First Biker Babe Tours Newsletter is Here!

Hi, all! Our first-ever, quarterly newsletter (in PDF) is available for your viewing, reading, and well, general pleasure. Give it a whirl!

BBT Newsletter Spring 2013

 

Biker Babe Tours Adds a Half-Price Tour

Biker Babes! Check out our latest Press Release:

Sedona, AZ. March 28, 2013. Biker Babe Tours, Inc., a Sedona, AZ motorcycle touring company for women, has added a half-price, three-day tour to the 2013 schedule in order to accommodate women who might be feeling the pinch of the economy.

Kanab, UT

The “Kickin’ It in Kanab Utah” tour, slated for Thursday May 16 through Sunday, May 19, 2013 in Kanab, UT will include scenic rides to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and Zion National Park, plus other fun rides and events. Participants will stay at the fun, comfortable, and retro-chic Quail Park Lodge of Kanab, UT.

Lead Tour Guide and company CEO, Liz Casey says, “Adding lower-cost options to our tour schedule is the right thing to do in this difficult economy of ours. Lowering prices lets us serve a wider spectrum of women who might not otherwise get a chance to participate. In fact, we’ve found several ways to trim company costs and have lowered the prices on all of our 2013 tours. We just want to send the message that no matter how tough things are financially in this country, women still need to take time away to recharge themselves and focus on what they want in life. A motorcycle tour retreat with other like-minded women riders is the perfect way to do that. ”

Biker Babe Tours serves women riders who bring (or rent) their own bikes and protective gear. The company provides single-day and multi-day motorcycle specialty tours for women in beautiful locations across Arizona and Utah. Multi-day tour packages include lodging, most meals, a special treat (such as a massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, cooking class, crafting class, or adventure activity like a helicopter or hot-air-balloon ride). Participants also get a tour T-shirt and thrilling guided rides on roads that are ideal for motorcycles. The company has exciting motorcycle tours planned throughout spring, summer, and fall.

Biker Babe Tours, Inc., a motorcycle touring company for women, conducts motorcycle tour retreats during the months of April through October. For more information, visit their Web site at www.BikerBabeTours.com.

Riding Spirit; Spirit Riding

So, I’ll let you all in on a secret that isn’t really a secret at all because (A.) You all know this and (B.) I’ve written about this before. But, riding a motorcycle is a highly spiritual, even a (dare I say it), holy practice. Yep. Riding is one of the most holy, sacred, and vital activities in which human beings can engage, because it brings the inner and outer together. Now, before you begin rolling your eyes and chalking me up as some Sedona hairy-fairy, woo-woo, meditation fruitcake (which, you know, I kinda am, but that is a discussion for another post), hear me out.

Riding a motorcycle is an exercise in wholeness. What does that mean to me? It’s an activity where one is totally focused, totally present, in action, in the moment and yet, also simultaneously surrounded by a soft, gauzy, dream-land bubble of euphoria, pleasure, and relaxation. So, it’s about feeling and being whole, which is totally spiritual. At a deeper level, riding is the converging and commingling of the inner terrain of one’s own self (feelings, thoughts, and sensations) with the outer world of a racing landscape, a racing engine, plus the wind, the scenery, the road, and nature. Riding is one of the few activities that let you be completely inside of yourself and yet completely in the world at the same time. Again, spiritual.

Whether you describe yourself as religious/spiritual or not, a believer in a higher power or not, riding a motorcycle is about finding a connection with the self and the world, and is simply the most delicious way, in my opinion, to do that, to achieve that connection, that contentedness (which I believe we are all seeking in one way or another, regardless of belief system).

Yesterday, for example, I rode all over the place with several members of my Grand Canyon Harley-Davidson HOG Chapter. Several times throughout the day, I was able to achieve that all-encompassing sense of being at one with the inner and the outer worlds. I knew what the bike in front of me was going to do right before he did it. I knew the feelings that the other riders were having right as they were having them. I knew and felt the landscape reacting to our presence as we sped across her lovely hide. And, I felt such appreciation and love inside at being given an opportunity to dig deep, to hold that awe and wonder, and to witness the marriage between the inner and the outer.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I just LOVE seeing other riders feeling this, too. Few things bring me as much joy as seeing my brothers and sisters as happy as I am and as happy as human beings can be in such a simple and immediate way. This is why we ride, whether most of us would characterize the experience in this way or not. We are all doing it. We are all getting closer to who we are, why we came to this planet for more lessons, and how we can act in love and unity. The happier people are, the more they give to others, the more they tap into the universal themes of love and freedom, and the more they have to offer others.  We are all riding spirit, regardless of the vehicle chosen. And, spirit is riding us.

