Dia’s Journey from Tucson to Spokane – Day 1

Posted on 05/29/2014 by hogalaska

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I have been nervous about this trip since I booked it, especially the last two days. But I made the choice to take this journey alone to prove to myself that I could do it. I generally have a pretty confident view on life and I am not one to walk away from a challenge. However I think this long distance solo ride is about as challenging as when Barry bought me a drag bike and asked me to race it! I don’t openly talk about my fear too much, especially since I feel obligated to show a confident strong front as a leader of a company. But what the hell, I am a woman and I was nervous! I shared my feelings when people asked about my trip and I think that this openness helped me deal with it. Ok, enough with the thoughtful BS! Lets ride!

My flight left Anchorage at 7:00am this morning (May 28, 2014). I was happy to see our family friend Carol was my flight attendant and that helped soothe my nerves. She embodies kindness and was so sweet. That little comfort made my first flight a breeze. My second flight from Seattle to Tucson was also pleasant, as I was surprised to find I had a first class seat. Apparently I booked my ticket with miles that way, but I had forgotten so it was like a bonus! I was sitting next to a nice woman who had to take her cat to the pet ER that morning so her husband had to stay home and fly out later to make sure the cat was ok. Understanding her pain we bonded and chatted about our kids (aka pets). We chatted about my journey and her visit with her mom who lived in Tucson. When we landed the heat was like a furnace blasting as soon as they opened the door to the gate.

 

My bag was one of the first unloaded so I trudged with my two bags out to a cab. The driver was an older guy with long grey hair. I immediately pegged him for a transplant from CA and I was right. W chatted about my journey as we headed toward the Harley-Davidson of Tucson. He was a little bit of an odd character, sometimes interjecting comments that were inaudible and I was unsure if he was talking to me or the traffic. We made it to the shop in good time and I unloaded my stuff. I headed in and saw Romello, who was the service advisor who had assisted me when I dropped my bike off there. They were great to work with. They stored my bike and even washed it for me! I hung out and chatted with the staff for awhile hoping to come up with a plan and hoping the heat would subside. Eventually I decided I couldn’t just hang out in Tucson for the night (which was my original plan) so I loaded up my bike and started heading north.

Buffalo off the highway?

Buffalo off the highway?

I didn’t really know where I was going but I figured when I got closer to Phoenix I would find a place to stop for the night. I made it about 24 miles before I was literally melting! I was near Red Rock where I pulled off the freeway into a little Shell gas station with a store. I figured I would hang out here for a bit and get a cold drink. When I came in I was greeted by the manager with a big smile and as I told him I was a suffering biker from AK he told me to hang out in the AC as long as I needed. I bought a Gatorade and walked over to the large counter area that was a square of large glass cases with all sorts of jewelry, knives and other cool stuff. While I was perusing we chatted about my journey and a local trucker jumped in on the conversation. They pulled out a big map to show me the best routes to take for the rest of my night and tomorrow. I checked out some knives, but decided I didn’t see one I could see myself carrying with a straight face (Can you imagine me with a big knife in a sheath hanging from my non-existent belt?! Yeah, me neither) So, I opted for some jewelry and out of the 50 rings I tried on there was only one that fit me. So I bought it. I was entertained listening the the manager tell me about all the tribes and different artists that made all the different pieces. He knew where the stones were from and who made them. It was pretty impressive, although the pessimist in me still think it all might have been made in China 🙂

photo 2I put ona white long sleeve while I was there since the sun was still high enough to burn me. I headed north, still on the freeway toward Casa Grande. It was still pretty hot and I was considering stopping for the day. I saw a couple bikes parked at the Holiday Inn, so I stopped to chat with the guy still unloading his bike while I looked up the distance to another town. He was riding from California to Texas and seemed to be pretty interested in the amount of bikers from the north that keep bikes in the south….clearly it is because of our winters, but I guess in CA it is always so nice they just don’t understand. It was nice talking to him, he thought I was pretty “ballsy” for taking this trip alone. I agreed 🙂

From there I decided I would keep riding to Avondale where I had googled at least had a Best Western. The town of Avondale is mostly a giant distribution center. There were all sorts of big buildings with trucks coming and going as well as some type of stinky industry that was not pleasant to ride through. I took a back road off the freeway to get to Avondale and although it was nice to get off of the freeway, there wasn’t much scenery difference. It was great to get to watch a beautiful sunset as I was getting closer to my destination. The sky had some clouds and as the sun set they turned all sorts of pink and purple. I settled on a Holiday Inn Express and was greeted by a super nice receptionist. At this point I was starving and so hot. I got checked in, she even gave me a discount and got me a room really close to the lobby so I didn’t have to lug my bags really far. Without much thought I went next door to eat at the Mexican restaurant, it was alright and I got a discount for being a hotel guest. All in all my first day was great. I am excited for tomorrow, I am riding through Prescott and Flagstaff on my way to the Grand Canyon!

