Another weekend, part 2 Harley Davidson

**2013 Harley Davidson Anniversary Party in Milwaukee

All hotels rooms are booked…… try an AirB&B booking.

Enjoy the festival, the museum, the plant and all that the

beautiful city of Milwaukee has to offer –

and that is a lot more than beer and cheese!

please see this listing and inquire. House is available

for the full week.**

Please read Another Weekend, part 1, first.

l

All Roads Lead to Milwaukee

The sun was shining, temperature in the 80’s.  A perfect afternoon to head to the lakefront.  Derek and I jumped in his car and drove east.  It took a little while – remember, Harley Fest is happening.  We parked on the top of the bluff and walked down, and there they were.  Thousands upon thousands upon thousands.  And then some.

Every way you looked, there were more bikes.

Some were parked, others were riding.

Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death…
Hunter S. Thompson

Some were painted with beautiful designs or pictures.

I believe many Harley guys spend more time revving their engines than actually driving anywhere; I sometimes wonder why they bother to have wheels on their motorcycles.
Dave Barry

Others were silly.

Some were just beautiful.

I always wanted one of those…..

Then we left Lincoln Memorial Drive and entered the grounds.  Talk about leather!

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it’s safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.
Anonymous

As I said in the earlier post, people came from all over the world.

There was the bat bike.

And antique models.

98% of all Harleys ever sold are still on the road. The other 2% made it home.
Anonymous

There were so many people…

And there were cars, too.

They were having fun along with everyone else.

I’d rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my motorcycle.
Anonymous

It made me want to go back to my past.  I didn’t know how dangerous motorcycles were then.  My dad had one, for heaven’s sake!  The only rule was I had to wear a helmet.  My daughter calls me a hypocrite because I will not let her ride.  She tells me when she is old enough, she will be on that cycle with her lip pierced and sporting a tattoo.  I hope she gains some sense in the next two years.

But I know what she wants.  I wanted it too.

And I to my motorcycle
Parked like the soul of the junkyard
Restored, a bicycle fleshed
With power, and tore off
Up Highway 106 continually
Drunk on the wind in my mouth
Wringing the handlebar for speed
Wild to be wreckage forever.

James Dickey


8 thoughts on “Another weekend, part 2 Harley Davidson

  1. loved the quotes interspersed with text and photos – they made me laugh. Sometimes, the power and/or truth of one line, one sentence, amazes me.

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  2. Good morning Oh! You are so right. I wish I could be succinct…. but alas, I tend to go on and on. Taking the photos was so much fun, too. Everyone was happy, having a good time. The morning paper reported there were no arrests at the festival last night! I think that is amazing.

    Brightmyer – they were beautiful. So many different models, with their individualized paint and decoration. We walked up and down lines of parked bikes and just admired them.

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  3. Sounds like a great weekend. And temps in the 80’s? Fantastic! Loved all the pictures and the quotes accompanying your text. I’m very sorry to hear about the computer crash and the loss of your story. I’ve had many computer crashes but have never lost anything like that. I can imagine the devastation. I hope the rewrite goes smoothly for you. I’m excited to hear that your son found a place and look forward to your reports on his adventures in NYC. It is a vibrant, interesting place. I’m sure he will learn a lot and have an amazing time.

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  4. Hi Carl, we can’t get rid of temps in the 80’s! I could use a little fall about now.
    It was a fun weekend. I had plans to avoid the festivities because it is so LOUD and crowded, but Derek is young and full of adventure, so he inspired me. It was great just to spend the time with him, too, since he is leaving on Sunday. I will report about his adventures in New York. He lived a semester in London, so he is an old hand at making himself at home in a new city. I will ask him to write a guest post!
    Okay, I have to get back to reading my R.I.P book! So far: strange but good. A tea kettle turns into a badger…..

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  5. Wow! That’s a lot of Harleys! So interesting. I’ve never ridden one–the motors kind of scare me. I guess I’m a wimp.
    But they are pretty, in a Harley kind of way.

    Thanks for coming to my party! You made my day even more wonderful!
    Becky

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  6. Again, I’m very excited for him.

    We’ve had temps in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s for the last week. Other than being sick as a dog on Friday I’ve been in heaven!

    And it is opening weekend in the NFL! How much better can it get?!?!?

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  7. How much better can it get? The closing week of the NFL? haha

    Derek took off this morning, suitcase weighed 47.5 pounds after a little readjustment. I am waiting to hear from him about his adventures today. We spent a lot of time together in the last couple weeks, so withdrawal will be tough! My youngest just got her driver’s license, so I probably won’t see her for months either…..

    The weather is delightful here, too. There are acorns all over the ground in the park. I finally had time to write a post this morning, which will probably make it up this afternoon or evening. I notice you haven’t been posting as often, or is that my imagination?

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