Biketoberfest 2007: Scarce Main Street Parking. Red Tide?

Gotta make this fast; Time to hit the road again.

Daytona is 78 miles from the ultra-secure, maximum-security ABM compound, but we weren't gonna go yesterday, (Thursday), because the weather people were screaming that it'd rain all day. Now I don't mind getting wet, but I DO mind washing the bike all over again. By 10:30, couldn't stand it anymore & split for Biketoberfest. You don't expect to see the hoardes of bikers at this one compared to the spring rally, about 1 in 7, nevertheless, it took me two passes down Main Street before a parking spot opened up. Used to be a nice place down an alley where a hundred bikes could park. The cops took it over for their fundraising activities, & now it's five bucks. Some of the businesses along Main have taken to "renting" out their frontage, so you'll see a half-dozen brand new bikes with "for sale" stickers. Add this to all of the used bikes w/for sale stickers, & you have a serious parking problem. Dudes, there's got to be a better way to move your tired iron. Give us back our parking spots, please?

We're staying overnight Fri/Sat at an oceanside two-star. Price was right--$96 a night for an oceanside 7th floor balcony. Then, we found out about....

"RED TIDE!"

This nasty micro organism is a frequent visitor to Florida's west coast..aka..Tampa. Because of a month of constant rain, it's invaded the coast of North Florida, & is slowly making it's way toward Daytona. Aside from killing a few fish, it's pretty harmless, & usually goes away after a week or two. So long as the breeze is blowing away from land & out to sea, it's not a problem. Some people cough & sneeze a bit. Guess that's how we got the ninety dollar room? We'll keep the windows shut.

Dude, $5.00 for a can of beer? Main Street, the famous bars. Man, sixty bucks for a 12-pack? That's nearly in the realm of S&M! There are little joints here & there where you can get a coldie without extending the limit on your visa card, but they sure aren't anywhere near main.

Twice each year, Willie's Tropical Tattoo, on US1 hosts a ride in old skool chopper show, complete with $2 brew, rockin' bands, & beautiful girls. This year was no exception. The bikes were among the best we've ever seen, the beer was cold, the girls hot. What's wrong with this picture? For some reason, there were two patrol cars parked right in the median in front of the show. They pulled no one over while we were at the show, but the sight of them parked right in front of the chop show certainly put a damper on the good times. They wouldn't be there unless someone in the city put them there, & we think their time could have been better spent somewhere else.

Some major storm activity in the Florida Panhandle last evening may keep some western bikers away from Biketoberfest, but on the way back up the superslab yesterday afternoon, we waved to hundreds of American Bikers, headed south to Daytona. We'll have a shower or two today & tonight, then, sunny, beautifu, low 80's for Saturday & Sunday. ABM expects a blowout weekend crowd. Look for us on the street, taping interviews for furture American Biker Minutes, then listen for 'em in your town. What? No ABM where you live? Call your favorite radio station, & ask 'em what's the problem!

Now, where are my riding gloves? ABM's headed south! Check back next week.

SLEEPING & EATING

at

DAYTONA'S BIKETOBEFEST

Bargain Bin Sleep:

This being the smaller of Daytona's two yearly rallys means a potential windfall for arriving bikers, that is, if you haven't "locked in" any lodging so far. Prices at several hotels have been dropping as the prime time for advance bookings has come & gone. We found a nice double at a two-star near Destination Daytona for $98, then found the same deal in Daytona Beach Shores, (2 mi south of Main Street), complete with a kitchenette, & oceanside balcony. Doesn't pay to make expensive reservations way ahead of time for the fall rally. You know what still irritates me? The same room will be 60 bucks next week..

Lotsa Food, Nota Lotsa Money:

Two of our faves: (1) "Down the Hatch" Get on the "strand" (to northerners, that's the "strip" of land between the intracoastal waterway & the mainland. Head south on Atlantic Ave toward Ponce Inlet. When you get to "Beach Street", make a right, &

follow the signs all the way down to the water. Big portions of fish & shrimp for big boys & big girls, for not a lotta green. Right on the water, in fact, that's their own shrimp boat moored at the dock. Only weenies order burgers at a joint like this one..

What, lookin' fer Wendy's & got lost?

Short hike from Main: (2) "Ocean Deck" Reggae Band each night. It's loud. Go upstairs for eats at a moderate price, informal is the keyword here. If you can get the Mahi-Mahi (dophin fish, n-o-t flipper), & it's still only nine bucks, go for it! Follow Main Street until you get to the ocean, then look for the pier. There's some free parking less than a block away..

This being FLA-USA, & this being fall, it's prime Oyster Season! If you're worried, simply order them steamed, with a side of melted butter, some hot sauce, a little tub of horseradish, & some crackers. Whoa..! You may need a cold one to wash down the hot stuff! Then, there's the riding--Weekend Weather looking perfect.

Life, as some say, is a savory banquet to ben enjoyed. Join ABM if you can, or if you can't, plan to join us sometime next year. We'll keep the Oysters growin'!

Check often, as we update our Biketoberfest Blog: Listen to the ABM station in your town for Biketoberfest fun!

Daytona's Biketoberfest 2007:

They're Here... Already?

"Stretching out" the four days of Biketoberfest into 10 days of fun? Yeah! Several area Daytona oceanfront hotels were packed last weekend with Biketoberfest revelers. Our excellent weather probably was a factor.
After almost a month of constant daily rain bands from offshore low pressure systems, one after another, the offical 30 day September rain total.. 30 inches. Near the coast, some locations caught 45 inches. That, is a drenching of biblical proportions. Roofers are having a real business windfall, but we digress--back to Biketoberfest. We're seeing lots of bikers wandering around the northern Florida coastline, from Ponte Vedra to St. Augustine. When you tire of the Biketoberfest crowds, you're only a dozen miles from seaside route A1A, which hugs the Florida coastline north & south of Daytona. Cruise for hours at a time, staring out at the aqua blue, passing gulls, surfers, & people fishing for pompano, red bass, & whiting. Your blood pressure will drop with every mellow mile. If mother nature isn't your strong suit, Orlando & the Sea World/Disney complex is about an hour down the I-4 corridor. Take the long way home, & ride through central Florida's hill counties on the way back to Daytona. The next couple of days have a 50-60% chance of showers, clearing out to less than 20% on the weekend, when the crowd size will peak somewhere between 80 & 100 thousand. With high gas prices, & last year's hurricane activity, many area hotels have dropped their insistance that you book a week or more for your stay, & bikers have responded by arriving even earlier than normal for this rally. Ask any Daytona area merchant; they'll tell ya that this is the best they've done since last spring's Bike Week.

Why is it then, that many of Daytona's elected officials would just as soon see Bikers go elsewhere?

Be careful what you wish for...

ABM is in Daytona for Biketoberfest, looking for Bikers with something to say! See you there, or catch the fun on your local ABM station!

Don't call us, we'll call you!

You're spinning a new oil filter on your bike. Your hands are filthy. That's just when the 'fone rings, 'an it's some inbred from across the ocean trying to sell you an extended warranty on your tv set...arrrghh! The worst part is the government's national "do not call" registry is expiring at the end of this year, & if you don't get on the new do not call list, those irritating mouth breathers will once again, be on your back. What to do?

ABM to the rescue!

Go to: www.DONOTCALL.gov

or

1-888-387-1222

Do up to three different phone numbers at once. Going online will take less than three minutes of your time.

Good luck, and remember, if a man answers, Don't Hang Up!

Daytona's Biketoberfest begins on October 18th.

Listen to your local ABM affiliate for a week's worth of fun!

or

See you on the street in Daytona, USA!