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Dia’s Arizona Trip 2014 – Day 5 Ride back to Green Valley

Posted on 04/03/2014 by hogalaska

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After a very light breakfast, and a quick request for some ziploc bags (Jon was unable to finish his dozen cookies so we had to pack them) we loaded up the bikes. We decided to take a more direct route back to Green Valley this time, but hopefully still catch some scenery. We took 79 which wasn’t too scenic but was still a nice ride. We stopped at a little Mexican place on th eside of the road where we saw a few other Harley’s parked. We got some drinks to rehydrate and cool off and ate the complimentary chips and salsa they brought us. We sat in the booth next to the other riders, so before we all hit the road I struck up a conversation with them. They all had shirts or jackets that said “The Dave’s” on them. So I asked them what it meant. The leader who I later found out was the president of their club that has no rules, informed it is short for the “Harley-Davidson’s” and that they all ride Harley. He went on to explain their group and shared that they are a drinking group with a Harley problem and that they like to ride a lot and ride fast…sounds like my kind of group! We chatted some more and I told them if they ever made it to Alaska to stop by the House of Harley and say hello.

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We paid our bill and headed south. We wanted to stop by Harley-Davidson of Tucson on our way back to see if I could store my bike there until the next time I make it down here. When we got there I wandered around the store for awhile then asked if the GM was in. Unfortunately they all seem to work my schedule and were off on Monday. The service manager was out too, so I talked to a nice guy Roello at the service counter. I introduced myself (when I tell people I am the HD dealer in AK it usually doesn’t sink in until they read it on my card). and asked if they could store my bike. At first he explained why they don’t really do that “liability, bla bla bla” but as I handed him my card and asked him to ask his manager or the GM tomorrow he read the “Owner” part and started to say “well maybe we could work something out…” I don’t blame him, I wouldn’t really believe that I was a dealer either. I explained that I was leaving in a couple days and would really appreciate an answer early the next day. In the mean time I worked on plan 2 which was to ask Tom and Anne if they could keep it, I recalled they had mentioned having a lot of garage space. They were very kind to offer me some free storage immediately after I sent the message, so I was pretty set either way. Jon and I found a small local bar/restaurant near the dealership to grab some lunch before we rode the final stretch. We made it back to Green Valley and Barry and Jerry were going to cook steaks and fish for dinner but Jon and I had already made plans to rest in GV for awhile then head back to Tucson to go to the mall and eat at the Cheesecake Factory. For those of you that know me personally, you know I hate chain restaurants but that place is outrageous and Jon had never been before.

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We shopped for a bit and then went to dinner. Neither one of us was that hungry so we ordered appetizers from their calorie conscious small menu. Of course we ordered the obligatory cheesecake to go. We were both pretty worn out and tired from all the heat and riding. Barry met us back at our hotel for a drink, with Larry who is another fried of Jerry’s that was in town staying at the same hotel. We had met by the bikes earlier when he pulled up in his Mustang behind us. As I was unloading my bike he asked “You wouldn’t happen to be related to a guy named Barry would you?” I laughed and said I was his daughter. He then explained he was an old friend of Jerry’s and was camping his way down from Washington. So after he and Barry had dinner at Jerry’s they met us for a drink at the hotel. We chatted for awhile then hit the hay.

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Dia’s Arizona Trip 2014 – Day 4 Last Day in Phoenix for Pre-Bike Week Rally

Posted on 04/03/2014 by hogalaska

Today is Sunday, but there is not a lot of resting when you are in AZ for bike week! As we ran into a few people at breakfast, Jerry, Carol and Barry we got mixed answers on what the plan for the day was…big surprise! The whole group, except Jon and I were riding back to Green Valley today. Jon and I decided we would stay in Scottsdale an additional day, since there is a little more action in that part of AZ than there is in the retirement community of Green Valley. Once the group was all awake and packed we decided we were all going to head over to the Steel Horse Saloon where they host the Trifecta party.

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I am not sure why it is called the Trifecta, but we heard there was a bike show, vendors, tattoo competition and more. The party didn’t start till 10:30 am and that is about when we showed up. When we got there, we were some of the first to show up.

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There were only a few bikes in the “bike show” at that point but more were supposed to show up.

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We wandered around from vendor to vendor to see what all was going on. There was an aftermarket shop set up that had leathers, so Jon tried on a few vests etc and finally decided on one.

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We also walked by the tattoo vendor that was there, doing tattoos out of what looked like an old camper. I wouldn’t have bought food out of that thing let alone get a tattoo in it! The ladies sitting out front informed us there was a tattoo contest at 1:30pm and that there were 4 categories: Black and Grey, Color, Best Women’s and Best Men’s. Not a complicated show, and no entrants yet. We kept wandering and soon found out that the rest of our group was going to head on down the road. After we said our goodbyes Jon and I stuck around and listed to some music. After some consideration I decided to enter the tattoo contest with my back piece that is a large paisley design. I entered in both the Black & Grey category and the Women’s category.

