Leesburg Bikefest 2013

April 27, 2013 by Sparks 0 Comments

I say it every year; the Leesburg Bikefest motorcycle rally is the best Florida rally there is. It is better than Daytona, if less well-known.

I rode to the rally this morning solo. The Binary Princess is in Phoenix, AZ visiting a close friend. The kids stayed at home. I was, for the first time ever, flying solo at a bike rally. This was a first for me; I could do whatever I wanted and didn’t have to negotiate with anyone on what event, band, bike, etc to see first. I kinda liked it, but it was lonely. I really wish Big Bad John could have been there with me, but he has a newborn and was unable to join.

Added flames to the phoenix on my left arm. (click for larger image)

So what did I do with my newfound freedom? I got a new tattoo! As most of you know, I am a cancer survivor. A couple of years ago I got the phoenix tattoo as a symbol of rising from the ashes of my cancer reborn as a new man. It was just a simple tribal tattoo, and I always wanted some flames added to it to complete the symbolism.

It seemed like a no-brainer. I walked into the tattoo expo at the rally pretty early. The booths were all empty and the artists were setting up. I sized up every tattoo artist and settled on Chip Harris, from Fort Lauderdale. I chose him because he was my age, he looked intelligent, and when I talked to him he didn’t try to give me exactly what I wanted. He told me what he thought I should do, and it was different than what I approached him with,and then he said he could do it for about $75.00 more than I wanted to pay.

My kinda artist. Confident, had a nice portfolio, and wasn’t going to compromise for the dollar; he would do quality work for a decent rate. I chose well. He added the flames to my phoenix brilliantly. With smoky greys, reds, yellows, and whites; he made it pop and look great. I am very happy.

After the tattoo was complete, I had a few beers and wandered the rally for a while. I listened to the bands, shopped the stalls, and looked at all the custom bikes. Truth be told, I was alone and, while I was making conversation with strangers, everyone was already with a group and I was just the guy passing by. So, after a while, I left. A great time, but definitely would have been more fun and I would have stayed longer – into the evening – had I a friend with me.

Anyway, here are some of the shots I took today at the rally. Click on any photo to open up the gallery (larger) view: