2018 Laughlin River Run – Wedding Anniversary Ride

Triumph Chopper

For many years, the Laughlin River Run fell on my wedding anniversary. In 2018, my wife and I finally made it out there. Living in Lake Havasu City, it was a no-brainer to attend the rally.

We fired up the bikes early, threw on sweatshirts, strapped on helmets, and hit Hwy 95 north out of town. I love riding in the desert—except for one thing: the roads are straight, not many curves. But today, we didn’t care. The cooler weather, sun on our faces, and the steady cruise north made the ride perfect.

I aimed to stay in Arizona as long as possible, keeping the helmet off until necessary. Well… I kind of screwed up and rode through California for a few miles without realizing it. Oops—California is a helmet state! I noticed only when the sign said, “Welcome to Arizona” as we crossed back.

We rode up into Bullhead City, turned toward Laughlin, Nevada, and as we hit the stoplight right before the bridge crossing, I finally grabbed the helmet and put it on. Six blocks later, we parked the bikes and walked around.

I’d wanted to attend this run for years, ever since seeing it in an Easyriders video. Vendor row didn’t disappoint—we tossed a few bucks on things we probably didn’t need, but hey, it’s all part of the experience. The bike show itself was a bit underwhelming. If I’d ridden down from Washington, I might have been disappointed—but coming a couple hours from Havasu, it was still a fun experience.

After grabbing a bite, we decided to head back. Temps were in the 90s, and we wanted to beat the heat rather than wait and ride home in the dark. Once out of Nevada, I ditched the helmet and shirts for the final sunny stretch. Mistake. By the time we rolled into the garage, I looked like a lobster—burnt to a crisp!

All in all, a great anniversary ride with plenty of laughs, sun, and that classic desert desert freedom vibe.