By Deborah Speicher

After a decade of providing a great day of fun just for the ladies, Gator Harley-Davidson did it again on April 2. I believe the success of this event comes from listening to their customers (via surveys) and ingenuity. The theme for this year—the carnival extravaganza! Everything from the decorations to the food made you feel like you were at a local annual fair.

What didn’t change were the great speakers. Mike, the head mechanic at Gator Harley, did a “tech talk” about the dangers of ethanol gas in a motorcycle, especially when you are not riding your bike regularly. Other speakers included attorney/motivational coach Haley Colina, Officer Daniel Fought, and representatives from Ride Smart Florida.

After a busy morning, it was time for our carnival lunch (everything from corn dogs to tator tots) and the fashion show. Harley-Davidson continually proves that their clothing is not only fashionable but utilitarian for riders, and that they can fit anyone regardless of size or age. The dealership was also gracious enough to once again give us a 20% discount on clothing that day so we could add to our Harley wardrobes!

The finale was the Leesburg Blues Brothers Tribute who were fantastic and did Jake and Elwood proud. Try to catch their act if you are in the Leesburg area!

Kudos to Alex Malik and all the other ladies at Gator Harley who organized this event – great job!

By Lulu

11 years ago a neighborhood pub opened in Eustis that has developed a great following thanks to the owner Patty who is loved by all! She took an old warehouse, brought in beer and wine, put a little courtyard out back and started an open jam on Sundays that has had famous musicians jam from time to time, INCLUDING Bryan Adams and Michael Ray. The Sunday jam includes free BBQ. The bar was actually named by Rob Grill from the famous band The Grass Roots who was friends of the owner Patty. Keep an eye on the calendar because Pug’s has two events coming up: in June they have a customer appreciation day and benefit for Donna on Saturday, June 11th from 2-6p with live music by Shaky Puddin and Pissin’ Frogs Lilypad. In July they will be celebrating their 11th anniversary. This is a great spot to ride in for a cold one which is obvious by all the Harley’s in the parking lot! Located at 925 North Bay Street in Eustis a short hop from anywhere is central Florida!

By Lulu

As we travel the Sunshine State, occasionally, we find a really unique bar, a pretty road to ride or friendly people to get to know, but every great once in awhile we hit upon all 3 in the same package X 3!!! In Hardee and Desoto Counties out in the middle of nowhere is a southern riding experience known by the locals as “the Loop” I will dub it the Southern Loop as in Daytona we have the famous Loop with a beautiful canopy of trees and waterfront vistas. The southern Loop is unlimited miles of country roads with 3 unique watering holes to stop in and cool your pipes, and a perfect destination ride for traffic weary city dwellers.

Arcadia is the home of the Open Road Bar & Grill at 4313 NW Hwy. 70. The owners, Fire and Rick, have a well maintained piece of property complete with full liquor, food on weekends, a full motorcycle repair shop and live music. The couple is very community minded involved in Veterans events and a shoe drive for local children each spring. They have a vintage bike day the 3rd Saturday of each month from 10a-5p (bikes must be 25 years or older).

In Wauchula you will find the friendly staff and patrons at Charlotte’s Webb Pub, 3315 Florida 64. This is a beer and wine establishment with a great beer garden out back that includes a stage for live music under a massive oak and the owner Charlotte is just a doll!

Herb’s Limestone Country Club is at the junction of SR 661 and SR 662 on the curve in Limestone, scattered with unique memorabilia collected by Herb who passed away 5 years ago. His mother, Zaidee, keeps the bar open in his memory from about 8:30a-8p for those who need to stop in for a cold brew or two. She closes up early “before the animals come out”! The last Saturday of the month they have live music and free suntans!

We had lunch at the Boat in the Moat at Solomon’s Castle in Ona which is a unique spot with great food! Try their Reuben. The best we have had anywhere!

Get on two or three wheels and visit this southern area of Florida. We stayed in downtown Punta Gorda at the beautiful Wyvern Hotel which has a rooftop tiki bar with a beautiful view of the water and a great sunset. Dean’s biker friendly restaurant was right behind the hotel with live music and great food. There are lots of campgrounds or inexpensive to moderately priced hotels in the surrounding area of Arcadia.

By Deborah Speicher

For those of you living in the Tampa Bay area, mark your calendars for the third Thursday of each month so you don’t miss Bike Night at Harley-Davidson of Brandon. The March Bike Night coincided with St. Patty’s Day and featured the Green with Envy Bike Show and Miss Sexy Shamrock Contest.

There were also lots of good vendors, food and beverages from Scooter’s Saloon, and music by AC/DC tribute band “Highway to Hell”! The place was packed. So come on over to Bike Night at Brandon Harley-Davidson and find out what everyone’s talking about!

