Las Vegas Bikefest 2014 with Vespa Steph

Sash & Vespa Steph with a couple of guys outside Hogs & Heifers Saloon

When I think about the fact that Las Vegas has suburbs, and people actually live here, it somehow changes the way I think of Sin City.

As I rode down Las Vegas Blvd one afternoon, through the city's Downtown area, I imagined what the city looked like without casinos and resorts. What if you took out all the tourists, save for those who stop for gasoline along the freeway exits, what would the city look like?  What would it be it's main industry?

Sash and I arrived here on Wednesday, October 1, just a couple of days before Las Vegas Bikefest officially started. Our primary reason for coming here was three-fold, one to celebrate a couple of birthdays, Sash and Joan Krenning, two to attend Las Vegas Bikefest to meet people and market our business, and three to attend NACS 2014, a convenience store trade show, to visit a client of ours.

Las Vegas Bikefest this year is far from what it used to be when I attended in 2005.  Officially, it takes place at Cashman Center, a baseball stadium.  But these days, Bikefest at Cashman Center is just a trade show of vendors and custom bike builders.  It's actually rather boring.

Otherwise, all the fun takes place in Downtown.  In years past, Downtown was packed with bikes like Sturgis.  But lately, attendance has waned.  The City has since prevented bikers from congregating along Fremont Street.  What's left is a biker party outside Hogs & Heifers Saloon on 3rd Street.  So, Sash and I booked a room at Downtown Grand, the former Lady Luck Hotel, located next door to the saloon.

We originally planned to stay 7 nights, but extended it to 10.

• Our friend Vespa Steph rode her Vespa 250 from the Bay Area of California to visit us. Steph shared a cabin with us in Sturgis, and roomed with us here in Las Vegas.

• As Bikefest, we hung out with Joe Sparrow, a fellow motorcycle vagabond who's been hitting the pavement the past 5 years on his Honda Goldwing. He doesn't document his travels, but he does post photos on Facebook. Joe manages to earn enough money working a booth for J&P Cycles.

• Sash briefly met Petra Stridfeltd here at Downtown Grand. She and her husband Anders are motorcycle vagabonds too, but started out in Manchester, England, and venturing across the world. They document their travels on Two Bikers One World.

• Vespa Steph met another scooterist, Robert Devlin here at Downtown Grand. He lives locally. He managed to get us free tickets to see Criss Angel Believe, a popular contemporary illusionist.

• On the night of her birthday, Sash took her dominatrix paddle (made by one of the guys at Monkey Butt Radio), and swatted people outside Hogs & Heifers Saloon in Downtown. All she had to do was stand there with it, and people asked if she could paddle them. One woman actually stuffed money into Sash's shirt to paddle her husband.

• I spent an afternoon with Justin Havlik, the CEO of Thanasi Foods.  Thanasi is the maker of Dukes Smoked Meats and Bigs Sunflower Seeds.  His company was here for the 2014 NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores).  Thanasi advertises their beef jerky brand on my beef jerky blog, but I've also built a friendship with Justin over the past year.  He got me into NACS, which was hosted at Las Vegas Convention Center, and the show was astronomically huge.  Imagine dozens of football fields filled with every consumer brand you can think of (Coke, Hershey, Frito Lay, et al) all trying to stuff free food into your mouth. They were giving out so many free samples, collectively they could've fed every hungry child in America that weekend, and turned them all into diabetics at the same time.

• Sash and I, along with Vespa Steph, went out for dinner one night at a Brazilian BBQ inside Planet Hollywood.  Steph never had Brazilian BBQ before.  The concept of 20+ varieties of grilled meats brought out one-by-one on a skewer and sliced off on to your plate was too tempting for her.  Interestingly, Sash managed to negotiate the price down from $43 per person to $33 per person.

• Sash ended up getting an ear infection during our 10-day stay.  It threw off her equilibrium, made her dizzy, and thereby made her nauseous.  She got some meds for it from a local urgent care center.

• Downtown Grand has been great.  It cost us only $55.00 a night during Bikefest, and $65.00 after.  It's nicely renovated and very modern.  They have a cool cafe called "The Commissary", where the three of us spent a lot of time.  While we were hanging out in The Commissary, Sash met one of the owners of the hotel, who hangs out there everyday.  Whenever we saw him, he'd ask us about our stay, and anything we asked for, he got on his cell phone and got the hotel manager to get it for us. 

If it weren't for the casinos, Las Vegas would not have existed. But if you could imagine for a moment, if all the casinos and resorts just disappeared, Las Vegas really isn't much more than a Flagstaff or Grand Junction.

People who come to Las Vegas usually spend a lot of money, and therefore demand a lot back in return, and perhaps that creates the frenzied and irritable vibration that permeates the air.  It's not like other towns we've been to where a relaxed atmosphere puts us at peace.

As I write this, Sash and I had ridden south to Yuma, AZ to spend a week.  Our plans from there, to head to Bakersfield to visit her grandbaby for a week.

