Patricia and I enjoy riding here in the High Desert and it seems that most of the Poker Runs out here involve the tavern to tavern ride. We understand this because we know that taverns or bars are the last adult sanctuary from kids, most uptight people and those who just don’t get or understand bikers.

So I thought it would be a good idea to give those who live in So Cal and those bikers who are thinking about riding up this way an idea of what the taverns or biker hangouts are like. I will even include a little history on some of the places to give you a better idea of what they are like.

Cactus Kates is the farthest East out in Pearblossom so that seems like the best place to start off with. It is one of the oldest bars around in the A.V.. If your looking for a place to stop while heading in from Vegas off the 15 then this is a good place to do it. It has live bands and dancing and it is biker friendly.

The Cactus Inn is just on the out skirts of East Palmdale off  Fort Tejon Rd.  It is a nice little bike stop. For small size it makes up in being a friendly place to hang out and play a game of pool.  The bartenders are always friendly to riders. Update it is Sadly Closed as of Sept. 2007

The Ten West has great potential of being a great bike hang out. They got rid of the old owner who had the tendency of being an ass.  The place has pool tables, darts, a big dance floor and good food.  Not to mention a few female bartenders (one in particular names Michelle) that are very cool.

Update The Ten West Is Now Closed Due To The Locust Once Again

An update on this place - Unfortunately the Ten West catered to the “Locust” that has ended many of places here in Lancaster / Palmdale where normal people like to relax, have a drink, dance or hear a band.  The bar decided to cater to them by playing hip hop or “c-rap” and after a shooting between 3 of the many savages we have out here (& 2 less savages now), The city decided it was time for them to close their doors for ever in Nov. 2006.  The locust will just move on to the next bar or club and do the same.

The Horse Shoe bar in Palmdale is a hole in the wall right in the middle of crack alley. It is now a Mexican bar.

Louisanna Hots in Palmdale is one of a few places to hear Jazz and Blues.  It isn’t much of a biker hangout though.

Ducks n Dawgs in Palmdale is a new place to go to have a drink and maybe something to eat, but it doesn’t have that bike atmosphere. It is more of a sports bar.  It has one good point.  It’s owner is a big rider so there is hope that this place will become a fun bike hang out.

Schooners in Lancaster is geared toward the riding crowd and it host bike events.  It is a large club with 3 bars, pool tables and the largest dance floor in the A.V.. It even has head liner concerts, but because of the type of customer they cater to (Locust once again) and the music they play (C-RAP) it has had it’s problems.

(The Locust that have moved into the A.V. area several years ago from the L.A. area most specifically South Central L.A..  have taken a toll on this place like they have done to so many other fun places to hang out. If you are curious about what the “Locust” are, just ask me.

Schooners is still a place for bike events and it has nice waitresses and good food.

The D.I. (The Desert Inn) club on Sierra Hwy in Lancaster. If you are over 30 and enjoy dancing without the bullshit gangster rap music or you like to hear good bands then you can check out this place.  It has great atmosphere, fair priced drinks from nice bartenders and waitresses. It isn’t really a biker hangout, but they are friendly to bikers and it is a great place to go to have fun without the bullshit. Patricia did a Lingerie and Adult Toys party there once complete with models.  It was a wild night that ended up having the party moving to one of their rooms.  Good times.

The Tipsy Bull is in a bad location for some people due to the unsavory people that hang around in the parking lots.  But if you were to chance parking your bike and go in you would see that it is very much like every bar. Comfortable and with friendly bar keeps and customers. The Tipsy Bull has a big Karaoke following if your into that.

The Maxdon room was unique for its BBQ right there in the bar. They were known for having great steaks cooked right in front of you.  This place was for the longest time for the older crowd, but has since gotten younger customers.   The steak history died with the change and it is hard to find a place to sit.

The Backdoor, yes it is exactly what the name implies. It was a gay bar and well....that’s that. Now it is called Shakers.  Not sure if things are the same or not, but it must be hard to change a zebras stripes.

Coaches in Lancaster is a sports bar and not much of a biker hang out.  If you like to watch sports in a cafeteria setting then hey this is the place.  They use to have a great Monday night football thing going with some fun raffles and stuff, but the owner decided to change the rules and made it not so fun unless you drink a lot to get a raffle ticket instead of just letting people buy them.

Coaches in Rosamond on the other hand is a fun biker friendly bar that is a stop for poker runs and other bike events.

