Rolling Thunder XIX

Rolling Thunder XIX was held on Sunday, May 28, 2006.  An estimated 350,000 bikes and 500,000 people came to Washington, DC to keep the POW/MIA issue before our elected officials.  This matches the attendance for the last few years  

I rode into the Pentagon parking lot with a friend and the local Harley shop in Gaithersburg, MD.

The parade started at noon under clear skies and lasted for several hours. 

Former Assistant Secretary for VA's Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Jeffrey Phillips, attended this years parade, Nancy Sinatra rode with Sgt. Artie Muller, and Paul Revere rode his new Harley Fatboy.

The heat was relentless and shade and cool water were much in demand.  The former was rare, the latter was abundant.  Many of the various groups came prepared with plenty of cool water.

The heat was so stifling that this year after the parade we sat in the shade for a while, while the bikes cooled, and then rode to the Asylum for the AC and cold beer.  The Asylum was fairly quiet at first, then over the next hour groups started to show up and before too long it was standing room only.  We had a great time with old friends and made a few new ones.

The line of bikes went around the block.  Most estimates put the count at over 1,000 bikes

Police units from all local departments helped with traffic control

The police blocked off every possible entry all the way to the Pentagon

Cherie found some shade to cool off     Rare picture of Paul Revere without his hat