This morning the big day arrived – along with a very big truck, and a very long line of beautiful Harley-Davidsons!  We started our day with a safety briefing and talk about our group riding rules.

When we finished and walked outside the Hotel, we found a huge semi-trailer next door, packed with 16 of the most beautiful motorcycles you have ever seen!  There was lots of squealing and jumping for joy as each rider saw their new machine lowered from the back of the truck.

Once all the bikes were out, we spent an hour or so familiarizing ourselves with our new rides in a nearby parking lot and then after a short break, it was time to hit the road.

It was hot and sunny today – typical Southern California – so we decided to change our planned route to Hermosa Beach to keep riding along the waterfront both there and back.

The big moment arrived and our formation took shape for the first time and headed out on the streets.  Early nerves were forgotten and the group came together beautifully from the moment we left the hotel.

16 bikes in formation with the sweep van behind certainly turned heads as we made our way towards Hermosa!  Our favourite moment was the little 4 year old girl on the side of the road holding her mom’s hand whose jaw dropped as we approached, and even more so when her mom told us we were all women!

This year’s riding group is also even more glam than previous rides, with many of our first time Amazon’s choosing a HD Diva jacket – with the logo in shining diamantes on the back.

We made it down to Hermosa Beach in an unbroken formation – a huge achievement given the traffic – and everyone rode like we had been together for years.

We parked on the beach and then spent an hour or so enjoying lunch and the beautiful water and sand.

Then it was back on the bikes for the return journey.  Although we ride as one large group when possible, we also divide the group into three smaller groups with their own leads and sweeps in case we get separated by traffic.

Sure enough the first set of traffic lights and turns separated our three groups and we all had our own adventures heading home!  We all managed at least one wrong turn, but the small groups and leads worked as they should and we all made it back to the hotel in fine style and not too far apart from each other.

Tomorrow our journey starts with a huge send off planned from California Harley-Davidson – out of LA, past Malibu and along the coast to Ventura.  We can’t wait!