*photo image from www.bikerlady.com/bikerladyweb/saltlakecity.jpg
Above are the first women to cross the country by motorcycle, Avis and Effie Hotchkiss. This duo braved a land still inhabited by real Cowboys and Indians; a land devoid of Starbuck’s monuments and, gasp, good roads. Seeking no fame nor fortune, they completed the tour to the Pacific in four months, returning in just one. The first thing that struck me about this ride is their departure date-May 2, 1915. My trip starts May 2, just 8 days from today. I picked the day in honor of International Womens Ride day. Perhaps this day is in honor of the mother/daughter duo?
In September of 1915, The Harley-Davidson Dealer magazine reported that the team faced “bad roads, heat, cold, rain, floods, and all such things with a shrug of their shoulders.”
Now that’s the mojo I will be bringing with me….
There is scarce reading to be found of these two. Here are two links:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/Women/women_history_2.jsp?locale=en_US
http://www.bikerlady.com/bikerladyweb/effie!.htm