What started as a tribute to a woman in a man’s world has remained an early summer South Florida tradition of the ideals biker women desire most; riding, friends, shopping, and sexy men in tight leather and a run where everyone knows your name.
I started Ladies Day Out as a way to get my then boss, Karin Serekas, to come riding with me and then I also saw it as a way to go riding with the increasing population of women riders. Most of my thirty years in the saddle I have been riding with the big boys. My first LDO was held in May of 1999 with 21 women, including myself. We rode from Harley-Davidson of Stuart, owned at that time by Ken and Karin. We rode 45 miles to Boot Country, where we were served ice cold waters and given a discount on western wear. From there, we rode to Rooster’s, then a biker joint in Port St Lucie where we met our husbands and boyfriends for burgers and brews.
The 10th Anniversary proved to be one of the best attended, most carefully crafted, well organized riding event in these parts. Even the rain held off long enough for me to park the Street Glide. I get my camera out and press inside the restaurant Hog Wild where the girls and I and all our new friends would remain for the afternoon hours while the sky fell out. It waited long enough for me to park and persuade the sheriffs we wouldn’t do it without them next year.
Before I tell you what happened inside the bar, let me back up and start at the beginning of this wonderful day. One important facet of Ladies Day Out, are the elements and principles of riding a motorcycle. And for a better riding experience, these women brave road hazards and weather to get there. (only in the later years was I able to fetch a police escort, usually Martin County Sheriffs who step up and help out at no charge.) Ladies Day Out is often the first time that many of these women actually venture out on their own, to ride with someone other than their husbands or significant other. Every year I hear it and I heard it again this time
Any event, mine, yours, requires planning that starts months ahead of actual ride time. From the humble start in ’99, I wanted to keep this run unique. And I have. Every time the ride started at a new spot or went someplace new, or ended anew. Along the way, we shopped. Some of the places we’ve seen and been to in the past ten years include the historic Seminole Inn, Botanical Gardens, Arts and Crafts fairs, Crab Houses, and biker jaunts like Archie’s Seabreeze Café. Through all of the years of this event, the women have come out to play. Only one year, did it rain in the morning, and the pack was reduced to just ten of us dumb and dedicated. We still rode. It is a rain or shine ride, be ready.
I wanted an event that supported local starving artisans, gardeners, the places that were off the beaten path but still appreciated our money. Finding new places to start is easier than the ending, since we include our men at the end of each ride. A nice way to say we still want you and need you, boys. Looking back, we’ve had doughnuts and coffee, to full breakfast platters served. We have the most fun at our morning gab sessions, getting to know each other, and my way of finding out where these ladies belong in a large pack. Some routes were shorter than others, some longer like last year one hundred miles round trip. This year we did not have a police escort, and take 65 of your closest girlfriends on a 55 miles trip without backup or a chase vehicle, is not an easy feat. So, once again, the girl riders step up and road captained ike you would want to fuck with this pack, anyway!
Every mile this year the sun shone brightly on our iron horses as we pressed on copping a tan, under the Florida sky, not wanting to stop anywhere this year, just ride, I took the girls past the Martin County Correctional facility where we slowed, honked and revved up for those inside. We didn’t dawdle long, as we were headed through Indiantown, and then east again to Stuart, where a small, enduring band of vendors and men folk awaited us.
Hog Wild was the place every town with bikers hang out. The owners were gracious enough to have us this year and vendors could set up and sell their biker wares at no charge. Bar owners gave the ladies drink specials and barbeque. Treasure Coast Harley-Davidson put together a male fashion show for us ladies with very handsome men strutting across the stage for our viewing pleasure. Remember where I said the heavens opened up? We were stuck in this great bar, with gorgeous men, an acoustic duo playing a lot of Doobie Brothers, while outside, it was pouring. The soaked vendors closed up early and went home. Most of us decided to stick around and bond.
For the last two years, I have incorporated a small bike show. Sponsors of this bike show donate the trophies for the event and then they get to pick the best bikes they think a woman should ride. Vagabond Chopper’s own Athena “Chickie” Ransom’s pink chop was Best in Show. Athena rode up from Ft. Lauderdale and for the very first time, I had a “celeb bike builder” friend at the event. Oh, and yeah, she’s a good friend of mine, too. Ladies Day Out celebrates the diversity of women riders with Oldest, Youngest, Farthest Travelled and my favorite, Best Dressed. If you can look as good as you did in the morning by the time we hand out trophies at four in the afternoon, you deserved the title.
The door prizes were phenomenal this year and all the proceeds from this years event goes to our local non-profit animal shelter Dogs and Cats Forever. We didn’t raise enough money, $450 dollars. We did however, have a great ride and no one was arrested, even though we did kind of bully our way around the last traffic light. We started at the shelter’s new adoption center and thrift store, a small complex that took years in the making. When handing the money over to Jay Appicella, the executive director, she reminds me how much dog food that will buy.
Ladies Day Out isn’t the biggest women in motorcycling event, simply put, we think its the best. It's celebration of sisterhood says so. We saluted our veterans who stormed the beaches in France 65 years earlier to the exact day so that we could be free to ride our bikes today and we don’t forget to watch the Belmont Stakes. We are All-American girls on steel rides who are unflinchingly fearless in any kind of weather.
For the past ten years, without whine or slime, I have helped my sisters in the wind enjoy a day to ourselves, without husbands or kids or the worries of work. This was my last year of putting it together since my career path has changed, my calling to become a public school art teacher has taken all of my time. Next year, if there is a next year, is up to anyone who wants to take the time and put out the energies to organize this event, they have my blessings and counsel. It is such a kick ass good time that I just want to be a participant. You try bringing that many bikes in without incident or police and then tell me how it feels.
Everyone here already knows my name.
