The Love Ride was our 1st motorcycle event that Lucky and I went to.  Did not go on a Harley, but a Suzuki.  It wasn't even ours!  We borrowed it from a friend, who never rode it.  Eventually, we did buy it and I got my motorcycle license with it and it became mine, after Lucky bought his Road King.

Anyways........my point being, we have to go to the Love Ride, because it is tradition and we love it.  I get my fill of meeting movie stars and Lucky gets his Jay Leno.  Jay is Lucky's secret friend.  (Shhhh).

As some of you know, the Love Ride decided to combine the event with Bike Week and moved it to Pomona on the L.A. Fairgrounds in 2007.  Bad mistake.  it just wasn't the same as riding to Castaic Lake.  We did go that first year in Pomona, but sadly, skipped the next year and the following year, which ended up being cancelled!  Last year, the Love Ride decided to go retro on us and only sold 1,000 tickets and met up in Calamigos Ranch in the Malibu hills.  We decided not to attend that one either.  So when Oliver Shokouh announced that the event was going back to Castaic Lake, we were there!

The ride is usually in November, but this year, it was in October.  Perfect!  The weather was warm and not rainy, like it usually is during this ride!  Lucky and I were up at 4:00 am to get ready and leave by 5:00 am.  The morning proved to be very foggy, so we were careful on the road.  Didn't take us long to get to Glendale.  Lucky was a little undecided about which way to go, since it had been so long.  But we found our usual parking spot and after defrosting a little, we started the walk towards Glendale Harley.

The stage was a little smaller this year.  The crowd was a little smaller this year.  The bike parade line was very small this year.  I began to wonder if it was because people assumed there was no Love Ride or if by changing the date to October had anything to do with it. 

We got our coffee and stood in the FRONT ROW of the stage, mainly for me.  I get a kick out of seeing movie stars in person!  Yet, in years past, we had to push our way to the front of the stage.  Where was everyone?

The opening band was o.k.  Not my type of music.  Probably not ANY biker's type of music, either.  It was what Lucky calls "angry music" and the band was called Max Mueller.  But as soon as that was over, here came the stars and I was not disappointed!  Jay Leno, Robert Patrick, Bryan Cranston, Danny Trejo (scary!), Montgomery Gentry, and even one of the DJ's from my country music station was there, Ginny Harman!

We didn't ride with the parade group, but went ahead so that we could park in time to get pictures of the bikes rolling in.  Sadly, as we we were heading up the 405 Freeway we came up to a crash involving a motorcycle.  Not sure of the details, only that they were okay, but a second accident (which we didn't see) happened right after the first and the couple was killed.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends.

Since the accident slowed us down a bit we didn't get there ahead of everyone, so no pictures of the 1000s of bikes rolling in.  When we did get to Castaic Lake it was HOT.  I was stripping my layers off to cool down.  Yes, for those of you that know me, I wear about 4 layers of clothing on many rides.  We didn't stay long, being that Lucky wasn't that excited about seeing Montgomery - Gentry and he was having some issues with the throttle on the bike and he wanted to get that solved before it got to late.

Took some pictures and left, but Lucky's throttle was a mess.  He was twisting the throttle and the bike wasn't going, then all the sudden he would twist it again and we took off!  It seems that the glue wore off and the throttle cover was coming off - or something like that.  Found a hardware store and bought the thing that can fix ALL.  Duct tape.  Now Lucky's bike looks ghetto, but it works.  Oh, and Lucky had to wear winter gloves because he brought only one half glove!  Duh.

Rode West on the 126 towards Ventura and the beach.  Nice scenery and pumpkin patches.  Had never been on this road before.  When we passed Fillmore and dropped into Ventura, the weather went from 90 degrees to 60 degrees.  Time to pull over and get some leather on and layers for me.

Took the 101 freeway to the 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and that was a beautiful ride.  It was cold and foggy, but the ocean was still nice to look at.  Stopped at Neptune's Net  - a seafood stand with lots of fish, cold beer and outside seating that has been there forever and has become a favored stop for riders coming up the coast or down from the Santa Monica Mountains.  The bike parking was full so we had to park across the street, which wasn't easy.  Try crossing a major 4 lane road where the cars are going at least 70 MPH!

The place was packed and even though we had just finished lunch at Lake Castaic, Lucky broke down and ordered a Crab Cake Burger or something like that.  A crabby pattie....I don't know.  I don't eat fish.  We shared a table and a couple of beers with a couple (Mark & Madeline) that was originally from NY.  She had never been to Neptune's Net and I think they ordered the entire menu!  They had a whole lobster, deep fried shrimp and something else with it, steamed clams, and boiled shrimp.  Their food covered the entire table!  I was queasy. 

Finally time to go home.  We rode down the coast in very heavy foggy overcast - known out here as a marine layer.  I froze almost all the way home, but the day was a good one and we enjoyed ourselves!

See more Love Ride Pictures Here!

Last Saturday, July 9, 2011, was the 32 Annual Mooning of the Amtrak - the 3rd year after the big police fiasco at the Mooning in 2008.  Lucky and I decided that we are still going to go!

