Lone Star Rally 2017
Lone Star Rally (LSR). I've been attending this rally since 2009 religiously. One of our favorite sayings in the IIRA is "it's about the people, not the place". This is 100% true, but to be honest, the reason I go to LSR is.. .. .. "the place." First of all, it's early November and the temps range between 60s and 80s during the day. Secondly, we always have friends that travel down there with us or meet us there. Finally, for the last six or seven years, we've owned a second home down there that serves as our base camp, so .... for me .. it's a no brainer. I suppose one could debate the benefits of this rally over others, but for me there is no debate. I keep a bike down there, so I simply show up and enjoy the show. Now, this obviously isn't the same case for many others, but hundreds of thousands roll in every year. I've heard 250.. 350 .. 400k bikes. I personally think it's probably more like 200k bikes and 400k warm bodies total (riders, passengers, tourists, party goers). It's a huge draw for the area, and many attend year after year, so they are doing something right? I tell people it's NOT about the ride, but about the party. The Strand gets a lil crazy on Friday and Saturday nights, the rally is on the Harbor AND the Seawall side, and the bars in the area are PACKED. Restaurants are PACKED. The streets are PACKED. But, if you know your way around, it's easy to get out of the chaos and enjoy the area. You know, like I do. My home is about 15 minutes from the Rally Central area, so I can be on the back deck and enjoy the Gulf of Mexico's benefits quickly when we've had enough of the day's and or evening's events.
I've been looking forward to this one for awhile. We had a fully booked house, then few folks had to cancel for various reasons, then others extended to stay in the area by switching over to our place, so it the long run, it all worked out. Donnie and Jill Donihue are headed in from Arkansas. Steve and Pam Smith are with them also coming in from Arkansas. This has been in the works for months! Rodney and Charlotte Walker were supposed to make it but with a couple days to go, they are a cancel. Jim Farley has been planning to be there since last year, but he had a bike accident the week before and got out of the hospital, literally the day before we left. I've got to get down to Galveston since my bike is at the dealer for some work, so we headed down a couple of days early to get some 'chores' done, pick up the bike, and basically , enjoy some great weather! Well, we head out on Tuesday for the dealer so I made a quick call to ensure it'd be good to go. I had dropped it off TWO MONTHS previously for a speedometer issue and it's taken then over a month to trouble shoot and get the sensors in. They called me a few weeks ago to tell me it was ready but I was headed out of the country. Upon return, they were chasing me down for payment. It's a warranty fix, but I've got a $50 deductible. They called and left messages with me several times, so needless to say when we finally connected up and I realized they wanted the money .. NOW.. I was a lil' surprised. But hey, it's just $50 so I put it on a CC. Too bad they didn't think the same way I do? Anyways, I tell them to get it prepped and I'll see them in several hours. We pull up, I jump out of the SUV and mama continues on South. Bike is outside, looking cleaned up and good. Few minutes of BSing inside and I'm off .. but... we've got a problem. The Speedometer still doesn't work. Are you f***ing kidding me? They had my bike for TWO MONTHS. So, I work my back in Houston traffic and give them the good news. 
After they wipe the deer in the head lights look off their faces, Chris quickly pulls it into the service area for a tech to look at it. The gal at the service counter grabs the paperwork on it to verify what work they did when she notices an interesting fact. A tech they'd recently fired, did the work .. or lack of work .. on the bike. Turns out the ass-wipe said he's installed the rear sensor, but hadn't. The had a tech in the back get it on, and after about 30 minutes, we're a go! Now, normally I'd be on Social Media and Google, etc slamming them hard. But, the gal was 100% straight with me, they were all apologetic and nice about it... so ... all good. Lesson learned in there somewhere? On the upside, I got to check out some Kawasaki's in their showroom and do some test fits. I think I may found a future 'track bike?" Enough of that ...... off to the rally!
As I leave the dealership, rain is threatening NW Houston. I'm in shorts, tennis shoes and a Tee Shirt, no helmet, on the I-45 in Houston traffic. I quickly jump into the left lane, with or slightly faster than the flow of traffic and I'm running South. About 45 min later, I pull up and I'm still dry. Close call! The rest of the day was damp and gloomy. But not for long. The official first day of the Rally is Thursday. From that day on, it was 70s at night, 80s during the day and nothing but sunshine. The best weather I've been in down there to date, during the rally.
