EagleRider Franchise Convention - or, Business looks Better from a Harley

Part Two - Do we REALLY have to go to work today??

So, the convention doesn't start until 2:00pm, and here we are, in the middle of a beautiful desert, with a few hours to kill and a Harley.

Well, what would YOU do?

Damn straight.

The view from the hotel room last night let loose to this incredible view the next morning.  Can't stay in.  Hills and rocks and weird-looking Joshua Trees are calling us.

So we head off to Joshua Tree State Park - after a quick breakfast at a local eatery.   The Country Kitchen, right on Twentynine Palms and next to a gas station - chili-cheese omelette with homemade homefries.  And a very special homemade salsa - mild, hot, or ridiculous!  And - she's quick to point out this picture of her - on a Harley!

Off to the park.   Daylight's burning, and we're a solid hour's ride from the ACTUAL business trip, once we set off for La Quinta.

Well, words won't really work here.  Best you just check out the pictures:

OK, fine.  I guess it's time to head to actual work.  Hard to sit in a convention center - as beautiful as it was in La Quinta - when all this desert and riding is waiting outside for you...but it is a business trip after all, right?

And, of course, EagleRider sure does put on a nice spread for dinner:

See all the pictures from Day 2

Check back tomorrow for The Grand Finale - when all the EagleRider folks get together and ride the Joshua Tree Park together!

The EagleRider Franchise Convention – or, the View Looks Good from Here!

Part One – Getting where we’re going

Over the last few days, we headed off to the EagleRider Motorcycle Rentals Franchise Convention, hosted this year in beautiful La Quinta, California.  As you probably know, Liberty is also an EagleRider Rentals location during the riding season, from April to October.  So once a year, just like the Harley-Davidson convention, all the EagleRider folk get together for a meeting.

Were there meetings?  Oh yes.  Keynote Speaker?  Definitely.  Showcase of products available?  Absolutely.

But what I’ll always remember was that this trip reaffirmed why we’re in the Harley-Davidson business:  Because “business trips” look different when you’re in the motorcycle business, and especially the Harley-Davidson business.

This particular trip, the location was about 3 hours from LAX.  Where people in other businesses may have rented a car, or taken a puddle-jumper to Palm Springs, we hopped over to EagleRider’s LA location, and rented a Harley.  A REALLY nice ElectraGlide, low mileage and ready to go.  It was awesome to actually play the part of a customer, and the experience was efficient, courteous, and all-around fantastic.  Before we knew it, we were changed from “business travelers” to “Harley riders” and off we went to the event.  A 3-hour trip, but instead of staying at the official resort, we headed up to Joshua Tree National Park, about an hour from the convention.  After a bunch of local traffic, the road opened up to Yucca Valley and became gently winding roads through beautiful desert vistas. Too bad it was already too dark (and cold!) that first night to really check out the scenery.  Quick dinner at a local bar, and that was about it for day one after that long flight.

But what we woke up to the next morning was not like any regular business trip.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 – The Trip before the Business

Or click here for a picture-preview!