The August Divas Ride
By DJ Jones and Kristi Hopper Brooks
Photos by Robin Hopkins

WOW is the buzz word for this Diva Ride!! Our family is growing day by day..........the bonds that we are forming are ones that we will carry with us for years to come. Our morning gathering before heading out Sunday, August 25 was relaxed and filled with excitement. There were Divas that were not able to attend the ride but came to meet with the group, just to be with their new-found friends.

This was the largest group of Divas to ride together this year and what a group they were. Since starting the Diva Rides back in May of this year, we now have more than 100 interested riders. The great Southwest is now ours to explore—and explore we will.

After having a nice breakfast and a review of our safety hand signals, we  headed out. From Weck’s at Montgomery and Louisana we rode west toward I-25. Turning north on I-25, we traveled to the exit for Bernalillo and made our way west on state highway 550. This is some of the most beautiful scenery in the southwest. We regrouped in San Ysidro.

From San Ysidro we turned onto highway 4, where the views become—astoundingly—even more scenic. The road turns from four lanes to two and in general gets a whole lot more twisty. In a brief twenty miles we stopped in Jemez Springs at the best dive there, Los Osos. The service is always accommodating, the food is always good, and the beer and soda are always cold. We could not have picked a better place to kickback and relax in paradise. We had arrived a little before noon. Our tables were ready and so were we.

As we sipped our cold refreshments, a lone Diva appeared on her 2002 Honda VTX 1800 Purple-Retro. “Better late than never,” she said, and a few other choice words as she parked her big bike. What had happened was that she had forgotten it was the 25th , the day of the Diva ride. She was heading to another location and it dawned on her, “THE DIVA RIDE IS TODAY!” So she headed back home, changed clothes, washed her bike and headed out to ride with the Divas. Is that cool or what? We all applauded her enthusiasm and commitment to the Divas.

After a tasty lunch, our ranks having grown by one, we were ready to ease on down the road. We headed north on highway 4 , our horns honking and our smiles stretching from ear to ear. The Divas were on the move again. This ride through the Jemez has some of the most varied and beautiful roads available to motorcyclists in New Mexico. There is the rustic Jemez Pueblo, the tiny burg of Jemez Springs, Battleship Rock, and all good twisty roads. Then there are the long sweeping curves of the Valles Caldera and the tight switchbacks dropping down through the west side of Bandelier National Monument. The monument is an amazing treasure worth a trip of its own.

After some fabulous riding, we regrouped again in White Rock. From here we took highway 4 to highway 502, heading south, to Pojoaque to catch highway 285 south to Santa Fe. As the day wound down, we broke into smaller groups heading home. We rode most of the day with no complaints from anyone—just fun, fun, fun. Some of the Divas took I-25 south, and a few rode south on highway 14.

Eight of us stopped one more time to wash down some of the dust from the day at the Mine Shaft in Madrid. It is a great watering hole after a long day in the saddle, and is very motorcycle friendly. The time had come to head home now—we rode tight, we rode slow, we stayed together. As a team...not wanting to leave each other until the very end.

Thank you ladies for a day I will always remember. I feel more alive after each and every time we ride together. Divas, you ROCK! For doing such a great job, Divas take a bow. Introducing: Lisa G., Laura L., Robin H., (chase vehicle), Celia Lynn B., Michelle J., Cookie N., Charisse J., Karen V. and Amberlee M. (sweep), Becky M., Karen B-M., Toni H., Nikki g., Mercedes J., Victoria., Nanette de V., Jennifer P., Felicity R., Jean G., Celene R., Tawny A., Michelle C., Yvonne D., Nanci L., Sally A., Jan P., and Heidi (Miss VTX). Thanks also to: Wecks, our breakfast meeting spot, Los Osos and our lone male waiter that treated us like the royalty we are, and my friends at Motorsport for making us all feel welcome in their shop. Muchas gracias Divas, see you in September.