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The band was good, played a bunch of covers that everyone knew, the old biker ladies dancing were even more entertaining. As the time ticked away it started getting a lot hotter. The morning had started out cloudy but now the clouds were burning off. We decided I needed sun screen and Jon needed a tank top. Out of the multiple vendors selling shirts ect not a single one was selling men’s tanks. So, we settled for putting on some sun screen and while we were out by the bikes Jon noticed a Goodwill in the parking lot. The place was huge but they only had about 10 men’s tanks. And only one that wasn’t pretty nasty…it was a little small but better than the dark blue shirt Jon had been wearing. So we headed back to the party to wait for the tattoo contest.

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The contest finally got underway, and a lot more people had signed up. As soon as I walked to the front of the stage I started to get nervous. I am not one to be flashy and I am pretty modest, but to show off the whole tat I had to take my shirt off. It is one thing to be on the beach, and trust me there were a lot of women wearing pretty scandalous stuff at this party, but I was still nervous! I was only the 4th on the list, so moment of truth I pulled my tank off and got a good round of cheers from the audience and the judges. By this point there were a lot more people at the party and watching the show. After they went through all the candidates they called myself and “Bear” back to the stage.This guy was literally as big as a bear, he had a cool scene tattooed on his chest, looked like an old west town or something.

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It was very detailed and really cool. So, here I am taking my top off for a second time. The judges discussed the pieces and decided Bear was the winner. Oh well, still felt pretty cool to be in the top two! So now for the ladies round. At first there were only a few of us then a few more showed up.

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As they explained the contest I knew I had a slip shot, since it was not judged by the judges (who told me they would have voted for mine) but by crowd cheering. I am sure I could have done what the lady who won did, but I have a little more class than that! After she flashed the crowd, pierced nipples and all she had her family (kids and friends) standing by the stage cheering for her. The competitive side of me wanted to say “Real Classy MOM” as she flashed everyone but I didn’t bother. With her big group of fans, she won with the loudest cheers, so I ended up taking my shirt off 3 times for nothing! The prize was not much value to me, a wood plaque I wouldn’t have had room for and 2 hrs of tattoo time in the camper! By now it was well after two and Jon and I were starving so I gracefully snuck out immediately after the competition and hit the road.

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We cruised back to Scottsdale Road, which is my favorite road…it has everything imaginable so you could basically live on this road (except a HD shop). We headed South until I found a restaurant I thought looked ok for lunch and we headed to Paradise Bakery and Cafe.

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If you have ever been in Panera it is very similar to this. I ordered half a veggie sandwich and a cup of soup and as I was checking out I noticed Jon had found a box of 12 cookies…to take with us. I couldn’t even finish my lunch let a lone eat cookies. We headed back to the hotel and had gotten in touch with KC and Deb from Anchorage who were also down here on vacation so we decided we would get together for dinner later. We were so full, and the restaurant couldn’t get us in until 7:30. The restaurant I picked was a place in “Old Scottsdale” that is part of the old town and is pretty cool filled with shops and stuff all in old looking buildings. Jon and I got down there early so we could walk around and check things out and found a cool restaurant with a bar upstairs in an open air roof seating area. We went up there to take in the sights and relax before we headed to dinner. Dinner was great, good company and good food. We headed back to our hotel where Jon had a dozen cookies to eat before tomorrow when we had to pack the bikes and ride back to Green Valley!

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Dia’s Arizona Trip 2014 – Day 3 Biker parties

Posted on 04/02/2014 by hogalaska

After we all ate our own versions of breakfast from the free breakfast in the hotel lobby we decided to go to the mall…no wait the shopping center…no wait cave creek…wait where are we going?!

Eventually we all decided we would load up on the bikes and head out to Cave Creek. I hadn’t even heard of this place prior to today, but I am glad we made the trip! It was a pretty drive, not too far, but awesome scenery and some really nice houses up in the mountains, plus some really cool boulders. We drove through Care Free, AZ on our way to Cave Creek. Once we got into Cave Creek we got separated by a few cars between each of the bikes. I guess we were coming in right after a parade, so one side of the street was shut down and traffic was crawling. It was super hot today, so sitting on the bikes going 1mph was getting old quick.

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As we kept going down the road we passed a few lots with parking, but the leaders were trying to make it to the American Legion…since most of this crew was Legion Riders. Eventually they gave up and we turned around and pulled into The Horny Toad.

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The Horny Toad was a cool establishment that had a bar/restaurant, a couple of shops and a big parking lot.

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We got some drinks to quench the thirst from the hot ride and checked out the shops. Then we headed up the road to see what else was going on.

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We got to the main section of the biker party, that was this really cool outdoor bar with a bunch of vendors all set up around it.

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I bought a couple of cute shirts and we all spent some time checking out all the vendors. We all gathered back at the bar and decided we would continue on our journey and go to Greasewood Flats.

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There was a lot more going on at Cave Creek, and we probably could have spent most of the day out there, but we wanted to get on our bikes and ride!

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Greasewood Flats is a bit of a challenge to describe. It is a bit like the Tug Bar (for those of you that live in AK) it is a bar but has several buildings on the property and is a bit like an old ranch of sorts.

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There were bands playing all day out there and a few vendors and food options. From what Jerry, Carol, Mark, Jan, Tom and Anne said the green chili burgers were awesome. I settled for some chips and salsa and we sought shade in one of the building on the property where we ended up having our own private party. I imagine it fills up quite a bit later on in the day, but we just caught the beginning. After eating some brownies we meandered back to our bikes.

