Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/776310
12 nFebruary 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS loco on a large scale. As a matter of fact, the party on the playa was com- pletely sold out by September, which meant that those who hesitated found themselves looking for condos or house rentals since every hotel room in town was booked. Group rides are organized for departures from various points in California and Arizona so there's always someone to ride with if you don't relish the idea of a solo excur- sion. Once you arrive in the laid-back beach town, activities are pretty much nonstop. The entire town of Puerto Peñasco gets involved in making bikers welcome as locals themselves get in the groove. Everywhere you go folks are smiling and joking. It helped, of course, that the weather was pic- ture perfect this year. From desert rides and poker runs to designated burnout areas and pirate ship parties, practically no biker-esque activity is overlooked. Sightseeing was fun as we cruised around to the lighthouse and restaurants perched above the city, rolled past the hotel where infamous gangster Al Capone used to hang out and meandered just past city limits where a little museum sits perched between the desert and the surf, proudly displaying a reconstructed whale skeleton that serves to make one feel small and inconsequential while standing next to it. Every bar in town rolls out the red carpet. There are quad rentals for dunes driving, horseback options, watersports and beach combing. Puerto Peñasco is a fi shing village so fresh seafood is abundant and each resort offers regular happy hour enter- tainment as well as drink and food specials. Prices, for the most part, are comparable to American. We set up housekeeping at the Playa Bonita and each evening made ourselves at home on the playa facing the brilliant eve- ning sun as it slowly sank into the Sea of Cortez right before our eyes. All the songs ever written about the beautiful and romantic beaches of Mexico were played out each night as the bands ser- enaded the riders gathered in the warm night air. By daylight engines were revved up and ready to head out for another day in paradise. In Mexico, a girl's coming of age is celebrated and she is traditionally given a tiara. It could be said that Rocky Point itself was certainly rock- ing her sweet 16 crown jewels as rid- ers from around the world descended on the quaint fi shing port and turned the place into the hottest spot in the country. More than 8,000 bikes fi lled the streets and the ruidosamente par- tido (loud party) reached rocking lev- els. The point of the rally, besides meeting the neighbors and partying in the streets, is to raise funds for local organizations and the monies collected for registration are distributed to a variety of different charities to include a local families and children offi ce, a home for seniors, a school for dis- abled children, the Cancer Center for Women, the local fi re department and the Red Cross. By Saturday afternoon, once the parade to the Malecón was under way, the serious fund raising had begun. Due to the international trade laws and border crossing headaches, there will probably never be American vendors set up at Rocky Point, which is fi ne by us. The local fl avor is bright and warm as you stroll the crowded streets and citizens could not be more hospitable. From cart vendors selling bright candies to sidewalk cocktails served up in fresh pineapples, the gulf community is happy to share its culture with the hordes of partying bikers. Riders continue to lap the pier in a never-ending parade of wacky headgear, ma sks, skimpy garb and beads. Lots and lots of beads. If a bike, or biker, overheats in the pro- cess and refuses to function, helpful guys stand ready to help with jumper cables and bottled water. In the more extreme cases, an icy beer is offered in sympathy. It is all about brother- hood, after all. A fi rst-ever air show brought the entire Malecón to screeching halt on Saturday as colorful planes did loops, spins, rolls and hammerheads while the crowds stopped in their tracks and stared skyward. It was absolutely mes- merizing to watch the planes tumble through the blue skies just barely over the crowded streets and out over the ocean. Oscar Palacio Soto from the Playa Bonita explained that the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Rocky Point helped arrange the thrilling display that was paid for through taxes. Rocky Point Rally Continued from page 1 "More than 8,000 bikes fi lled the streets and the ruidosamente partido (loud party) reached rocking levels." Riders lapped the block to cruise the pier, or Malecòn, all afternoon on Saturday Law Tigers have been sponsors for the Rocky Point Rally since early on. Their signature signage stood guard over the bike show. There wasn't much you couldn't see while people watching as the bike parade made its way along the pier. Beads were the common medium of exchange for wanton behavior.