Barry and Stan's
Saints to Sinner's Run 2006
St. George, UT to Las Vegas, NV

Updated: 17 July 2006 7 PM

Stan Austin and I rendezvoused at Jack-in-the-Box at 5:00AM Sunday morning, June 18, in preparation for the ride to Salt Lake City where the Saints to Sinners rally was to begin the next day. After a cup of coffee and waiting for the sun to rise, we eventually departed Ridgecrest at 5:30AM. Our intent was to ride until one of us got too tired to go any further. We hoped to make it far enough at least so we could wake up the next morning and arrive at the SLC Harley dealership by noon for the start of the activities there. As it turned out we didn't get tired until we had reached SLC at 5:30PM, some 660 miles later. A party was thrown at the dealership's back lot Monday afternoon including a live band and beer and food available for a nominal fee. Also, members of the SLC Police Dept. were demonstrating their riding/maneuverability skills in an area of the parking lot. The floorboards of their Road Kings were in constant contact with the pavement as they rode in a tight circle. It looked easy enough. Three VIPs from Harley-Davidson corporate were also in attendance to meet with their devoted followers.

Approximately 2500 HOG members were registered for this event. One of the parking lots at the Little America hotel was set aside for Harley parking only.

Tuesday was set aside for rides in the local area. As we discovered, the rides were at your own discretion and not prearranged by HOG. Stan and I rode to Park City where some of the Winter Olympic events occurred in 2002. The area where we stopped to take pictures was at 8,000 feet elevation and was noticeably cooler. It was nice to see green tree-covered hills again. The return portion of this ride took us past several lakes and a unique geological rock formation. The road down from the summit was scenic and adventuresome. Hardy souls had ridden their bicycles up the mountain and were almost passing us on the way back down. This ride covered 135 miles by the time we returned to the hotel in SLC.

We departed SLC at 5:30AM on Wednesday for the ride to Las Vegas (425 miles). By the time we stopped for gas some 125 miles later I was shivering and my fingers were almost numb. Stan wasn’t complaining but I think he was ready to stop too. Yeah, I had heavier gloves and leathers in my bag but they were at the bottom. It wasn't worth the effort to dig them out only to have to re-stow them an hour or so later. But then we got closer to Vegas and were wishing we were back in SLC. At least I was. The temp had to be 105 at least. Stan’s wife Barb was on travel to Las Vegas that week, so his accommodations were taken care of. He navigated us to the Silverton Casino and Hotel where I was staying. Road construction made it difficult to get through that section but we managed somehow. Thanks Stan.

The Sinners portion of the rally took place at Las Vegas H-D. Again, a band (Strange Brew) provided live entertainment. And of course, a beer booth was conveniently available as well as food from Hog Heaven, a semi-tractor trailer rig equipped with everything including the kitchen sink. The highlight of the afternoon was the drawing for a Softail Standard which was won by a lady rider from I don’t remember where. A couple of girls representing Hooters in Florida were present to promote their establishment and were more than pleased to have their pictures taken with a couple of dirty old men biker types. I have no complaints and didn’t hear Stan protesting too loudly.

Friday morning saw us departing Las Vegas for the return trip home and not a minute too soon in my book. If you’ve won any money in Vegas lately you can thank me later. We departed Vegas fairly early and arrived home around noon before the weekend traffic had begun.
This was my first rally and I’m looking forward to many more in the future. We met lots of people from all walks of life and parts of the country and continued to cross their paths on the trip from SLC to Vegas. Many friendships were formed and I look forward to seeing some of these fellow Harley riders on future events. I’m committed. It’s not mid-life crisis. I like to think of it as coincidental with the kids growing up and leaving home and I can finally pursue my dream. Happy riding and lots of it.