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Fathers Day Ride to Madrid
Sunday June 15, 2003. Meet at Weck's on Louisiana at 10:30 A.M. On the road by 11:30 A.M. Destination: Father's Day Blues Fiesta in Madrid. There will be a chase vehicle and a BBQ Pit, so plan on munchies when you get there : ) Be prepared to have a GREAT Time!

Motorcycle and Casual Fashion for Women

Motorsport is proud to be a sponsor of the Divas Site

We recognize the rapidly increasing importance and influence of women motorcyclists and fully support their efforts to have motorcycles, motorcycle products, and apparel widely available that are specifically designed for women riders.

This is YOUR day. Spend the day playing and let your family clean the house and have dinner ready when you return. :) (Just a few words of inspiration to the Divas before we spend the day rockin' and rollin' the beautiful roads of New Mexico.)

For this special day, we couldn't have picked any other place to have our Mothers Day breakfast fiesta than Weck's on Louisiana in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Thanks to Cheryl Good and her staff at Weck's for making us feel at home—what a great way to start the day. For those of you who were able to experience this Diva Ride make sure to share your day's adventure with someone you care for. Times like these need to be shared. That's why I write—to share with the entire world the joys the wonders of life from a bike.

Our day begins with laughter and hugs, catching up on life after not seeing each other for a few months, and welcoming new faces to this awesome group of women. The time had come for us to leave for one of our favorite spots, Jemez Springs, New Mexico. When you say Jemez Springs to anyone around these parts, they say; “Yeah,” as they pause to visualize the sites and smells. A smile then comes to their faces as they come back into reality, not really able to put into words their feelings, but for a few short seconds being there, taking it all in, leaning into the turns, loving life. This was Mothers Day, and the Divas were loving life.

A nice size group of very good riders, novices to very experienced, we head north in formation riding tight and proud—the Divas are on the move. The splendor starts immediately: to the east is the Sandia Crest (at two miles above sea level, from the top you can see for 100 miles in any direction, but that is another trip). As we continue our ride, the landscape intensifies and so does our excitement. After riding for about 50 miles, we take our first short break. It is a great weather day, bright sunshine with a slight breeze, the still snow-capped Sangre de Christo Mountains in the distance, who could ask for more?

With break-time over, horns honking, the Divas continue north. As the lead rider or the captain, I enjoy looking in my mirror and seeing a team of women riders, perfect staggers, single file in the turns, and smiling from ear to ear all the way. :) It seemed like only a few minutes until it was time to hunker down for lunch at Los Ojos Restaurant and Saloon, on Highway 4 in Jemez Springs. Pam, the owner, remembers us from last year and sets us up on the bottom deck, for our own private party once again. Last year we had one lone waiter; this year we had four. Maybe the poor guy from last year (who did an amazing job) fell out from exhaustion. So four is our magic number this Mother's Day.

With even more spectacular roads to ride, we are fueled and ready. We continue through the Sante Fe National Forest. The temperature drops a few degrees, but with Redondo Peak prominent ahead (elevation 11,254 ft), no complaints are to be heard. If you are reading this story and you have never been to New Mexico, plan your next vacation here; visit, and you will know why it is called the Land of Enchantment.

The Divas are now heading South toward the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Sante Fe Baldy Peak (12,622 ft) is on our left; the road had opened up and so had our bikes. Yeah! After breaks for gas, and short rest stops, our final break destination for a drink, some good music and dancing is the Mine Shaft in Madrid. Look out, Divas in the house.

The Mine Shaft is an old Saloon on the Turquoise Trail, NM 14. It is our perfect watering hole for our perfect day. An hour or so passed and then we share some goodbyes and hugs. For some of us the day is ending, but for a certain five of us the party continues into Albuquerque at Jokers Pub. Enough about that. :)

Our Mothers Day Diva Ride is a success! Everyone has fun, and everyone returns home safe. That's what I call Success with a capital S. Thank you Divas for my fun Mothers Day—you always make my day.

To those of you that were not able to ride this time, please log onto www.DivaskinZ.com or www.swbike.com (Divas Site) to find out about up coming rides. We'd love to have you ride along. ThankZ again to: Diane, Cookie, Deb, Samantha, Jodi, Toni, Sally, Jan, Kasha, Leaf, Luiza, Becky, Anne, Sandy, Cheryl, Cheryl, Celia Lynn, Michele, Weck's, Los Ojos, the Mine Shaft and Joker's Pub. We'd also like to send a special thankZ to our chase driver, Jeff, and our sweep, Jim, ThankZ!

Summer has ended but the Diva Rides are still going strong. Never a dull moment when the Divas hit the road. This was the first time in the five months we had gathered that the weather forecast was for possible showers and even a few thunderstorms. But the faithful came anyway.

At one time during the day we had 25 Divas, but we had to bid farewell to a few that had previous commitments that day. Meeting time was 9:00am at our home away from home—Weck's on Louisiana—where the coffee and breakfast is hot and tasty, and the service is warm, fast, and friendly.

