By Lulu

Celebrations occur all the time at Bay 3 Bar in New Smyrna Beach, but turning 65 years old is one that required friends, music and lots and lots of food! And maybe a drink or two! So it was, when Jan let us know to show up for her “old man’s” birthday bash! Thank you, Jan for the invite. Thank you, Barry for allowing us your friendship and from all your friends and customers we join in saying have a happy, healthy 2019 so we can party like rock stars on your next birthday!

By Lulu

On US 1 in Ormond Beach there is a business that is more museum or art studio than anything else. The owners of Insane Cycles and Muscle Cars, David and Kimberly, moved their business to Ormond Beach and the facility is packed with beautiful radical cars, trucks and motorcycles. They specialize in Harley-Davidson and frame off muscle car restoration. Offering custom paint, airbrushing or pinstriping they create your art on anything you want to dream. They entered two bikes in the Rat’s Hole show and took first place in two different classes. Kimberly and David also have a large selection of pre-owned vehicles so check their showroom out and visit them with your “basket case”!

By Lulu

The Tilted Kilt was packed for their final bike night of the season in November. Nefty entertains the bikers of central Florida from April through November the first Saturday of the month from 6p-til the crowds go home. Live music by Hypersona had people on their feet. Due to football season some of the usually kilt clad ladies were attired in football outfits or kilts…plenty of eye candy! And Cone Distributors sent Twisted Tea girls for sampling the good stuff! ABATE was on hand to award Nefty and the Tilted Kilt for their support of the biking community. An award was also presented to the owner of Ocala Car Audio. Tilted Kilt thanks their sponsors Ocala Car Audio, Ride Now Powersports, Twisted Tea and War Horse Harley-Davidson for helping bring music to the masses! Watch for the first bike night of the season with the fabulous Bobby Friss opening riding season on April 6th!

By Lulu

We were thrilled Halloween happened to be a Wednesday night and hauntings were happening at OB’s in Deland. I even got a bit “witchy”! But the costumes were crazy and creative from the contest winner’s outfit (which was a very pregnant girl dressing like a redneck guy with a beer belly) and her “bitch” that was her boyfriend dressed in drag…to Waylon and Tonya, owners of Long’s Log Cabin dressed as a HOT cop and a creepy mass murderer. All those who dressed up were just awesome. Every bartender participated in the fun! If you haven’t been out to OB’s you MUST!

By Raven Van Pelt

On October 6th, 2018 the Northside Independent Riders of Duval (NIMRODS) had their 4th Annual Biker Rodeo at the Conklin Compound. The NIMRODs are a group of likeminded old school bikers, not affiliated with any clubs, that love to ride, and each year hold this event to raise money for local families in need or to support local charities. The event consists of biker events such as “The Slow Roll”, “The Keg Roll”, “The Plank Roll”, “the Weenie Bite” and “The Drive By”. Contestants participate for home-made trophies, designed and made by original NIMROD Peckerhead, but receive no cash prizes. There were games and a bouncy house for the kids and the Conklin Compound has a refreshing pool for all to cool off in. There is no cost to enter, but everyone donates for the food and raffle prizes. Coppertop Bar and Grill, the newest cool place to go in Oceanway, helped by having 50/50’s to raise revenues and Mail Box King (904-924-0703) once again donated a custom-made brick mailbox, valued at $600, to be raffled off. This event is usually held October of every year and if you want to have a great day of fun activities make sure you attend next year.

By Lulu

Well 24 years ago I doubt even Bruce Rossmeyer had any idea what he was embarking on when he pledged to help with Camp Boggy Creek. Some commitments in life wane as time marches on, but the Rossmeyer children and staff haven’t let that happen, in spite of his untimely death in 2009. The Saturday night Gala and Sunday ride to Camp Boggy Creek are continuing to be one of the biggest rides of the year and grand fundraiser for the camp. This year the party theme was the Wild, Wild West with Six Gun Territory providing actors, props and can-can girls. The band was the awesome Hayfire. The food for the night was provided Bubbalou’s and was delicious. But the reason for the event was raising money for the camp, and the silent and live auction, along with impressive generosity from the folks in their top dollar seats accomplished that in a huge way. Mr. John Hamlin presented a check for $100,000 and continued to dig in his pocket that night and the following day!!! People were making donations to cover a week’s stay for 10 children at $25,000 and every other level down to covering just one child for a week which is $450/day. What makes Boggy Creek different than other camps is critical medical care is onsite. So, whether they have cancer to Sickle Cell they can have qualified medical staff see to their needs while experiencing being at camp like any normal healthy kid. Horseback riding, fishing, swimming, crafts, hanging out in cabins with kids that have similar health issues gives them two important life events: one is the chance to experience being away from home while having the camaraderie of playmates and knowing you are not the only one dealing with special needs. It also gives the parents a chance to have a week to enjoy themselves, knowing their child’s medical needs are being met while having the time of their life.

