Dennis and I left here around 9 a.m. and headed to SF Harley-Davidson. We got there early so we could meet people as they arrived and Dennis needed some chapter merchandise. We found a nice group of people, all of whom range around our age group. I guess the cost of a Harley keeps the kids at the Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha dealership.
Around 10:30 we headed out in 2 groups. Most were in full leathers and helmets, but a couple were riding without the safety gear. While I have and will wear the gear, it’s a pain in the ass to put on when prepping for a ride, especially the chaps. Safety first though.
There were two 3-wheeled Harley’s in the group and they were split between the groups. I found it strange to be riding with this group over the group rides of my past. This group is all about safety and being highly visible on the road. CB radios are all tuned to the same channel and we were told when all turns, lane changes, and stops were coming up. A lot of preparation went into this ride. My past group rides were with the Blue Knights in Chicago. We’d meet at a bar, leave after a few drinks, and ride like Hell. Most carried a gun and enough wore their badge visible that the guns were not an issue. Speed limit signs, stop signs and lights, and lane markers were merely suggestions. All rides would end at another bar and we’d take over the bar. One such bar take over was a Kane County bar that was the home of the local chapter of the Hell’s Angels. No one died, but it was an interesting end to the ride. One of our members used to be a Kane County Sheriff and suggested that place for a laugh.
Our destination was El Bruno’s Restaurante y Cantina in Cuba, NM. The food was good, but I decided to pass on the piñon crusted pan fried trout to try their taco special. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, I know I did. We met the Four Corner’s HOG chapter there for a joint meeting and I noticed that they too were around our age group. Our ride terminated at the restaurant.
Dennis and I took a different, longer route home. This extended our milage to 323 miles from portal to portal. During this ride, I passed the 1000 mile mark on my bike. In less than 1 month, I rode over 1000 miles. Not too bad. Our route ran us through some very pretty country and past Abiquiu Lake. It’s been many years since I’ve been past that lake. Once past the lake, we were heading toward Santa Fe where we split up. Dennis had a previous engagement in SF while I was ready to head home. It was a great ride and the first of many with the Sangre de Cristo HOG chapter. Sangre de Cristo means Blood of Christ in Spanish.