Snookies in Lancaster is the place to be if you are looking for a strip club, well sort of.  Unfortunately the A.V., more specifically the town of Lancaster is famous for being the town that banned sex.  So the closest we have to a strip club is Snookies. It is a bar that has bikini dancers.

I am told it has a license for topless dancing, but they do not want to piss off the ultra religious folks (including some who are on the city council. So much for church and state being separate lol). It use to be a fun place to go to play pool and watch the girls dance.  Patricia especially loved this place and she had some memorable moments there with some of the dancers and patrons.  She also hosted a Lingerie and Adult Toys show there that was a lot of fun as expected, but ever since the owners changed the place isn’t the same.  It is owned by what can only be compared to Russia’s Gulag or the Sienfields “Soup Nazi.” The place just lost it’s excitement and fun.   NEXT!

Uncle Sam’s in Lancaster on Sierra Hwy maybe located in a bad part of town, but the place is as friendly to bike riders as can be. It even has a place just for bikes up front. They host bike events and have some great bands that play there.   They also serve great food.

Rubens in Lancaster is a stop off for the workers at Plant 42. It is a true hole in the wall bar. It really isn’t a biker bar, but Patricia did a Lingerie and Adult Toys party there once at the request of the owner.

The Britisher is one of those bars that has seen a lot of changes. It use to be a dive bar due to it’s location, but it has new owners and it is one of the best secret spots in Lancaster right now. The manager who runs the place is a very cool woman and the bar tenders are some of the best girls pouring a drink in town. One of them happens to be one of my best friends fiance (Tammy) and she has a way of putting a smile on your face.  The atmosphere is perfect for just hanging out and having a drink or shooting a game of pool. There are cameras out front for watching your bike and you can pretty much park your bike anywhere you want. Patricia may soon be working there part time so that should be interesting.  I can only imagine her and Tammy working together.

The Silver Spur once was known as a rough bar (it even had saddles for bar stools so we were told). It is located in a small community that was home to bikers, and well dopers (don’t blame me, that was what I was told). It was a place where the cops could go to make an easy arrest. But, when Al took it over several years ago he remodeled the place and changed not only the look, but the face of the customers.

Sure the locals still came because it was the only bar in Quartz Hill, but gone was the so called “rough crowd.”  Al has made his place into nice tavern to go for all walks of life. On any given night you can find a young crowd or an old one. A professional worker or a blue collar hard working person.  It still has bike riders that call it home.  Patricia has hosted 2 Lingerie and Adult Toys parties there that have patrons still talking about it.

Update as of August 2007, If you like the Coyote Ugly atmosphere without the cute girls behind the bar, but horrible service and bad attitude from the waitresses at night then this is the place for you. Al, bring back the fun and friendly service you had a year ago. And the Karioke crap has to go.

The Rock Inn, is just a classic bike riding spot. It has a lot of history and was a weekend hide away for the stars in days gone by. It was once owned by a star named Paul Koslo famous for his roles in “Joe Kidd” with Clint Eastwood and “Robot Jox.”

It still has rooms you can rent and is a nice bed and breakfast get away today.  It has great atmosphere, great food and friendly employees who somehow remember your name.  The ride alone to this place is worth going there. They are always the stop on any poker run and they host their own events as well.

The Big Oaks Lodge on Bouquet Canyon Road is much like the Rock Inn where it is located in a perfect spot to ride to. It has great food and the burgers on Sunday are the ticket.  There is a bar that has a lot of old memorabilia and cold drinks. It was used for a boxing camp for some great fighters and it still has the boxing arena right next to the bar.  The place is currently for sale (as of Nov. 06) so for those interested in buying a perfect place in the mountains this might be it.

Del Sur Gardens is the spot out at 90^th W. and Ave. J.  It is the perfect spot to host bike events with it’s big court yard and BBQ area.   They used to have a great restaurant there, but it closed.  Word has it they are looking for a new owner so for those out there looking to open a place of their own.   This is a great place to do it with all the growth moving out that way.   Just keep it a classic bike hang out please.

The Wing and a Prayer is a secret to those who have never ventured past 50^th st. E.  It is unique with its plane crashed through the side and a favorite for the Edward’s crowd.  It’s owner, Badger, has big plans for the bike riding folks. It does have some potential with a big back patio and a big parking area so we are looking forward to seeing what the future holds.

The Longhorn is a place that has a rustic feel to it with a great atmosphere for bike riders.  It is also dying to be bigger but confined by it’s location and parking. They have bands and pool tables. Patricia has hosted a Lingerie and Adult Toys party there as well. She once again had models showing off the lingerie that had to patrons entertained. Lorie and David (Torch to his friends) are the owners and are very cool people.  They have a steak night on Tuesday’s that includes a beer and a huge awesome steak for only $7.00.  You can’t beat that deal anywhere.

