Original publication: BikerTrash.com
Original byline: Larry Gore
Don “Slimey” Brewer
In 1976 Gerald Ford was President. Ford had recently assumed the job following the resignation of Richard Nixon.
In 1976 “Apollo 13” wasn’t a movie with Tom Hanks, it was a real life drama still very fresh in our memories.
In 1976 gasoline was about 50 cents per gallon – and we were worried that it might someday go to a dollar!
In 1976 Don Brewer and his friend John“Skinny” Haenelt made their first motorcycle trip to visit Texas’ “Big Bend Country.” The trip was so much fun that they decided to do it again, and again, and again.
Sometime after the first couple of trips they realized that they had established a tradition – one that would continue every Spring for 26 consecutive trips.
Don was well-known for his beaming smile and earned the nickname “Smiley.” The nickname was quickly switched to “Slimey” when a German waitress in the Hill Country couldn’t quite pronouce “Smiley” in her heavy accent and it came out “Slimey”. With bikers, those things stick with you.
The group grew in size as other people were invited to join them. Over the years people joined the group and others moved away or moved on to other things. At some point “Big Bend” grew to include having a group of riders from the Dallas area. The “Big Bend Trip” was a constant in the lives of Don Brewer and Skinny.
When Don took the first trip he was a young man – only about 35 and his friend Skinny was a young 50-ish.
Over the 26 years these friends saw their families grow, get educations, children marry, grandkids come, and careers progress. There were good years and there were tough years but there was always “Big Bend.”
“Big Bend” was a time to get away from it all and enjoy a few days of being with old friends, getting to know new friends and creating the memories of a lifetime. “Big Bend” meant coming home refreshed, but tired. Feeling great and feeling sunburned.
“Big Bend” always meant another year.
Twenty-six trips to “Big Bend” – that is over 50,000 miles!
Twenty-six trips to “Big Bend” – that is the equivalent of twice around the world.
Twenty-six trips to “Big Bend” – that is a friendship that endures.
Since Don and Skinny took the first “Big Bend Trip” the world has seen;
The election of Jimmy Carter as President.
The Iran Hostage Crisis.
The first shuttle launch.
The Challenger Shuttle disaster.
The attempted assasination of President Reagan.
The death of Beatle John Lennon.
The Gulf War.
The fall of communism.
The Presidency of George H. Bush.
Eight years of Bill Clinton.
The Millenium Bug Scare.
The arrival of year 2000.
Last Sunday, April 29th, 2001, Don Brewer died in a motorcycle accident while on the way home from his 26th “Big Bend” Trip.
Someone once told me that “wealth, financial security and material things are great to have, but the thing that we value most as we get older are the memories.”
Don, your friends that were lucky enough to make a “Big Bend” trip with you carry a lot of happy memories of great times. In that you have helped make a lot of people rich with memories.
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