).

Gator Harley-Davidson’s lot was also filled with vendors and music kept folks under the covered stage area to listen and sip on cold drinks. Inside the store was full of shoppers, something tells me they sold a few bikes!!

I even met a couple from Germany that came just for this event. They chose this one over Bike Week and Biketoberfest! One, of the things that draws folks from all over is the riding. For Florida the area between Leesburg and Clermont offers rare hills including the favorite ride for visitors, Sugarloaf Mountain Road.

If you haven’t made it to Leesburg put it on your list for 2019!!

By Lulu

Flat Track Racing is part of the history of motorcycling and of Bike Week. The last two years the Daytona TT Race is one of the exciting events of Bike Week that we are privileged to be part of. The air is electric at the world famous International Speedway and the crowds are growing each year. Under the lights of the track the night starts out with pomp and circumstance with the singing of our National Anthem and ends with fireworks. Trick rider Bubba Blackwell jumped a slew of cars successfully. And a young teenager was doing burn outs and trick riding on a Street Glide. Flat track racing is one of the most dangerous sports. The bikes line up tight and take off within inches of each other making the jumps and turns at breakneck speeds. Seven-time Grand National Champion Chris Carr and his crew redesigned the track with 40-foot wider corners and a 150-foot jump, making for higher speeds than ever. The motorcycle jockeys on Indians, Harleys and others do their best to stay in the race and bring their steel pony across the finish line first! This has become a real competition between the two motorcycle companies. An Indian Scout FTR750 won 14 of 18 races in 2017. 2017 series winner Jared Mees defended his title on his Indian winning the first race of the series in Daytona on his Indian.

If you come to Daytona and don’t take the time to check out Flat Track Racing you are missing out on an exciting experience. Just visiting the track is awesome and seeing the skills these racers possess is inspiring.

A note of thanks to Scott Hunter for providing a couple of the racing shots!

By Deborah Speicher

Gator Harley never ceases to amaze me with the themes for their annual Women’s Day Conference. This year was “Fifty Shades of Gator H-D” which was reflected in the decorations and entertainment for the day.

What worked in the past was brought back – head mechanic, Mike Williams, and representatives from Ride Smart Florida. Ride Smart Florida had Dr. Michael Cheatham speak to the group about accidents and how to treat certain types of injuries involving bleeding. There was also a hands-on portion which earned every participant a certificate of completion for learning basic skills to control bleeding. Important skills if you are ever at the scene of an accident.

Speaker Laurie Ann Leach, owner of Zen Healthy Living, specializes in hands-on holistic healthcare. Laurie spoke about “it’s your time” and how to make that happen.

Once again, the fashion show exhibited how H-D offers clothing that is stylish for all ages and sizes. Getting a 20% discount on all motorclothes was also a bonus for attendees!

The highlight of the entire day were the male dancers who doubled as models and servers before their final show for the ladies. All I can say was you had to be there to really enjoy this eye candy!

Job well done goes to Jan Wilde Wideman and the Gator Harley staff, Gourmet Today for breakfast and lunch, and all of the vendors, speakers and our massage therapist (yep, FREE chair massages!).

See you next year!

By Ron Cox

Despite the threat of rain, several hundred riders and passengers registered at Six Bends Harley-Davidson (Ft. Myers) to ride in the 15th Annual Easter Bunny Toy Run. The ride is traditionally held on the Saturday before Easter Sunday, this year the ride took place on March 31st. Riders had the option of registering for $10 which included coffee, pastries, a commemorative patch and lunch; or as VIP registered riders/passengers they received a breakfast sandwich and a t-shirt along with everything else.

Escorted by motors and RMP’s from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the riders brought all kinds of toys, boxed games and arts/craft supplies. At the request of the hospital staff, we were asked to add teethers, rattles, boys & girls pajamas, music & light toys, gift cards, RC toys, Bluetooth speakers and Lego toys for the patients at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Health Park.

While mingling with the ambulatory patients brought to the entrance, the riders received a heartfelt welcome from Armando Liechu, Chief Administrative Officer of the hospital. Liechu also thanked everyone for their 15 years of continued support.

Upon returning to Six Bends, everyone was treated to pizza and soft drinks for lunch. A good way to start the Easter weekend.

By Lulu

In Sebastian one of our favorite places to listen to great music is Earl’s Hideaway. When we drove down to attend the Lion’s Club Bikes 4 Sight Poker Run we had an extra special treat and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers from New Orleans were onstage doing that crazy music that Bourbon Street is known for. The poker run stopped at Captain Hiram’s, Malabar Mo’s, Space Coast H-D, Sebastian Beach Inn and the Tiki Bar. Check out Earl’s if you are traveling the east coast. Thursdays they have bike night and they have Blues music on Sundays!

By Lulu

People come and go in our lives. Some touch us with kindness. Some you would just as soon forget! But to be touched by music that weaves itself into the very fabric of who we are is special! And for all of us who have been entertained by Chris Hiatt and Crash over the last 8 years or so, we are gonna miss those boys! I worry who the bars that hired them on a regular basis will find to fill their shoes. Their move to Arizona is probably a much-needed change of scenery for the two. No sense in life getting stale. When you have talent you just move and find new fans…but Chris and Crash are revisiting a place where it kind of started so I am sure Arizona music lovers are happy and eagerly awaiting their return. Boot Hill was packed the night we watched their final show at the Boot. A going away cake was served. Somehow, I think they will sneak back into town for special events such as Bike Week or Biketoberfest so although it was a bit sad, pretty sure I will hear that guitar rip and drums beat again.

By Lulu

Fairly new to staying at bed & breakfast spots…we are always a bit anxious as to what we will experience. This was our second time to stay at one and Cedar Key Bed & Breakfast was more than we expected. The room was comfortable and like stepping back in time. The brass bed was deliciously comfortable. Each room has a private bath and central heat & air. Wi-Fi is provided. For, those on 2 and 3 wheels, that travel with their pet this is pet friendly. Huge oak branches spanned the entire yard giving that much needed shade to sit and enjoy visiting with friends. This bed and breakfast has 7 rooms in the main house, a Treehouse suite and a 2-bedroom Sunrise Suite off the main site which includes a full kitchen directly on the gulf. So, large groups can plan a great weekend getaway. Breakfast is served at 9 and our mornings fare was homemade waffles, eggs, sausage, and fruit. The coffee was perfectly brewed. They are famous for their scrumptious delights that fill the bottomless cookie jar. Cedar Key is a sleepy gulf front town with waterfront restaurants and bars within walking distance from the B&B. For those of you who prefer bicycles and golf carts are available to rent. Alice Phillips-Oakley is the gracious owner and hostess and would love to have you come visit. Rooms sometime require a 2-night minimum but not on off season.

Kayaking, canoeing, and fishing charters are what this area of Florida offers. The small-town charm of Cedar Key is worth exploring for a spontaneous weekend getaway! So, book it now 352-543-9000 and enjoy the ride to 310 3rd Street in Cedar Key! Or if you are afraid of the heat of the summer on your bike reserve for the cooler weather of the fall! Tell Alice we said hello.