Friday, August 13, 2010

There's a sleepy little town called Dover on the north shore of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario, Canada, that will be very wide awake today.

Back in 1981, a biker called some of his friends, asking them to come up to a local bar to have a Friday, the 13th party.  About 25 bikers lined their bikes on the street outside the bar.  They pulled some tables together along one wall, and they had such a good time they decided they should do it again on the next Friday the 13th. 

Word of mouth spread the suggestion to other bikers, and since that day this gathering has grown into an event that draws tens of thousands of visitors and pumps millions of dollars into the local economy.  Local charities set up their services for that one day and can raise all their funds for a year. 

Today is the only Friday the 13th in 2010, and the celebration is expected to be the biggest ever.  Bikers fly their bikes in from Europe.  Extra staff are put on the border crossings at Windsor and Buffalo just to handle the visitors.  To make the east coast trip easier, there's a "Cruise the Coast" map available.  It's a map showing biker-preferred routes through the area, accommodations, events, restaurants, and more.  Go to http://www.cruisethecoast.ca/ to find out how to obtain a copy. 

What a cool way to enjoy this warm weather, and isn't nice to see Friday the 13th celebrated instead of feared!