Right from the start, I knew I liked Alystar McKenneh. When we met at the Easyrider V-Twin Expo in Cincinnati, I knew I had finally met a woman who rides like I do on a regular basis. As she was telling me of her upcoming quest, at first, I was jealous that I couldn’t do this ride with her. Alystar pounds the pavement hard, going the distance, and that is difficult to find in the majority of women. That’s why I travel solo. It takes a certain kind of woman who shares that all out passion. Being independent is one of our strong characteristics. Our motorcycles are our passion, we live for the journey. The oil runs as hot through our veins as it does our motors. We work on our bikes and we are NOT limited by anyone else's perspectives or projections. We ride with peace of mind through America’s two lane roads, our motorcycles define the nature of our female spirit as strong, smart, accomplished women, powerful and able to do whatever we dream. There is no better escape than leaving your troubles behind as the wind blows through our hair knowing that everything will be ok. It just doesn’t matter any longer.
Riding a motorcycle, one has many experiences. Such as, the chill when you sink down into the bottom of the hill and get hit by the warm sun again. Once in awhile you catch the scent of sweet flowers and foliage. As we inhale, we become part of our surroundings God intended us to experience and be FREE!
Alystar assured me that we would ride together when she arrived in Pittsburgh, Pa. I was geared up with that, knowing in my thoughts, this was HER Ride and Documentary style movie. I’m thrilled to be able to write of her adventurous journey and “FOLLOW ME” Campaign of 1 woman, 1 motorcycle and 10,000 miles to ride across America to explore the rich heritage of a ride of a lifetime. Her ride across America is to build a market, create excitement and raise money for the production of a feature film called “Road to Sturgis.”
On April 3, 2010, Alystar’s adventure starts out on her 1999 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. Riding on American Steel, her bike is designed to allow her to touch upon the freedom that the hardcore American bikers feel. She will experience the ultimate adventure without sacrificing her family and/ or profession to experience it. Her stops will include the blue collar workers, women and men, who are the bikers. Bars, interesting people with life stories to share, custom bike builders and women of the motorcycle industry.
Alystar McKenneh was born in Belle Fourche, South Dakota and was raised on Air Force Bases. She is a mother and resides in So. California. Her journey of 10,000 miles coast to coast personifies the strong independent women she found at the end of her struggle to survive a childhood some would consider a nightmare.
She is a filmmaker who normally works as a 1st assistant director, screen writer who writes anything from poems to children’s books. Alystar is a human rights activist, she is your girl next door.
Alystar prefers to work on projects that rehabilitate the emotionally desensitized, to tell the truth and remind people especially women and children, it’s not what they call you, it’s what you answer to that will define you.
Before leaving home she will pack her saddlebags with the absolute must haves. Not having a lot of room in her leather saddlebags she must prepare wisely for Mother Nature, Emergencies, Leisure time and her overall physical condition of dehydration from the different climates she will endure.
Some of her gear will include; no make-up, hairdryer or girly stuff, instead she will pack a turkey baster for siphoning if she should run out of gas traveling across the high desert plains and /or should she come across another motorcyclist out of gas. Rain gear, plenty of socks, a couple pairs of gloves, “NO-AD Sunscreen“, sweatshirts, canned tuna, tools, several pairs of sunglasses, motorcycle cover, one pair of jeans and one on her ass, chaps, two pairs of boots, “Grin & Bare It “ Body Lotion, underwear, her HD shear-ling leather motorcycle jacket, water, several packs of Gatorade, a laptop to communicate with the world, a cell phone for break downs, a HUGE heavy link chain for locking up her bike, and let’s not forget her gun that she never leaves home without.
She will ride a minimum of 600 to 700 miles in any given day. You will not find her in hotels or camping at campgrounds instead she will spend her nights with her friends and/or people she meets along the way offer their hospitality for the night. If she becomes fatigued while on the road, she regularly sleeps on her bike.
Her journey will be broadcast across the globe via the web. Alystar’s starting point begins at Glendale Harley-Davidson, So. California. Her first stop will be at Sucker Punch Sally’s and Bagger Nation in Arizona. Along the way she will attend a woman’s garage night. Moving on across Texas to New Orleans where she will reconnect with the people she helped during Hurricane Katrina. Her next destination will be Daytona Beach to Suck Bang Blow (the best ride-in biker bar around) and on to the Veterans Wall, to Dave Perewitz's Cycle Fabrication to Danny Gray's Roadhouse to “FOLLOW ME.”
Any of you amazing women who want to join Alystar even for a few miles are all welcome. Including any rider who has an amazing story and who is anywhere close to the trip path, contact Alystar, she would love to hear your stories.
“FOLLOW ME” Will take you places you would never get to experience, either because you can’t take off work for that amount of time or you can’t ride a motorcycle and fulfill a lifelong dream. Take part in a breath-taking, one of a kind experience that Alystar will take you across the country and experience some of the best scenic motorcycle rides through the unforgiving Death Valley Desert, climb through mountains gaps, along rivers, across lakes, along the ocean coastlines and along windy twisty roads, from start to finish. It's the perfect therapy on all levels.
“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.”
