Day Seven - Third Day in the Black Hills South Dakota

Day three at Sturgis lead us through Deadwood and it's twin city of Lead to the southern parts of the Black Hills where both nature and man carved it's place in this ancient rock.

A little sprinkle of rain sped up our stop at Lake Pectola. A man made reservoir seventy feet deep with a beautiful ride over it's dam. The scenery is just breath taking.

The ride south on 389 took us through Hill City then onward to Crazy Horse. This man made sculpture way high up on the mountian features so far the face of the Indian known as Crazy Horse. How many years it'll be when it's complete is unknown since funding is sparce.












After crazy horse we made our way over to the Needles Highway. Twists and turns brought us up steep rocks, and through single laned tunnels through these rocks. Hair pin curves wove through and through.











The views were amazing. Videos and more pics to come.

After the Needles highway, and catching up with Al and Cathy, we continued our tour through the Black Hills into the Praries at Custer Wildlife Park in search of Buffalo. Our luck that day only brought one lone buffalo wandering up the side of the road lumbering it's head left and right searching for some food. We figured this guy, number 5, was pretty lost. He had ventured far from the herd since we found him outside of the wildlife park.
A bundle of stopped cars pointed us to another to another laying by a creek. With too many spectators we kept moving on.
Over another hill we were graced by the presence of a herd of jackasses, one stickin his head inside a mini van.
Our trip through the wildlife loop was done and we were now making our way up Iron Mountain Road towards Mt Rushmore. Another road like the Needles, hair pin turns, switch backs, one lane tunnels, and pig tail turns that loop over each other using wooden tressel bridges. Just an overall fun road to venture on. I've gotten more comfortable with these and got many lil movie clips of this great road (to come).
So in pain (havin an issue with a nerve in
my foot) and a bit stiff, we arrive at Mount Rushmore. It's ok, busy, touristy (and for those that know me you know I'm just not into that stuff) I do have to admit the presentation is nice. And I do feel bad for the president dude stuck in the corner.





I know, it's a dark photo, I'm on the road gimme a break. Here's on of Alex and I. I look so happy.











And a favorite sign of mine. What's funny is that I had had a dream about a chipmunk in the camper earlier that morning. And here I am with the plague ridden rodents.
The trip home was long and speedy.

Day Six - Second Day in Sturgis

Welcome to the second day, our riding took us over to Wyoming. Destination Devils Tower, we started out of Spearfish along highway 85. Then a left onto the road that led us there.
First stop on this very warm day was The Stone House Saloon.


This stone shell of a building in the middle of the open plains doubles as a watering hole.
Getting here means you'd have to brave the onslaught of these giant grasshopper things. Evil little creatures that plot to kill on coming motorcylists by jumping into the rider's path at about face height. Getting hit by one of these surpass the pain of getting hit with a leather whip.
Once you've survived the treacherous bugs, and you pull into the lot at the stone house a breeze made cooler by the few trees out front greet you (while the grasshoppers in the grass taunt you with more of their evil ). It was still early when we got there, though the bar was open, we passed up a drink and wandered through the shell of the building with a Sharpie in hand. Where did I get the Sharpie you may ask, why from the cups of them on the bar. Now what you should ask is Why a sharpie? Well to sign my name on the wall. As you enter you realize this isn't just an abandoned over a hundred year old stone building. People from over the world have signed every inch of the interior. Both downstairs and upstairs are completely covered so after a bit of searching I was drawn to the rear window frame. Where once there was a double window is now just an old weathered wooden frame, this is where I placed my sig. For those of you who found this blog while searching on that, I welcome you to explore more of me.

We left the empty memories of a house which didn't reveal me any of it's secrets and rode onward to the town of Aladin. With the population of only fifteen it's put it's place on the map. W


e stopped in it's tiny general store. Part kitchy touristy trap and part antique store. Here's where I found my all black fox tail. After replenishing some fluids we headed on to Devil's Tower.
The road was wide open with hills, plains, and a deep red soil and amazing cliffs. Small creeks cutting into the colorful striated sedimentary rocks, you can just see how this land was carved. The wide turns of the road only complimented the landscape.
Nice speeds, my tail flying through the curves and getting more comfortable on the bike had me shooting good pics with the digital, along some video. Before long peeking through turns Devils Tower could be seen on the horizon. It would be atleast another thirty minutes until we'd arrive at the gates of the wildlife that led up to the rock formation.