By Lulu

Well there is a new baby in town…The folks at Indian Motorcycle in Daytona Beach, JP Cycles, Main Street Station, Rue & Ziffra, PA and WHOG Radio have started a weekly Sunday run…billed as just for fun…but really it is all about meeting new people who love to ride. Each week on Sunday they leave Indian at 1 pm for a different route, a lunch stop and then end at Main Street Station for live music and a place to cool your pipes. Each time you sign up to ride you are entered for door prizes to be given away at the last Sunday event. So the more times you ride along the more chances you have to win. It was a great ride with lunch at Hot Diggity Dogs in Bunnell this past Sunday. Make plans to take a Sunday to meet new folks…all bikes welcome…but take a look at the bikes at Indian…there are some sweet rides there and they will let you test drive!

By Lulu

There is nothing worse for event organizers than to have Mother Nature rain on their day. This year Sebring had bad weather reports threatening to make a mess of their event. We almost backed out on our plans to ride down to Sebring, but we had a room booked so we saddled up prepared for rain. As it turned out, the weather held off and it was too bad for those who stayed home. The music was great including the Bobby Friss Band. Born to Ride put on a bike show with some great rides featured. The stunt team sponsored by Fran Haasch entertained the crowd with wheelies and burnouts. The drill team out of Sanford showed off their precision riding skills. I felt bad for the organizers and the vendors because all their hard work didn’t get the crowd they would have hoped for. This is a nice event in downtown Sebring with a circular park smack dab in the middle of their business district where the bands entertain the crowds under huge oaks. Put this on your list of to do’s to help make up for their unfortunate turn out this year. The city really tries hard to put on a small town event that bikers would enjoy.

By Lulu

Each April the Blue Knight’s organize a memorial ride to honor law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The risk that men and women take to be employed in this field is admirable. And as invincible as they may think they are when they take the pledge to protect us…the truth is, each and every day they are at risk of being harmed or losing their lives.

This year Panera Bread sponsored coffee and bagels with donations going to Protective K9 Ballistic Vests. The ending party after a beautiful ride was at Bulow Campground with a great BBQ chicken lunch. A special thank you to Rue & Ziffra, JP Cycles and Flagler County for always supporting our community heroes! And personal thank you to Danny Mattia and County Commissioner George Hanns for sending me the photos of this event.

By Raven Van Pelt

Wreaths across America, was held Saturday December 12th, all riders met at Saddle Creek Logistics services then made their way to the Jacksonville National Cemetery. The day started out a bit chilly and warmed up quickly, 228 riders in all and 7400 wreaths were laid upon the graves of our fallen heroes.
Wreaths across America is made possible by thousands of volunteers who organize local ceremonies, raise funds to sponsor wreaths, and participate in the events. they receive no government funding. The cost of our programs is paid by individual wreaths sponsors, corporate donors and volunteer truckers.

By Ron Cox

Almost 600 riders and passengers assembled at Six Bends Harley-Davidson in Ft. Myers on Saturday, March 26th to ride in the 13th Annual Easter Bunny Toy Run. Clubs from all over Southwest Florida came in to ride. Clubs included but not limited to Naples & Sarasota HOG, American Legion Riders, LAMA, Roughnecks M/C, Italian Angels and Women in the Wind.

The run actually kicked off on Friday night with a pre-registration and Bike Night at Six Bends. Live music, BBQ food, 50/50 and a burnout pit entertained the more than 200 people who took advantage of the early start.

Saturday morning a steady stream of riders and passengers arrived and registered for the run. All were treated to FREE coffee, pastries, cookies and bagels. NBC-TV was on hand to do a remote to entice more riders to come out. Promptly at 11am the Easter Bunny appeared and the entourage set out for Golisano Children’s Hospital at Health Park escorted by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Department.

Hospital staff brought down many, many ambulatory patients from the children’s ward, they were more than eager to meet the Easter Bunny. Upon returning to Six Bends, all were given a FREE boxed lunch prepared by Jason’s Deli, soft drinks and ice cream. The riders and passengers all received a commemorative pin, relaxed and listened to live music waiting for the 50/50 and raffles.

We’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story, but save the date of April, 15 2017 for the 14th Annual Easter Bunny Toy Run.

By Lulu

One of our new favorite bars is in Arcadia. It is aptly named Open Road Bar & Grill because it is out on an open highway. The owners, Rick and Fire, are known locally for the great charities they help, including shoes for the needy and work with veterans. But today it was all about the bikers. Burgers were grilling, the band was rocking the house and the bar inside and out was filled to capacity. You must ride in to wet your whistle if you are in the Arcadia area and if you need any work done on your ride…they have a repair shop out back!

By Lulu

Homosassa and the surrounding communities of Inglis and Crystal River have beautiful country roads to offer motorcycling enthusiasts. Crystal River Harley-Davidson and High Octane Saloon were slammed with visitors for their annual Nature Coast Rally. High Octane had all kinds of great bands and if you haven’t tried their burgers you are really missing out. A bike show had great scoots to ogle. If any of you like to camp check out Scooter Haven in Inglis, they have that old school biker feel and cabins for those of you that ride two wheels in.

