October 5

Wow I have met my new Amazon Sisters – from all over the world – I am truly blessed!  Hopefully the soul searching I have been doing is now here.  Cambria is the most calming and rejuvenating place on earth.  Off to Big Sur (Yes Chuck, there is a Big Sur!!).  More wind in my face, water to the left and hills on my right – does not get any better than this!!  Thanks everyone at home for your support.

Gail, PA, USA

Another superb pillion ride on PCH 1.  Dreams do come true!!  Thanks, everyone for making this possible!

Jane

October 7

I am having such a great time on this wonderful adventure.  It is so good to spend time with all the girls, I am enjoying driving the big cargo van, and I even got to spend a day riding a Fat Boy (it’s a bike!!) up Big Sur.  It is wonderful to be high up in the van at the back, seeing the long snake of riders stretching out in front – I now feel like a very oversized motorcycle at the back!  This is such fun and I am so lucky to be here.  Thanks everyone and love to you all.

Wendy xxx

Hi Michelle – thanks for the good wishes.  We’re having great weather.  Wish you were here.

Jane

Hi everyone,

You would not believe the twisty roads I’m happily going up and down now!  I’m having the most amazing time and everyone is very supportive and lots of fun.  I’m up front right behind Megan who’s the leader of the whole group, which is a great spot to be in.  Thanks for all the well wishes.

Love, Louise.

Twisty, sunny, no wind, How Wonderful!  Arlen Ness today – Great bikes!! I feel even closer to everyone today – got to sweep for a short time – cool!!  Just getting into rhythm with my group was just inspiring today we rode as one!!

Gail

Hi sweetheart!  Am missing you but will see you soon.  Much love from…well – you know who!

Hello to all my SOS family…Thanks for the message Amy.  Love you all.

Norma

Hi Tony, having a fantastic time.  I’m sure to come back a more confident woman.

Love ya, Pixie

Hi all my friends, Bryce and Mitch, having a blast, hope you two are doing the right thing, miss you both so much, this is going way too fast.

Love, Mum (Lynda)

Hi everyone, Shaz here, no I haven’t finished shopping, another Harley shop tomorrow, bag not quite full yet!!!  Hey Bad Aussie (Donna) and Jo, hows things, hope all is well, had my ups and downs, don’t know if it is missing home or the last ride – a bit of both.  Hi Honey (Irene), happy to get your messages, Lynda says hi, missing you like crazy, staying at great places, love you.  Weather has been great.  Hey Bad Aussie, staying with Stacy Thursday night and she has hot tub in her room.  Been having a few cleansing ales, she says hi.

Love, Shaz xx

Hi Wagga Wagga, They tell me I am no longer a beginner.  We have rode Big Sur, the Redwood Forests, freeways, peak hour traffic, lots of hilly twisty turns and I loved it all.  Thank you for your messages.

Hugs, Denise

Finally read to do “the blog”.  Today was really something else – a message from Annette made the start really special.  I was driving a van and by all reports I did okay – not bad seeing as only a week ago I had no idea of how to drive on the right side of the road.  New friends, new experiences and new tests of my abilities.  Then today I was luck enough to meet up with Seema, my friend from school who I had not seen for over 31 years!!  Many hugs and some tears and it was like the years melted away – thank you Amazon Heart for bringing me here and helping me put a missing piece back in the puzzle of my life!! 

Fiona

We are remembering Kandi every day.  And thinking of Sue.

October 8

Well almost done with my final Amazon Heart ride.  So little time to be with so many wonderful women.  Lots of emotions this year riding up the coast, so many memories at every stop, and making new ones.  Giggling to myself thinking about Laurie, JJ and Kel wreaking havoc up there in heaven.  Weather has been perfect!  So fitting for this adventure.

Stacy

This ride has been fantastic!  Great views, awesome sistas and fun riding.  From this ride I will take with me a quote I saw: To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.  As my first ride…this is so true.  Ride hard today gals!  Truly an amazing adventure we’re on together.