We met up with Rick (HBRick) and his wife, Debi, at Cook's Corner around 11am.  It was a beautiful day to ride!  The weather was around 80 degrees with a slight breeze and no clouds in the sky.  We ate some grub at Cook's, had a beer and then we were on our way to the Mooning.  Took the canyon to make the ride more scenic and fun. 

When we got to Mugs Away Saloon in Laguna Niguel (the home of the Mooning of the Amtrak), it was slightly quiet.  Definitely not as many people as three years ago!  The police presence was there and we all felt a little uneasy.  Then we realized that we should have had more beer at Cook's Corner because there was no way we could drink our mixed drinks we brought, and Mugs Away was full to capacity and very crowded and hot inside.  But the police did let us moon with no problem!  Just no open container or other type of nudity.  Damn!  You had to stay inside the fence at the bar to drink...

Lucky and I, along with Rick and Debi, settled on the sidewalk and were ready to moon the first train that came by.  There were more bikers than there were people in cars.  It was like a bike rally, without the usual bike rally fun and games!  There were still plenty of people mooning and the trains did go slow for us.  FUN!!!! 

After about 4 or 5 moonings, we packed up and decided to ride out to Swallow's Inn in San Juan Capistrano for a few beers and some dancing. 

It was a nice day for a ride, moon some trains, and have a beer or two and to hang out with some friends!  We are hoping next year the mooning of the Amtrak will have a few more people!

Here is a picture from the 2008 Mooning - hopefully we can get a crowd like this again...

Lucky and I got up early yesterday to ride to the Long Beach Swap Meet to meet Andrea with Wrapter.  It was freezing!  At least to me:  60 degrees.

As Lucky was putting on his chaps, I had to text Rex The Road Dog and tell him about it!  Rex does not own chaps, even though he lives in Pennsylvania.  So he makes fun of us riders that wear them!  Called us wimps.

The bike is out of the garage and warming up.  I'm getting my face mask on and doubling up on the gloves.  Before I can even get on the bike, Lucky notices that it is sprinkling.  He runs back into the house to check the weather in Long Beach.  Light rain.  We figure no one is going to be at the Swap Meet. 

And so, we put the bike back into the garage and take off all the winter riding clothing and stay home!  

Southern California weather has sure been odd.  One day we are flooded with rain and the next day, we can wear our bikinis and wash the bike!

Saturday, March 5, 2011, was a perfect day for a ride.  We had just gotten over a couple of days of rain - and I don't want to hear those bikers from Seattle telling me I'm whining - and the sun came out early in the morning.  I was ready to go.

Our friends, Rick (HB Rick) and his wife, Debi, were riding down to our place to join us.  We planned on going to that fun little bar in Sunset Beach called Mother’s Tavern.  Because the place is close by, we had to figure out a long and windy riding route.

We took Laguna Canyon to Laguna Beach.  Beautiful!  I usually wear a leather jacket and chaps, no matter what the weather, but today I had on my tank top and took in the sun!

As we approached Pacific Coast Highway, you could see the blue ocean for miles. I want to eventually move to Tennessee…but I will surely miss these ocean views on the bike.

Unfortunately, there gets to be an area on PCH that has too many stop lights! I felt like we were never going to get there and my stomach was growling and my mouth was craving a beer.

Ate lunch at the Harbor House Café and even though my stomach was growling, there was no way I could finish an entire burger.  This place must feed professional football players or something.  Lucky and I split a burger and I got my beer!  Yippee!

The ride to Mother’s Tavern was so close, we were tempted to just push the bikes…but we didn’t.  The last time we were at Mother’s, there was a cute bulldog in the bar.  This time, there was an Australian Shepherd looking for peanuts to eat!  So cute!  That’s why I like this place…very laid back.

Sadly, we couldn’t stay long.  Family things to tend to. So we ended up leaving right when the band started up.  Bummer.  I told Lucky he owes me.  I was having a really good time drinking my Bud Light in my mason jar and throwing my peanuts shells on the floor. (every now and then, giving a peanut to the dog.)

Thankfully we did ride that Saturday because the next day, the temperature dropped to 55 degrees and it rained!  What’s happening to Southern California weather lately?

A gorgeous Sunny Day in Southern California.  What are you going to do?  Get on your bike and ride, of course!  So that is what Lucky and I did yesterday, (Sunday, Jan 23).  The weather was about 75 degrees and the Santa Ana winds were kicking up a bit. 

Our first stop was to the Long Beach Motorcycle Swap Meet.  We didn't actually go into the Swap Meet, did that a few weeks ago, Lucky just wanted to talk to the owners about adding some banners on CycleFish.

Lucky had looked online for a biker bar to ride to that would be in Long Beach.  He found Cowboy Country that just happened to be a mile or so from the Swap Meet.  Now if anyone knows Lucky … when he is hungry, you HAVE to feed him immediately.  Needless to say, we had to stop at McDonald’s before heading over to the bar.  He wasn’t sure if this place had food or not and he did not want to take any chances!  Good thing, too.  We ride over to Cowboy Country and it was pretty much an empty parking lot and a long building that was all closed up (not even sure if they are still open for business?)!  Not only was there no food at this place, there was no place! 

Now what?  Lucky takes my trusty iPhone and looks up more places to try.  The next one we find is Thirsty Isle which is only a few blocks from us.  We ride over there and see only 1 bike in front.  Now this place is only around the corner from the Swap Meet and you would think, if it was a biker bar, there would be more bikes.  We didn’t even stop.  Not promising.

