“Life is a journey, enjoy the ride,” is a phrase I’ve felt personally drawn to from the first time I heard it. Whenever I’ve been asked if I have a motto, that’s the one I quote. If it sounds familiar, it’s probably because Nissan used it as an advertising slogan for a number of years.
Although the phrase works well for driving a car, I think it fits riding a motorcycle even better. People ride motorcycles for the sense of freedom, to enjoy the open-air ride, and for the sense of being on a journey no matter where they’re headed.
Life is made up of journeys and experiences, and a couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to experience another new one. My husband and nephew talked me into going to the Freedom Fest motorcycle rally in Algona, IA.
I’d never been to a motorcycle rally before, but I’d heard lots of stories. I grew up around motorcycles, and many of my friends and family ride them. Most of them Harley Davidsons, of course, the louder the better.
The rally in Algona is the main fundraiser for ABATE, which in Iowa stands for “A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education,” and in Minnesota stands for “American Bikers for Awareness, Training, and Education.” In any case, the goal of ABATE is to make it safer to ride by providing education to riders, drivers, emergency personnel and legislators.
Our nephew met us at the gate to Freedom Park, where the rally was being held, and led us through most of the grounds to where he’d set up camp. There was a sea of tents, Harleys, leather, beards and tattoos as far as the eye could see.
As we rode slowly down the winding campground paths, I thought at first we must have just missed a parade, as people were lined up facing traffic on both sides the entire way. What I soon found out was that there was a parade of motorcycles going on all day long and we had just become part of it.
The motorcycles weren’t the main draw of the endless parade however. The draw was the people riding them. People of all ages, all shapes and sizes, many in funny costumes and many nude or partially nude.
Yes, nude. I was warned before we got there, but nothing really prepares you for the sight. Let’s just say there are very few people who look good without clothes.
Motorcycle riders have gotten a bad reputation over the years, but from my previous experiences and what I observed during the rally, most of it is undeserved. Yes, they like to ride fast and loud. Yes, they like to drink and have fun. Yes, some get into trouble. However, 99% of riders are hardworking people who just want to ride and have a good time.
Over 10,000 people were at the rally, yet I didn’t witness any fighting, verbal or physical.
After the concert that night my husband and I crawled into our tent and attempted to sleep. Even with earplugs I could hear the party going on, and we were way back in the woods at the edge of the property. Around 4 a.m. the shouts and laughter finally died down.
What draws people to events like this? It depends on who you ask. For some, it’s the motorcycles and music, for others it’s meeting up with old friends and making new ones.
Some, like me, were newbies, some had been coming to the Freedom Rally since the first one in 1984. Although they come from all walks of life, they’re a group gathered together with similar interests. It’s a sense of being part of something bigger, a brotherhood/sisterhood.
Having been awakened so early, we took the opportunity to pack up and head out before we got caught in a huge migration of people thinking the same thing. As we became part of the steady stream of bikes roaring down the highway, I noted that I had added another experience to my journey, and I had enjoyed the ride.
