San Benito Street offered the thousands of Hollister
Independence Rally attendees who roared into town throughout the
weekend a place to park their prized bikes and mingle with others
who share their passion for leather, chrome and the open road.
Hollister – San Benito Street offered the thousands of Hollister Independence Rally attendees who roared into town throughout the weekend a place to park their prized bikes and mingle with others who share their passion for leather, chrome and the open road.
But where did the motorcycle enthusiasts go after they were done for the day with the food, shopping and shows offered at the rally? Where did they sleep?
Only those with the foresight to make a reservation at least four months in advance were fortunate enough to have the conventional comfort of a bed and a bathroom at one the city’s few houses of lodging.
Comfort, though, is relative. And for the hundreds who spent their rally nights camped at Bolado Park, lush grass, clear skies, cold beer and the camaraderie of their fellow bikers was all it took to make the cool nights comfortable.
“Oh man, the people were cool,” Eddie Diaz from Lemoore, Calif. said as he polished his brand new bike, which was parked on the grass at Bolado Park. “People barbecued and drank beer.”
Diaz and a friend, both first-time rally attendees, rode their Harleys into Hollister Friday evening and spent three nights at Bolado Park – a deal at $20 per person per day. Like many of their peers, they traveled light – just a change of clothes and a rolled-up tent strapped to the back of each of their bikes. Diaz said there were hundreds of people camped out at the Park throughout the weekend. Park officials could not be reached to confirm the number of campers.
While most of the campers at Bolado Park slept in tents, which are light weight and easy to transport, some people brought the comforts of home with them.
Curtis Hibbs, Lynda Alverson and Lisa Jenson from Sacramento have been attending the rally for five years. They pulled into Bolado park Friday with two RVs equipped with televisions and other amenities. During one night at the park they gathered around one of their TVs and watched “The Wild One” – the 1953 movie loosely based on the 1947 “biker invasion” of Hollister that many say created the American biker myth.
“It’s a tradition for us,” Alverson said.
During the evenings at the park, a DJ played music, she said, and campers had a good time.
“It’s what you expect with a bunch of bikers together,” said Hibbs. “Everyone was nice. We didn’t have any trouble.”
Many of those who camped out at the Park during the rally weekend said they enjoyed their nights in the open air and plan to do it again when they come back to Hollister for next year’s rally.
“It’s a good place,” Kathy Hummel said as she rolled-up her tent and strapped it onto the back of her Harley. She and her husband rode their bikes about 300 miles from Reno to get to the rally.
“You bet I’ll camp out again,” Diaz said. “It’s cheap and the people are cool. I love it.”