Jacqui MN

During my recovery time from the surgeries I watched a lot of Jerry Springer.  It made me feel better knowing my husband was loving and supportive and my child did not have to go to boot camp.  After all, I had only lost both boobs, 20 pounds, my toenails and my hair was thinning.  Those poor people were fighting over toothless lovers.  I don’t watch that much tv anymore…

Roaring through the awesome power of nature diminishes my sorrows.  The vast ocean and comforting elfin like trees soothe my soul.  I am so at ease in my mind right now.  Thank you my immortal beloved husband, my strong son, my family and friends for your support…without you I would not have been able to enjoy this adventure. 

Pippi

I can’t believe we’re almost done with this fantastic ride.  We’ve encountered all kinds of weather and roads – bridges and all.  Looking forward to sleeping in my own bed soon!  I’ve seen parts of California I’ve never seen before and some I hope not to see again!  This has been an amazing journey.

Linda S, SF, CA

“Can you write my sister, my mom, my friend’s name on your van too?”…too many times on this journey have I heard this.  I am overwhelmed by how many people have been touched by this beast we call breast cancer.  Cancer sucks.

Pippi

This has been a really incredible adventure that I will always cherish.  The coast was so beautiful, even for a Californian!  What a pleasure to meet so many truly amazing women.  Thank you all for your support and friendship.

Donna B, Ventura, CA

Marcia Stein, CEO of the Young Survival Coalition prepares to ride!


A long string of bikes - 24


A beautiful last day's ride


Huge welcome at McGuires Harley-Davidson, Walnut Creek

This morning dawned cool and a little overcast for our last day's ride.  Marcia Stein, the CEO of the Young Survival Coalition, one of our US beneficiaries, met us at the hotel to join us for this special day's ride.
 
A short ride up the freeway before cutting across through the wine country once more to the beautiful town of Sonoma.  We stayed for an hour so for a coffee to warm up, to stroll around the beautiful main square, and chat to the locals.
 
Just before noon we saddled up again, doing a couple of laps of the square so the local paper could take some photos for a story.  By the time we left the cloud had burnt off, and it was a beautiful blue sky and warm day once more.  We rode just a few miles down the road for a visit to one of the best known local wineries, Gloria Ferrar. 
 
No champagne tasting was possible since we had to get back on the road, but quite a few of the riders picked up a bottle for the night of celebration ahead.
 
On the road again it was an hour of fast freeway riding, with all of our week's work and practice at our group riding formation paying off as we effortless changed lanes, exited and merged, to stay together as a group all the way to Walnut Creek.
 
Riding up the driveway we saw pink balloons all around, and smiles and tears from waiting friends and family.  At last our epic journey was an at end - all that remained was to hand back the keys of the bikes, and celebrate our achievement together over lunch, before tearful goodbyes.
 
The 1,000 miles of our journey were a life changing adventure for all who too part - thank you to the family, friends, colleagues and communities who supported each rider to make the starting line, the support of those we met along the way, and the incredible assistance of Harley-Davidson and its dealers, without whom none of this would be possible.

Saying goodbye and thanks to Konocti Harbor Resort


Beautiful ride out of Lake County


The Blue Angels practice over San Francisco


A stunningly beautiful day in San Francisco


We did it!!


After many years as a playboy, Pancake decided to finally settle down,
marrying Rusty Squirrel in a private ceremony last night. Rusty and
Pancake plan to move to a larger cigar box in the near future.

Today was without a doubt one of the most spectacular days ever on an Amazon Heart ride. 
We woke to a beautiful sunrise over Clear Lake at Konocti, and had a fantastic breakfast at
the resort before loading up the bikes.

We discovered that we had become front page news in the local paper today, and as we rode
out of town there were plenty of friendly waves and cheers through the little towns and along
the gorgeous sweeping curves back to Calistoga.

We stopped again at our favourite BBQ stop - not to eat, but just to fuel up the Sportsters and
stretch before hitting a 40 mile run down the 101 Highway towards San Francisco.  The group
rode beautifully in formation, 24 bikes effortlessly changing lanes in unison, with the sweep
vans covering our rear and blocking lanes with perfect timing.

We stopped for a quick lunch at San Rafael before heading out for our main target for today -
the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.  Our route for the last two days has changed
because we discovered Fleet Week starts on Saturday, and millions of people are expected to
converge on the bay to see the ships and the spectacular Blue Angels precision jet flying team
from the Navy.