(What about you? Do you agree? Do you think I am out of my tree? Tell me. Let’s start this discussion and we can cap it off by ripping through the desert together, pulling up to a traffic light, looking over at each other knowingly, and smiling like the sun! Let’s do this.)

Biker Babe Summer Trip, Part II

So, in one of my last few posts, I outlined Rebecca’s and my two-day, 1700-mile ride out to Carson City Nevada (last July 2012) for the sixth AMA Women and Motorcycling conference. Part two of the tale, which will take us through some of the conference highlights, follows. Are you ready to roll? Well, get ready, babies, ‘cuz here it comes. LOL!

Day one of the conference, July 26^th, started off with conference participants gathering on their bikes at the rear parking lot of the Gold Dust Casino. We were welcomed by event organizers and then led through the process for how to ride the parade route safely.

Women riders at the AMA safety briefing

Conference goers, escorted by the local police, then rode through the streets in parade formation to the AMA opening ceremony, held in the beautiful, outdoor Carson City Capitol Amphitheater. The day was fresh, warm, and bright and the mood of the crowd, jovial. Our very funny emcee, Jessica Irving, who is the grassroots coordinator for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), introduced herself, the head of the AMA, and various other speakers, including the Mayor of Carson City, who issued a hearty welcome to all of us from the entire city.

Capping off the opening ceremonies was a performance by a local Native American tribe. Alas, I’m so ashamed of myself for not writing down these folks’ tribe. I think they were Washoe, but I might be wrong about that. Anyway, four members of tribe performed: two men who drummed and sang and two dancers, a son and a father. The son was a pre-teen who was in training and learning the sacred dances from his father. This kid was so totally adorable and very talented. The dancers’ hand-made regalia was absolutely breath-taking and their warm welcome to us, by way of sacred song and dance, brought tears to my eyes; it was so moving and such a huge treat.

Native American dancers

Obviously, one of the coolest aspects of the conference was the fact that everywhere you looked, all over town, we saw women on all different kinds and sizes of bikes. It was truly a spectacle. The streets were crowded with mamas on their machines. And, surprisingly, lots of men attended, too. It was so fun to see all those dudes representin’ for their women like that. Personally, I was lusting after all of the motorcycles. I mean, every kind and color imaginable. I just walked up and down the rows of parked bikes drooling on all of those gorgeous machines. None of my wind-sisters seemed to mind. LOL!

Bikes!

A huge highlight of the trip for me was meeting two remarkable women who, on day two of the conference, rode up together as I was going in to catch one of the seminars. I met the prolific and talented writer, Genevieve Schmitt, founder and editor of Women Riders Now magazine and the very sweet, Amy Skaling of Team Diva. I’ll start with Genevieve Schmitt. First off, she rides a bad-ass, custom Street Glide with a killer paint job. Her bike is leather-brown denim with orange and white flames, pictured below.

Becca Looking at Genevieve’s Street Glide

Genevieve’s an itty-bitty woman (thin as a rail), but she rides a ton and just slaps that big bike around, which impresses the hell out of me. Ms. Schmitt has done a ton for the female motorcycling community. Since 1999, she’s been a journalist writing articles about women motorcyclists and products of interest to women riders including reviews of motorcycles. Through the pages of her online magazine, She has given women riders a place to connect with each other, form a supportive community, and become inspired. Check out Genevieve’s online magazine here: WomenRidersNow.

Amy Skaling, founder of the company, Team Diva, is also a huge inspiration to female bikers and a real hoot, to boot. I’ve written about Amy before. She runs a company, Team Diva, that specializes in custom, hand-made, bedazzled hats, and other headwear, that are, like her bike, equally shimmering and beautiful creations.

Diva-Amy Skaling of Team Diva

Speaking of her bike, Amy rides a big-ass Road Glide that she lovingly calls her “Diva Glide”. When I saw her bike, I nearly fell over from shock (and glee). Amy has bedazzled her entire bike with Austrian lead crystals. It’s beautiful and so over-the-top that you just have to smile when you see it. In addition, Amy’s bike has an absolutely gorgeous paint job. Her bike shimmers with color and “bling”. There’s no missing Amy or her bike.

Amy and Her Diva Glide

Amy attends numerous motorcycle rallies and conferences selling her wares and doing activist work for American Veterans. I love Amy. She has done so much to advance female ridership and further causes that support our country’s Veterans. Oh, and by the way, Amy is also the organizer of the up-coming all-chick ride and drive on April 11th, during AZ Bike Week. The ride will benefit “Helping With Horsepower “ program, which helps troubled and at-risk youth by letting them build or restore a motorcycle together.

Another Shot of the Diva Glide

Tune in next time for the conclusion to this adventure of ours. I promise, peeps. I’ll finish writing this tale before we hit the one-year anniversary of this trip. At least, I hope I will. LOL!

