Chrome Diva Ride - October 18, 2009

On Sunday, October 18th, the Divas bundled up and headed out to Daytona Beach to join in the festivities of the 17th Annual Biketoberfest. After record-breaking high temps the first half of October, the temperature suddenly dropped to a record-breaking low -- a brisk 48 degrees at the time of meetup.

We hardly recognized each other in our warm riding gear -- especially Debi! (Really, how did we not get a picture of her fully suited up with her helmet on?)



We stopped off at New Smyrna Harley-Davidson for a little coffee break and to check out some of the vendors that had set up in the lot. And as the sun started to come up, notice the layers starting to come off...



Next stop: Main Street, Daytona Beach, where the party was in full swing. This is our view from the balcony of The Dog House Bar & Grill where we had lunch. Perfect for watching all the bikes and people going by...



Then we were off and shopping for "The Perfect T-Shirt"...



As well as the perfect pins, vests and chaps...



There were plenty of Kodak Moments...







Lots of oohs and aahs over all the tricked out bikes...







And, of course, a bike festival in Daytona is always a great place for people watching...



You didn't think we weren't going to get a beach shot, did you?



One last coffee break before heading home. Mmmm.... Starbucks.
(Note the perfect vests and pins.)



So, it may have started out a little chilly, but as it turned out, we couldn't have asked for better weather. We had a great ride and a wonderful day with lots of fun, laughter -- and shopping! What else do you want?



UPDATE: November 12, 2009 -- I knew SOMEONE had to have gotten this shot. Nobody knew that this was our very own Director, Debi, until she took off her helmet.

Chrome Diva Ride - August 16, 2009

On August 16th the Divas met up and rode to Cocoa Beach. Sharon W. was in charge of this month's Divas-only ride, and with some input from Victoria, Trish and Chris, her ride was a success. We met at Broadway Pizza Sunday morning and left at 10:00 -- 30 minutes past our original kickstands up time but, hey, we had a lot to talk about, especially since we had four new members to introduce ourselves to!

Thankfully, for an August day it wasn't too hot while we were riding. The beach was another story. Whoa, it got a little warm!

Once we got to Cocoa, we stopped in at Coconuts On The Beach for lunch. They have a great menu and you can't beat the view (right on the beach). We were all feeling thankful for the air-conditioned, indoor-dining option, though. The food was outstanding! Lots of rave reviews on each of the dishes ordered.

After lunch, some of us headed back while others stayed to check out the beach bods and visit other friends in the area. We had a great time and many of our regulars who couldn't make it this time were missed.

A few pics from the ride:

Pre-ride

Newest members Keri and Joni

Sunscreen application before a ride -- always a good idea!

Joni's all saddled up and ready to ride.

Diva newbies Yvonne, Roxanne, Joni and Keri

Comfort stop at James G. Bourbeau Memorial Park

Pic taken by Deb. We had a follow car this time, as Deb's bike was having technical difficulty. Glad she "rode" along with us!

The whole gang at Coco -- wait! Where's Victoria?

Okay, the whole gang at -- now, where's Bunny?



Here's the detail of the ride:

Starting Point: Broadway Pizza Parking Lot 9:30 AM

Heading East on 434 to North Central Avenue.

Make a Left on 419/E.Broadway Street/Chulota Road

Left on Lake Mills Road Turn Right on Fort Christmas Road

Stay on Fort Christmas Road until you reach 50 E. Crossover heading East, take the next turn on the Right onto Taylor Creek which takes you to 520.

Turn Left onto 520 heading East thru Merritt Island directly to A1A. At 520/A1A intersection turn Right.

At the Minuteman Causeway proceed one block make a left, go one block make a left. Coconuts is located on the right up one block.

Ending Point 25 S. Atlantic Avenue. Cocoa Beach, FL

Chrome Diva Ride - July 18, 2009

The Divas met at 8:30 Saturday morning at Broadway Pizza for our monthly Divas-only ride. Before heading out, we had a photo-op with a photographer with Lake Mary Life Magazine. Julie Compton is writing the cover story for the September/October issue of the magazine and our picture may be included. Between Akili, Victoria and Julie, we are managing to get a lot of positive exposure. Not bad for a 4-month-old group!