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| My Arkansas Family |
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| Scrumptious! |
One of the positive twists for me this time around is my buddy D-Rail (Daryl) is staying with us a few nights, then with his crews from up here Thu/Fri/Sat nights. So, Thursday morning, it's the three musketeers only on deck, and Lucy doesn't want to do a seafood based lunch. After a few cups of Java and a Bloody Mary, with a kitchen pass in hand he and I throw a leg over the bike and head to Gilhooleys. I've gotten to love this place. Awesome Oysters and all the other seafood options. Normally during bike rally it's pretty quiet but we roll up on two other groups with a dozen or so bikes that beat us there, but we've got plenty of room at the bar for cold drinks and to examine the menu. We order up the 'norm' and shoot the shit for a few hours. Then ... back to the Island. Few hours later, we've got Southwinds IIRA folks rolling in and the weekend has begun!One thing I've noticed about LSR the last few years is it's become a melting pot for various ethnic groups and types of bikes. As each year goes by, seems like more folks come in from close by states in large groups and kick it up. This year we had a lot of various MCs with different colors that I'd never seen before. The Banditos MC is always here making a presence, even putting up a Vendor tent in the middle of the rally for support. They roll into Woody's , the Spot .. hell, wherever they want and kick it up. But this year I saw a lot of others. Even spotted one MC I'd never heard of with "TEXAS" on the lower rocker. I'm guessing if that moron had wandered into a group of Banditos he'd have been riding off without a cut, wondering WTF just happened. But,so many guys don't understand the basics of the MC brotherhood. I'm guessing some of these folks just put together a makeshift group, with an "mc" on the vest when they are nothing more than a small riding group. Still, I didn't hear about any fights or any MC issues over the weekend, so all is good with the ignorant.
It's a given that most rally's are inundated with HDs. Most big bikes on the road are HDs. This rally would be no different, but I did notice a few things different from previous years. First off all; Indians. Last year they were scarce but I did see a half dozen over that weekend. I'm sure there were more, but I just .. .never saw them. This year, Indians were everywhere. Now, they are still spotty but if you have a large group of bikes, inevitably you'd find one or two in the mix. So, it's nice to see more and more. The second thing along this line; last year I saw a handful of slingshots. This year, they were EVERYWHERE! Stereos cranked, LEDs lit up, lots of various paint jobs. Actually caught me off guard, there were so many! They were parked on the strand. Parked on the Seawall. Parked all over the place! And in the mix were a lot of bone stock ones. Normally I see several T Rexs as well, but .. .only one this year. Hmmmmm.. Big Wheel bikes... you know the 30" front wheel monsters? Everywhere! I'm not talking just in the bike shows, but they are parked out in front to be shown off at the various locations. Also, up and down the seawall.. the Strand.. the highways. Guys are actually riding these things. More than a few times, I'd see a group of 3-6 of them riding together. They get a lot of hate from many bikers, but hey .. many weren't trailer queens from what I could tell. Sport Bikes .... everywhere. Now, as many know I ride one, once in awhile. But I hate the sound of 'em hitting the rev limiters (of course, Big Cruisers are guilty as well.. some had my ears ringing). Pisses me off when they shoot through traffic pulling a wheelie (only saw it once). However, they have a right to be here and there were a LOT of 'em . Sometimes an entire group riding together. Just something you don't normally see at Rally's but you do here. Then there was the mishmash of Boss Hosses, lots of choppers, crazy built up trikes, Spyders, Goldwings, metrics and all the others that make up these events. I didn't see any specific bike types get dis'd. No Indians only BS. No HD Only BS. Just .. a good mix.
