The Hollister Rally Turns 57

Way back in 1947, a small group of bikers rode into the sleepy town of Hollister to have a good time, relax, and watch some motorcycle races during the 4th of July weekend. Fifty seven years later, people travel to Hollister for the same reasons they always have, plus a few more. Nowadays, the little town offers a variety of different events and activities, including: a bike show, bike games, a motorcycle raffle, a tattoo contest, arm wrestling, and of course, the Miss Hollister contest.

While all the activities were fun, we had a better time cruising down San Benito (the main street for the show) and checking out all the bikes and girls, then perusing the assortment of vendors off the side streets. When our stomachs started to growl around lunchtime each day, we stopped in at one of the local Mexican-food restaurants to get authentic cuisine with a cold Corona and lime.

The nightlife in Hollister rivals many of the bigger rallies. As the days fade into night, the few bars in town fill up real quick. We began most of our evenings by waiting in line to get into Johnny's Bar and Grill, but our patience was thin and our mouths tended to be dry, so we had to move on. We would briefly attempt to wait at the Vault, but when we were told it would be at least a half hour before we could get in, we began our search for any place that would sell us something to drink. It took us about two blocks of walking before we discovered a hole in the wall (that we think is called the Office) that didn't have a line out the door, so we walked right in and ordered a couple rounds right off the bat. The place had no jukebox or any kind of music, but the bartenders were real nice and they were generous with their tequila (I'm sure we'll be back to the Office next year, but we're bringing a stereo with us!). Thankfully, the conversation was good and we didn't have to wait around for service. Unfortunately, we had a little too much fun and got caught by a five-O on the way to Bullato Park late one night. A few of the people we were riding with had to spend the night in Hollister jail --the only negative during the whole trip.

All in all, Hollister is a great time, but it's not because it is a huge rally or because it rivals the attendance of Sturgis. Hollister is fun because it's still a small town with good people, the bikes that show up are ridden there, and the parties last all night !