By Lulu

The busy crew at Stormy Hill Harley-Davidson has added more to their plate by scheduling a weekly bike night in Clermont at a great waterfront restaurant Lilly’s on the Lake in downtown Clermont. The place features a beautiful view, a huge outdoor screened porch and inside seating for inclement weather. For Bike Night the local celeb, Pam, has tunes, a bike show, giveaways and games to entertain! And even though Stormy Hill may have added “more work to their plate” they picked the perfect venue…because the plate full of food we had was awesome! Ride on out to Lilly’s for a night of food, adult beverages, and friends who love to ride. They have this scheduled for Wednesday nights and each week a different charity receives the benefits of their raffle.

By Billy “Kneecap” Braddock

If you’re like the majority of Americans, you believe the ridiculous assumption that everyone should have the right to vote. You probably think our nation has benefited from everyone exercising that right. In order to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, until recently you had to answer this question: “What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?” The correct answer, according to the United States government, was, “The right to vote.” Just as the Constitution once countenanced slavery, it also allowed voting to be restricted to property-holding white men. The Thirteenth Amendment expunged the stain of slavery from our basic law, but the Constitution has never fulfilled the democratic promise we associate with it. This is surprising to many people—there is no constitutional guarantee of the right to vote. Qualifications to vote in House and Senate elections are decided by each state, and the Supreme Court affirmed in Bush v. Gore that “the individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States.”

Polls show 85% don’t approve of the performance of Congress. Who picked them? The constitution does not tell us to directly elect the president, but it does ask citizens to pick their representatives in order to have a functional form of representative government. We do the opposite.

55-62% of Americans will come out and vote in Presidential elections. We currently have 10% of our citizens involved in picking the congress in primaries and only about 50% of us involved in picking the president in general elections. Many citizens irrationally expect to be heard (by the president) instead of seeing the importance of voting in congressional primaries.

We have allowed the liberals to dumb down our educational system to the point that the majority of voters are uninformed. There is a fix, but with all the bleeding heart liberals who believe that 0.001% of the populace have more rights than the majority, it will never happen.

First, we need to allow only tax payers the privilege to vote. My rights as a taxpayer are severely infringed upon when those who are not paying into the system are deciding how the money is allocated.

Second, abolish early voting. This is a major problem because people are voting before the candidates have actually completed campaigning. The only exception should be for active military.

Third, every voter should have to pass a civics test that most six graders could ace. You need to pass a test to get a driver’s license, why not to vote? If you think the phrase “branches of government” has something to do with trees, you don’t belong in the voting booth. If you lack even basic, fundamental knowledge about our government, our laws, and the current political scene, you should not be anywhere near a polling station on voting day. YOU should not be among the majority of adults who can’t describe the purpose of the Constitution, identify the Speaker of the House, name one of the senators from your home state, name your governor, or who our nation’s capital is named for. Our foremost civic duty is to be informed. Voting while clueless should be as illegal as driving while drunk.

Thinking this will ever happen is crazy but it’s better than being stupid.

The world always looks better after happy hour.

If someone yells “you lie” in a room full of politicians, how do they know who he’s talking to?

Check out my website “nobodiesopinion.com”

See you on the shiny side of tomorrow.

By Lulu

Let me start by thanking each and every one of our readers who show up and contribute to our Thunder Roads Twisted Tea Bike Nights. We have garnered over 2000 pounds of food since we started this and well over $500 for the local food pantries. A night of friends and fun once a month helps people in need! The month of May had us putting our kickstands down at Grandview Live on Grandview in Daytona Beach. This brand new, totally awesome gentleman’s club has set themselves apart by bringing a sophistication to this form of night life. AND they have a true sense of community involvement, participating in events such as our Twisted Tea food drive, and on June 5th they are putting on a Bike Show to benefit St. Jude’s Hospital. If you haven’t checked out this new spot in the Seabreeze Nightlife District you really will be impressed; a very high end ambiance, great looking and friendly staff and a clientele with lots of peeps you probably know will make it a great night.

By Lulu

Each Bike Week and Biketoberfest anyone who knows me knows I will be on the porch at the Dog Pound Saloon in Bunnell. It is my favorite place to unwind after the hectic pace of our major rallies. Sitting out back with friends old and new, listening to good music and enjoying free food…you just can’t beat it! If it wasn’t for the laid back atmosphere of Glenn’s party I would probably curl up in bed with a good movie and popcorn. But once at the last event of Bike Week I was happy as a clam to curl up instead on a bench with a Twisted Tea and watch the shenanigans of my friends. Don’t forget to stop in for a cocktail or cold beer when you are traveling in the Bunnell/Flagler Beach area…the porch is a great place to cool your pipes!