2023: A Girl, a Motorcycle, and a Gypsy Soul

 Arkansas is almost like a second home. I have been going there on 2 wheels since 2012 and I can never get enough of the scenery, the twisty roads, the expansive views, the down to earth people, and of course, there are always some shenanigans mixed in. This year, Bikes Blues & BBQ moved locations from Fayetteville, AR to Rogers, AR, and with it, came a new date, pushed back a couple of weeks. While I still ride a lot in October, the days get REAL short, the sunshine is mostly for looks, and the darkness creeps in much quicker - making riding around home a great option, but riding down to Arkansas a bit more of a chore (especially when I can still go earlier in the year and be WARM)! So, instead of heading down for BBBQ this year, as we always do, we decided to stick with the usual date just after mid September. Sadly, Sheila couldn't make it due to an adventure the previous week out west having an impact on her motorcycle's desire to come home and leave again so soon (clut

Half of the fun of riding motorcycle is the random places we find and the interesting people we meet.  And let me just say - Stiffy and I ride together a lot - and two girls on two bikes attracts a bit of EVERYONE! Our stop at Road Kill Cafe in PA - not only was the place interesting, the older gentleman we met as we were leaving cemented the place in our memory for life!   As we started walking out of the Roadkill Cafe in Pennsylvania, an older gentleman, maybe 80-85 years old, tall, thin, dressed in black pants and a blue button down shirt with pends hanging out of the pocket, stopped Stiffy and excitedly put his hand on her shoulder and told us of how bummed his wife was going to be that she missed seeing us (Stiffy).   Stiffy kindly said that he must be mistaking her for someone else as we were not from the area, but the older gentleman was adamant that Stiffy was indeed friends with his wife, who could not come there today because she was ill. Again Stiffy said he must be mistaken

Ever since I can remember, my dad has been an inspiration. As a kid, I would watch him everything and anything. I always wondered how he knew seemingly everything about everything. While I don't remember his first motorcycle (that he owned in my lifetime), I have a great picture of him and I in the driveway and the smile on both of our faces, even at my young age, says it all. I remember when he got his Honda Goldwing - the thing was a beast of comfort. Music, armrests, heating/cooling options, tons of space to carry stuff - it was a Cadillac of a motorcycle for sure. He and I would ride to my grandparents house 3-3.5 hours away and it never failed that I would be so relaxed I would start to fall asleep, waking only as my helmet smacked into the back his head and helmet. Jolting me away to continue soaking up the sights, smells, and sounds. I loved riding on the back of the bike, anywhere and everywhere. That inspiration carried me into adulthood and onto my own motorcycle.  I am b

 Tennessee Motorcycle Music Revival 2022  Stiffy and I met up after working a half day, to head south to Loretta Lynn's Ranch, in Hurricane Mills, TN for TMMR 2022. Our plan to get there was simple: Ride until we are too tired to keep going. We were in Clear Lake, IA when a couple of bikes came out of nowhere and were on our tail. They followed us off the next exit and that is when I caught a glimpse of a bedroll where a windshield usually is - the Boy and his cousin had caught up to us. As the sun started to set, the 4 of us rode for a few more hours before we split up. (Right after that, I hit 150,000 on my bike!!)  The boys stopped for the night (they had an extra 350 miles beyond where we come from) and we girls kept going. We made it just past St. Louis before deciding to stop and sleep a few (3) hours. Then, it was back on the road to the 3,500 acre Ranch, which would be our base camp for the weekend full of bike shows, races, motorcycle racing, big names in the motorcycle wo