Photos from Las Vegas...

These two guys were on a bachelor's party in Vegas.	The scene outside Hogs & Heifers Saloon in Vegas	Vespa Steph scored free tickets to Criss Angel Believe.
Girls danced on the bar at Hogs & Heifers Saloon	The Duke's Jerky Truck at NACS 2014	More girls dancing at Hogs & Heifers Saloon
I worked out at our hotel gym 7 of the 10 days we were there	I wanted to eat a burger here, but kept myself away from it.	This bartender at Hogs & Heifers has a beautiful butt.
Street level scene at Hogs & Heifers Saloon	The biker party scene from our hotel.	Hogs & Heifers Saloon hired a bunch of security.
We met Joe Sparrow, a fellow motorcycle vagabond.	Sash met Kristy Swanson from Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Our bikes outside Hogs & Heifers, ready to leave Vegas
I ran into Lorie, an old friend at Cashman Center	My beer at Pizza Rock, Downtown Vegas	Sash met Josh, an MMA fighter at Hogs & Heifers
Sash met Laz, a regular at Hogs & Heifers Saloon	Sash being interviewed by Cycle Source Magazine	Sash paddling butts outside Hogs & Heifers Saloon
Sash dances on the bar inside Hogs & Heifers Saloon	Sash and Vespa Steph along the Las Vegas Strip	Sash and Vespa Steph outside Hogs & Heifers Saloon
Working inside the cafe of our hotel building	Found inside Hogs & Heifers Saloon	Vespa Steph getting ready to leave Las Vegas
The three of us resting after a long walk through Downtown	Sign outside Pizza Rock in Downtown	These nuns punished sinners along Fremont Street

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Route 66: Oatman, AZ

Oatman Highway is a stretch of the original Route 66

Oatman, AZ is one of those towns that motorcycle riders always seem to talk about, particularly if you live in the southwestern United States.

There really isn't anything special about Oatman that makes it conducive for the motorcycle lifestyle, except that the original Route 66 runs through it. While the road is pretty tight and twisty, and offers some great views of the Black Mountains, it's a very rough ride, narrow, full of burro crossings and slow moving vehicles.

But I've had countless riders ask me if I've been to Oatman, and yes actually, but it was years ago and I was driving my pickup truck. I hadn't been there on my bike, and nor have I come from the east along the twistiest stretch of the 66.

I can't imagine 50 years ago when big Buick Skylarks and Cadillac Fleetwoods made these 15 MPH hairpin turns with 10% grades. Even riding on motorcycles, there doesn't seem to be much room. The bumps and potholes on these roads, along with sand and gravel, magnified the luggage weight on our bikes as Sash and I rode carefully along.

Wild burros populate this area and can be frequently seen traversing down the rocky mountain sides. I spotted several, and wanted to photograph them, but they were far enough away that they'd only blend in with the rocks and scrub. I opted to wait until we got into town, where I knew we'd find plenty more.

Within the town, Oatman is just like any other old west-themed tourist trap. It's filled with souvenir shops, mine tours, and gunfight shows.

It's really the wild burros that make it unique, however. There's probably 20 of them there when Sash and I rolled in. A few of the vendors sell burro food which keeps them coming back. As such, the main drag is cluttered with burro poop. For the most part, they're friendly, passive, and let you pet them. Even the baby burros are getting in on the action.

Just as we got into town, a group of Germans on rented Harleys pulled up. There was probably 20 of them, all on brand new, shiny bikes. The tour guide spoke in German and explained the significance of Oatman. The group was focused on tracing the original Route 66.

We didn't spend the night in Oatman. We moved on and reached our hotel in Las Vegas.

Photos from Oatman...

Route 66 just before we get into the Black Mountains	Cool Springs Cabins offers a neat little tourist stop.	Inside Cool Springs Cabins is a small museum of Oatman
Tight turns and steep grades along Oatman Highway	The end of a gun fight show in the town of Oatman	A burro picks up scraps from the boardwalk of Oatman
Sash says hello to a baby burro.	Burro Breath Burger at Olive Oatman Restaurant.	Sash getting up close and personal with an ass

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Check Out the Cool People We Met in Longmont, CO

Sash with new riding buddies, Amy & Brian Green, and Jason ON

Our two and a half weeks in Longmont, CO has come to an end. We've packed up and left yesterday, headed to Phoenix, AZ for three weeks via Southern Colorado and Northern Arizona.

Along the way, we'll be spending 2 nights in Salida, CO, 2 nights in Pagosa Springs, CO, and then two more nights through Arizona until we finally hit Phoenix.

It's been a really productive time here in Longmont. Here's a list of stuff that happened...

1. Sash hooked up with Joan Krenning, the founder of Steel Horse Sisterhood, to go over next year's Summit. She's now in charge of the Welcoming Committee.

2. We got to meet with Sash's fellow Steel Horse Sister, Val Rosario over lunch.

3. We hung out with Jason ON a few days, founder of the Motorcycle Riders forum on Google Plus. Jason led a ride with us through the Rocky Mountains, and then rode with us part of the way leaving Longmont.

