The fog was thick and wet this morning at 8am when I left the house. The weather report said visibility was 0.2 miles. I think that was optimistic. It was worse outside of town. The trees beside the road were murky, appearing like hulking rocks, then forming themselves into trunks and leaves as I moved past them in the gloom of early morning. I'd rather ride in rain than fog, the road as slick as glass, waiting for the shriek of tires....ENOUGH OF THAT!!!

I met up with Steve, who now has a new name...."What'saSTOPsignSteve". NEVER met a stop sign he could put his feet down for. (kidding, I'm kidding, keep going!)

Anyway, finally the fog burned off and even if it didn't we were already going anyway, so off we went to Kyle, Texas for the Pie Run. We always go the back way in order to distress my magic eight ball GPS as much as possible AND stay out of traffic, which today, was a very neat trick, since the sips and the Ags had a home game. The Harley peeps had a rally in San Marcos so 5 meelllion HOGS were in the vicinity too.

We made it to the Pie place and met up with the TWTex people and enjoyed their company although they did not sell coconut cream pie by the slice!? This abomination was met with silent derision. They did offer to sell me a WHOLE PIE, but I could not imagine how I could get it home in an acceptable condition on my motorcycle. The meringue you know.

So, onward. I wanted to ride over to Wimberley to my favorite petticoat and boot store and Steve is ALL ABOUT SHOPPING, so we went. Another big disappointment. My favorite store where I bought my most excellent Escada motorcycle scarf, if you can believe it, is closed forever. I just about cried. They also had the best petticoats you ever saw and I was going to get one for the Junk Gypsy Prom next week even if I had to wear it home on the bike. Don't think I wouldn't. So now we have no coconut pie and no petticoat store. But I am riding my bike and the sage is blooming.

The recent rains in the Hill Country have made the purple sage bloom, the crepe myrtles are blooming again, wildflowers are blooming, some of the creeks are running a little. It really looks pretty. So, we rode over to Luckenbach again to see the characters who congregate there. It's always interesting.

Then the ride home. We got stuck behind a big group of slow riders, I think they must have been having a parade. First them, then 4 other bikes of various "off" brands. Our GSYamakawisuzis were stacked up behind them furiously pounding our GPSs for an alternate route. Found one, peeled off, what do we find? Another parade!!

The greatest ride today was the road to Driftwood from somewhere, I dont know. Holy cow....what a great road. Then we got over I35 to Rockne, Tx and found some kind of hootenanny going on! Too bad we didn't have time to stop. It really looked like fun.

We raced the sun home and lost. It was 8:20 before I got home. The most treacherous part of the drive was the last 5 miles, from 2818, past the football stadium, where 60,000 fans were screaming, 10,000 people were roaming the streets, I think 1,000 people were in cars on the street talking on the cell phone playing chicken with me on the road.

12 hours, 350 or so miles of happy times!!

Song for today...Take it to the Limit, The Eagles

MotorcycleBelle

Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over

The Closing Banquet, a table full of new friends, good food, a terrific speaker, and bittersweet goodbyes. The next morning, we would see each other at the gas stations in town one last time before zooming off in all directions back home.

The whole trip was indescribable. There are so many things I can't put into words. It was definitely one of the finest things I have ever done.

MotorcycleBelle

THE ASSASSIN

Remember the unlikely assassin? That's me! The seminar on Personal Safety had Debbie Gardner pick me out of the audience as the most dangerous of all criminals, the assassin.

The most dynamic seminar at the conference was this one, Survive Institute, teaching personal survival skills. She made a very serious subject one I will remember for a lifetime. If you ever get the chance to see this seminar or buy the book, be sure to attend. It will surely be worth the effort.

MotorcycleBelle

MORE PICS from the Trip

Roadside repairs on the way to Ouray

MotorcycleBelle Hams it up at the HOG Meeting

My stint as a public speaker went well at the HOG chapter meeting tonight. Leo, HOG Chapter President, invited me to speak to the chapter and tell the story of my adventure. I was welcomed by the Harley faithful even though I ride a Suzuki. I tried to pull them in with the tried and true, "It's not WHAT you ride, it's THAT you ride."...but it was cooly received. I'm sure they'd heard that before but in the Harley camp, it's truly WHAT you ride. But nearly every brand has it's diehard faithful followers and this was an owner's group, after all.

I think they could see the excitement in my eyes when I told them about the ride on the Million Dollar Highway between Durango and Ouray, Colorado and the exhilaration of overcoming the challenges of the road along the way; the wind, finding gas in time, the cold, missing highway exits, unpacking the bike every night.

The men wanted to know what gun I carried, the women wanted to know if I was afraid. A capable weapon....never afraid. Fear will get you killed. Confidence and preparation got me there and back home. I never doubted I could do it.

Song for today.....Motorcycle Dream by Amelia White

MotorcycleBelle

Leslie Porterfield continues to set records on the salt!!

Leslie Porterfield, one of the opening speakers at the Women's Motorcycling Conference, has set another new AMA record at Bonneville see below...

American Motorcyclist Association

Bonneville update: Leslie Porterfield's second run was 228 mph for an average of approximately 234, setting a new AMA national record in her class on her turbo charged Suzuki Huyabusa.

Owner of High Five Cycles in Dallas,

she's a Texan too!!! YEA!!!

YOU GO GIRL!!!

Helmets ROCK!!