At 9:45 it was time to head out to our bikes, only to find a few stragglers pulling up to say they needed gas. GO FIGURE. Everyone that has ridden with Divas knows that when lift off time is at 10am we mean business. It's time to RIDE!

No problem, everyone knows the route and was able to catch up with the group before we made it to Historic Route 66. Route 66 has been one of the roads we have taken on several Diva Rides and have never taken it for granted. It is a National Scenic Byway that has been a paved route since 1937; America's Main Street; Route 66.

What a great feeling to have so much history all around you and an awesome group to share it with.

Our next treat was heading north on the Turquoise Trail, the back route from Albuquerque to Santa Fe along the medium slopes of the majestic Sandia Mountains and through the revived ghost towns where mining was once king. There you will find museums, local arts and crafts, music and restaurants. In short, fun for everyone.

After a short break we continued north on the Santa Fe Bypass, where off to the east you can see the largest stand of aspens in New Mexico. It can be a sensory overload, to say the least.

We were scheduled to have lunch at La Cocina Restaurant in Espanola, a gorgeous eatery that deserves all of our thumbs up. The manager had designed a menu specifically for the Divas. The food was fantastic and so was the service. We had three waiters. Espanola, with the Jemez Mountains to the West and the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to the East was a wonderful setting for a meal fit for a queen.

But the feast was over and the Divas were ready to head south for 100 miles of pure fun. Oh yes, remember I said rain was in the forecast? Not a drop fell on us the entire day. The sun smiled on us all day long, and what a day we had. As we reached I-25 it was time to break off into small groups and head our separate ways. Some of the Divas rode I-25 south and some of us continued south on the Turquoise trail with the remaining diehards stopping at Mine Shaft in Madrid. Like Cheers, they know us by our name—the Divas. The band was jamming, so we had a couple cold ones gathered around a small table like a family after a big party. Just loving life. As usual the party had to end sometime, so we pointed our bikes south and completed another successful Diva day.

S. Lavato, M. Crist, K. Hall, K. Baca-Moya, Y. Dailey, M. Kirk, Y. Scott, T. Drummond, S. Austin, G. Baker, S. Houfek, L. Anne Short (Little Diva) , M. Helen Short, N. DeVall, Susan, M. Jones, C. Lynn Brown, Lu Ann, Roberta, V. Archuleta, M. Baca, H. Lucas, C. Parrett and Philip, our chase vehicle driver. Thanks also to Weck's and La Cocina Restaurants, two of the best places to eat in New Mexico. And to Motorsports of Albuquerque for sponsoring our Divas website and for doing so much to support women motorcyclists. The Divas had one more ride this year—an overnighter in Ruidoso, New Mexico. So make sure to stay tuned for this story—it was quite the weekend.

The Last Ride of the Season—Ruidoso
by DJ Jones

The last organized Diva Ride of 2002 was a great time for an overnighter. Ruidoso, New Mexico was the destination for the Diva's weekend Hoot. We had a great turn out for our two day adventure—12 Divas and our chase vehicle packed and ready to go.

We have been smiled on all this year by magnificent weather, and this weekend was perfect too. Meeting time was 8:30am. We wanted to arrive in Ruidoso early enough to have time to, howl. So by 9:30am we were heading south, taking our favorite parade road—Route 66.

We had decided to go south for our last trip. It is October in New Mexico, and the weather is forever changing and varied. Riding south seemed to be our best bet—north seemed a little risky. Thus Ruidoso.

Route 66 east takes us to old Hwy. S14 through the Cibola National Forest, the Manzano Mountains, with numerous small towns sprinkled along the highway. We took a couple of breaks before stopping for lunch at Chris and Di's Four Winds Restaurant in Carrizozo. By then it was about 2:00pm and definitely time to eat—nothing fancy, just a good old fashion country meal.

After lunch it was still early and we had plenty of day light left. The next part of our journey took us through the one-million-acre Lincoln National Forest with mountain peaks over 10,000 Ft. This National Historic Byway has been home to Billy the Kid, the Lincoln County Cattle Wars, the Mescalero Apache tribe, Kit Carson, "Black Jack" Pershing, the Buffalo Soldiers, the world's richest quarter horse race, and Smokey the Bear. So much to see and do and so little time.

We arrived at our hotel early evening. TJ is the motel manager at the Travelodge and he was the reason we stayed at this particular motel. We felt right at home. We parked the bikes and took some time to chill before having dinner at K-Bob's Steak House, right next door to our motel. K-Bob's had reserved a private room for the Divas—only the best for us with tasty eats and great company.

After dinner, we thought about piling in the back of the chase vehicle and going downtown bar hopping. But with the temperature in the 30s, that got a big thumbs down. So on to plan B—party in room 152. That was my room.