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It was getting pretty hot so we decided to head back to the hotel to cool off and get some rest. We regrouped in the lobby at 4:30 to head to the Tilted Kilt. The whole group except for Jon and I took the hotel shuttle to the bar so they could have a few adult beverages and not ride. The Tilted Kilt is like a Hooters in Scotland. Despite the tacky atmosphere the food was actually really good. We got a bunch of appetizers and we all watched the Arizona State game against Wisconsin. When in AZ, you pretend like that is your team too, so we all were bummed to see them lose. The rest of the crew headed back to the hotel, they are all riding back to Tucson tomorrow, while Jon and I are going to stay in Phoenix another day. Jon and I rode down to the other side of Scottsdale Rd. to hang out in the cool area we found when we were here a couple months ago.

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Eventually were tired of walking around so we decided to head back here to get some rest. Tomorrow we are going to check out a big bike show and some other cool stuff.

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Dia’s Arizona Trip 2014 – Day 2…the long way to Phoenix

Posted on 04/02/2014 by hogalaska

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We got up early and headed to McDonalds off the freeway to meet up with the crew. It was most of the group that I went to Mexico with last November. Tom, Anne, Mark, Jan, Jerry, Carol and Barry.

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This time Jon was able to come with me and Jan was kind enough to loan him her bike. After some catching up and getting ready, we hit the road.

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To be honest I am not really sure what route we took…I was just along for the ride! We got off the freeway and headed toward Oro. It was a beautiful scenic ride and not too fast so you could enjoy the view. We stopped in a small bar near Oracle.

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They were getting ready for a party there that night, so they all were busy planning the event, but we made ourselves at home and took over the entire outdoor seating area. It was pretty comical, the nine of us took up about 8 tables.

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The waitress even commented on how we must not want to sit together! I guess only a few miles into the trip and we already needed space! 🙂

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I had some business calls to take care of but we eventually gathered up and headed out. We Kept on the way and went through some beautiful curvy roads through the hills. It was a little bit cooler than I expected but still a beautiful ride.

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We ended up at Superstition HD which was a pretty cool dealership, and it used to be Chosa’s HD.  We then found our way to a bar/restaurant called “What the Hell Bar.” It took a bit of a circular ride to find the place, but we got there as we always do. There was hardly any staff working and we were all really hungry! Luckily our waitress showed up to work just in time! We all got some good food and relaxation before we hit the road again. Eventually we made it to Chester’s HD to pick up our passes for the party that night. Barry got us VIP passes from Vicki the GM there, which was awesome!After hanging out for a bit and doing a little shopping we headed to our hotel. We had enough time to relax and rest up for the party at Chester’s. They were having a Pre-Rally Backstage Biker Bash with a couple of country bands with a lot of vendors.

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I couldn’t believe how much property they had just to throw a giant kick ass party! There was a huge stage on the back side of a building (I am not sure what the building was for) and then this huge paved lot.

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All the way around the outside of the lot were vendors for food, drinks, and misc biker stuff. Parmalee and Chelsea Bain were the two bands (haven’t heard of either of them myself, but the crowd sure seemed to know who they are!) I am not much of a country band fan, but Parmalee was more like a country rock band and they were very entertaining. With our VIP passes we were able to sit in a tent near the stage and had our own bar so there was never a long line. There were a few vendors there, the most “fun” was a food truck called the “Pig Rig.”

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It was a pork truck that had the craziest homemade potato chip nachos that were at least 5 pounds of food! They had pulled pork and who knows what else piled high on top of these potato chips. I got some shrimp tacos from the food truck next to the pig place, the food was ok but the employees literally had a melt down and stopped taking orders after me! I am not sure if they ever got their act together, but it was pretty sad that they couldn’t handle the crowd of hungry bikers.

The music ended around 9:15pm and the crowd all started to clear out pretty quickly. We headed out and made it back to the hotel. The kids (meaning everyone else) wanted to go to the bar so we all walked over to the “Dirty Dog” I guess I should have assumed by the name that it wasn’t a real classy place… It was really crowded and really loud. Jon and I lasted about 10 minutes of standing in the crowded bar before we decided to head out. I went back in to tell the crew we were heading back to the hotel, just in time to see why the bar was so popular…mostly naked chicks doing acrobats and dancing on the bar! So, the two youngest kids couldn’t keep up with the rest of the crew! Oh well, off to bed to rest up for another fun day!

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Dia’s Arizona Trip 2014 – Day 1 March 27  

Posted on 04/02/2014 by hogalaska

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We arrived in Tucson last night and Barry picked us up from the airport. The landing was a little rough, with some pretty strong winds. I made the mistake of continuing to read my book during the approach, and boy was I nauseous. We missed my bag coming down the baggage claim, and were almost the last people to grab our bag…I was too ill to focus. By the time Barry got there to pick us up, I was feeling better and we headed to Jerry’s house to pick up our bikes. We were blessed with a bike for Jon to ride. Our friends Mark and Jan (whom I met on the trip to Mexico) let us borrow their Dyna switchback for Jon to ride. When we arrived to Jerry’s house the bikes were all gassed up and ready to go, thanks to Barry and Jerry! We headed to the hotel with my dad and checked in. He met us back at the hotel bar/restaurant for dinner.