The sky was as beautiful and clear as every day this week, and as we belted back down 101
towards the city we saw our first glimpses of the city itself - spectacular.  We reached the bridge
all in perfect formation - 24 bikes and three vans and the view as we rode over together was
spectacular - even more so as we reached towards the end and a huge navy supply plane did
a low bank and pass over our heads.

The feeling of exhilaration as we turned off the bridge into a car park to regroup was incredible. 
Then, just because we could, we turned around and rode back over it all again!

As we rode through a tunnel to pass under the end of the bridge and loop around to ride over
again, we suddenly saw the Blue Angels in perfect formation roar low over our heads - they were
practicing for tomorrow's big show.  The girls cheered, and honked and waved and we couldn't
believe our luck - until we actually were riding on the bridge and they made two more low passes
directly over our heads!

On the north side of the bridge we pulled over at the Vista Point and watched the Blue Angels
perform the most amazing high speed manoeuvres directly overhead and over the bay and city
for half an hour.

Then we took a group photo in front of the bridge, and got back on the bikes to ride a quick 10 miles
back up the freeway to our new overnight stop, the Four Points San Rafael hotel, who had kindly
provided rooms for us at the last minute when we changed our route this week.

We came together as a group for our final night, and shared stories of the ride and what this incredible
journey has meant to us.  There were tears, laughter and joy, and an incredible sense of family that will
stay with all of us for years to come.

Tomorrow is our final day - we will head out to Sonoma through the wine country, and then down the
East Bay to finish at McGuire Harley-Davidson in Walnut Creek. 

A couple of great articles in the Lake County Record-Bee:

Harleys for Health, October 6, 2009
http://www.record-bee.com/ci_13502494?IADID=Search-www.record-bee.com-www.record-bee.com

Learning Curves: Women on Harleys hit the road in the name of suvival, October 9, 2009
http://www.record-bee.com/ci_13520646?IADID=Search-www.record-bee.com-www.record-bee.com

BBQ lunch stop in Calistoga


Arrival at Konocti Harbor Resort


Wonderful welcome to Lake County


Local breast cancer survivor group - Sponsoring Survivorship - bring gifts


Meredith hits the lake on a jet ski


Louise, Elvi, Fiona, Norma and Jenni enjoy the view

This morning was cool and overcast as we loaded the vans and briefed to head on the next stage of our journey. The traffic was light as we took a short stretch down the freeway and cut over to our first stop of the morning - Vallejo Harley-Davidson.

Gail, Norma, Denise and Donna B. get ready to ride!


Christine on Meredith's big orange beast


Shopping stop at Arlen Ness


Wow! Arlen Ness himself!!

Another beautiful sunny morning in California as we regrouped outside our hotels for today's journey.

We rode as group slowly through the heart of Palo Alto turning lots of heads, across the Dunbarton
Bridge and then up into the beautiful Niles Canyon Road.  Lots of twisty and quiet back roads until we
popped out back into civilisation at our morning destination - biker heaven, Arlen Ness.

It's the first year we have been able to stop here and they put on a fantastic welcome with cake and
drinks, and some incredible shopping specials!  The showroom was full of the incredible custom
motorcycles Arlen is so famous for, as well as his custom designed motor clothes.

Highlight of the stop was when the man himself came out and we had a group photo with him in the
showroom.

Then we were back on the bikes and cut quickly back out of the suburbs back into more gorgeous twisty
canyon roads, views across reservoirs from the tops of ridges, and small stands of redwoods before our
lunch stop at Moraga.

A quick bite to eat, and then our last stretch into Benicia - 20 more miles of lovely back roads, before a
quick 8 mile stretch of freeway and over the huge  Benecia bridge before arriving at our hotel.

Tonight was free chilli dog night at the hotel - conditions at the back of the group may be hazy tomorrow ; )

A quick heads up for those planning to meet us at the finish at Crissy Field on Saturday - we've just found
out this week that our arrival will coincide with Fleet Week and the Blue Angels flying over San Francisco. 
Several million people are expected to converge on Crissy Field that day and we aren't sure that we will be
able to get into the City through the traffic.

We are working on an alternative final destination for Saturday and will keep you posted.