It was time to stock up on supplies. Walgreens sold snacks and liquid refreshments, so off we went. That's what I like about the Divas—they know how to have a good time and enjoy life. All we needed for a rip-roaring party was a group of Divas, food, the World Series, College football, and a few cold ones, not necessarily in that order.

The party lasted for a few hours, never slowing for a minute. Knowing the bikes would be waiting for us in the morning, we decided it was time to call it a night. It was now Midnight, the games were over, and it was time for everyone to head back to their rooms. What a blast we had!

Frost was on the bikes in the morning. We had breakfast at Denny's. It was road trip heaven. Breakfast was a little hectic; it was Sunday morning and we did howl a bit the night before. We were not in any hurry, so we savored a nice relaxed breakfast.

The morning air was crisp—like a kind of coffee in the air, it wakes you up and clears your mind. It prepared us for the twisties that awaited us down the road. We rode north on Highways 48 and 37 through Sacramento Mountains. The trees were in their full autumn colors, and the mountain peaks reaching 12,000 ft showed brilliantly. What a way to start your day.

Stopping briefly in Carrizozo for gas, we continued north on Highway 54 to 42. There were more great sites that are the kinds that make you happy you ride. Mountainair was our last stop together before we had to say good-bye. Some said their good-byes at the Pump ‘n Save, and a few had lunch at the Kowboy Kafe.

The ride back to Albuquerque was an emotional one for all of us, but this weekend, we shared our energy, making us all better—better riders, better Divas. Ruidoso is safe again—until next Time. We will return.

We had six Diva rides this year. They were all different, but all great. And everyone returned home safe. What awesome times we have had. Thank you Divas.

Get to Know Some of the Riders

I wanted to do something a little different in this story. I asked the crew that went this time to answer (4) questions:

1. Name?
2. What kind of bike you ride and year?
3. How many years have you been riding?
4. What riding has done for you?

For me, riding was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. I'd never quite had the opportunity to make it happen, but when I turned 40 I decided I was tired of wishing and it was time to do it. That whole experience has given me a lot of confidence in my ability to do what I set my mind to. An unexpected bonus is that I was very isolated after moving to New Mexico and I've made a lot of new friends via Motorcycling.

Cheryl Elyea
1982 Honda CB 900F
I rode my first dirt bike at 14 years old. I've had 15 years of day in and day out commuter riding, as well as, many vacation bike trips.

Riding is my meditation. I feel like I need lots of space around me to feel balanced, so riding is the perfect way to fill this need!

Celia Lynn Brown and Michelle Jones
2002 Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic, "Black Beauty"
Took the riding Course in 1994.......didn't own my first bike until 1998—4 years

Riding has given me a reason to go to work, put excitement back into my traveling. Michelle: a different kind of intimacy and a direct bloodline to freedom.

Sandi "Taz"
Honda Shadow VLX 600 1997
Started out in 1970 just a passenger and finally bought my own in 1997 and I am so glad I did.

Being a minister, it has opened many doors for me, when I need quiet time, I ride :) FREEDOM.

Kristi Hopper
1987 BMW K 75, with just about 60,000 miles on the odometer.
Been riding forever. I have been a passenger since I was five on the back of my Mom's bike. She was the first female police officer in Roswell, NM and the first motorcycle cop in New Mexico. Good role model in that aspect.

Gee, it is cheaper than therapy. Good stuff all the way around. Like the old ad says, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda or a Suzuki, or a Kawasaki, or a BMW, or a Moto Guzzi, or a Triumph" - well you get the idea.

Diane Ciampolillo
2001 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic 1500
I have been riding motorcycles on again off again since 1973.

Riding gives me the greatest pleasure. I do all my best thinking when I ride and let go of a lot of stress. I like commute to work, I like to ride my motorcycle almost every day. I have met many of my current friends via motorcycling and I Iove road trips. Not much beats the sights and sounds of motorcycling, I hope to continue to ride for many years to come.

D.J. Jones
1999 Honda Valkyrie tourer, AKA, "Big Bertha," 85,000 miles +
Four years experience

I hope you have enjoyed our stories. The Divas are here to stay. We will continue to ride and continue to grow as a family. Over the winter we will meet for breakfast......to keep the Spirit alive. Time to talk and share our experiences. To all of you riders out there that have not had the pleasure to ride with Divas, contact me at irronbutt@aol.com to be put on our list. As I've said before, the Divas are not a club; just a great group of ladies that love to ride and love the freedom that the open road brings.

I'd like to thank all the restaurants that not only fed the Divas this year, but gave us five-star treatment. Thanks to Philip, our chase vehicle driver and thanks also to Motorsport for sponsoring our Diva website and for supporting women motorcyclists. 2003 will be here before you know it—big rides are planned. Watch out for the DIVAS!

The Last Ride of the Season—Ruidoso by DJ Jones

Get to Know Some of the Riders

The Last Ride of the Season—Ruidoso
by DJ Jones