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Today we slept in and tried to get on AZ time. Eventually when things warmed up, Barry and Jerry met us at the hotel to head to Arivaca a small town near the Mexico boarder. The ride there as nice and curvey and the wind wasn’t as bad as the day before, but it was a cool wind and 70* temps. We stayed off of the freeway for most of the trip, and were able to take more exciting roads. Apparently Arivaca is a small town that has some interesting inhabitants…. From what Jerry said, there were a lot of wealthy folks who settled down there from all over, but a lot from the west coast. The first stop was at a local coffee roasting place, unfortunately they are only open a couple days a week, so they were closed today. So, of course the next stop was a …BAR! We stopped in at the local Cantina, which literally filled up after we got there. It was interesting to see so many folks drinking in the middle of the day in the middle of the week! From what I hear some of the folks have some special “gardens” they grow in the area, all hearsay but fun to picture all the folks enjoying a drink between cropping their “grow”. 🙂

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After hanging out at the cantina for a little while, long enough for me to et some sun burn! We headed back toward home, with a detour back south on the freeway to Tubac. This is a cool little artsy place where Mark and Jan have a Postal Plus business. We stopped in a small bistro so Jon and I could grab some food and Barry and Jerry could get some liquid sustenance. We checked out some of the art galleries then headed over to visit Mark and Jan.

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Later on in the evening, after we all got in our afternoon naps, we met up a Mac’s Pub. It is an English Pub with lots of “Meat Pies” and some Macaroni and Cheese for Barry. After dinner, Barry, Jon and I watched the last half of the NCAA game with AZ versus SDSU. It was a good fame and a fun way to finish the night…not to mention the two times Barry had to turn around to find the hotel! I turned and he kept going. Luckily he found it in time to get 3 good seats in front of the tv at the bar.

Tomorrow morning we will be heading to Phoenix for the beginning of AZ Bike Week. 9 am at the McDonalds, better get to bed!

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Study: Women Have a Powerful Option to Find Happiness in 2014

Posted on 01/03/2014 by hogalaska

MILWAUKEE (Dec. 27, 2013) – Soon, women everywhere will be thinking about New Year’s resolutions they could make to live a more fulfilled life in 2014 and beyond. Once they make those resolutions, they may turn to self-help books, fad diets and online advice to try and make them a reality.  But who knew that the key to happiness might be where women least expect – out on the open road, and on two wheels.

A new study shows that women who ride their own motorcycles are noticeably happier – in life, in relationships, and even in the bedroom – than women who don’t ride.

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The study, conducted by Kelton and commissioned by Harley-Davidson, interviewed 1,013 adult female riders and 1,016 adult female non-riders, and the findings make it clear that riding a motorcycle greatly improves a woman’s feelings of overall self-worth. Key insights surrounding women who ride motorcycles in comparison to those who don’t include the following:

  • More than twice as many always feel happy (37 percent of riders vs. 16 percent of non-riders)
  • Nearly four times as many always feel sexy (27 percent of riders vs. 7 percent of non-riders)
  • Nearly twice as many always feel confident (35 percent of riders vs. 18 percent of non-riders)

According to the study, more than half (53 percent) of women who ride cite their motorcycle as a key source of happiness and nearly three in four (74 percent) believe their lives have improved since they started riding.

“Riding a motorcycle is the ultimate form of freedom and self-expression, so it makes sense that women riders are happier in life and, in general, feel more fulfilled,” said Claudia Garber, Director of Women’s Outreach for Harley-Davidson. “That’s why learning to ride a motorcycle is the perfect gift you can give yourself and the best resolution to make for a truly life-changing new year.”

Riding Improves Relationships

Beyond positively impacting a woman’s sense of self, the study also shows riding can improve relationships. When it comes to romance, women who ride leave non-riders in their dust, being more content with:

  • Communication with their significant other (60 percent of riders vs. 38 percent of non-riders)
  • Physical intimacy (51 percent of riders vs. 35 percent of non-riders).

Stress can cause tension between significant others, but since more than a third (34 percent) of women riders report that they now feel less stressed after starting to ride, it’s not surprising that 50 percent of them are extremely satisfied with the state of their current relationships.

Where Women Can Get Started

Women can jumpstart their journey to live a more fulfilled life in 2014 and beyond by learning to ride a motorcycle. Women are encouraged to visit the Women Riders section of the Harley-Davidson website at www.h-d.com/women. The site equips women with a number of tools to start their journey toward riding, including testimonials, overviews of motorcycles and gear, and news about special Harley-Davidson Garage Party™ events designed to give women hands-on demos and tips in a comfortable environment. Women can search for a Garage Party™ in their area at www.h-d.com/garageparty.

