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Biker
Hide-Outs
May
May 1, Mike & I headed south down
the gulf coast from Bradenton to Venice. We hit
Snook Haven Rest,
a
"back woodsy" type of joint that lies on the
Myakka River. Sunday is biker
day & the scoots were out & there.
SHR is best experienced outdoors where a live
band provides the music & out-houses provide the means. If you like a natural
backdrop to kick up your boots & enjoy some Sunday cheer,
SHR is the stop. The Rest draws a mix of
people yet the rides are symbolic of the day. You'll see some country folk, real babes, some
ole-timers, water rides, & some hard-tailin' patch holders; Its somewhat
eclectic. But the dirt-kickin' dance floor doesn't discriminate.
However, I have to tell you. SHR
may have put a recent
band on Biker Sunday due to a "bring what u drink" attitude as the long lines
are hard to bear some say. It
may be hearsay.
We'll keep ya'll posted. Anyway, Mike & I caught up with
a few friends of mine( Dave & Lori, Charlie & Gloria). We downed a few
cold ones (coke), rubbed elbows,
listened to some tunes, took in the scenery, graced the out-house
then saddled up, & took to the wind in full throttle on an open road
over
to.................................................
 The Hoosiers Bar
which also hauls in the iron on Sundays.
Hoosier's bar is in
Osprey which lies
between Venice & Sarasota.
HB showcases visiting rides on
US 41; You cant miss the place on Sundays. We parked the bikes & entered a hoppin' place.
HB always houses a great
Blues band each week. This
particular week,
Keith Caton And The
Accelerators
shook the place with some original Blues. Mike bought me their CD....Long
Time Comin'.
The Band is definitely high caliber. Maybe we'll offer the CD on
BikerChicks4u
in the future as we stand behind their music. They'd probably be capable
of opening for Sheppard or Lang or maybe, just maybe someday, to the very
rare likes of SRV. Anyway, we had a blast. The place was lined with
leather & the band jacked up the mood. Its a great road stop
for a couple of hours to cool off & get down. Aside from great weekly
bands, they also hold events. We will keep you updated on such. You'll get an
idea from our pictures below.
Pretty cool joint. Its on a list of
west coast places to stop.
Pictures:
CLICK HERE
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June
Sunday, Mike & I caught up with a few riders at a road
stop called Rivers Edge,
a biker hide-out in Gibsonton,
Florida.
The Edge
is a pretty neat place as it faces the bay for easy access by water &
provides
tikki huts to hide the rays.
RE
features
live
music in the form
of
blues, country, & classic rock, & offers an
outside deck waterside. Its
not a big crowd "maker" but there is something to say about a pit stop as
such. A small biker party was going down with a few vendors so needless to say
we joined in, took a few pictures, browsed the tables, enjoyed the view. We made
a note to return again then geared up to catch some wind as it was
hot that day. We kicked up the rides &
headed south spending the rest of the day on the road then headed to Gloria &
Charlie's house for dinner....I brought over an
Italian treat!!!
Overall, it was an uneventful
road day but not all weekends are a party.
Maybe next time!
Pictures:
CLICK HERE
Another weekend has finally
come. Mike & I took to the road alone on Sunday. We headed out
around noon as we stayed up the night before watching DVDs until 300am. We
didn't have a plan nor a pack of riders but we found a new stop to try out for
ya'll. And what a
surprise! We found a place called,
HammerHeads.
This joint didn't have a waterfront view nor a dirt dance floor. But
Hammerheads lined up the scoots in numbers! This place shows like a
roadhouse. < I was hopin' to see
Sam Elliot come walkin' out pullin' back
his hair, smile> But sorry ladies, he wasn't in ridin' distance of the
joint. Hammerheads was eventful, nevertheless. Horseshoes, a slowride, a
50/50, a flash contest, free fingerlickin' food, & other prize-winning contests
hosted the day. Don't forget. Sunday's is
Skirmish Day! We stayed a couple of hours & ran into a few friends by days
end. All in all, Hammerheads
should be high on the list of road stops on
the west coast.
Pictures:
CLICK HERE
Our last weekend out in June (15th) was a blast in more
ways than one. The day was Sunday of course as the 7th day is most
symbolic to riders as the road is also a temple. The sun was
shinin' high & the wind was calm. We
had some chow, made a couple of calls, grabbed the camera, & hit
US 41 on way north up to a biker
joint called, Peggy's Corral.
North of an overpass around a bend lies the corral in
Palmetto, FL. Pullin' up to the corral this day was like
lookin' down main street in Daytona during bike week/biketoberfest.
Well, close anyway. The chrome was blindin'
casting a combined ray from here to eternity. Hogs to Hondas paved the
blacktop, vendors took space for free & a crowd covered the grounds like
flies on....(or better said) like a field of
dandelions. Lots of ladies,
rough-ridin' men<smile>,
some brave flashin' babes, live rockin'
music &
tons of metal
made for some great pictures. We happened to hit a biker blowout party!
Most common events took place (slow race, bike show, etc.) but the energy
that surged created a great mood.
Peggy's Corral
is real biker friendly.
