This sign at Caribe Restaurante y Cantina says it all: The Hells Angels are here with their faithful companions and the town is excited--the vast majority of the town anyway.

Regional TV stations did manage to dig deep enough to find somebody to complain on camera. But, when you actually drive down the highways in Eureka Springs, marquee after marquee welcomes the angelic hellions to town.

Local service personnel are delighted to have them because MC's, especially 1%ers, are generally good tippers... except the Christian MC's, who tend to leave religious tracts on the table and give their money to the church.

This is the 20th reunion of a Hells Angels gathering in Eureka Springs; Sonny Barger attended the one in 1987 but we haven't heard of any Sonny-spotting on this trip. Eureka Springs, AR is always a favorite destination for motorcycle enthusiasts because the roads around here look like something out of a Harley commercial--lots of open road, winding curves and panoramic views. The town itself is biker friendly and there are several businesses that cater specifically to bikers.

We went to lunch at one of those businesses today, the Roadhouse Bikes Blues & BBQ cafe, but we didn't find any Hells Angels.The waitress said a couple of them came in and said, «We must be lost because what we're looking for sure ain't here.» They reportedly perked up when she suggested they might want to try The Cat House or the Rowdy Beaver. The Cat House hasn't been... a cat house... for quite a while and the Beaver isn't all that rowdy, but the restaurant names seemed to give them hope.

The HA's are mostly congregated at two motels, side by side, at the intersection of two highways. They've got the hogs lined up, lawn chairs out, HA's controlling access to the parking lot. Choppers are flying overhead, large groups of bored state police are gathered, gossiping with each other in the parking lots of local biscuit 'n gravy establishments. The Hells Angels quietly lounge on....

Tonight's reading on the Gay News Mad Biker Mayhem Meter: Near Zero.

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