Multicultural/Diversity. When I go to Sturgis, it seems like it's mainly a 'white guy' event.. an old white guy event? Now obviously, you have a mix of guys .. and women... Whites .. Blacks.. Hispanics. Old ( lots ) and young ( few ). But for the most part... it's a White guy event. I noticed at ROT a few years back it started to change up. Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not prejudiced about it. It's just something you notice when it changes up a lil. I remember back in '13 seeing a few Black clubs and a couple of Hispanic clubs roll in at ROT and thinking .. "huh.. didn't see that the last few years". Nothing more .. nothing less. Well, the same thing has been happening at Lone Star the last couple of years. Is it a big deal? NO. I've NEVER witnessed a race based issue in any way shape or form. But, I do key on it. Why? Well, because it's a change up. No other reason. What I find interesting about it though is... the style of bikes some folks lean towards. The black guys used to roll in on crotch rockets that were extended out with some wide ass tires on them. Now, I see most guys rolling in on HDs with awesome paint jobs, crazy loud stereos, and .. a lot of Big Wheels. Hardly any on those stretched crotch rockets. That's change. The Hispanics. Many are rolling in on some lowered HDs. Nice paint jobs. But a slightly diff theme; longer pipes, lots of fish tails... lots of Road Kings vs the SGs and RGs. Now, no one fits a specific stereo type perse', but .... if you look around and people watch enough.... you see trends. The white guys don't seem to fit any specific 'mold ' per se. I couldn't pick out a specific trend or template on them. They were on .. a lil bit of everything. The good news is, it all works. Everyone blended in the big picture. I didn't see much about bike wrecks, or fights, or drunken issues. It just ... flowed. As it always down there! (note: as I search on the subject of wrecks, you'd think it was mass chaos. One guy died on first night, 12 accidents on Saturday, etc, etc. But, I didn't see or hear of anything while there).
As I'd said, this Rally isn't about the Ride. In fact, if you ask my wife, she'll tell you the ride ... sucks. I don't agree, but ... it ain't great. You can ride West along the beach. East to the Ferry and then across the Bolivar Peninsula. But most don't want to head North towards Houston. Most just came from that direction. So, does it suck? Of course not. But when I go to Sturgis ... Bikes Blues & BBQ ... Hot Springs .. Hill Country .. its about the RIDE! Here, it's about the weather. Its about the beach views. The Gulf views. The endless stream of bikers basking in the warmer weather, cruising up and down the sea wall. Cruising the Strand. It's about one last hoorah before Mother Nature threatens to shut many down. It's about sipping your first cup of java in the morning watching the sun come up in a pair of shorts and tee shirt. Its about music and drinks on the beach... near the beach... .. sounds of the beach. Reminds me .. one of Lucy's fav' sayings used to be .. " Life is a Beach " .. fits.
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| "calm" evening on the Strand |
Thursday is pretty relaxed. We head down to the strand to check it out before the Fri/Sat craziness begins. One of our fav' places is the Tremont House Rooftop Bar. It's a great layout, great view, good drinks.. and w/o fail, during the rally the service usually sucks. So, I'm not surprised when it takes 3-4x longer to get our drinks than it should. Still, the ambience is perfect. Good friends, you can hear the band playing down on the strand, motorcycles are hitting red-lines ( why?? smh), and eventually some good drinks show up. Daryl is always the smart one, with a flask nearby. One of these days I'll learn and stash one in my vest prepped and ready for sippn'. After a round, we close it out and head downstairs and over a block to the Strand. To the average person it looks like a good turnout, but to the experienced eye it's a fraction of what's coming the next two nights. Lots of parking spots are still avail, streets aren't too crowded and no lines at the beer vendors. I'll take it! Well, after an hour or so, we all got a taste of it and it's back to the house.... drinks pour a lil longer, and they are already paid for. And... .cigars!