By the way, Sunday's at the
Corral
is ritualistic for free food & $1 Bloody Mary's. Another rockin' place to hit on a road trip
especially on Biker Party
Sunday. (Check out the events
schedule & the pictures)!
Pictures:
CLICK HERE
After a couple hours at Peggy's Corral, 13 of us took way farther
north up to the The River's Edge for another ride around. The
sun
got
lil' shy on us but the ride was nice & we got some road pictures on tour.
The Edge was apparently a repeat of the last visit. We
kicked back couple of hours with a
great group of new friends
& took some
crowd-pleasin'
pictures. I put the vendors up in lights & harassed the barmaid, Joann, till she struck a couple of
poses for me. Then, I joined the
gang
together for some
group sex.
Opps, I mean for some group
shots.....you'll get the idea,
smile. I have to say again.
I like The River's Edge . There is
something
mood-enhancin'
about kickin' back on a
water-view deck
to
live music on a
Sunday afternoon in a
laid back
atmosphere.
Slide me down a margarita, please!!!
Pictures:
CLICK HERE
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Full Throttle
ahead folks, the day GETS BETTER !! We left the Edge
due south. Jacked up by a natural high & the feel of
brotherhood (& sisterhood of course), we hit the
VFW
<Veterans of Foreign Wars> in
Sun City Center, Florida.
What a GREAT
ride! What a great group of
people!
These folks welcomed us with open arms & even joined in for an afternoon of
hoot-shoutin',
boot-kickin',
bottle-cheerin',
skirt-liftin'
good ole mil-hearted
fun!! They made
us feel right at home. The commander (the good-lookin' guy with the red shirt)
led us into the highlight of the day. The generated sense of brotherhood that
filled the atmosphere could never be expressed only experienced. What an honor. I have to say, it was
the best stop. We
thank
them all not only for a great time, but for the
bravery, courage, & sacrifice
given for our freedoms. We love
you!!!
Pictures
CLICK HERE
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Kick'erupppp! On the road again! Feelin' real good from our last stop, we took to the road with the sound of
thunder. With the
wind in our hair, the
sun on our face, &
the roar generated by the VFW,
the day couldn't get better. But wait. I do hear thunder! Sure
enough folks, the sun goddess
made way for the rain
warriors. South on HWY 41 we
stubbornly rode down a wet path ignoring any recourse back to
Peggy's
Corral to catch the end of Biker Party Sunday.
After a couple of miles, we decided to take shelter under an
overpass. A few people detoured earlier, but we all caught up under the pass
shortly thereafter. And what a nice
surprise! The gang brought some cold
ones to warm us up & cheer the party
on. And that is actually what we made of it! A rider headin' north
took heed himself. But it wasn't too long that he made his way south over to us
temporarily forsakin' his way up & over to Orlando (not an stone's throw away mind
you). The party
grew as others on the road joined us for that
special wet moment in time. To me, such
unforeseen experiences are most memorable!
Check us out!
Pictures
CLICK HERE
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The
rain didn't cease over the course of
an hour. So needless to say........kick'er
uppp we're out of this joint!! We only had a few miles to go before reachin' the
Corral. One by one, we hit the wet pavement to meet the
end of the day. We hit Peggy's sometime around
500pm. By then, the crowd
thinned with only a dozen or so scoots on the wettop. The band was
still jammin' & the diehards were still crusin' the scene. Mike
took me for a stroll on the dance floor in step to the sound of some ole time
back woodsy bluz. I must say,
we get down well together <smile>. We flashed a few pictures & made a plan
to get some chow. A friend of a friend was celebrating his birthday &
extended an invite to us all. We accepted & headed east to a bbq.
Some real good people. They
cooked us some tender pork, bacon flavored collards, & hot baked rolls. Thanks for the hospitality guys!!
Next & last stop....................................
The Happy Dolphin,
in Ellenton, Florida. The
Dolphin isn't a biker joint, but
many rides kick the stand down for a cold one & sunset by water view. Its a
small place, but the staff is biker friendly.
The outdoor deck was no
longer an option when we arrived due
to the time & weather so we took the end of the party inside. We grouped the
tables together & had a few laughs.
Only a few people where hangin' but we jacked the place up
to say the least. Everyone caught a glimpse of the limelight in more ways than
one. By this time, we were road beat, soggy, & a lil' Hog Wild!
This stop was just a bit different for us all.
Ladies? Ya'll got a break !
This
time, the guys opted to flash their
jewels & prove
to us that good sports really don't need a remote in hand. See for
yourself! Overall, good stop, great
people,
infamous margaritas! Check it
out.
Pictures
CLICK HERE
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The End of the road
took us all on
different paths
that day, but the
ride will always keep us
together in friendship.
Thanks for everything! Ya'll made for a
spirited time.
And remember,
keep your chrome polished & your best leather in reach.
Ya never know where we'll show
up!! Flash for
the camera! Opps I mean, smile!!
Till July,
Peaceout~~
Sorry but JoJo and I parted ways at the end of May. We're still friends thou.
She's a great gal.
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Fighting Forces
