Screenshot of BikerEventsMap.com

There’s a new website to help you find great motorcycle destinations. It’s called the Biker Events Map and it takes a visual approach to checking out whats going on. All that you have to do is enter your dates and click search. It lists motorcycle events as points on a zoomable / panable map. You’ll find rallies, expos, poker runs, motorcycle shows, parties, and more. All conveniently displayed on the events map.

BikerEventsMap.com is also the one stop shop for promoting your upcoming motorcycle event. Add it to the events database with a few simple clicks. And the best part is its free.

The site is currently in beta, so there’s new constantly new features poping up. Check it out at: BikerEventsMap.com

It’s the un-official first ride of the year: the Defrost Your Nuts Run. It always kick’s off at the Mallalieu Inn in Hudson. Once you get there make sure you grab a route map because it changes from year to year. The turnout this year was big, especially considering the April 11th tempatures. We were maxing out at fifty-ish, but I guess that’s warm enough for eager riders. It’s at least warm enough to keep frost off your nutz? Right?

Here’s a few photos from the excursion:

Mallalieu Inn, Hudson

Stop #2: Look at all those bikes

Downtown Emerald

Head’em up and Move’em Out

MINNESOTA RED LIGHT LAW
Sec. 42. Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.06, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: Subd. 9. [AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE RELATING TO UNCHANGING TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL.]

(a) A person operating a motorcycle who violates subdivision 4 by entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light has an affirmative defense to that charge if the person establishes all of the following conditions:

(1) the motorcycle has been brought to a complete stop;

(2) the traffic-control signal continues to show a red light for an unreasonable time;

(3) the traffic-control signal is apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed or engineered to change to a green light only after detecting the approach of a motor vehicle, the signal has apparently failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle; and

(4) no motor vehicle or person is approaching on the street or highway to be crossed or entered or is so far away from the intersection that it does not constitute an immediate hazard.

(b) The affirmative defense in this subdivision applies only to a violation for entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light and does not provide a defense to any other civil or criminal action.

A snapshot of Maiden Rock from the 2007 Fall Flood Run

The 43rd Annual Fall Flood Run Is Saturday September 20th 2008! Get yer motors run’n! It starts at the Beach Club formally known as the Beach Bar (same bar new name).

2030 St. Croix Trail
Lake St. Croix Beach, Minnesota 55043
ph. 651 436-5065

Breakfast starts at 8:00 am
Run leaves the bar at 10:30 !

Brian Zepp from KQRS, City Heat Motorcycle Club, and the10th district American Legion Riders Minnesota Chapters will lead the run.

Description from the Official Flood Run website:

(www.floodrun.org)

“Over the year’s, the Flood Run has grown and gone thru many changes as one of the oldest and larger runs in America. The original run went down Minnesota highway 61 to Winona to help sandbag during the 1965 floods.Through the years, many people avoided the traffic of Hastings MN. and Red Wing MN. by riding down Wisconsin 35. Now the run has grown to a massive number of motorcycles and to alleviate the congestion going into some of the towns, we are adding the original nostalgia run down the Minnesota side. It incorporates the whole Mississippi River Valley because after all, it floods on both sides of the river.

The Flood Run has always been a charity event. From throwing sandbags in 1965 to buying a Benefit Wristband to support a great cause! Proceeds benefit the kid’s at Gillette’s Children’s Hospital.

With the $10.00 Benefit Wristband you get a discount at every stop at any business listed down the Flood Run. Many Minnesota and Wisconsin businesses have jumped on board to help with some great discounts making your $10.00 Benefit Wristband worth hundreds of dollars if you hit every stop.

All motorcycle makes and models are welcome!”

Examples of specials along the route include:

Redwing, Mn. If you run the Minnesota side go down highway 61 to Redwing and be sure to stop at the The Roxx Bar & Grill 310 Plumb Street, Red Wing MN. We open at 10:00 A.M. ready for action! Hamburger & Fries…Reg.$5.50 … $4.50 with Benefit Wristband Domestic Beer & Rail Drinks…Reg. $3.00 … $2.00 with benefit wristband. We have a Meat Raffle at 2:00 and Karaoke starts at 9pm and goes until 1am.

Lake City Mn. Where we have three great places offering discounts with a wristband. Old Bank Bar and Grill At The Old Bank Bar we will give you $1.00 off any menu item with a Benefit wristband. Live music ” Outland” will be playing Friday and Saturday night from 9:00 P. M. till 1:00 A. M. No cover! Bronk’s Bar and Grill $1.00 off any menu item with your Benefit wristband. For Pete’s Sake Bar get $1.00 off drinks all day and night with your Benefit wristband.