4. Brian and Amy Green rode out from Nebraska to attend Thunder in the Rockies in Loveland, and they hung out with us one night and we did a ride as well.  Brian and Amy are relatively new to riding, and a really fun couple to hang out with.  We had lunch with them in Black Hawk.

5. I visited a client from my beef jerky blog, Thanasi Foods in Boulder. They make Dukes Smoked Meats, along with Bigs Sunflower Seeds. They're one of the top selling brands of jerky in the United States. I got to have both lunch and dinner with Duke himself, Justin Havlik, got a tour of their corporate headquarters, and will be working with Justin to develop some cool new jerky varieties.

6. We had lunch with Betty Owen, who writes, "Ask Betty Owen", a website on healthy living. She's actually a client of ours through Too Much Tina.  She's also from San Diego, but was out here visiting her son.

7. We did the bike night at Quaker Steak and Lube in Westminster. Several of the Steel Horse Sisters were there, and Jason ON came out and met us there too.

8. We hung out with Joel Coopersmith, a fellow rider who frequents the Motorcycle Riders forum on Google Plus. Joel lives in Longmont. We met at Oskar Blues Brewing in Longmont, and he helped Sash and I with the Tuesday night bar trivia called, "Geeks Who Drink".

9. I got to meet one of my avid readers of Motorcycle Philosophy, Carl Hamlin! Sash and I, along with Jason ON, pulled into Pump House Brewing in Longmont one night, and after I got off my bike, this guy walks up to me and asks if my name is Steve. I said, "Yes", and he said he's been following my blog for a number of years. So I invited him to join us inside and we hung out with his girlfriend Liz over some beers. Carl develops artificial intelligence for the US government.  Liz is really sweet and compassionate, and trains horses for a living.  We hung out with them again over dinner on a later night.

10. I had dinner with my brother and mother over the Labor Day weekend.  They live in Denver.

11. We toured the Forney Museum in Denver where they have a large collection of old Indian motorcycles. It also had a collection of vintage Honda motorcycles, and some beautifully restored Buicks from the 1950s.

12. Sash and fellow Steel Horse Sister, Gabriele Zimmerman, drove in her car to Estes Park to visit the Stanley Hotel, which was the inspiration for Stephen King's, "The Shining".  Sash later hung out with Gabriele in the week.

13. My favorite place to eat in Longmont is Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids. Oskar Blues is a pretty successful craft brewery. This place has outstanding burgers (I had the Lenny Kravitz which comes with pastrami), but also has great Beer Can Chicken, a really good green chile marinated steak, and awesome seafood jambalaya.

14. Pump House Brewing is my runner up favorite. They have an outstanding green chile smothered cheese burger.

15. It's tough to beat the $5.00 steak and lobster at Gilpin Casino in Black Hawk, however.

16. It rained a lot out here Longmont and parts surrounding. Probably 15 of the 18 days we were here it rained.

Sash with Joan Krenning and Rock, in Loveland, CO	Amy & Brian Green, with Jason ON and myself (right)	Me working in the hotel lobby after breakfast
Green chile smothered burger wrapped in a tortilla	Trivia night at Oskar Blues Brewing, Longmont	Riding my bike along Hwy 119 towards Longmont
Me riding along Hwy 287 south to Westminster	My bike parked along Main Street, downtown Longmont at night	A view of our hotel room from my desk
The Forney Museum in Denver has lots of Indians on display	Jason ON leading us on a ride through the Rockies	Jason ON sitting on his ass up in the mountains
Me with Justin Havlik, the guy behind Duke's Smoked Meats	Sash with my bike at Left Hand Brewing, Longmont	I caught this lightning strike over Westminster
Liz and Carl, our new friends, at Pump House Brewing	The half-rack of ribs at Nordy's, Loveland, CO	One pound burger with bacon, guacamole, and cheese
My bike parked at Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO	Our scorecard for Trivia Night at Oskar Blues Brewery	Sash with a fellow Steel Horse Sister, Val Rosario
Sash after a long day of visiting friends and meeting clients	Sash and I meeting our friend and client, Betty Owen	Sash with my sister-in-law Beverly at Joe's Crab Shack
Sash hamming it up in Black Hawk, CO	Sash with Rock at Nordy's, Loveland, CO	At the corporate office of Thanasi Foods, Boulder, CO
Sash sporting her new green riding vest.	Sash making some plates of appetizers in our hotel room.	It's no wonder why Sash likes Jason ON so much!
Sash and Jason ON with our bikes at Pump House Brewery	Sash with my brother and sister-in-law for BBQ at their place	It looks better when your stick your head all the way through.
Drinking a Sashtastic, a virgin drink (recipe here).	Savery Savory Mushroom tower, Westminster	Me with Carl, an avid reader of my blog.
Sash and I with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law	Me riding through Longmont during a cloudy day	Forney Museum in Denver has lots of vintage Indian ads.

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