VOICEOVER:
When we last left our friends, Rocky and Bullwinkle were travelling in Frostbite Falls, Minnesota and
Bullwinkle: Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!
Rocky: Again? That trick never works.
Bullwinkle: Nothing up my sleeve.......Presto.............
OOPS! Wrong story........must be in my other shirt.
ROCKY: AND NOW FOR SOMETHING WE HOPE YOU'll Really Like!
Frank Jelnicky, Peter Gendusa, and Michael Jelnicky on the road to Daytona!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN, Day 1
Certainly a LOT has happened since we LAST posted here and hopefully one day we can backtrack a bit and fill in all those trips and life trivialities that I've missed updating but for now I will dispense with all the minutia and get right down to our recent trip to Daytona Beach for Bike Week 2007!
(Actually, if the truth be told, not much else really occurs between Biketoberfest in October and Bike Week in March, it's just filler really.......right?)
Our trip started out this time with my Uncle Joe, left, flying in from NY to reacquaint himself with his Road King Classic, which has been residing in my garage all winter since he was LAST here in October. We went to see "Wicked" the night before at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Joe taking Rachael's unused ticket as she was in Orlando at yet another Club Volleyball Tournament.
With a quick ride up US19 thru New Port Richey to Spring Hill, we picked up my Uncle Peter and were off to what was promised to be an excellent four day trip to Daytona Beach. First up, the GREAT BIKER SWAP MEET in Webster, Fl., rumored as a place to find the bargains and miscellaneous biker items that you just don't see elsewhere. Well, it IS true, the crap we saw there you JUST don't see elsewhere and I give my BLESSING for that! Webster, which we couldn't even find on the map, was biker central for a wide variety of people looking to take a break and scope out the bargains. While it wasn't much to look at we were simply enjoying the best part of riding around on bikes; leisurely exploring the areas of Florida (and elsewhere) that you are normally too rushed to even pay attention to let alone stop and smell the ...........Alligator Hides?
Above, Joe discoveres a pretty funky sidecar that's similar to the one he has for his Road King while below are the aforementioned hides of all shapes and sizes.
If the pictures here are any indication, you could get just about anything to hang off your bike.........living or not! Pelts, hides, heads, tails, whips, chains.......a virtual cacophony of delight for one and all!
While Peter and I had a quick brew, thankfully provided FREE just for showing UP here, Joey bought an ice cream at a most unusual stall......
How he manages to find these places I've stopped wondering but the ice cream is being freshly made and churned in the barrel pictured in back, powered by a steam engine put-put-putting along.
It made for quite the site and it ALSO made good ice cream (from what I was told.)
With a few more cursory looks at some of the stalls, Joe found some seats and saddlebags that might help him on his trip back to NY as he planned on riding back straight from Daytona, weather permitting.
We then found out that some of the vendors bought parts back from some of the Harley Dealers in FL that are replaced when bikers replace the factory installed parts with customized chrome and whathaveyou. You won't be buying original PIPES here but it's a great stopover for the miscellaneous.
A few quick purchases and we were off again.......next stop?
Bruce Rossmeyer's Destination Daytona! I-95 and US1!
The first night we got to Daytona, we went straight to DESTINATION DAYTONA, about 200 acres of property on the NW corner of I-95 and US1 that was purchased by the owner of Daytona Harley Davidson years ago as a go-to Motorcycle Mecca. By the time we got there it was closing up shop but we were able to get into the dealership, the largest in the world from what I understand, and view some of the many booths and vendor stalls outside.
One of the vendors is a renowned Motorcycle artist and sculptor, some of his work is pictured here. (I will get his name from the multitudes of stuff I brought home just as soon as I unpack.....and we got BACK two weeks ago
This last pic of the night I took for Noah Campanelli to see!
To INFINITY, AND BEYOND!
THE DAY AFTER
The next day, a MONDAY no less (who ever heard of taking a MONDAY off and riding motorcycles to Daytona Beach...........it's nearly sacriligious!), after some quick eats at the Hilton Garden Inn across the street, we moseyed over to the Daytona Speedway where the bike vendors are stacked on top of each other like orphan puppies in a shoebox. The misconception about bikers usually made by non-bikers is that they are a do nothing lot with no purpose or direction simply cluttering up the streets. The FACT of the matter is that this is a major source of income for Daytona and an even greater source of commerece for the bike vendors here for the 11 day duration.I really liked this hybrid off-road bike with Mad-Max doggie carrier while some of the paint jobs were simply incredible.
While we all took different interests meandering among the different booths, bike stops, and kiosks (Joey was taken with the 8 cylinder, 350 HP Trikes, Peter was enamored with the neon light add-ons, I spent a lot of time at the beer window) there was enough to occupy our attention.
Despite having a PERFECTLY GOOD MOTORCYCLE, a 2006 Road King that I just bought in August,I suddenly had major Bike Envy. Everywhere I looked was another bike that looked better than the last......
With a quick minute to spare, we ducked down thru the tunnel and into the infield to see the inside of the famed Daytona Speedway.
Apparently WALKING was not the way to do this!
There was still much to do so off we went on a ride to the Beach, to the Harley dealership downtown, and to participate in some additional mayhem and merriment,
usually involving beer.
However, we avoided all enticements to go under the needle despite signs and omens to the contrary everywhere.My Cell phone rang and we were informed that my son Michael, now a happy freshman at the University of Florida, had arrived on HIS bike, a Suzuki GS500. (As an aside, after I sold my first bike in 1977 I purchased my first NEW bike, a GS550E, which I rode for nearly 6 years including on my relocation to Denver. Now many years later my own son was on his first bike and I couldn't help but reminisce a bit and at the same time feel that I was looking at myself simply jaxtaposed into the future.
