ROT Rally '06

Well that was a first. I can honestly say that it was all I expected and more! Those people take their bike rallies very seriously. There was an estimated 38,000 people in attendance and they were there to have fun. It took place on some giant fair grounds east of Austin and there was something for everyone there. Custom bike competition, Von Dutch model search, helicopter rides, trips to the lake, and music.

Mark and I rode out Saturday morning, taking back roads and riding through small towns. The hill country of Texas is a site to see. Small and medium sized ranches as well and the typical small town houses dotted the road along the way. We had to dodge armadillo roadkill and the buzzards feasting on them. Along the way we stopped a diner where the waitress had smoked 2 packs a day for 35 years and called us 'hun'. I think the Texas sized omellette I had was made with 5 or six 6 eggs... I didn't finish it.

The closer we got to the rally there were more and more bikes on the road. It's a sight to see, a packed highway and not a car in the bunch. It's hard to explain the number of people on the grounds when we arrived, it's like the Stampede grounds only everyone is wearing motorcycle shirts and leather vests. Mark's inlaws were staying in an RV right along the ride route within the grounds, so we set up shop in their lot. After settling in we went for a ride to the Hooters near the city, and let me say the quality of Hoot at Hooters is miles above anything we've seen in Canada. Afterwards we rode to Lake Travis and went to The Oasis, which is a huge patio bar overlooking the lake. They do it right there with misters around each of the multiple level patios.

We headed back to the fair grounds afterwards and chilled out for a bit before the evening craziness started. I walked around the vendor area looking for a beer coozie, which are a necessity in 95 degree weather. It took a couple hours to walk through all of them, and you could you buy anything you'd need or want or dream of for motorcycles. Cup holders, dog holders, spinner rims, ape hangers, du-rage, and assless chaps. All I got was 'Freedom Machine' coozie...

Shortly after supper we rode over to the stage area. Joan Jett rocked the stage Saturday night, she's turned rather punk these days and was pretty good. Bad Company came on after, but I didn't stay too long for that one. Overall it was a decent concert, almost more fun to watch the crowd.

And then the gong show started. There's a ride around the grounds where riders tour around, showing off their ride, doing burn-outs, and girls collecting beads. Yeah, it's basically like mardi-gras only the crowd is a little more weathered. For every attractive girl on the back of a bike bearing her chest for a set of .$0.10 beads there is 8 or 9 other 'women' who are a little (a lot) passed their prime.

In addition to bikes doing the tour there are other 'rides'. Basically anything you can imagine that fits on a flat bed trailer, quad, or golf cart drove by... Pimped out golf cars with bench seats on the roof, swimming pools, bars, packs of girls, bbq's, and even stripper poles. This parade of pandemonium continued from nightfall to around 2am.

Good times though for sure. We woke up and were on the road home by 8:30am. Alternating between the freeway and smaller roads we made our way back to Houston, stopping to see the house Mark is building in a small town / suburb near Houston. The whole town is classic Desperate Housewives suburbia. If you're into that sort of thing, it was perfect!

Overall it was another great weekend. My borrowed Harley Street Bob hugged the road, but was rather plain compared to the other bikes at the rally. Either way... going 80 mph on the blacktop in a t-shirt with the wind blowing through your hair in 95 degree heat is not like anything else. Just kidding mom, they lent me a helmut too and I used it.