Wabasha, Mn. Great benefit wristband discount on the patio Offered at Slippery’s Bar and Grill. Where ‘Grumpy Old Men” was filmed. Fantastic view from the patio.The best stop on the run, The Pioneer Club there is free food till it run’s out, Live music, The band Kick Back will be playing from 8:30 till 12:30 Great stop!

Minneiska, Mn. Where the old main stay’s ~ Buck’s Bar and Grill offer wristband discounts. Bucks Bar will be serving your choice of Hamburger, Grilled Chicken, Brat & Kraut, or BBQ pork Sand. with Beans and Chips for $5. Armband discount will be $1.. We have also added Chocolate House Premium Ice Cream to our menu. KWNG radio will be live at Buck’s Bar from 3:30 to 5:30 for a late afternoon blast! Stop in and say to Terry and Jeanie and the D.J. you may end up on the radio! Rebel’s Rollin Inn Entertainment all day and night, with Getaway Entertainment. They will be doing a keg lift along w/other fun games. The party starts w/DJing outside from 2-7, then moving inside doing karaoke and DJ till close. Bars will be serving $2 cans of beer all day and night, with Flood Run benefit wristband get one dollar off a can of beer or cocktail.

Minnesota City, Mn. The L-COVE Minnesota City, MN will be having a lot of awesome stuff going on. As always Benefit Wristbands welcome with discounts at the inside bar. Our Tiki bar will be open at PM weather permitting. (you can smoke out there!) Also going on outside will be our famous barrel toss contest starts at PM, volleyball, and horseshoes. Camping will also be available with big fire pit. Campers must comply with local noise laws. The always fun and beautiful BUDWEISER GIRLS will be here. You can get your picture taken with them all money going to the children’s hospital. Local guys Brian & Andy will be here for an open jam they are great guys with great talent!! Also for entertainment we will have the local band Whiskey-n- Wimmen will play from 7:30 to 10:30 and Jaymz Dank Band will play from 10:30 PM to close. Featuring music from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Clapton, Hendrix, Allman Brothers, Johnny Lang, Stones, Cream and many many more. For those of you interested in little food we will have chicken with wild rice soup and chili. Plenty of safe parking over night if you would like.

Winona, Mn. If you are leaving from the southern part of the run you can meet at Winona Harley Davidson. We will also have coffee and donuts for the riders in the morning and we will grill brats from 1-5 for anyone stopping in the afternoon. Wristbands and Flood Run T-shirts available at our shop. Anyone with the wristband will get 20% off any 1 Motorclothes/Collectible.

Prescott, Wi. The No Name Saloon is home base for the Flood Run in Prescott. You can get your Official run support discount wristband and Official run merchandise there, Official run shirts, Official run pin’s……….just outside the No Name Saloon. Be sure to use your Benefit Wristband at every bar on main street for a discount. Scabs Place, Broad Street Bar and Grill, Pilot House Boat Drinks, Muddy Water’s Bar and Grill, The old Steam Boat, The No Name Saloon

Diamond Bluff, Wi. Stop at the Nauti Hawg, for food, drink, live music and a discount Formerly the Gem Bar. One Dollar off of any food item with a Benefit wristband. Free beer out side till it run’s out with the same Benefit wristband! Karaoke at 7:00P.M. The North Country Bull Rides will be here setting up around the same time. The band this year is called “Slippery Elm”. They are an Americana Roots Rock Band (The Beetles, Jackson Brown, Grateful Dead, etc). They will be hanging out for most of the day starting at about 10:30 or 11:00 and playing when it gets busy. Al Hauser (Al’s Custom Cycle) will setting up his booth again! Must see! We will have the big tent. Food this year BBQ’s, potato salad, chips & a pickle. North Country (Mechanical) Bull Rides will be at the Nauti Hawg from 10 am to 3 PM or so. St. Paul Harley Davidson will have their accessories trailer set up at the Nauti Hawg

Hager City, Wi. Don’t miss The Border Lounge go east on highway V V 2 blocks for that eye popping entertainment. ( Benefit Wristband gets you in FREE. ) At The Harbor Bar you can get a great discount worth stopping for!

