Friday, February 18, 2011

Background

Since this is our first article, we thought we would tell you a little bit about us.

Gary: I have been riding bikes since I was seventeen. When I moved to California from NY in ’71 that was one of the first things I did, buy a bike. I ride every day and have traveled around most of the country, from Sturgis, to Milwaukee, to Washington State. The bike you see above had 104,000 miles on it (I did that in 4 years) before trading it in for my new ride, a 2010 Ultra Classic Limited. And if you think that’s a lot, wait till you read Hope’s story.

I have worked in the entertainment industry for the last 38 years, which has afforded me the opportunity to travel the world and get paid for it! I live in the San Fernando Valley with my pet turtle, Woodley, have a couple of adult kids and live a somewhat normal life for a biker.

Hope: I’ve only been riding since 1996 but don’t let that fool you. I’ve ridden across and around the country (including Canada and Mexico) and the only states I haven’t seen from my own two wheels are West Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida. My first 4 years of riding tallied around 180,000 miles and that was on a hard tail. Having paid those dues, I’m now on a Road King and well, I live to ride!!

During the day, I am a mild-mannered psychotherapist specializing in at-risk and high-risk kids; my clientele includes those who are incarcerated or on probation. People joke that you never see a Harley in front of a therapist’s office and I always tell them, “unless it belongs to the therapist!!!!” I live in the middle of an agricultural community in Ventura County and like Gary, live ‘somewhat’ of a normal life..for a biker chick!!

Gary & I met a little over a year ago and ride together frequently. Unlike most bikers, we're not into the bar-hopping scene or posing. We bought 'em to ride 'em!!  We also share a love for good food and having both been born and raised on the east coast, share a passion for those hole-in-the-wall mom & pop restaurants that make you feel like you're at home (complete with whacky patrons). 

Mind you, we've been riding and eating and riding to eat for quite awhile, but we thought it would be cool to share our experiences with others.  We hope you'll enjoy reading our adventures and stopping in to try some of the cafes and restaurants we mention. And let them know that Hope & Gary sent ya'......

Ride safe and eat well!!

H & G