The Hag Speaks; My First Ladies of Harley Article

Thought you all might enjoy reading my first LOH article to my Harley Owners Group chapter for our newsletter, The HOG Log. So, here ya go:

Hi, my HOGgy peeps! First of all, thank you so much for voting me in to lead Ladies of Harley for 2013. Granted, I was the only one on the ballot, which made the whole thing pretty easy-peasy in my book (Ha!), but your confidence in me to take on this role and hold up the tradition is truly flattering. I am filling shoes that are, frankly, hard to fill, but I’m not doing it alone. I have loving sisters and brothers of HOG, helping me along the way. So, I’m honored to serve and hope that I do the position justice.

As I see it, my role in LOH is to inspire women riders and passengers to become more involved in HOG and Ladies of Harley. But beyond that, I hope to encourage all chapter members to participate in the LOH activities as well as chapter meetings, board meetings, rides, and events. LOH is not about division or relegating things to gender lines and opposing forces, it’s about bringing people together in a common spirit and function. You are always welcome to attend LOH event, whether you ride your own or not and whether you are female or not; you all are a vital part of LOH and necessary to the strength and cohesion of our chapter of which LOH is but a part. I love LOH and women riders, but at the same time, I wish LOH had been named POH for “People of Harley”, because I believe it takes all of us to make this work at a beneficial level.

At the recent board meeting, both Joe and Fernando brought up a good point: that maybe we have veered away from an important element of why we’re all HOG members, which is to ride and have fun. Yes, perhaps we have veered a bit away from that, but we can fix it. Being out on a Harley (the best brand of motorcycle in the world, in my opinion), whether at the front of a bike or the back is vital to experiencing happiness and finding our freedom as individuals. Riding is about what happens inside of us when we ride, that wonderfully satisfying, meditative, and enriching experience that’s intensely personal and yet shared by each of us. Riding keeps us sane, whole, and happy. And, if I may be so bold, it’s vital to our existence.

Riding is why we are a part of this great organization. But, I propose that a direct outpouring of the health and happiness achieved by riding is the philanthropic work that we as HOG members do in the community. Riding makes us happy and centered and only in that state of balance, do we have enough to reach out and give to others, both in our personal lives and in a wider spectrum. So, I’m calling 2013 the year of the ride and I’m hoping to see all of you at the upcoming chapter rides and events. We’ve got some really fun stuff planned for February, a General Meeting on the 9^th, a dinner drive to Cliff Castle on the 15^th, a CPR class on the 16^th, and Big Brothers, Big Sisters Bowl-a-Thon on the 23^rd. Please come and hang with your HOG brothers and sisters, and let’s get a jump on this year of the ride! Yours truly, Lizzy-bean

Ladies of Harley Has a New Hag

Yep, you read that right. There’s a new hag in town and she’s ready to roll with her HOGgy sisters and brothers! Recently, I was nominated to the Ladies of Harley (LOH) seat for my Grand Canyon Harley-Davidson HOG Chapter. We had our Chapter Board Meeting today and planned all of the fun 2013 rides and activities for not only LOH but the entire chapter.

Some of the good stuff that we have planned? A CPR Class, Road Captain training, a ride to Motezuma’s Castle, the LOH Bunny Run, an “overnighter” in Durango, CO, Harley Officer Training (HOT) in Salt Lake City, an LOH lunch ride to Jerome, AZ Bike Week, various feedbag chapter rides, and lots, lots more. I’m so excited!

I’ll post articles and photos up here from all the fun rides and shenanigans that we crazy peeps get into this year. The motto for Harley Owners’ Group is Ride and Have Fun. Well, we all sure know how to do that and it’s about to get real. Join us, peeps and let’s make this HOG Chapter and LOH legendary!

BBT Landed in BC’s “The Province” News

Ha, guess what?! I just found out that Biker Babe Tours landed the cover on the print edition of the Cars/Riding column in The Province, a Vancouver BC newspaper back in August. Woop!

Following’s a screen shot of the article sent to me by the very cool and talented journalist, Alexandra Straub, who wrote the piece, and here is a link to the online edition of the article. Alexandra is not only a great writer, she’s into cars and motorcycles. She test drives and rides various cars and bikes and then writes super witty, fresh articles about her experiences. For the record, I love this chick and I want her job. ; )

Lastly, for those interested, here is The_Province_Tour_Companies_Article (print edition) in PDF format. This kind of stuff is really alot of fun! Hopefully, I’ll get to meet Alexandra out on the road one of these days and I can let her take Anja out for a spin. I, of course, will then test drive or ride whatever she happens to rolling in or on. : )