Instead, we decide to ride south on Pacific Coast Highway and look for a place that has lots of bikes parked in front.  After about 5 or 6 miles, we find our place in Sunset Beach.  There were plenty of bikes parked out front and the place had a great name:  Mother’s Tavern.

Step into this bar and right away you feel like a biker that has come home!  Peanut shells on the floor, football games on all three TV’s, and even a patron who is allowed to bring Bruce, his bulldog, inside and sit next to him on a bar stool.

They serve their draft beers in Mason jars, small or large.  You can order pizza from around the block and they will deliver to the bar.  The place is not very big, but it was big enough to have a two man Blues Band and have us meet some new friends and introduce them to CycleFish.  And of course we put CycleFish stickers on any place we could find for them.

After a few pitchers of Bud Light, watching Green Bay beat Chicago, seeing the Jets lose, and a few dances with Lucky to the Blues music, it was time to head home to family. 

A gorgeous day and we took advantage of it.

I hate this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it’s the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds. You can’t pick up a magazine without finding a list of holiday eating do’s and don’ts.  Eliminate second helpings, high-calorie sauces and cookies made with butter, they say.  Fill up on vegetable sticks, they say.  Good grief.  Is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas a carrot stick? I didn’t think so.  Isn’t mine, either.  A carrot was something you left for Rudolph.  I have my own list of tips for holiday eating.  I assure you, if you follow them, you’ll be fat and happy.  So what if you don’t make it to New Year’s? Your pants won’t fit anymore, anyway.

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it’s rare. In fact, it’s even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an egg- nogaholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello? Remember college?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.  This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can’t leave them behind. You’re not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards, mate.

10. And one final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention.

By Craig Wilson, USA TODAY

Last Saturday, October 16th, Lucky and I decided to go to American Heat in Palm Springs.  We planned on going the scenic route ...  aka: Ortega Highway ... but the weather changed our minds.  We woke up to sprinkles and lots of wet roads. 

We left around 7:30 am and I know our new next door neighbors thought we were crazy!  First, they see us taking out the bike to ride in the rain and then they see us packing a blow up kangaroo!  Joey!

We met up with Terry (Wheels) and his wife, Cheryl in Temecula.  We were supposed to meet at a gas station, but Lucky and I were there early and hungry, so we grabbed a breakfast burrito at a small Mexican place acorss the parking lot.  I guess Terry must have seen all the CycleFish stickers and flag on our Road King, because in they walked.  It was still about 60 degrees when we left Temecula, so I'm wearing layers of clothing and leather from head to toe.  I hate being cold!  Took the 79 to the 371 towards Palm Springs.  A nice windy road with relaxing scenery.  I saw a sign that said "Bighorn Sheep Crossing" but I think that was a lie.  I've NEVER seen those darn sheep!

As we got up over the 371 to the 74, it quickly went from 60 degrees to 95 degrees.  Needless to say, I was boiling in my layers of clothing!  Pulling over to a retail parking lot, all four of us began to strip our clothes off.  Not ALL of all clothes...so get your minds out of the gutter!

As we approached downtown Palm Springs, we noticed very few motorcycles on the road, and when we arrived at the American Heat venue (a closed off 6 block area on Palm Canyon Drive) we were surprised to see that there weren't many people at all.  Lucky and I had gone to American Heat about 9 years ago and it was packed with bikes.  This year, we were able to park right away and real close to the vendors.  Probably a sign of this sad economy.

We hooked up with Russ and Cindy (BikerCrap) and our other friends, Kevin and Bea.  Actually found seats at a bar called Hair of the Dog and had a few beers.  We also took a few pictures with Joey.  Joey likes Palm Springs!  Walked around the vendors and checked out the show bikes and did alot of sweating.  I still can't believe you can drive only 60 miles from 60 degree weather to 95 degree weather!  Only in California.

Found a burger joint and proceeded to eat a regular sized burger that cost $12.00!  We also noticed that the place normally charges $12 for a pitcher of beer, but for the "Welcome Bikers", we now had to pay $16.50.  Nice.  Time to head out, because now we are broke.

Terry and Cheryl had to go to a birthday party and Lucky and I decided to drop by and see the grandkids.  On our way home (in the dark), everything was fine until we got to the 241 Toll Road.  It was Halloween scary.  The fog was so thick, I don't think Lucky could see but maybe 5 feet ahead of him.  We were surrounded by fog and it was wet and cold.  God was watching over us as we rode through it and made it home safely.

Well, it was great to meet Terry and his wife Cheryl!  We had a fun time.  That's what I like about Cyclefish...when we don't want to ride alone somewhere, we find someone on Cyclefish to ride with!

We started out from South Orange County, CA on Tuesday morning, August 3rd.  Weather was looking good, and I was "praying" for no rain in Sturgis when we got there.  Unfortunately, my prayers were answered...get to that later.

Out on the bike at 5am to Barstow to meet up with HarleyMan, Debrajo's main man.  DebraJo couldn't get the time off, so she was flying in to Rapid City on the 7th.  I had no back up on this trip.  Just two dudes against me.  Not cool!