I feel that from a distance you can appreciate the grandure of this huge stone. The Indian legend is a great tale but I find the geological mystery even more wonderous. The bare granite shoots


almost strait up in huge octogon spires all clustered together and erroded away. From the visitor center you can see people climbing these near vertical rock faces, just specks on a mass of stone.

Onward to the prairie dogs! Such cute little critters. In the plains within the Devils Tower park are areas where you can park and watch these little guys. Listen to the signs, don't feed them they may bite, and out thisaway rodents still carry the black plague. Sadly enough I couldn't get close enough to contract it. That would have been a good souvineer though.

After playing with the critters we headed on back to camp. This is when i realized i hate the highways through the grasslands, the wind is crazy strong, and honestly just a miserable ride. After we returned Alex and I decided to head into Sturgis. We took the back roads through Deadwood, and got ourselves turned around a few times. But after a few times we found the right roads. And got there as things were closing around us. Now cold from the night air our mission was to find nice sweat shirts to keep us warm for the ride back.
With our mission accomplished, a quick and not so satisfying to burger king before hopping on the highway again.

Day Five - First Day In Sturgis

The weather on the first day at Sturgis was really beautiful. Up early we got going around ten ish. Our first ride out here too us through Spearfish Canyon, about five minutes away. Beautiful winding roads shadowed by tall ledges of sandstone and precariously placed ponderosa pines. The road follows along a creek, through the Black Hills. The pines just cling on to the edges of the erroding sedimentary rocks with their shallow roots. As you glide through the turns signs warn of fallin rock,I ride on the back of the bike wondering where are the signs warning of falling trees. I can just imagine them tumbling like a spear into the roadway.
(photos to come)

After the Spearfish Canyon ride we took a left onto highway 89. This lead us the backway through the legendary historical town of Deadwood, we followed on through to the Town of Sturgis. With a stop along the strip we wandered through the many shops and vendors set up for bike week. Had a bit of lunch, and a beer, then headed on over to Full Throttle Saloon.

Now the Full Throttle is the place to be. Saloon up front opens up to an open arena of which you can ride your bike into. Two steel bridges grace the left and right of the open area. Off to the left two painted school buses stand on end with signs on the top. (pictures of the will also be posted). A up a few steps to the left brings you to a vendor's area with an old bus that doubles as a bar. Just a really cool place to be. Another beer and we were off to the Broken Spoke Saloon.

Now in my opinion this place takes the Cake. A ride through 2 storied bar, opens to a parking lot. Off to the left is a pool bar, in front a stage was being set up, to the right vendors, and off in the distance under Bear Butte is where the campground is.



















nother beer and back to Deadwood to check out the tower.

Deadwood the legendary town of Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane... Who ever they were. Hell who am I kidding? I know know nothing of the old west, the first pioneer towns, the gold rush. I was never much an American History buff, except for the history that surrounds Massachusetts. Do me a favor and look up the history of Deadwood and send it too me. That was my thought when I first arrived here, but now writing this on Thursday, four days later I'm intriuged, I want to know more. Deadwood is a Valley town, much like the layout of Horb an Neckar. Houses cling to the hillsides lookin over the main strip lined with authentic stone buildIngs with switch backs leading up the hillside to them. The country's first gold was found here. I can imagine the snow covered wooden shacks perched alonglvwhere these houses now stand, with gambeling and bothels at every doorway. You can feel something here I. Deadwood, and it's just a magical feeling.

After leaving here we took a chilly ride back down 14a through Spearfish Canyon and back to camp.

-- Sturgis Here We Are!

Day Four - Near the End But Just The Beginning

Day four, I gotta say there wasn't much to write. We left Iowa behind us and made our way through the great plains of South Dakota. Before long we stopped for a bite to eat an the Golden Corral in Rapid City. Nothing to write home about, over crowded and less the buffet food wasn't so great.
We lumbered on, Al doing the driving now, bumpy roads and high winds off of the rolling grasslands left the camper swaying and whistling. It definately was a bit hair raising and tense till we finally got to our destination in Spearfish South Dakota.