Friday we rode East. Two groups of us met up for the ride. We headed from my place in Jamaica Beach over to Spanish Grant to pick up the second group. In that mix we had several Indians, several HDs, and a couple of metrics. We had all bases covered. Couple of quick bro hugs and we're off. Twenty minutes later, rode up onto the Ferry and headed over to the Peninsula. One of my fav' things about this is that it's free .. and ... you always get a Dolphin show. Sure enough, we had dozens out n' about playing. You've got to look for them since they usually don't come right up on us, but they are out and about in the channel; never fail to show up. This trip was nice because we had a half dozen folks that had never seen them. About 25 minutes later, we roll off the Ferry and head about fifteen miles out to Stingaree. Over the years, we've been here multiple times. I'd forgotten
that they only open up the bottom / outside area on weekdays. No problem, we'll do the upper deck outside area like we did a few years ago .. not. The lady at the reception desk is rambling on how they don't open up either during the winter .. but.. for the game on Sunday, they are going to open up downstairs. Game? There is a f***Ing Rally going on! There are dozens of bikes outside. I explain they opened it up a few years ago for us. We've been outside on the top before. .. .well, so much for my communication skills. We are soon inside over in a corner, spread out among two tables. I'm pissed. I'm growling. But two margaritas later, I've 
moved on, enjoying the company and ... the food arrives. And it is GOOD! Still, I don't see going back here next rally. They are disconnected and it's beyond my grasp how they don't accommodate the bikers better. So .. screw 'em. On the way out we pass the Tiki bar on the North side of the road we're traveling on a few miles out. Lots of bikes. Should have stopped there. Note to self for next year! Back to the Ferry then we head to the Seawall Rally point. Lots of Bike Vendors, lot of Beer Vendors and the band is getting ready to play. Did I mention how hot it is in these jeans .. boots.. vest? Feels like about 90 out and the sun is shining. I pass a couple from Greenville I met the week before and point out Daryl's location ahead of them and press on. Lucy and I are slowly strolling along with a short gal with dark hair and hat passes me, I turn around and mutter "Carolyn?" ... She spins around and it's .. Carolyn Tomas! She and her hubby (Kiwi Mike ) reached out to me a few days prior so I knew they were on the Island but with hundreds of thousands of folks around, this is a like a needle in a haystack. Score! Lots of hugs and an introduction between she and Lucy ... we promise to connect up soon .. and we're all back off to our own agendas. Doesn't take long for my agenda to flip over to ... home! Thirty minutes later I'm on the back deck, in shorts and sipping a few cold ones! |
| Me and Speedo Man! |
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| We and the Tomas's |
BAD ASS Time Lapse of the Strand
Sunday. The rally is still officially on for the day, but .. this is the day most head out. The bad news is our Arkansas IIRA crews heads NE back to Hot Springs. The Good news is, we head to the Strand for a relaxed atmosphere, some shopping, check out the car and truck show. After a lil bit, Michael is trying to reach us (the rest of his crew is laid up, recovering from the night before and doing it all over again back at their house) so we all meet up at Willy G's for some Margaritas and Air Conditioning. Two or three of them and ...and we head back home with a stop at Woody's for some music and drinks! Kiwi Mike and Carolyn head our way and we've got a lil group together for a good time. The band is rocking for another 90 minutes, beer is cold and .. yep.. .. I have to say it.. weather is .. Awesome! After the music dies down I need a combat nap. So, back to the house, relax, clean up and we head over to Waterman Seafood Grill to have dinner with the Kiwis. This is always a fav of ours. Service is always great. Food is great. So, it's a slam dunk. Sadly, we do have one bump in the road. The screwed up one of the steaks in our group, but we survived. The seafood however, was to die for! Yum! Closed out the check, help back a lil on the tip ( the server didn't seem to be as upset about the steak as I was) and back to home base. Some hugs with the Kiwi's, jump on the bikes (feeling chilly .. it's 75deg!) and we're off. Few glasses of bourbon with Daryl on the deck listening to the waves, solve a few more problems of the world... and .... I'm friggn' beat. Time to pull the plug. Party's over....
Monday morning. Slept in, good nights sleep and the sun is coming up baking us on the back deck as we sip some java. Heat up some leftover breakfast burritos, discuss the good times over the last several days and .. it's apparent we're dragging our feet. Nobody wants this to end, but it's time to get back to reality. Daryl mounts up around 0900 and we don't make it out for another 4 hours. It'd be easier to leave if a cold front had come in with clouds .. rain.. cold winds. But, it's a beautiful day on the Island. I've been on "Island Time" and I don't want to flip the switch. But ..... we head North.
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| Another rally in the rear view mirror..... |
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| Cruising the Seawall | Iron Indian Riders |
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