We meet up with HarleyMan (aka Richard) in Barstow around 7:30am, eat breakfast, get our lottery tickets (oh, well, just me!) and on our way through the Nevada Desert in August.  Nice.  Not.  By the time we get to Mesquite, it's over 120 degrees!  We stopped at McDonald's for some water and I begged to just camp in McDonald's.  I don't know why we didn't pack water?  Who needs water riding a motorcycle through the DESERT?!

We survive and enter Utah and make a quick stop into the Zion Harley Dealer.  Water!  I notice how late it is:  4:00 pm.  I'm thinking, wow, we are lagging.  Duh.  Forgot the time zone change.  I was delirious from the heat.  Forgive me.

Stop for the night in Beaver, UT.  (Ha Ha!  I said "Beaver").  We stay at The Beaver Lodge which was quaint and very reasonable.  There was a little cafe a few buildings down where we could eat dinner.  We check in, get unpacked, shower, and ready to go eat.  WHAT?  Thunderclouds.  I'm actually happy for a little rain.  Relief from the heat we had.  But no...............Really?  It's hail!  Now if anyone here knows Lucky, he does not like to walk, not even the few buildings away to the cafe.  So we ride the bikes, in the hail, two buildings away, to the cafe to eat!  Man, that hail hurts.  I'm ready for a beer!  Wrong.  Forgot I was in Utah.  The kind waitress tells me "we have no alcohol, but I can get you a root-beer!"  You could only imagine the look I gave her.

The next morning was a little chilly.  Well, to me it was!  The boys were acting like they were having hot flashes.  Don't care.  It got up to 90 degrees and I still had my chaps and leather jacket on.  Go ahead, laugh at me.  I'm used to it.

The trip through Provo, UT was actually very pretty.  We were going to try to go East towards the mountains, but there was an ominous black cloud.  So we kept going North to Wyoming.  We ended up staying on the 80 and stopped in Rock Springs, WY for the night.  Visited the Flaming Gorge Harley Dealer.  Talked to a man from New Zealand.  Now that was an experience!  I didn't understand a word he said.  We just laughed and nodded our heads.  Damn Kiwis. (That was for you, Boof!)

That night we needed a drink, since we didn't get one in Utah.  Went to a bar that was recommended called "Porky's".  Good country music and Bud Light.  But we were so tired, we didn't party long.  Got hungry, though!  Decided on KFC.  Did we ever make a scene there!  Kept teasing the poor young lad working there and Lucky finally gave him a tip!  Maybe we were too tired AND a little too much beer!  You know the patrons were thinking "typical Bikers".

Thursday, we were very lucky dodging those thunderstorms through Wyoming.  Everytime we saw a dark cloud, we would stop, check the map and change course.  As long as we were going North or East, we were heading the right way!  We started on the 191 and I was freezing!  This time, so were the boys.  We stopped at a corner store (which was the only building around for miles) and asked for some directions to make sure we were on course.  I'll tell you this: people in Wyoming are the most helpful and friendly.  Everyone we talked to would tell us which way to go for sightseeing and which way was safe, etc. etc.  Good folks in Wyoming. 

We left the 191 and took the 29 East and that was beautiful.  It also started to warm up a bit.  Then to the 789 and had lunch at McDonald's and a family there told us to take the 16 and go visit a city called Ten Sleep.  Ten Sleep got its name by being ten sleeps (nights) between the Great Sioux Camps and the Platte River to the south, and the northern camp located near Bridger, Montana.  Looked more like a biker town to me!  After getting gas and water in Ten Sleep, we rode through Buffalo.  Did I see any buffalo?  No.  Lying town name.  Finally got to the 90 and hit Gillette.  But we still had energy and decided to ride for another hour into Sundance.  I'm glad we did.  It was nice small town and we stayed at the Bear Lodge.  Walked across the street (didn't have to look both ways as there was no traffic) and went to a bar called the Turf Bar & Lounge.  The bartender-cook-liquor store guy was great.  Yep.  He gave us our drinks, made our food, and tended to the drive up liquor store!  What a great employee!

Finally Friday morning, the day we ride into Sturgis.  Bikes everywhere!  Got to the Buffalo Chip and our Cyclefish Camping Area that was saved for us.  It was hot!  Why did I pray for no rain?  Set up tents and got beer and ice.  Now is the waiting game.  Waiting for all our CycleFish friends to show up!  But they wouldn't be with us until Saturday, so our job was to guard the CycleFish camping area.  By bedtime, Lucky and I are exhausted and Richard is sick of the Sturgis traffic and heat.  Richard wanted DebraJo by his side!  Lucky and I go into our tent for the night and a huge wind comes up.  I'm thinking tornado, but what do I know?  I only know about earthquakes!  Our stupid tent zipper breaks.  Looking back now, it's funny:  Lucky was trying to use duct tape to fix it.  Didn't work.  So now he's taking out his knife and making holes and getting string so he can sew it together!  Not working.  Finally, we get our tarp, thread it to the outside of our tent and hold it down with our cooler full of beer and ice!  Time to finally sleep....in Sturgis!!

My next blog:  "Being in Sturgis".

More pictures in Lucky's Road to Sturgis Album!!!

There is no easy way to get to Kernville!  But if you do make it, it’s worth it!  Lucky and I went to the California Abate Rally this past weekend in Kernville at Frandy Campground.