The site also features information about Harley-Davidson’s Rider’s Edge® New Rider Course, which is offered at select dealerships around the country.  The course features 25 hours of expert guidance in the classroom, as well as the practice range, where you’ll learn everything you need to know to ride with confidence.  To sign up for a Rider’s Edge® course at your local dealership, visit www.h-d.com/mytime.

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About Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson® motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s website at www.h-d.com.

About the Harley-Davidson Female Riders Survey

The Harley-Davidson Female Riders Survey was conducted by Kelton, a leading global insights firm, May 20 to May 28, 2013 among 1,013 adult American women who ride motorcycles sometimes or regularly and 1,016 adult American women who never ride motorcycles, using an email invitation and an online survey.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For each sample, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

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Saturday in Mexico

Posted on 12/05/2013 by hogalaska

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Saturday is the big day for the Rocky Point Rally. There were parties all over, specifically at the Malecon and later on Cali 13 as well as a band at the hotel Playa Bonita. We had plenty of options to keep us busy for the day. The whole group met for breakfast at “Dukes” which is a bar with an area where motorcycles can ride into the building! It is pretty cool and on Friday night when we drove by I saw a few bikes in there doing burnouts. They had a great deal for the rally, a bloody mary or screw driver and an omelet and potatoes for only $8. So we all ate breakfast and planned our day. Mark and Jan still needed to register for the rally so we all headed out to the gas station that housed registration on the way into town. When we got there we were told registration had moved down to the Malecon. So, we all headed that way. It was a hot day and there were a lot of people mingling on the Malecon. We hung out for a while shopping and wandering around. Eventually we all got pretty tired of waiting for the registration crew to show up so we headed to the American Legion Post so Barry could register for their poker run. Unfortunately when we showed up to the Legion we were informed no one had registered for the run, so they cancelled it. We hung out for awhile out in their back lot. While I was sitting soaking up some sun a couple of us noticed an interesting scent floating on the air. With that, I started looking around and spied some smoke billowing from the other side of the wall surrounding their back lot. It was the unmistakable smell of weed, so I poked my head over the wall to squelch my curiosity. I got a glare from an old vet who was enjoying his toke, so I giggled and went back to my sun bathing. I guess everything is ok in Mexico.

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While we were all sitting around the Legion, Carol suggested we go check out Cholla Bay. Barry piped up and said it was a long dirt road and not worth it, but the majority wanted to go including me. So, We headed out from the Legion towards Cholla Bay. The main stretch of road heading out there was mostly hard packed sand, so it wasn’t too bad. We had to go a little slow simply to keep the dust down and for the occasional soft spot. As we got closer to Cholla Bay the road banked hard to the left and it was all really deep really loose sand! Immediately I tensed up as my bike began to slide all over the place. After winding through this small town we arrived at JJ’s Cantina. When we were trying to park on a small cement slab that used to be a gas station, I started to lose control and was heading straight for a slow dumping of my bike into some unknown Roadking! I barely saved it and was able to park unscathed. Jan and Mark told me it was a good save after I told Tom that “that road was bull shit!” WE headed into JJ’s Cantina where there were quite a few tourists and bikers hanging out. The back part of the bar was a large outdoor seating area that was basically a series of steps down toward the beach. We watched the shrimp boats and pelicans. Eventually my nerves were calmed down and I figured if I could make in to Cholla Bay I could make it back out. We had talked about going to “recked on the Reef another bar that is in between Cholla Bay and Rocky Point. However, myself, Barry and Juan all were ready to go relax at the hotel. So some of the group went to the bar and the rest of us went to the hotel. From what I heard later, I wish I would have checked out Wrecked on the Reef, it sounded like a cool spot. I laid by the pool for awhile and read my book. We decided to go to Playa Bonita for dinner and possibly catch part of their band that was playing for the rally. Dinner was good, but the band wasn’t starting till later. After dinner we regrouped at Tom and Anne’s camper. From here the group went down to The Malecon, Cali 13 and I believe back to Wrecked on the Reef. I was pretty tired so Barry and I decided to head back to the hotel and relax for the evening.

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Sunday and Monday

 

Sunday was deemed as “girls choice” so we pretty much just hung out by the pool, beach etc and didn’t’ do much riding all day. Barry and the guys went on a short ride, I can’t even remember where. I laid by the pool for most of the day drinking margaritas and reading! We went to a little restaurant next door at another hotel for dinner. Our waitress was very friendly and did a great job, even though we got some of our food orders mixed up. We all enjoyed our last dinner in Mexico and headed back to our hotels or on to other things with plans to meet in the morning for our ride home.