-- On the road

Day Three - Iowa Till The Cows Come Home

Alright, I'm a little behind. Yesterday, Day Three of our journey to the west unfolded nicely. We started off a bit later, and after about an hour we stopped at the largest truckstop in the country -> Iowa 88 <- It was nice, it was big but I don't know about the biggest. Sure the chrome shop was huge, and it had a large gift shop, but what really makes it the biggest? I got a few Post cards from there, here have a look see.









Ok they're a bit blurry, but that's only cause the roads here suck!

The bottom pic is one of the chrome shop that wad of yella is a perty fine rig there.

I also got a great shower there. And had a name patch made up for my shop jacket.





After there we proceeded through the rolling corn filled plains of Iowa. Yup more corn.


Lots of pig filled trucks too, coming and going from the magical place that brings me one of my favorite foods BACON! Let me tell you something they Fricken STINK. But it is cute when they poke their noses out to say hi. Speedy Swines.

We pulled on through the hills then into the flatlands that were this damned concrete highway got a bit bumpier. Alex pretty much drove all day and my liking of redbull increased. I also realized it makes me pee. With only 80 miles left to our destination for the night we had to pull into a loverly rest area.

Just about 6:30 ish Central time well pulled into a Truck Stop. This one was a no namer... The search feature on this phone couldn't find it... Oh yeah, it was a doozie. Just after we drove around the dirt parking lot, and just before I had opened the door I made the comment about feeling like I was in a Stephen King story. I didn't really know how much more I would be feeling that way when I walked in to use the bathroom. For one, there was a line with a freaky poofy haired European immigrant letting me know this by sayin "full". Ok that's ok, i'll just look around, make sure captian spaulding wasn't peeking over the maze of product racks. I peeked back over and the poof lady was gone so I went and checked the ladies room. Both of the two stalls were full. Now ladies you all know you look under the stalls to see what we need to prepare for.

( note to self: remember to save as a draft or you'll lose shit!!!!! )

Alright well I spent about a half hour tediously typing on this bumpy road for me to hit save and post, well with no service out there it doesn't really work too well and I lost the ending chapter in my Stephen King story. It'll never come out the same cute and witty way so i'll just recap on that later when my spirits come back up from this lil upset.

Onto the ride from Sioux City Bad Dream to Sioux City Falls, the stopping place for night three. Al drove us the 90 miles north to the nearest Flying J. Driving north left us with a beautiful sunset out of our port window, Just after crossing over the Missouri River.







-- On the road

Day Two - The Lost Files

Hello my loyal followers, day three and we're still traveling. I had left you in Ohio feelin a bit under the weather. I didn't feel much like writing so I apologise. Here's a bit of a recap on yesterday's progress westward.




We breezed through Ohio, flatlands and corn as far as the eye could see. Every farm seems to have some sort of irrigation pond which they've turned into some sweet water holes equippted with a dock, a gayzebo, some have diving boards. Can't forget the camper or small cabin. Pretty caribean blue water, sweet lil getaways if you ask me.

We did a stop over in Beaverdam (yup one word) at the truckstop there, had a helluva good sized lunch and really good corn/crab chowda and a salad buffet.

Back on the road we trailered on reaching Indiana. Claris was back in his home state and happy.



- there he is checking out the map to see how much further. Claris was so excited when we crossed the state line that he wouldn't settle down long enough to get a pic of the moment.

Somewhere in indiana I decided I really like red bull. Watch out.

We crossed over state lines to Illinois just after we witnesses a lil bit of Cow F***ing on route 30. I think I'm still blind. I don't believe the adult cows let the babies watch, what kinda parenting is that.

After one more gas stop and a switch of drivers we were in the back again as Al took us through the not so favorable sections of Chi Town. It was just about dusk but seemed more like midnight as we cut through Chicago Heights. Finally we got onto rt 80 for about a half hour to Morris Illinois. We stopes at a TA truck stop that was less than desireable.

Keep On Trucking!



-- On the road

Day Two - Driver Switch

Switched drivers in Mansfield Ohio rt 30. Next stop Beaverdam Ohio 1 hr 30 min. Still have crappy weather, looks like we're stuck w this until we get out of Ohio.

I started feeling crappy about a half hour ago. Crappy and Cranky!


-- On the road