This brings me to the tavern that for the longest time has had the worst reputation out of all for being a rowdy biker bar. Yes, people have died there, yes there have been gun battles and all that comes with that kind of thing I guess. But hey that’s what gives certain places their appeal.

The Trap is the name of the place although it use to be called the “Booby Trap,” but as in all things these days names are changed to be more PC.  The name of this place, well believe it or not came from the greatest bike artist of all times, David Mann, who drew a picture of it. Well at least that is one story.

It use to be home to a biker club, complete with a place to relax and have some fun out back out of view of prying eyes. They even hung Honda bikes and offered them to the bike gods. (Or so I was told).

Girls use to dance on the bars dressed and undressed.  Wild things would go on there that would make the most active imagination go wild (or so I was told lol).  One thing for sure, they did the Coyote Ugly thing long before it was thought of in a movie.

But those days are gone. After several changing of owners and time it is now just a cool tavern that was made for bike riders.

It has a big parking area in front, it has a rustic and interesting atmosphere inside that tells a story of the old days.  Hey just the history of what went on there makes it an experience being there. It has pool tables, a stage for bands and a dance floor, but what really sets this place apart is what is in the back.

There is a huge outdoor patio with a bar, an inclosed sitting area, another stage and dance area, a BBQ, and then there is a large grass area with horse shoe pits, volley ball, and more room for vendors for bike events and biker games.

There is also a place in the rear of the tavern that was made for people traveling through where they could bring an RV, trailer or just pitch their tent so that they could stay for the weekends events and not worry about driving home.

Awhile back I was invited to go there with Patricia to have a drink after a ride and kick back with one of our friends (John).  Patricia and I were immediately reminded as most people are when they hear the name of the tavern.  Their thoughts go back to what they heard and would write the place off as a place cops don’t even go to unless their called. But John is a cool dude and we had come to know him as someone you can trust and besides we enjoy going to places others don’t think of going.  We like to think that if you don’t check things out you will never know what you missed.  Besides, Patricia lives for places like this where she can relax and have some fun.

When we arrived it still looked like it did years ago, although the first part of the name was dropped for some reason or other.  As we walked into the place it still looked like it did years ago, but something was different.

The folks that go there are very friendly like at the Longhorn, Britisher & the Spur and within a few minutes you feel comfortable around them.  We walked around the place and noticed that the back area needed some work due to the new owners not being into the whole concept of a party place.

John grew up in this town so he actually knew the real story behing the “Trap.”  He confirmed some of the wild stories I had heard and he said that those days are gone, but not forgotten.  He told us that this place use to be a burger joint located at Sierra Hwy. and Ave. J where the Carls Jr. is now. It was moved in whole to where it is now.

The burger joint actually was called “Booby’s Burgers.”  So more then likely that is where the bar really got it’s name. Who knows, maybe David Mann stopped in one day when it was called the “Booby Trap” and was inspired by the place. Then again I am sure there is more then one bar called that.

No matter what story you want to believe.  It is just a cool place to ride to, hang out at and enjoy the history and company of other riders.

John said that he was interested in bringing the place back to life, not the way of the outlaw biker club house, but as a place bike riders can come to and have some fun.   It has great potential of being another Sage Brush Cantina with that kind of party atmosphere, but with big week end events. Great bands, girls dancing on the bar and minus the gun battles lol.

While we were there we actually got to see some of this return to many of the patrons smiles when Patricia and a new girlfriend made a pool game and dancing very entertaining. Patricia later told me that she had found a new home and that the history of the place made going there even more exciting.  She couldn’t wait to tell people about her new place to hang out at.

The owner there wants Patricia to do a Lingerie and Adult Toys show there complete with models and depending on the crowd he wanted it to be a R to X party.  So Patricia is busy planning that event for sometime in the summer.  If they have been like any of her other parties and with the owner giving her the green light for making it an “adult show” with models and an open mind then you won’t want to miss this one.

We encourage riders to give this place a chance some day to stop in on a ride. See for your selves and make your own decisions.  If you don’t see what it offers then at least you checked it out.

That goes for all the places here in the valley. Check them out and judge for yourself.

We would like to hear from other riders about biker friendly hangouts in their area as well so when we or other riders plan a trip through your area we will know where and where not to go for a good time.

Ride safe, play safe,

Patricia n Mark

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