We left around 7:30 am and met up with our good friends Russ & Cindy (BikerCrap) in Norco.  From there, we went to Cajon and met up with another couple, Kevin and Bea.  We had more Abate riders coming, so we all waited at McDonald’s…in the heat!  Big Art, Jerry, Ida, and a couple others pull up and our group is ready to hit it.  We do the scenic route through Wrightwood, but hit a rough patch in downtown Lancaster and Palmdale!  Too many lights and it was about 100 degrees.  The later half of the group decided stop and eat, but us early birds wanted to get to our destination. 

Went through Caliente and some really nice twisties and scenery.  Of course, my favorite scenery are the cows.  They are always so relaxed and laid back.  At Lake Isabella we make a wrong turn…thanks Kevin!  And by this time the heat has gotten to us and I haven’t eaten.  He figures it out soon enough and we turn around back towards the easier side of the lake to get to Kernville.  10 more miles!  Not soon enough.  Deb (Debrajo62) and Richard are already there with a great campsite on the Kern River! Thank you!  We set up camp, put up the Cyclefish Banner and quickly take off to the store for important stuff.  BEER AND ICE! Oh, and some food to cook, too.

Our good friend we met in Hollister, Doc, shows up at dinnertime hollering, “where the hell am I?” He had come down the 155 from Manteca and those are some twisties. Now our group is complete and it’s time to party.  I will admit, I don’t remember much, but when I saw the pictures the next day…wow!  I must have had a great time! Patricia (bikermilf) and her husband Mark came by our campsite that night with an entire entourage!  They were making the rounds meeting everyone on what they named their Naked Walk-About.

The next morning five of us (Deb, Richard, Doc, Lucky and me) decided to ride up Sierra Way, a nice mountain road along the Kern River.  The rest of the gang headed south to find the campground on the Kern River that Russ used to go to as a kid with his parents. The day is gorgeous for a ride with the sun shining not too hot and a cool breeze.  We ride up to Johnsondale.  Ever been to Johnsondale? I believe the sign for the city is just basically a landmark to let riders know they are going the right way to someplace.  Johnsondale, population: 1 ½.

On our way back, we stopped at the Kern River Saloon for some beers.  The Kern River Saloon is a cool little biker bar right in the heart of Kernville.  Jana was a great bartender!  Her and Doc need to start their own stand up comic routine!

Just wanted to say that the service was great and we had a good time there.  If you’re ever in the neighborhood of Kernville, stop in at the Kern River Saloon.

One more trip back to the local grocery store for some food on the way back to our temporary home at good old Frandy Campground.  Back at the campsite, we BBQ'd some Rib Eye steaks and chowed down.  Deb and I took off our clothes (got your attention didn't I), and slipped into our bathing suits for some swimming in the Kern River.  Well, how about just drinking our beers and laying in the river just chillin’.  Deb and I were arranging river rocks into armchairs, while others were smarter and actually BROUGHT chairs into the River!

We checked out the Weenie Bite contest and Bea won a trophy, as usual!  We are so proud of her! Later on the band comes on and not using river rocks, but actual chairs, we watched the concert and danced a bit.

The next morning we rose at the crack of dawn or 8:00, to Deb making a great breakfast for all of us.  After we ate, we all began to tear down the tents and throw away the broken chairs, and punctured air mattresses (there are always some casualties at a biker rally). Once we were all packed, it was time for good-byes.  I always hate saying good-bye to our great rally friends, because I know it is going to be a while before we see them again.  We went across the street to meet up with Russ & Cindy and Kevin & Bea, who decided on a Mexican breakfast before leaving town.  We hit the road for home, this time taking the straightest route.

Lucky and I had never been to the California Abate Rally.  We really enjoyed ourselves and will more than likely make this an annual event on our calendar.

A sad note, in closing, the President of Abate in Bakersfield and his wife (Jim and Debbie Harmon) were killed Saturday morning when a car hit them head on.  Our thoughts and prayers are with their family.  Full Story on Jim & Debbie

See the rest of the pictures in Lucky's Album

Lucky and I rode to the start of a Poker Run by the Iron Workers and had a great breakfast at the restaurant The Starting Gate.  The place IS across the street from the Los Alamitos Race Track.  After breakfast, we rode the bike to Venice Beach for National Go Topless Day (August 23, 2009) to protest the law that bans women from going topless at the beach.

We were lucky to have a motorcycle or we would not have found any parking!  We parked by some apartments along the canal in shade and I changed my clothes from jeans and boots to shorts and flip flops.  Can't be going to the beach dressed in leather!  Well, maybe.  It is Venice Beach, after all.  No one at Venice Beach is normal looking! 

The weather was awesome!  80 degrees with a slight breeze.  We followed the signs along the Boardwalk to where the protest parade for National Go Topless Day would begin.  We found a little crowd handing out flyers.  I was a little nervous at first because it wasn't a Biker Rally, it was a public beach I would be doing this at.

The woman running the show had a bull horn and called all the girls over to her to get their "nipple" pasties.  As all of us girls were putting on our pasties, we became instant celebrities with all these cameras going off taking pictures!  Men!  This is why women want to be topless at the beach.  Then it would not be such a camera frenzy.  It would be normal to see a woman's breast.  Right???