We met him at the hotel, an extended stay hotel across the street from the racetrack (and at a very economical $69/night, which is what you WANT during BikeWeek....cheap, close, clean!
In the parking lot were a number of custom trikes that had just arrived. Here Joe, Michael, Joe's friend Fred, who joined us from NY/Ormond Beach, and Pete all try to make heads or tails of these machines.
After Joey waxed poetic about the cole slaw for what seemed to be hours on end, and then opined on the benefits of his new protein diet (is this the same guy who introduced us to "mushrooms" way back when??), Pete took the site of a coffin trailer as a sign we should turn in for the nite!DAY THREE
We then received a phone call from a very good friend of mine from California, Roger Behrendt and his wife Debbie, who were in town visiting from San Diego and were in nearby Palatka (or was it Welatka? I keep on getting my latkes mixed up.....and if you put ketchup on a latke, does that make it less of a latke?)
Roger and Debbie with Michael and I at Destination Daytona.
It wasn't too long before we discovered some of the fringe benefits of what Mr. Rossmeyer has created at Destination Daytona, the largest Harley Dealership in the world. First came the beer stalls, which I was all too happy about. Yet it was the server that drew the most interest.
And then, with my attention diverted for oh just a second, Joey was back up to his old tricks and showed this young pup just what a seasoned veteran is really known for.Now, for a donation of only $5.00 you TOO can have a officially signed color photo of little Miss Not Wearing Much, an offer Joey couldn't refuse but one that Phil was investigating feverently as to how much money he DID have and what it would take to buy ALL the photos and rescue this fair maiden from the life of a photo saleswoman!
Miss Pocahottie was the center of attention for a few brief, choice moments and then..... with Roger now fully understanding the true meaning of "Is this a great country, or WHAT!"
There was a genaral deflated feeling among all the members of our little group, except Debbie of course who professionally smirked thru the session as if in homage to Mrs. Billy Martin. The wife of the former Yankee 2nd baseman and manager, arrested in a strip club in Houston along with Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle in the late '50's, offered up this choice gem when asked for a statement, "I don't care where he gets his appetite just so long as he comes home for dinner!"
It was quickly decided that nothing more could be gained from staying and we headed on over to the Iron Horse Saloon, one of the destination watering holes in Daytona for bikers all year round.
Out onto US1 heading south, Michael sits with Phil to his left, Pete in front of him, and Joey to his left as well.
The Iron Horse is part multi-bar, part wild west show, part treetop fortress with a canopy of walkways above the grounds connecting overlooks, skyhigh bars, and eating areas.......all done in wood as if just put up that weekend for the festivities.
We secured a comfortable spot above the treeline and watched the festivities while taking in frosty beverages.
The Iron Horse is right across the street on US1 from the Hog Pen, which has a stage for bands and many people selling biker gear, and this is right next door to the Broken Spoke Saloon which has an even bigger stage and had Molly Hatchett and Iron Maiden playing while we were there that week. (Not that we stayed to watch......)
Michael and I were enjoying ourselves with our friends and biker relatives, just absorbing in the aptmosphere along with the stress free conditions of not having to be anywhere at any time, just being.
But not before one final picture of the entire group.
One of the things we look forward to doing while at Bike Week is actually riding together. With Michael's time with us coming to an end only 24 hours after his arrival, it was time for him to return to his "studies" at school.
Joey had other plans that evening and Roger and Debbie were due elsewhere so Pete and I decided to partially accompany Michael 1/3 of the way back to Gainesville just for the ride.
We got out to who knows where Florida and pulled off at the East-West cutoff where we said our goodbye's.
And with a whisper of wind we headed into separate directions, he back to the thicket of the best times in his life and we back to trying to relive ours. With such cornball thoughts going off in our heads there was only one thing to do.....go to another BAR! Off to The Hog's Pen it is!
One of the best surprises at Bike Week this year was meeting up with Mr. Bob Conway, who I have now know for 17 years. Bob and I have worked together off and on with different companies over the years and he has endeared himself to me time and time again.
And it had only a LITTLE bit to do with him plying us with beer from sexy babe bartenders.
And with a final look at Evel Kneivel's rocket powered motorcycle, wrecked in the ill fated attempt to jump the Snake River, we ended a third day.......in the daylight anyway.
AND WE NOW ENTER OUR LAST DAY - And it was a GOOD one!
This time we rode into the infield of Daytona Sppedway as they were running the Superbike Races on the oval track and on the inner Gran Prix track.
It was awesome watching the bikes hug the 30 degree incline turn as it was all I could do to simply get one of these bikes IN a picture at the speeds they were going.
We then watched the superbikes test the inner Gran Prix track from the infield grandstands, entrance to which was free for HOG Members.
Collecting our bikes, we headed out to the beach for one last run and to visit Main St., which was an area we didn't get to see that much while here. We saw the Ball of Death, some more bikes, and a surprise visit from Rog and Deb again.
A bit tedious to see in some spots in this format but a fairly straightforward depiction of SOME of the events of our four day deal.
What I didn't show was the episode where Joe's motorcycle got fried and we spent three hours in a shop watching the lights flash on a code to us from his speedometer.....or the whole Frank buying pipes for the Road King, or some of the evening activities as flashbulbs are simply uncool.
We left Joe in downtown Daytona for his eventual ride back north (yes, all the way to NY) and Pete and I drove westward, he to Spring Hill and me to Palm Harbor again.
Hopefully we will go again but we're looking to a possible Sturgis, ND trip, a mountains of Denver trip, and squeezed in there somewhere I'll be heading to Shanghai and Hong Kong, looks like mid-May so we'll keep you posted as the events occur and you do the same!