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The next morning we all were up and ready to go pretty early. We go the bikes loaded and headed to the Malecon one last time so Jerry and Carol and Mark and Jan could pick up some fresh shrimp. It was a pretty interesting set up with an open air market with several seafood sales businesses right next door to each other. They all were touting their superior shrimp, but with the view of all the shrimp boats in the same area, we all knew it was all the same. We ventured upstairs to a bar/restaurant while they cleaned the shrimp and Carol and I watched all of the pelicans and gulls that were covering the rocks below. As we walked back to our bikes we discovered Tom, Anne, Juan, Mark and Jan had all sat down for breakfast, so we joined them. After breakfast we were on our way. I led part of the way back through Mexico to the boarder. We didn’t have any issues getting back into America, and I was happy I had my passport! We headed back towards Green Valley with our obligatory stops along the way for “refreshments.” I was glad to stop, it seemed even hotter today than it had been and short reprieves in air conditioned places were nice. Our final group dinner was at a small hole in the wall bar/restaurant that for the life of me I can’t recall the name of. We talked about the rally and the plans for next year then it was over and we were on our separate ways home. The following morning Barry and I washed our bikes and got mine ready for its storage period until next time I can make it down. A huge thanks to Jerry and Carol for sharing your home with me and my bike! It was great to meet the whole crew and I hope to make it down there again for the next Rocky Point Rally! To all my friends, If you want to join us, let me know and we will keep you posted J

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Full Day in Mexico

Posted on 11/15/2013 by hogalaska

We decided on a place called “Rosie’s” for breakfast. The food was ok, very large portions and a pretty cool local vibe. We all ate so much we would definitely not be needing lunch. Tom and Anne showed up as we were finishing our breakfast so we waited for them to eat so we could all head out together.

Sandy road to the American legion

Sandy road to the American legion

We first went to the American Legion post, since the whole crew except me are Legion Riders. We hung out for a drink and chatted with the folks there. The road and the parking lot at the Legion are all sand…another fun place to ride and park, luckily we make it with not dropped bikes! Tom and Anne then led the way to our next destination. They took us to a really cool little outdoor market. Basically there was a long cement paved road with shops lining both sides with open fronts. They were packed full of cool locally made stuff, everything from pottery to inappropriate souvenirs. We all walked around for a while and chatted with some other bikers here for the rally.

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Just crossed the boarder and stop for a beer

I bought some small little bowls that I thought would be perfect for soy sauce when I have sushi…seems like an oxymoron buying Mexican dishes for sushi, but what can I say, I am multicultural! When we were on our way to the market we stopped at a little convenience store to pick up some beer, god forbid we go anywhere without cold beer readily available…While we were there I had to watch a sad local dog that had obviously had several litters of pups in her day as she paced around the bikes hoping for scraps. She was thin as a rail with all of her bones showing. This is pretty common in Mexico, and it breaks my heart. I thought of my special little Mister French and how treasured he is and just couldn’t imagine living where dogs are treated so badly. After we were done perusing the knock-off merchandise like fake Oakleys and Prada we headed back to our hotel. On our way to our hotel we decided to drive past the entrance and head to “The Hut” a grass roofed bar/restaurant almost next door to our hotel. We get a drink and check out the place. Jerry discusses how all of the bars change their name yearly and it is difficult to find anything! When we got back to the hotel I jumped on the opportunity to lay by the pool for a bit since we had been done early in the day. Carol and I laid on the beach for awhile. When she left I decided the pestering by the locals trying to sell my cheap jewelry was not worth the sea sounds so I headed to the pool.

Hotel, princessa

Hotel, princessa

Eventually it is getting close to dinner time, so I head to the room to freshen up for dinner. Tonight we ride to the “El Malecon” it is the “front” of the city if you will. It is a street that lines the coast and is filled with shops, bars, restaurants, and fresh seafood. It is also the main point for the Rocky Point Rally. The streets are already lined with motorcycles it seems like a pretty exciting place. Tom leads us to park in this brick area in front of a seafood restaurant right when we pull into the strip. Luckily this is where we are eating and Barry parks on the street in front of the parking lot in case we get blocked in, the front of the lot was already mostly lined with bikes. We enjoy a seafood dinner and then head out to check out the action on the Malecon. It is kinda like Sturgis, but much smaller and the majority of the riders are Hispanic motorcycle clubs. It is a lively place, with a lot of people, but everyone assures me this is NOTHING compared to Saturday and a few years ago. We check out the “BooBar” which has swings for guests to sit on at the bar and encourages women to flash from up in the bar (which is on the second level of a building looking down on the street) or from down below with beads being tossed each way. Unfortunately the only people flashing anything is an overweight woman literally mooning the crowds below. I was fortunate to be upstairs for that debauchery.

Crazy low! Custom bikes

Crazy low! Custom bikes

Between the rows of bike parked on both sides of the street there are people spraying water for those driving through to do burnouts. I find humor in the constant teasing that I need to show them how it’s done since I used to do real burnouts on my drag bike. I inform the group that a burnout on a bike that powerful is a lot easier because of how low it sits and how sticky the tires are! I was not willing to risk dumping my bike trying to show off! (I am sure if I was of the opposite sex, my testosterone would have overtaken my practicality and I would have done one…) The best part of it all was how bad everyone was at doing a real burnout. Most of them never shifted out of first gear so they spent the whole time pinging off the rev limiter. They all pretty much just made a lot of noise! From here we all headed back to Tom and Anne’s place for a night cap at Playa Bonita which is only a short ride to our place from there. After an hour or so, we head back and go to bed.

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Heading to Mexico!

