The four places you need to go this weekend for the best in biking, drinking, eating, and loading up on winter gear.
by Kate Cassidy
California Bike Week Rally
Pomona, California
This is unquestionably the most leather-clad — and possibly the toughest — event of the weekend. More than 25,000 bike-lovers will hit the California Bike Week Rally, a celebration of motorcycle lifestyle and culture. The three-day event will feature around 250 sellers of vintage and modern bike memorabilia; a Harley Davidson Village that offers rides on some of the new 2009 Harley models (including their newly redesigned touring bike); an array of professional stunt biking shows; and tattoo artists who can cement your love of biking in permanent ink. The showstopper, however, is Sunday’s Love Ride — the largest one-day motorcycle fund-raiser in the world. Jay Leno, the event’s grand marshal, will signal the start of a convoy from Glendale to Ponoma, which will help raise funds for a range of charities. Even if you don’t spend months on the road in a leather jacket and shit-kickers, the barbecue and concert featuring the Foo Fighters and ZZ Top are worth the trip (from $30; harley4fun.com ).
Accommodations and Travel: You can reach the Fairplex in Ponoma by following the signs located throughout the city and on nearby freeways. From the Pomona Metrolink Station, the public bus system (Line 190) goes directly to the fairgrounds. Visit the California Bike Week website for information on lodging and travel (californiabikeweek.com ). The official Love Ride hotel is the Marriott Burbank Airport , located directly east from the main entrance of the Bob Hope Airport, on the corner of Hollywood Way and Thornton Avenue.
Third Annual South Louisiana Black Pot Festival & Cook-off
Lafayette, Louisiana
This weekend, Lafayette’s Acadian Village will be base camp for south Louisiana musicians, Cajun culture enthusiasts, and anyone else looking to let loose to the beats of authentic Southern sounds while chowing down on gumbo and jambalaya. The two-day event has everything from accordion contests to black pot cook-offs (in big iron cauldrons). And then there’s the music. Swing, creole, blues, and bluegrass bands play throughout the day and into the night ($15 for Friday, $20 for Saturday; blackpotfestival.com ). If you need to work off all that greasy grub, you’re in luck: Louisiana is nicknamed the “Sportsman’s Paradise,” and the Lafayette area, with three golf courses and an array of biking and hiking trails in nearby St. Martinville, is no exception (lafayettetravel.com ).
Accommodations and Travel: Route 10 gets you the hour and a half from Baton Rouge to Lafayette. Take the Ambassador Caffrey exit, and travel south to Greenleaf Drive. For more detailed directions, go to blackpotfestival.com and click on “festival site.” Here you will also find details on the campgrounds, which include free parking, bathroom and shower facilities, and RV access. RV hookups run $30 per weekend and are given on a first come, first served basis. Call Grace Romero to make reservations (337-981-2364).
Seattle Ski Fever & Snowboard Show
Seattle, Washington
If organizers could fill Seattle’s Qwest Field Event Center with snow this weekend, they would. The Seattle Ski Fever & Snowboard Show is dedicated to its sportsmen, who won’t mind the lack of frost thanks to the event’s other highlights. The show features one of the biggest ski and snowboard sales in the Pacific Northwest, with vendors selling loads of wearable ski gear, along with discount lift tickets and designer boards and skis. And if those deals aren’t enough, there’s a ski swap where you can trade in new and used clothing and equipment to reap the consignment profits. And don’t forget about the other events, like snagging an autograph from your favorite rider or heading downtown to catch the snowboard throw-down contest, where competitors compete in an extreme rail session for an $8,000 first-place prize (portlandskifever.com ) . Need a caffeine fix? Go on a 1.6-mile coffee crawl, where you can sample some of downtown Seattle’s famous blends while getting outdoor exercise (seattlebyfoot.com ).
Accommodations and Travel: The Qwest Field Event Center is located at the junction of I-5 and I-90, and can easily be reached by car and public transportation (for info, call 800-981-6465). Coming from both the north and east, exits at James Street, 4th Avenue, and Airport Way can get you to the facility. Once you’ve arrived, the Silver Cloud Hotel is the closest lodging option, located directly across the street from Safeco Field and next to the Qwest Field Event Center (silvercloud.com ).
Pinot on the River Festival
Russian River Vineyards in Forestville, California
Looking for something a bit classier than a can of beer this weekend? Take a trip to Forestville, California, for the Pinot on the River Festival to discover some of the best pinot noirs that the Golden State has to offer. This four-day event includes tasting seminars, tours of the Russian River Valley vineyard grounds, and tons of opportunities to chat with local winemakers to get the scoop on what makes their pinot the best sip in town. Top all this off with dinners ranging from a casual barbecue to a gourmet gala featuring dishes of roasted duck and lamb. On Sunday the festival culminates with its signature event, the Artisanal Pinot Noir Grand Tasting, which serves up samples of wine from more than 100 West Coast wineries and expertly pairs them with artisan cheeses ($750 for the full-weekend package, $69 for the Sunday Grand Tasting; pinotfestival.com ) . Want to add to the relaxation? Try a canoe ride down the tranquil Russian River, or hike among majestic redwood groves at the nearby Armstrong Redwoods State Park ( ussianrivertravel.com ).
Accommodations and Travel: The Russian River Vineyards are an hour’s drive north of San Francisco and 15 minutes west of Santa Rosa, located on Gravenstein Highway North. There is no on-site parking, and it is not recommended that you walk along the highway to get to the venue. Instead, park for free at El Molino High School on Covey Road and use the vineyard’s shuttle service.
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