Babes Ride Out East 6

June 2022. The Catskills, New York

By Kimberly Maroon

Friends, two wheels, and the great outdoors

What more could a city slicker ask for! After the long dreary New England winter, this weekend getaway is the ultimate kickoff to the riding season (yet still a “girls gone mild” as camp pal Rachel coined it).

2022 makes #6 for Babes Ride Out East Coast held in the mountains in Narrowsburg, New York. The event draws hundreds of ladies from up and down the East Coast, Canada, and even a handful of long distance riders coming from Florida, California and the Midwest. The campsite is buzzing with bikes rolling in and out, the Real Deal bike show and hands on workshops, campfires, s’mores, and women riders connecting and reconnecting. On top of that, great times blasting around the famed Catskills on epic roads made for motorcycles. It struck me this year — wow, I’ve only experienced this place thru riding and Babes Ride Out. And I wouldn't want it any other way. From my first visit to my third, it’s always been with a motorcycle, my vintage Honda. Year after year, rolling up to that gate at camp, I've felt so proud of me and my 50 year old bike Josephine for making the trip from Boston.

Here’s a smattering of the fun both from camp and our ‘gang of four' — Rachel, Nikki, Kata, and myself. Apologies for the lack of my normal copious photos....guess I was too busy living in the moments.

*click to enlarge photos for extra captions

**videos coming soon!

Kata riding out of camp on her softail slim

Connie Cranston in the flesh, pre-karaoke performance

Theresa leads the workshops for Real Deal Revolution

Babes Camp

White Lake Mansion, 1856

Kata tagged this one on AtlasObscura and we added as a stop to the route loop. The Catskills are filled with quirky, historic, and abandoned spots like this one leaving traces of a once grand resort destination. Definitely haunted.

Hawks Nest Highway

Parksville

An almost ghost town, currently being restored. The pharmacy is original and Wade at Cabernet Franks hooked us up with some cool spots to check out in the area after lunch.

Tusten

The road into the campground meanders along the Delaware River, in the tiny town of Tusten. A short walk and you're at The Tusten Cup overlooking the river and the border of Pennsylvania.

My friend Lynn from MA/RI rolling into camp

Veronica of The Litas Canada packing up on Sunday

Cheers to Josephine

1973 Honda CB350 Four. Out and back party of one! 760 miles in 5 days on backroads from Boston, across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the farmlands of New York, and a toe dip in Pennsylvania. #teamleisure