About 50 topless girls proudly displaying their breasts gathered together at the beginning of the Boardwalk and held up signs to protest the law banning women from going topless at the beach.  My sign said "War is Indecent, not Women's Breasts!"  I like that.  The men that wanted to protest with us and be in the parade had to wear a bikini top.  Lucky wore a Cyclefish tank top for girls and rolled it up!  Looking hot, lucky!

We started to slowly march towards Muscle Beach chanting "Free your Breasts!  Free your Mind!"  Using a bull horn and a microphone, the women marched and stopped intermittently to speak to the crowd about how unfair it is that women are not allowed to be topless at the beach.  They complained that we could get away with wearing a pastie over our nipples and it is legal.  But if we took them off, we would get a ticket.  Does that make sense?  NO! A woman could not even breastfeed her child in public without hiding and throwing a blanket over her breast.  In Europe, women are topless at the beach all the time.  This is a NORMAL practice.  Truly, a woman's breast is natural and beautiful, yet we make it a sexual thing and nasty.  That's just wrong.

I have never protested anything before, so it was a fun experience for me!  And we did pass several police officers and all they did was smile because we had our pasties on!  We were within the law!

So girls, I say to you:  Free Your Breast!  Free Your Mind!"

For more information on supporting a woman's right to Go Topless, visit www.gotopless.org

We hope to see a lot more of you at the 2010 National Go-Topless Day in your area!

For the first time, I did not have to get up at 4:00 am to leave for a Rally.  I worked until 11:00 am, came home and Lucky and I were on our way to Hollister.  It's only about 350 miles from our house and we figured about 5 to 6 hours.  Wrong.

I assumed (and you know what happens when you "assume") that Lucky would take the 5 Freeway to the 198 to the 25 and we would be fine.  We left the house with the weather being 90 degrees.  He decides it's too hot for the 5 Freeway and takes the Coast.  If you live in California, you know the weather can be 100 degrees inland and then drop to 60 degrees when you get to the Coast.  I was not a happy camper and we weren't even camping yet!  I froze.  It is beautiful scenery through Pismo Beach and those hills, but I was dressed for HOT weather not 60 degrees!

We roll into the campsite at Bolado Park at 8:00 pm.  3 hours later than we had planned.  As we are setting up our tent, I'm shivering to death.  All done setting up our campsite and putting up the Cyclefish Banner and I'm ready to go to sleep and warm up.  That night was so quiet, I felt like we were in a family campground not at the Hollister Bike Rally!  Maybe we were....there was a 16 day old baby in a campsite next to us and someone else brought their Chihuahua.

The next morning, Friday the 3rd of July, we are ready to party and have some fun!  We meet Doc our new good friend from Florida (but lives in Manteca, CA).  Now remember, Florida IS a Southern State and boy did Doc have that Y’all accent going on! We’all decided to check out the vendors and get our drink on.  Doc with his many Bud Lights, Lucky with his Jim Beam mixed into a Coke bottle and me with my Bacardi Limon and Diet 7-Up.  Look, I’m a girl, I can get away with the foo foo drink!

Not too many people showed up on Friday and all of us were a little down in the dumps thinking maybe we should have stayed home for fireworks instead of coming to Hollister.  But by the time the sun set, all three of us were good and buzzed and decided to make our own party at the campsite.  Before we did that though, Lucky and Doc wanted some of those banners on the fence that said “Welcome Bikers” and “Bud Light”!  I had to pee so bad and these guys are taking out their knives (all bikers have some kind of knife in their boots) and tearing down these signs!  Doc is stuffing his real quick into his bike. Not Lucky.  He has to be all neat about it and he’s folding it up and I’m jumping up and down almost peeing my pants and Doc’s laughing!  We left just in time before someone saw us, but poor Doc either cut the one corner too sharp or stopped his bike with the handle bars turned…he dropped it.  It’s dark and all I can see are sideway headlights and he’s revving up that bike, trying to get it back up.  It was seriously funny.  I’m surprised my bladder didn’t let loose then!  Lucky went over and helped him and we finished partying at our tent. Some folks that had gone to Redwood were camped next to us and saw our banner and the girls showed us their tan lines with the Cyclefish logo on them!

The next morning, Doc bought us breakfast at the Cantina in Tres Pinos and really liked the waitress.  He looked at her and told us, in his Southern Drawl “I’d spank her bottom till it was red as a baboon’s ass!”  He is a trip!  At breakfast we’re thinking of packing up and going home early.  Of course, alcohol had another plan for us.

We got back to the Hollister Rally campsite (Bolado Park) and the crowd finally showed up...there were bikers everywhere!  Woo Hoo!  We went back to the vendors and that’s where we met Erik (known here on CycleFish as AirbrushbyMasterErik).  He reminded me of the actor Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile. Erik airbrushed a really cool CycleFish t-shirt for Lucky. Next it was my turn. Lucky asked him to paint me and make sure Cyclefish was on there.  I could not believe how many pictures were taken of me!  A little embarrassing when people came to the Rally and had brought their kids! Madmex and BikerDooRags were hanging out at the booth for security purposes.  Not!