After picture time, we headed out to ride. And what a great one it was! A big thanks to Trish and Victoria, who planned and led the event. There were plenty of beautiful, sweeping, country roads and then a delicious lunch at The Wharf Restaurant in downtown Deland.

Debi, Chris, Trish, Akili, Victoria, Bunny, Melissa, Lisa, Grace, Laura and Julie

(Not pictured: Sharon W., who met up with the group at The Wharf Restaurant)

Lunch at The Wharf Restaurant

Here is the detailed route of the ride:

• Turning right from the Broadway parking lot to 434 E. Left on Weikva Springs Rd
• Right on Welch Rd
• Right on Rock Springs Road
• Left on Kelly Park Road, bear off to the right on Plymouth Road
• Left on 46, Right on 437
• Cross over 44, turn left at 44A
• Turn Left on Thrill Hill Rd
• Turn Left on 44 Turn Left on 439
• Stay on 439 to 42 Turn Right
• Turn Left on 44 which turns into New York Avenue
• Stay on New York Avenue until you reach the intersection of NY Ave and 17-92cross over and make an immediate right into the parking lot of the Wharf Restaurant.
• Return to Orlando: Stay on 17-92 heading South around the St. Johns River thru Sanford into Orlando. Take a right on 434 back to Broadway parking lot.

Chrome Diva Ride - June 21, 2009

On Father's Day, June 21, 2009 the Divas headed out for their monthly Diva-only ride. The ride was organized and led by... wait for it ... Victoria and Trish. Yes, they came through for us again! What would we do without them?

Some of the other Divas that attended were Debi, Chris, Lynn, and Sharon W. There were also a few non-members that rode along.

From Broadway Pizza in Altamonte the Divas hit the ignition buttons and headed out to Lake County. They rode along Lake Apopka, then headed up Sugarloaf Mountain and -- Wait, what? You didn't know Florida has mountains? Well, it does. Sort of. At 312 feet above sea level, Sugarloaf is second only to Britton Hill (located in the Florida Panhandle) as the highest point in Florida. (Britton Hill is 345 feet above sea level.) From the top of Sugarloaf, you are rewarded with magnificent views of Lake Apopka and our famous orange groves. We don't often get this perspective in Florida.

After coming down the mountain -- thankfully there were no nose bleeds -- the Divas went to Moon Cricket Grille in the heart of downtown Winter Garden for lunch. Moon Cricket has been described as being "like TGIFridays before they went corporate."

When Sharon W. was later asked about the ride, she replied, "I remember that ride fondly; that's where I had the BLT sandwich with the fried green tomatoes! Yummy!"

And doesn't that just make the ride all the more rewarding, to find a gem of a place to eat after riding beautiful backroads with good friends? Can't wait to find out where the next ride-to-eat will be!

Chrome Diva Ride rained out for May '09

After months of drought, the rain finally comes. And keeps coming. The torrential rains have caused historic flooding. In a one-week period Daytona Beach has had 28 inches of rainfall! (Click here for the final rainfall totals in your area during this wet week.)

So the Divas-Only Ride scheduled for the morning of Saturday, May 23rd was called off late Friday night. Yes, in true Diva style, we remained optimistic right up to the final hours.

Next time, Ladies.

The Divas' First Ride

April 19, 2009 was an exciting day for the Divas. Nineteen of us showed up at Broadway Pizza for our very first Divas-Only ride. Chris led us through some beautiful countryside and then we took the Loop, famous among motorcyclists for the winding roads, beautiful Florida countryside and breathtaking views of the ocean. For detailed information about the Loop, click on this Daytona Beach Chamber of Commerce site.

We had quite a few novice riders along, who gained a great deal of experience by the end of the day. We started around 10:00 and rode until early evening. For many of our riders, this was the longest ride they had ever been on.

Pre-ride group shot

Lynn's mom joined us for lunch

Cops having a little fun
"We are placing everyone in this bike gang under arrest."

Chris leads the way

Tree canopied road on the Loop