2015 Harley Road Trip: Part 2, Sturgis
Because when you are laying on your death bed,
no one says, “I wish I spent more time at the office.”
I woke up at sunrise
and fired up my mini stove for some micro-ground Starbucks Via, the two greatest
inventions since the wheel, or as any woman with a hefty trust fund would say, “…the
greatest invention since AA batteries.” ........It really can’t get much better than
morning coffee at the Grand Canyon.
Heading out of the Grand Canyon takes you through the northeast
Arizona desert and the Navajo Reservation. I was pleasantly surprised to see
the level of American patriotism demonstrated by the Navajo Nation. American
flags were proudly being flown everywhere. Not at all what I was expecting.
Poverty and isolation is another aspect of the reservation that was also
apparent, at least from my frame of reference and perception.
Eventually, I arrived in Monument Valley, a red-sand desert region on the Arizona-Utah border known
for its towering sandstone buttes.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_Valley)As a kid, I’d seen the valley on TV and western movies because it is frequently used as a filming location. The road through the valley takes you through
the steeply sloped Mittens buttes that can easily be viewed from the road. It
was spectacular.
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| Monument Valley |
From there I headed to Four Corners, where Arizona,
Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico all join each other. Paying a few bucks to get
into the park and see the survey pin that marks the location, I was somewhat
amused but more so disappointed because the place is a bullshit con-job.
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| 4 Corners....well close enough |
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Corners_Monument) The actual Four-Corner
location is not at this site and this was really nothing more than a tourist trap with
vendors selling cheap shit form China trying to pass it off as authentic Navajo
jewelry. Whatever. At least I have some bragging rights…..”Been there, done
that, bought the bumper sticker.”
From Four Corners, I headed towards southwestern Colorado. I
started hitting some rain along the way and decided to make my way to Durango,
Colorado. Just before dark, I found a
room for the night. Good thing too because it rained all night.
In the morning, I found a local Starbucks for my morning
coffee and pastry.
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| Starbucks, Durango, CO |
Durango seemed like a very pleasant town and one that I will
return to again someday. From Durango, I headed north on the 550 and up into
the mountains. A section of the 550 is called the “million dollar highway.” A
friend of mine and the most seasoned camper I know, Charlie Kissinger,
suggested that I take this road. Great advise! The 25 or so mile long section
between Silverton and Ouray is like a trip through the Swiss Alps. In
Silverton, I met an Aussie and his wife that were traveling with a group of
other Aussies all on Harleys. He looked like and reminded me of Crocodile
Dundee’s friend, Donk. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufDTDUPZrag) A big rugged bloke, probably from the outback,
he proudly bragged about how he and his mates closed down the bar and out-drank
all of the Americans the night before……I just smiled and gave him a Vegemite
sandwich.
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| Silverton, Colorado |
Making my way to Ouray, I found a great little café for
lunch. Burgers, fries, and Diet Coke.
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| Hwy. 550 between Silverton and Ouray |
After lunch, I continued north through the
high plains of Colorado, home of the famous South Park characters, and finally on
to Breckenridge, a beautiful town in the Rockies. Real John Denver shit, if you
know what I’m sayin’. Several years
before, on Liz’s and my 1st Anniversary, I brought her to
Breckenridge to see Richie Havens, probably the most memorable concert I’ve
ever seen. Even got to meet him after the show.
Another cup of coffee
and I was on my way towards Denver. Just north of Breckenridge, I hit the I-70
east. Just a few miles later, the I-70 came to a dead stop. There was a fatal
accident several miles ahead and the entire interstate was shut down. I made it
to the next exit and pulled off joining several other riders from all over the
country all heading to Sturgis for the rally. After about a 5 hour delay, the
traffic started again and at 11PM, I was able to find a hotel for the night in
Denver. Another epic day of riding.
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| Off ramp. Waiting 5 hours for the I-70 to clear |
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