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Greetings Riders,

Well, for those of you that are new to the Valley of the Sun, you have just gotten a good taste of what summer is like around here. For those of us that have been here for a while, it is just reminding us of what we have in store for the next few months. Mrs. C. and I missed the heat here last weekend as we headed South to Rocky Point to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. The weather down there was absolutely beautiful this past weekend staying between 85-90 degrees with a cool ocean breeze. And contrary to what the press would have you believe, we didn't get accosted at the border, gunned down by drug cartels or show any symptoms of swine flu.

If you not going to Rocky Point simply because of the bad press you have heard, reconsider. Prices of motels and condos are reduced, the beaches are empty and getting back across the border has never been faster. We came back at 4:30pm on a Sunday evening and were the 6th car in line. Took us 9 minutes to get through. Last year it would have taken 2 hours. So if you are looking for a quick 200 mile trip to the beach, now is the time. FYI, they say that June 1st you will need passports to get back.

Speaking of trips, now is the time to start planning your Summer rides. I know I have already started thinking about where we would like to go this year. In fact, planning a good long motorcycle ride is half the fun for me, and with the internet at our disposal, you can almost feel the wind in your face. I have done some research and found a couple of really neat programs and web sites that I want to share with you.

When planning any trip, especially for pleasure, you would like to pick the kind of scenery that you are going to see along the way. In the old days, you really only had a couple of choices. You might see a picture of the area in a magazine or ask someone who had been there to describe it to you. Either way, the information was going to be limited at best. In today's world, you can usually find many photos on the internet. For instance, just go into www.google.com , click on images and type in the name of the road or area that you want to see, and hundreds of photos will come up. Another way I have previewed a road is to fly over it. That works if it is in the general area. Another way is to go into google maps and click on the aerial button to see the general landscape of the area from above. But the best way to do it is by viewing the road in Google Earth.

I hadn't played around with Google Earth for a while and the improvements they have made to this program are unbelievable. For example, I wanted to see what the road that goes North out of Silver City through the Pinos Altos Range was like before I decided to ride it. I went in to Google Earth found the road that I wanted to see, started zooming in on the road and camera icons started to appear. Click on one of those camera icons and it will show you a small picture from the road or the area. Then you can click on "Show Full Screen" and it will take you right down to the road as if you were right there. At that point you can drag the screen around and do a complete 360 degree view of the area like you were standing in the middle of the road. You might also see some blue squares on the map, click on them for photos from that spot. This is an amazing program.

But that's not all. To get an idea for the topography landscape of the area, zoom in a little bit to the area that you want to see, place your mouse cursor toward the top of the screen, hold down the Ctrl key and your left mouse button while dragging the mouse down the screen. This will change the angle of view to let you see the topography of the area. Then you can follow the road at that angle. Once again, outstanding software for researching just about anything before you actually go there. You can even try going to Maui, London or Paris, France to see what all the fuss is about. You could spend hours getting lost in this program.

Now that I have your interest peaked, how do you get it? Simply go to http://earth.google.com/ and download the free version of Google Earth. Install it and you will now be on a virtual tour to wherever you want to go. There is a tutorial that is good to get you going. It also really helps to have a mouse with a wheel on the top to help with zooming in and out of a page.

Ok, now that you know where you want to go, how are you going to get there? When I do my trip planning I always load up my Garmin Quest GPS with my daily routes planned out on the Garmin City Navigator North America software. Using this software allows me to make waypoints on the map and be able to keep them for future use or reference. But if you don't have a GPS or the software to go with it, I have found the next best thing that you can use to plan your trip. It is on the internet, it is FREE and it is outstanding!

This new ride planning program is the Harley-Davidson Ride Planner. You can plan your route, save it and then email it to your riding buddies complete with turn by turn directions. The great thing about this mapping program is that you can simply right mouse click on the map, insert either a "waypoint" or a "location". Start with inserting a "location" to get your route started, and then insert "waypoints" along the route that you want to follow. (Sometimes you will have to force your route by adding several waypoints along the road that you want to take) At the end of your route, insert a "location" point and it will draw a line on the road and tell you how far it is and how long it will take you to get there. You can even drag your waypoints and locations around the map to check mileage or change your route. This is great for planning out legs of your trip for gas, food, or just seeing how far you want to ride for the day. Once you have laid out your route, you can click the mixed button to see the aerial terrain of where you are going to be riding.

The HD Ride Planner is a great asset for anyone planning a trip. You can also add the dealerships that you would see along your route, hotels and even fuel stops. I guarantee you will spend hours playing around with this program. You will also find and extensive "Help" page in the upper right of the program. To save the map you will need to become a registered user. But no worries, you don't have to be a Harley Rider or H.O.G. Member to use the page. Here is a screen shot of a trip that I want to take down the Coronado Trail and on to Silver City, NM. Here is an example of a route that I emailed to myself for a ride that I want to take to Silver City, NM. Click Here.

Thursday Night

The Bike Night At The Billet Bar. The Billet Bar was the place to be during Bike Week as well as the rest of the year. Set on the patio and watch the action. Voted "BEST BIKER BAR IN PHOENIX" by New Times. There is no better place to watch all the Bikes ride down Scottsdale road than from The Billet Bar Patio. The Billet is ALWAYS packed with bikes Every Day. Stop by and take a look at the New Flamed Booths on the Paradise Patio. The new bars front and rear provide spacious seating, fresh air atmosphere, perfect temperature and courteous staff. The food is amazing and always the latest in cold libations await. You can sit at the back bar and watch your favorite TV on any of the seven big inch televisions. Play pool, listen to the latest music and socialize. The front patio seats over 75 people and is perfect for people watching on Scottsdale Rd. The Billet Bar is located on 3752 N. Scottsdale Rd. Check it out this Thursday night and all weekend long. Info: at 480-941-1876. Click Here for the New Billet Bar Page with pictures.