Next up was DebraJo62, who we met in Redwood and then hooked up with in Hollister through Cyclefish! She, too, had the Cyclefish logo tan lines!  Her body paint was Old Glory!  What a way to celebrate the Fourth of July!Before you knew it  Erik had a line of girls all waiting to get their boobs painted by him.  I think he was happy with what I had started.

The next morning was goodbye time.  Traded numbers with Doc and started home.  But first:  we stopped at Sawdoff’s (Erin & Gregg) house for some breakfast and relaxation!  We have seen Erin & Gregg every year at Redwood, but thanks to the new CycleFish we now stay in touch and have gotten to know them much better.  That was so nice of them to welcome us to their beautiful home in Paso Robles, Wine Country.  Their pool is to die for!  Gregg is the pool expert and owns Coastline Pool Service. 

After more good-bye’s and thank you’s, we really were on our way home.  Took the 46, also called Blood Alley where James Dean was killed.  Got to our freeway and then a dead stop.  Forgot it was the day after the Independance Day!  So we left Hollister at 8 am, rested a few hours at Sawdoff’s place, and ended up getting home at 8pm!  This ride kicked my butt…..still had a great time.

See our Hollister GTMC Rally Pictures

Additional Info on the GTMC Hollister Rally

The Redwood Run Motorcycle Rally & Biker Party in Piercy, CA is my FAV Rally.  It does wear on my butt for the long trip, approximately 650 miles, but definitely worth it.  This year was no exception.

Out of the house and on the bike at 4:30 am Thursday morning, June 11, 2009.  Met up with Russ and Cindy (aka: BikerCrap) in San Dimas and we are on our way.  The weatherman insisted that the entire rally weekend would have showers in Piercy, CA., where the Run is held.  So we brought rain gear and prayed that it would not rain!  Our prayers were answered!  The Redwood Run had gorgeous weather and my peeling nose is proof.

Lucky did forget his CycleFish sign!  How were we supposed to meet all our CycleFish friends?  But the things you can do with an iPhone!  He found a wonderful sign place in Woodland, CA called Signs By Heck and they had it ready for us within hours.  If EVER you need a sign or banner or anything like that, contact these people.  They were great.

Riding up there, the only cold we hit was near Gorman and Lake Castaic.  I wish Lucky did not get that thermometer put on his bike because I'm always checking it....55 degrees and damp.  After that, it never went below 70 degrees until we got to Willits.  Usually we will get to our hotel in Willits, shower, and go the local pizza joint for beer and grub.  But since The Redwood Rally is getting so popular and we wanted our special camp site, we bought salami, cheese and beer at the grocery store and took it back to the room.  Snacked, drank, and went to bed even before the Lakers beat The Magic!  I know.........boorrrrring!

Up again at 4:00 am and on the road to Piercy, 52 miles or so away.  FOG!  We always hit damp and cold morning weather from Willits to Piercy, but never this much fog.  I was a little concerned about Lucky hitting a deer.  But we made it and got a good spot in line.  Now the cold part of waiting around until they open the gate and then it is a "free for all" to get a camping spot!  It's like musical chairs only with motorcycles!

We did get our spot and hung up our "CycleFish.com" sign in front of our tent.  Before we even finished unpacking, Raywood (Ray) comes looking for Lucky.  We met Raywood on Cyclefish.  A few hours after that, HighRisk (Jeff)  and his wife Deener1183 (Denise) show up, too!  Also, Cyclefish friends.  08StreetGlide (Tony) and his wife Danielle come over and so did bigbear (Kim) and his son.  It was totally cool to meet all these CycleFish users in person!  Boy did we all party!  Raywood's wife could not make it, unfortunately, but I look forward to meeting her sometime soon in a future rally! 

The next day on stage is the moment we are all waiting for....The Wet T-Shirt Contest!     So us girls were watching it cause Burly Man (burlyman1055, another CycleFish person!)  was the DJ/Announcer and he was going to give away our CycleFish tank tops to the girls!  Burly Man was wonderful!  He did a great job talking about CycleFish and BikerCrap.  Oh, and the girls were pretty good, too!  Maybe one of the guys that went to Redwood would like to blog in more detail about the Wet T-Shirt Contest!

After the contest comes the CycleFish Corner Street Party.  We all line up our chairs on the road and drink, drink, drink and hold up our "Flash" signs to the girls that go by.  I was an instigator and that's all I'll say....but most of the guys appreciated that I was putting CycleFish Redwood Rally temporary tattoos on the ladies' boobs.  I had to hold them in place with a wet sponge.  You get the picture.    I even got a few girls to take their top off and put on a CycleFish tank top.  Wish you were there.................

Saying goodbye was not fun.  Sunday morning everyone is packing their tents and heading to their homes.  This was one of the best times I've ever had at The Redwood Run.  I am so glad to have met these wonderful people this past weekend!  I know we will all get together again in Redwood next year, but I'm hoping we can hook up sooner.

 Check out all of our

2009 Redwood Run Pictures

and

Get more information on the 2010 Redwood Run

 Last ones out after all the Good Byes

Lucky and I decided to go to Laughlin this year for the River Run Rally, but we planned to get there a few days before the Rally started.  I hate being on the freeway with the Bike, so we decided to go the desert way.  I didn't count on a heatwave in April!  It was 100 to 110 degrees all the way to Laughlin! 