Bay City, Wi. At Mike’s Bay Town Bar and Grill it’s buck off day. ( Anything in the bar, you get a $1.00 off. ) Stop say hi to Mike and show that benefit wristband for your buck off!

Maiden Rock. Wi. KWNG 106 FM radio will be live all day from Maiden Rock Park, Stop by and say hi, you might end up on the air. Maiden Rock Fire Department as always, will be serving up some fantastic chow you can’t miss. In the park we also have a Official Flood Run Merchandise booth selling Run shirts, Woman’s spaghetti strap shirts, Skull caps and official Flood Run pins. Don’t miss Ole’s Bar where you can get $1.00 off a drink with a Benefit wristband. Very HOT Bartenders! “There will be Karaoke from 5:30 till 10:00″ We are happy to add The Lakeside Bar to the Flood Run. Be sure to stop in say hi and ask about the special they have with your discount wristband. Maureen’s sewing will be selling Official Flood Run patches as always’. Maureen has a huge selection of patches and accessories to check out! She can sew them on for you. Be sure and get yours! Sport Motors Harley-Davidson of Chippewa Falls WI. will be in the park displaying their merchandise. Come and check out several Harley-Davidson and Buell Motorcycles as well as the BRAND NEW Spyder Roadster from BRP. We will have lots of Genuine Harley-Davidson Motor Clothes and Harley Licensed Apparel FROM 10-40% OFF !! Also, stop by and meet Miss Sport Motors. Old Man River Your Benefit Wristband earns a $1.00 off a burger !

Pepin, Wi. This Old Bike™ is one of the official stops. We will be having live entertainment, vendors, food and wrist band discounts. Dave and Sandy Dykema owners of This Old Bike™ Shop in Pepin Wisconsin will be having a fun filled afternoon for all who stop by. We will be having The Love Buzzards playing live Biker Blues/Rock-n-Roll from 11:00 am to 3:00 PM, Vendors Selling Motorcycle Stuff, Mr. Goodies making up Cajun Gumbo and Buffalo Burgers w/ Chiefs Concessions having Hot dogs, Hamburgers and Fries… 50’s Style! Tattooist Slinging Ink with Ralph and Mary’s Bar selling your Favorite Cocktails. Great River Roasters Coffee House will have the very best in Exotic Coffee and Food.

Nelson, Wi. At The Nelson General Store and Deli ~ You get $1.00 off anything on the menu. Ice cream cones are a buck! Do the math! We will miss Ida at The Top Hat Bar! Thoughts are with her family. Stop in and ask for the Flood Run discount and throw one back for Ida! Enter the Back Water’s Restaurant ~ And don’t forget to ask about your Benefit Wristband discount. Fantastic chow at the Lions Club stand! They donate a percentage of sales to Gillette’s Children’s Hospital.

Alma, Wi. At Traxx Restaurant and Bar, get your Benefit Wristband discount of $1.00 off any item in the restaurant. The Burlington in Alma will have a $1.00 off any drink or food item with a benefit wrist band for the flood run. Its the big red brick building just north of the dam. We have great bloody mary’s. Hope to see you there. Have a safe ride.

Curves on highway 60

Another wonderfully sloppy Dam Saloon bikini contest has come and gone and the Drifless Riders took in the action in our usual fashion.

We started off the day by getting drenched and abused by an isolated thunder storm, but once we broke through it was clear sailing for the rest of the day. Our route took us down through Zumbrota and east on the beautiful and twisty highway 60 (one of the best Minnesota biker roads out there).

Highway 60 pops out in Wabasha. From there we headed down hwy 61 to Minneska for a quick stop at Buck’s Bar. Crack a cold one and let a little rain move through, then on to the contest…..

Shake your tush on the catwalk

This years contest had all the accouterments: There was alot of sunburn mixed with alot of beer mixed with alot of sweat mixed with alot of cheering. Throw in some overflowing Biffie’s and a couple fights and you’re starting to get the picture.

The bikini contest turns into a bikini-less contest

Lets be sure not to overlook main event – the parade of topless sea-hags. As usual the main event did not dissappoint. This years contestants left any form of decency at home. They and strutted their stuff and gave the fans what they deserved and more.

The party’s winding down

Eventually everyone had seen enough, boats & bikes started shipping out, and those pesky drunken hicups set in. All in all it was another great Dam Saloon bikini contest. Time to head for the hills.

Scene from the top of a bluff somewhere in southwest Wisconsin

I’ve posted a few more photos on this message board. If you have any of your own, please post em.

See ya next year.