I joined WOW as a new rider looking for other women to ride with since Wayne was working yet. Cycles and Roses was a local chapter for the Racine & Kenosha area, so I joined them. My husband supported me 100%, but with WOW I found the opportunities & information to expand my horizons as a rider and a person. I had only ridden around the local county and a fall ride to Holy Hill was a nice "long" ride.

By the next year, I was planning my first ride out of Wis. (besides into Illinois) to attend the Colorado Ride-In. Of course, this also meant the first time on interstates and riding in the rain! I got plenty of practice for rain with 8 days out of 11 in "liquid sunshine"! It was quite a challenge to pack for a long trip and ride more miles per day than accustomed, but it was a fantastic experience.

Alabama the next year offered me the chance of a lifetime to meet the "First Lady of Motorcycling", Dot Robinson when the Motor Maids invited WOW members to lunch at their rally in Lynchburg, Tennessee. I was familiar with Dot's long and impressive career as a pioneer for women in motorcycling, and was fortunate to have this special experience just 3 months before her death. Alabama wasn't as long a trip as Colorado, but I decided I needed room for more stuff. I also wanted long haul comfort now that I knew I would go to more ride-ins and see the country as long as I have someone to travel with. I added my 2000 Road King to fill my cross-country needs.

The trip to Arizona in 2003 was certainly better on the Road King, but was improved even more with the addition of a tourpak on a detachable rack when I went to Idaho in 2005. I was surprised how many questions I had about the tourpak on my bike with a solo seat during the bike show in Boise. It turned out one of the people I talked with was a vendor at the rally for Motortrike. I never imagined that picking up a brochure at his booth when I checked out the various vendors would result in my decision to having their trike conversion installed on my Road King. I enjoy riding my trike and talking to people about him. The Missouri ride-in was my first road trip since the conversion, and it gave me the opportunity to realize there was more to learn then what was covered in the trike class I took and everyday riding in the area.

Now as I look back, I probably changed as much as the bike I rode. Evidence began to appear that I was definitely getting hooked on motorcycling such as: leather & other riding jackets now filled the closet space; felt more obligated to clean the bike than the house (still do!), considered folding fitted sheets as practice for folding my bike cover on trips; Xmas list had maps (pre-computer days) and gift certificates from the Harley dealer; spent more time reading bike magazines my husband got than my Birds and Blooms; looked for (or made up) errands I could do on the bike just like when I first had my car license. Perhaps someone else recalls these or other symptoms??

I always enjoyed the changing seasons in Wis., but I can't really put into words how I love to see and experience them on my bike or trike. I hope everyone has many ribbons of roads to bring miles of smiles their way.