We arrived in Laughlin on Tuesday evening and the weather was awesome for a Bike ride.  Beautiful.  We were tired, but as soon as you walk into one of those casinos, wow!  You wake up right away and want to start gambling and drinking, which we did for the rest of the night.

The next day, Laughlin was infested with grasshoppers!  Yes, grasshoppers.  They were EVERYWHERE.  There was no way we could ride the Bike.  So we checked out vendors instead.  It wasn't that hot and since there were only a handful of bikers there, it was nice to wander through and shop with no crowds.  Of course Lucky spoils me and when I want to buy something, I usually get it!  After shopping, gambling, eating, and drinking most of the day, we settled down and watched a few Blues Bands play in the parking lot of the Colorado Belle, which is where we stayed.  (Also, getting to Laughlin early, we only paid $35 a night for a room, plus grasshoppers!)

By Thursday, the grasshoppers were all gone and a lot of bikers were coming in.  It was time for us to check out, but we weren't ready to leave yet.  We packed up the Bike and headed out to the Arizona side of the River and rode to Oatman.  Now if you've never been to Oatman, you are definitely missing out!  It is a cute little western town about 14 miles East of the River on Route 66.  100 years ago it was a mining town.  Wild Burros (donkeys) freely roam the town and can be hand-fed carrots and "burro chow," both readily available in practically every store in town. 

After Oatman, we rode back down Route 66 and then turned South towards Needles, CA.  We stopped at a little bar in a really small town called Golden Springs.  Everyone knew everyone at that bar.  The bartender looked like someone's Mom!  The best part...they have Jello Shots for only $1.00!  My kind of place!

Sadly, it was time to head home.  We rode over the Colorado River and into California towards the West.  I watched as more and more bikers were on the other side of the freeway going to Laughlin.  We left the 100 degree desert and within 3 hours, we had to pull over and get our leathers on!  It was 60 degrees in Barstow, CA!  I am so glad I took my chaps and leather jacket.  I don't mind riding on the Bike in the heat, but screw the cold.  I HATE being cold on the Bike.

I have to say, it was a wonderful trip and Lucky and I had a great time.  We hope next year that some friends (BikerCrap and luckytoo) can ride with us and share grasshoppers. 

Check out our pictures in Lucky's Laughlin Album

We finally had a weekend with no rain and no family commitments, so it was time to go for a ride. Lucky cleaned the RoadKing while I got ready and we were on the road by 9am. We headed south and then up over the Ortega Highway into Lake Elsinore to meet up with our good friends Russ & Cindy. We met Russ and Cindy right here on CycleFish (the old version) a few years back when we posted on the forum for someone to ride to the Redwood Run with. We have been friends ever since and have attended the Redwood Run every year with them. Russ owns the website BikerCrap.com which sells biker apparel (specializing in sexy tops for the ladies) and other biker accessories (little plug for Russ's site).

After some Bloody Mary's and beers, it was time to hit the road in search for the next bar. We headed south into the De Luz area, a beautiful area of avocado ranches and great twisty, hilly roads. Of course we had no plan or map, so after a few u-turns we wound up in Temecula. We were all set for Mexican food at Rose's Cantina when a girl on the corner with a sign directed us to a new spot that served sandwiches, salads and beers. The place had just opened and they were still building the club room for events and the horseshoe pits and outdoor stage in the back. Looks like it is going to be a fun spot when its all finished...I just wih I could remember the name. I will try to get it and let you know what it is.

We finished lunch and headed to our son's house to see our granddaughter (we wanted to show her off to Russ & Cindy). But when we got there, our son was out getting his truck repaired and the baby was sleeping. We visited with our daughter in-law for a few minutes before getting back on the road. Next stop was a little bar & grill in Rainbow called the Rainbow Inn. Too bad when we got there it was closed for re-modeling. We headed south again and over Old Mission Rd through the little town of Fallbrook and into ***sall. ***sall is a great little town because you can see the entire town if you stand in the center of the only intersection. We stopped at a little bar called Ringers that had 3 or 4 bikes out front and a group of regulars sitting on the front patio having a beer. We went in had a beer and decided to move on to the next place.

Heading back toward the beach to our next stop was a bar called One More That's It in Oceanside. We were hungry and this place had a grill, but just our luck the grill was closed that day because of the light crowd. It looked like it could be a fun spot when the crowd is bigger, so we will have to go back there again. We quickly finished our drinks and headed out to get some food.

We headed north on the freeway (hubby hates freeway riding) to get back toward our neck of the woods. Our big plans for food wound up being Del Taco to go. We took our Del Taco gourmet food and headed over to Mugs Away in Laguna Niguel. If you have never heard of Mugs Away, they are famous for their Annual Mooning of the Amtrak. Once a year, thousands (this past year over 10,000) people get together and moon the Amtrak trains as they pass on the adjacent railroad tracks. (if you want to check it out, you need to visit our site AmtrakMooning.com). When the mooning is not going on, this is still a great little place usually occupied by five to ten locals during the day and a good crowd at night to see the band. We had one last drink and then called it a day. We said our good-byes to Russ and Cindy in the parking lot before riding off in our own directions.

What a geat day of riding and visiting with friends we don't get to see as often as we would like.