Paul Newman, Camp Boggy Creek founder, stated it best. “It’s not that the children say, Thank you for a wonderful time. It’s that they say Thank you for changing my life.” And that change comes by allowing them to accomplish things they didn’t know they could, to find strength they didn’t know they had, to have adventures and friendships…to just be a kid and have some fun, to forget for just a little bit they are different!!!

Robert White has donated his personal 2018 tricked out CVO Road Glide (valued at $47,000) as a sweepstakes item with a $15,000 cash prize! You can purchase your chance to win starting at $25 by texting “RIDE” to 855-202-2100 or visiting https://go.rallyup.com/campboggycreek.

So, thank you to Bruce and Paul for the vision. Thank you to the Rossmeyer family and their staff, to Camp Boggy Creek, to the sponsors, particularly

SR Perrott for quenching our thirst and Outback Steakhouse for our great meal. But most importantly to everyone who donates BIG and SMALL, every single dollar makes a whole lot of sunshine in some pretty, important lives!!!

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the Ride for Children. Put your dollars in a mason jar and if you haven’t been on the ride or to the Gala PLEASE put it on your MUST do list. Little kids will love you for it. The date is October 5th and 6th, 2019!!

By Lulu

Bike winners’ photos provided by Jackman Photos (the rest can be viewed on Facebook at Thunder Roads Florida)

A Favorite event of Bike Week and Biketoberfest for me is always Chopper Time at Tropical Tattoo. Willie and the crew by far put on the BEST event!!! Great tunes out back with Big Rick and the Trouble Makers. Food, drinks, hot girls, cool bikes!!! Nothing better. Personally, I like Biketoberfest a wee bit better because the crowd is not quite as large so getting around on the property is easier. Something else that sets Willie’s event apart from MOST is that the proceeds from alcohol sales benefits local charities, usually veterans. So, whether you just love radical bikes, great music and good causes…stop in at Willie’s to get your ink. This place is HISTORIC and as old school as it gets!

By Lulu

If you have ever taken a pole dancing class, you know how difficult it is. Gone are the days of strip clubs! Now what you will find at “Gentlemen’s Clubs” are athletes. Daytona laws changed several years back and although dancers are scantily dressed, nudity isnt allowed. The women are very talented at working the pole often parallel and holding on with just their hands or thighs. I sit in total amazement at what these girls do…that most muscled men couldn’t!

From August through mid-October women compete weekly for a chance to win a spot in the final competition. Rock of Daytona is involved with Frank Scott emceeing. This year’s winner was fantastic and last year’s winner was her twin. After the winner was announced they worked the pole together. WOW!!

Don’t be afraid to visit Grandview Live in Daytona. The upscale club has great drink prices, a very posh interior and as I said earlier there is no seedy stripping going on…it is much more like an Olympic event! I guarantee you will be impressed and entertained. AND if you think you can compete you have a year to prepare to enter!

By Lulu

Phaedra Lee and the crew at Main Street Station worked their tails off during Biketoberfest. Not only do they bring in great bands, they top the week off with the Miss Main Street Station bikini contest sponsored this year by Twisted Tea. Gorgeous girls took the stage and displayed their uniqueness to the huge crowd and judges. Frank Scott emceed the event and it was difficult for the judges to narrow the field to the top three girls. Don’t forget to visit Main Street Station on Wednesday nights for their packed bike nights!

By Lulu

Some of the photos were provided by Jackman Photos (more photos can be seen on Facebook Thunder Roads Florida)

Everyone knows that if you want to see girls slide around in oil and cabbage , you ride to Cabbage Patch Bar in Samsula during Bike Week and Biketoberfest. Throngs of people line the field to watch these girls throw each other around, but far more goes on than wrestling in the pit. Great music on 3 stages including Joe Santana, Big Engine and others rock the place. A field full of vendors for shopping needs. Bike shows, which were hosted by Radical Randy with trophies provided by Fran Haasch Law Group and Back Yard Baggers, included the Budweiser Traditional Ride-In show and the Budweiser Battle of the Baggers Sound Off, with gorgeous Jack Daniels girls presenting the trophies. And don’t forget if you are looking for camping, book your spot now for Bike Week!!!

By Lulu

Whether it is their Wednesday night bike night or any of the 6 weekly nights of live music at Boot Hill, they love to entertain!! During Biketoberfest they brought in bands that included lots of crowd favorites, but the hottest entertainment of the week was their bikini clad girls on stage! The venue was packed for it!! Check out their website at Boot Hill Saloon.com for their weekly schedule of events, there is always something worth riding to Boot Hill for and don’t forget the New Year’s Eve bash. It is the place to party!!!