Posted on 11/15/2013 by hogalaska

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We all managed to get up early and be ready to ride on time. We left Jerry’s around 7:40am so we could meet up with the crew at McDonalds by 8am. When we arrived I met Juan, Tom and Anne. Tom had a 2003 100th Anniversary Vrod and Anne had a sweet sportster trike that had been nicely designed and fit her well. Everyone, except me, got some breakfast at McDonalds. I opted for a “Naked” fruit smoothie and a cliff bar. I bought several cliff bars, because I was unsure how the food down there would agree with me…I figured at least I wouldn’t starve! After some bullshitting around the bikes we were loaded up and ready to go. I was told the reason we got up so early is that we had to stop every hour…even I know a Vrod from 2003 can go longer than an hour on a tank of gas, but apparently it wasn’t the bike that needed fuel…

Pit Stop

Pit Stop

We made our way through the desert, as it quickly heated, across to the west on 86 and then a quick turn to the left to head south down 85 in the town of Why. We stopped every hour along the way and a 4 hour drive took more like 6. But we made it to the boarder…if you haven’t picked up on it yet, the group I was traveling with enjoys having a beer along the way hence the frequent stops. Plus, it helps break up the heat; I can’t say I was complaining to get a break in the shade with a cold bottle of water.

Pit stop...again

Pit stop…again

We finally get to the border and most of us make it through no problem. The line to get across was pretty long, you would think it would be the other way around, but it was also a good sign that the rally might have a better attendance this year. With the economy and all the drug violence the Rocky Point Rally had been in major decline the last 4 years or so. This year however seemed to be an uptick in the trend. We fought our way into the line and sat in the heat until it was our turn. We all made it through with no hassle except for Jerry and Carol. They were stopped and asked a few questions etc and we were on our way. It was a little shocking since I haven’t been to Mexico for 6 years or so. It was an instant change in the roads and all of a sudden my rusty Spanish was firing back in my head as I tried to decipher signs. For “speed bumps” they have a couple different types…one is like a half of a volleyball made out of metal with several others around it either in a straight line or multiple rows of them. On a Harley this is a little difficult to ride over, as your tire slips on the sides of them. The other type is unusually placed giant speed humps that literally got Anne high centered on her trike! The roads were rough and unusual, but we wer on our way to Puerto Penasco and the road opened up to an almost highway. With Tom on his Vrod in the lead, we all hoped the “Hassle Free Vehicle” signs meant we were not going to get in trouble for speeding! (We later learned that these signs actually meant that you didn’t have to have a special permit required for your vehicle if you venture deeper into Mexico) We arrive in Rocky Point and eventually after several turns that seem wrong we arrive at a small strip mall type of building where Jerry and Carol pick up their keys.

While we wait for Juan and Carol to get that all sorted out, Jerry, Barry and I head over to the Cantina on the end of the building. They want a drink, but I am starving and getting cranky. If you don’t feed me on a semi-regular basis I start getting irritable. 🙂 We get some chips and salsa and chill out for a minute.

Lunch

Lunch

We head toward our hotel, guided by Juan and Jerry who think they remember where it is. We finally find our way there, but as we drive through the streets I realize that only a few streets here are actually paved. Everything else is SAND! Yep, sand! Apparently the beach and the desert are all one here and there are a ton of sand buggy vehicles and 4wheelers to prove it!

Not too much time to relax as we are meeting up with Tom and Anne at Playa Bonita where they have a camper they keep parked here year round. We meet them in the bar and as we are about to leave, we run into a bunch of Alaskans! What are the odds! We all chatted for a bit, and then we were on our way to find dinner. Juan was leading and it took us awhile but we found our way eventually. I ate some fajitas despite my apprehension and luckily I managed to make it the whole trip without getting sick from the food or the water. If you are not aware, you can’t drink the water there and if you know me, I have a pretty sensitive digestive system so I can be picky at times too! After dinner Juan is leading again, we nominated him primarily because he speaks Spanish and I think it was a slightly unfair assumption that he would be able to find his way around just because he spoke the language. He was able to ask for directions, but we all were pretty turned around. By the end of the trip we realized Tom and Jerry had the lay of the land figured out the best. As we are heading down one of the main drags “Cali 13” Juan makes a right hand turn. I am second in line so I follow. Jerry and Barry keep going straight. At this point I am a little worried they will get lost. Little did I know, we were the ones lost! We wind our way around and quickly we run out of paved road. We go up a sand road and as I am coming to a stop at the “Alto” sign I give it a little too much front brake and almost go down. To this point in my life I have never dumped any baggers. I am determined to not do it now, so I put my foot down hard and hoist it up before it gets too far. Juan innocently tells me “Oh yeah, this road is sand.” I refrain from yelling at him “NO SHIT” and simply smile. I will admit I thought it was harder packed and I was not prepared for the soft sand that it was. When we turn left, I pull off a wicked slide and fishtail in the sand and impress some young girls walking by…although it probably looked badass, I was terrified and thought I might go down after all!

Luckily we found pavement and the way to the hotel immediately after that! Finally home and luckily Barry, Jerry and Carol had already arrived. I am pretty sure I will be sore in the morning after my evening of riding.

Finally to the hotel!

Finally to the hotel!

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