Take a look at this slideshow of women's motorcycle helmets and see if you don't recognize your very own MotorcycleBelle's pink Dragon helmet pictured in Slide #3 sitting pertly on the mirror of the fabulous silver Suzuki!! How very chic!!

The woman's touch in motorcycle helmets

Some distinctly female takes on helmet decoration.

View Slideshow »

More About: motorcycle gear · women and motorcycling

More post-conference coverage

Women who bike bond in the mountains

More than 850 females gather at Keystone for a ladies-only motorcycle conference

By Caitlin Row
summit daily news

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ENLARGE

Diva Amy Skaling of Park City, Utah and her customized 2007 Road Glide Harley Davidson were part of the International Women & Motorcycling Conference taking place at the Keystone Conference Center Thursday. More than 850 women have registered this week with close to 950 expected by Saturday. The conference also features exhibits, vendors, demonstrations and lots of riding.

Summit Daily/Mark Fox

What's going on at the conference?

Speakers include Karen Davidson (the creative director of Harley-Davidson's general merchandise department) and Ashley Fiolek (a profoundly deaf professional women's motocross racer). Seminars cover lessons such as street strategies, adventure riding, gaining confidence, accident-scene
management and inspirational teachings.
For more information, visit
www.womenandmotorcycling.com.

ENLARGE

Motorcycles line the front of the Keystone Conference Center Thursday during the International Women and Motorcycling Conference, which continues through Saturday. Summit Daily/Mark Fox

KEYSTONE — Motorcycle engines purr, then roar, as lady bikers zoom toward Dillon, handlebar fringe blowing in the wind. Meanwhile, women wearing black leather chaps chat on foot and check out each other's bikes. And motorcycles are everywhere — they're glistening red, ensconced in black leather or even decorated with stuffed animals. One bike was adorned with a Canadian flag, and everywhere you look, there's a sea of sparkly silver helmets.

More than 850 women from 43 states, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Australia arrived at the Keystone Conference Center for the fifth biannual International Women and Motorcycling Conference: Riding to New Heights scheduled through Saturday. Many of them rode their motorcycles long distances to reach the High Country, and they'll stay to bond, have fun, learn and, most importantly, ride.

Jan Fields from Georgia and Carol Freshour of Ohio met for the first time only a few days ago when they arrived in Saint Louis, Mo., to caravan to the conference. According to Fields, they connected through a website geared toward introducing women who were going to the event.

Besides being a social outlet, the ladies-only conference asks its participants to follow their passions, always reaching for the horizon. And this mantra is clearly painted by the variety of riders in attendance. Women who are profoundly deaf, paralyzed, missing limbs or just plain scared to ride long distances hopped on their bikes and made it to Keystone, overcoming fears and making friends on the way. Even mothers and daughters arrived together to share their love for the sport.

“It's very empowering to be around so many women,” said conference spokeswoman Alexandra Terhorst, noting a bond between motorcyclists that crosses all lines. “We give each other support and confidence.”

While some people wouldn't dare to ride a motorcycle, let alone own one, ladies across the board said they loved riding bikes and the camaraderie between friends on the road.

“I love the simplicity of motorcycles,” Fields said. “It's just you and the bike. It brings you out there with all the sites and smells. It's freedom, being out on the road, going somewhere.”

Women who bike — a growing demographic

In 2008, that percentage of women owning bikes was estimated to be 12.4 percent, up from 10 percent only a few years before. Despite women making up a fast-growing demographic of motorcycle owners, being a lady on a bike still garners lots of attention, Fields said. And Freshour agreed, but acknowledged the recent spurt of female riders: “Eight years ago it caused more of an uproar at a gas station.”

When AMA special events manager Tigra Tsujikawa started riding 24 years ago, she rarely saw another female rider and dealt with ill-fitting gear.

“You were forced to wear men's gear and do the best you could with the big neck and long arms,” Tsujikawa said. “It was more of an oddity. You'd get a shocked look. Now it's wonderful. It's not surprising to see another woman out there.”

Karen Davidson — the great-grand daughter of Harley-Davidson cofounder William A. Davidson — helped attract ladies to the industry by playing a role in introducing gear designed for women's bodies, Terhorst said as she pointed out all the colorful, bedazzled clothing options available for purchase in Keystone's conference hall.

Tsujikawa credits this change to women encouraging other women to go with their passions and beliefs — “It's important to have conferences like this to really grow the community.”

And, according to Tsujikawa, she expects to see the number of conference attendees expand even more as the week progresses. An influx of local riders will arrive Saturday due to day-pass sales at local dealerships.

“To see 900 women on motorcycles — it's just so cool,” Tsujikawa said.

Drop-ins are still welcome at the International Women and Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, which runs through Saturday. Interested women should visit www.womenandmotorcycling.com.

Be sure to click on the VIEW ALL linky!!

All the pics do not show up in the slide show on the blog for some reason.  I don't know why.  

Some cosmic blunder I'm sure.  

As most of you know, I've been asked to speak to the Harley Owners Group Meeting next Tuesday.  I'm astonished that they might be interested in my adventure but am very honored to be asked.   I hope I can come up with something interesting to say.  

I have stripped the bags off the bike and washed the road grime off my motorcycle.  Wow, what a difference it makes.  It's actually shiny again!  Ready for another trip!  

I hope you like the pictures, I never claimed to be a photographer.  

Song for the day...A Little Gasoline, by Terri Clark

MotorcycleBelle

Finally, the pictures are up!!