Bike Night on Wednesday, May 27th Only, then back to Thursdays through July 2nd
Westgate City Center Bike Night in Association with Cyclerides.com. Westgate Bike Night Has Been Extended!!!

The ending date for this bike night WAS to be May 14th, but due to the overwhelming participation, we have decided to extend this event to July 2nd, where we will have a huge 4th of July celebration on bike night. IMPORTANT UPDATE! Due to events at the Jobing.com Arena the last 2 Thursdays of May, Bike Night will be moved to Wednesday for the last 2 weeks of May. Those dates for Wednesday Bike Nights are May 20 and 27th. They will then be on Thursdays again through July 2nd.

For the First Time, The premier entertainment venue in the Valley, Westgate City Center, will Host a night for motorcycles for the next 6 weeks. I have been wanting to see a Bike Night at Westgate for a couple of years and it is finally here. If you have ever been to an event at Jobing.com or University of Phoenix Stadium, you are most likely familiar with the Times Square feel of Westgate City Center. Starting Thursday, April 9th, for the 6 Thursdays, Westgate will open up Coyote Blvd. from 6pm - 10pm for parking of motorcycles next to the 6 Million Dollar Dancing Fountains. Restaurants including Margaritaville, Bar Louies, Shout House, Which Wich, Moe's, Kabuki, Johnny Rockets and Hell's Half Acre will have Bike Night food and drink specials and will be welcoming all riders.

You will be given a flyer that will get you the discounts at the participating restaurants.

Discounts include $2.00 Miller Lite, $5.00 Chicken Nachos and $6.95 pulled pork sandwich and fries at Bar Louie's and $3.00 drafts, $2.00 well, $2.00 off Margaritas, Mini Quesadillas for $5.95 and Sliders for $6.95 among other specials at Margaritaville. Sit out on the patios and enjoy the entertainment on the big screen.

Click Here for full menu of specials
Thanks to our Westgate Bike Night Sponsors - GEICO Motorcycle Insurance, Arrowhead Harley-Davidson, Ridenow Powersports, and New Sponsor Saxon Motorcycles.
Click Here for Photos From the Last 4 Weeks.

Wednesday, May 27th will feature motorcycle displays by Saxon Motorcycles, Arrowhead Harley-Davidson, Ridenow Metro Motorsports and Swift Motorcycles. There will also be motorcycle programming and music on the Huge 30'x50' LED screen located in events plaza.

What to do:
6:00 pm - 10pm: Displays of Custom Baggers and Bikes From Arrowhead Harley-Davidson.
Sport Bikes, Cruisers, Rhinos and Spyder From Ridenow Metro Motorsports.
Custom Bikes from Saxon Motorcycles.
Custom Bikes from Swift Motorcycles.
Come park on Coyote Blvd. and enjoy the music or eat at one of the restaurants.
Music and Videos all night.
Every Half Hour: Music and Performances by the 6 million dollar Dancing Fountains.

Take a ride to Westgate, located on the SE Corner of the Loop 101 and Glendale Ave. Enjoy this beautiful venue that is offering a night just for motorcyclists every Thursday for the next 5 weeks starting April 9th - May 14th. Get something to eat or drink on one of the many outdoor patios in events plaza, watch the video presentations or just join in the fun and view the display of bikes lined up on Coyote Blvd. in Westgate. ALL MOTORCYCLES WELCOME. Click Here for photos of Westgate. Westgate City Center is located at the SE Corner of the Loop 101 and Glendale Ave. Enter Coyote Blvd. from the West next to Jobing.com Arena.

Saturday, May 30th
Arrowhead Harley-Davidson Free Appreciation Breakfast. Taking a ride Saturday morning? Stop by Arrowhead HD for a free breakfast on your way out of town. Arrowhead Harley-Davidson wants to invite EVERYONE to a customer appreciation breakfast on the last Saturday of every month from 8:30am till 10:00 am. Join us for a FREE pancake, sausage and egg breakfast served up by Big D's Flippin Cakes. Thank you for all your support and business! Ride by Arrowhead Harley-Davidson the last Saturday of Every Month for a free breakfast. Arrowhead Harley-Davidson is located at 16130 N. Arrowhead Fountain Center Dr. in Peoria. 623-247-5542.

Saturday, May 30th
Buddy Stubbs Hogs and Dogs. Ride by and enjoy the last Saturday of the month Hogs and Dogs at Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson from 11am - 3pm. Buddy will be providing FREE Hot Dogs and Drinks, Live Music and a Sidewalk Sale. Are you good with a pool stick? Enter the pool tournament for prizes, a 50/50 Raffle and tours of the motorcycle museum with Buddy. To celebrate May being Women Riders Month, Just for the Ladies from 11am - 3pm, you can get a FREE professional photo of you and your Harley or your dream Harley. There will also be 2 Seminars for the Ladies at 11:30am and 1pm that will include subjects such as learning how to pick up your bike, the best riding gear for you, bike maintenance tips and proper helmet fitting. Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson is located at 13850 N. Cave Creek Rd. in Phoenix. 602-971-3400.

Saturday, May 30th
Southwest Ride for Hope. Poker Run benefitting the Phoenix Children's Hospital Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Registration at the Steel Horse Saloon - 1818 W. Bell Road #100 in Phoenix from 10am. Run starts at 11am and rides to Roadrunner Bar in New River to Wild Horse West at Carefree Hwy and Lake Pleasant Rd, Hardtails at 35th and Bell and back to Steelhorse. Registration is $20.00 per bike which includes poker hand. All Proceeds to go to Phoenix Children's Hospital. Winning hand awarded, 50/50 raffle, prize raffle all to take place at the end of run. Music and Party.