By Lulu

Anchors are meant to keep things in place! And by the thousands of bikers crammed on the property of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona dealership, it looks like Biketoberfest isn’t going anywhere!!! I could barely get through the crowd trying to move from the back-parking lot where I was conveniently delivered by a shuttle toward the vendors out front! This year they featured Nirvana as their headliner and I was told they put on a hell of a show! The demo trucks were busy and each morning the dealership served FREE kegs and eggs…gotta love that for the breakfast of champions!!

What I was really impressed by was the remodel of their showroom…complete with a full-service barber shop! The place was swarming with customers! Whether you are looking for that 2019 model to take home or are in the market for something new to wear during the approaching winter months…ride in to the Rossmeyer’s showrooms at I-95 and US 1 in Ormond Beach, Main Street in Daytona, or New Smyrna Beach on SR 44. Check out their website for the entertainment and monthly ride schedule at BruceRossmeyer.com!!

by Phoenix and Metric-HD

As the holiday season rapidly approaches most families have visions of carving that delicious turkey or unwrapping the newest hi-tech device, however there is an organization that has a different vision of the holiday season and that organization is WREATHS across AMERICA!!! What started out as a project by a wreath manufacturing company in 1992 to put wreathes in Arlington Cemetery has snowballed into a major production with over 1,100 participating locations in all 50 states, and 24 national veteran cemeteries around the world. Today their mission is to REMEMBER those who have served our country, HONOR those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, TEACH the youth that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Their mission continues to expand immensely each year. The Highlanders Chapter of United States Military Motorcycle Club help cut the cost of the mission by hosting a fantastic poker run. The day was filled with great weather for riding, fantastic food and ending with wonderful music provided by HARD CANDY. Again, thanks to our fellow Veterans from the Highlanders Chapter of the US Military Veterans MC for all they do for this program and their fellow Veterans. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

If you haven’t participated in a Wreaths across America event at a National Cemetery it is an experience that you will never forget. This year the National Wreaths Across America Day will be held on Dec. 15, 2018. If you would like to donate or want more information on how to get involved go to: http://WreathsAcrossAmerica.org

By Tony and T-Rex

It’s October, it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month and it’s time for the 6th Annual Boob Run at the Lake Poinsett Lodge. We fire “Goldie” up and off we go. We check in and T-Rex is already buying t-shirts. Then the bikes start to trickle in, 2 at a time…4 at a time…13 at a time, by the time they’re done checking in its looking like 118 bodies in the parking lot. I see Mark, owner of the Alibi pulling in, then Brian from Jenna’s Breezeway pulls in for the second stop on the run. As the pack starts to roll out, our first stop is the local favorite H-D Roadhouse which is always ready for a bike run and can handle a large crowd.

Finish the morning there and we’re heading beach side to Jenna’s Breezeway, where even the owner Jenna is slinging drinks. When we finish up there we are running A1A to the B-Line, some get off at route 3 for the scenic ride, others shot down to Route 1. No matter which way ya go we all end up at Pinto’s Lounge. Cathy, the owner is slinging a few drinks for the crew. From there it’s off to Cocoa Joe’s which is under new management and still a good last stop before our run home.

Heading back to the lodge, as usual we’re the last ones, but I can hear “Wild Cards” jamming out tunes, people are eating pulled pork sandwiches and drinking cold beverages. The weather was perfect at the canal and it was the opening of the new tiki hut they just built. Stop by sometime and check it out. Keltec donated a PMR-30 to be raffled off and there were 20 or so baskets for raffle, a 50/50 drawing and a cooler of cheer. All in all, a little something for everyone. Michelle, the owner of Lake Poinsett donates the proceeds to Driven by Heart Foundation and this year she was able to donate over 2,000 dollars.

To Michelle, her staff and everybody that donated their time to make this happen, thank you for a great job!!!! We from Thunder Roads Florida Magazine had a blast and look forward to seeing everybody again next year. And if everybody brings a friend maybe we can donate a little more. Save The TA-TA’S and Ride Safe—TNT

By Lulu

Rick and Denise Hilliard in Port Orange have the whole thing of having a great place for food and fun figured out. Bike night on Tuesdays includes great live music sitting under the stars and a different free food each week with $1.50 longnecks!! Every week there is something special going on inside or outside on the 5000 square foot tiki deck! I don’t believe there is any bar in town that has more events for local charities and veterans. AND the menu has something for every appetite from seafood to their famous “sizzlin’ steaks”! Always a favorite stop for visiting bikers during Bike Week and Biketoberfest they had two special nights with Tim Dugger from Nashville to entertain us all.