2015 Harley Road Trip: Part 3, Sturgis
“I hate having my life disrupted by routine”…..Unknown
Again, getting
up at sunrise and on the road, I found a nearby Starbucks for 20 ounces of my morning
cup of ambition and a coffee cake. Heading
north on the I-25, I noticed an increase in motorcycle traffic. By the time I
hit Fort Collins, Co., it seemed like Harleys were everywhere. Some in trailers
being towed, some in trucks, and others in packs on the interstate like a parade. I tend
to just cruise, obey the speed limits, and enjoy the scenery and all it offers.
Others, however, just like to haul ass, really fast! Everyone was heading to Sturgis
for the largest bike rally of all time, the 75th Annual Sturgis
Rally.
The farther
north I got, the more crowded the interstate became. All roads from across the country were converging the closer you got to Sturgis. At a truck stop where I
pulled off to refuel and hydrate, there were probably close to 100 bikes parked
there doing the same. The parking lot itself resembled a bike show with every
kind of make and model of Harley and every kind of stereotypical rider you can
imagine.
By the time
I hit Cheyenne, WY, I was getting a bit uneasy with all of the traffic on the
interstate and the way others were speeding and cutting in and out of lanes. I
had a sense that this could easily become one of those catastrophic situations
where a mass pile up of motorcycles and automobiles collided. I certainly didn’t
want any part of that. I made the decision to head east to Nebraska on more
rural farm roads and get off of the interstate, which is how I like to travel
in the first place.
In the
cow-town of Orin, I headed east on Hwy 18/20 towards Nebraska. This instantly
became rural middle America. The real deal. I headed north on another rural
highway, finding my way into South Dakota. In the distance, I could see
prong-horned antelope and herds of buffalo. Eventually, I made my way through
Custer State Park and later came upon the Crazy Horse Memorial. (https://crazyhorsememorial.org/) By
this time, being closer to the rally, motorcycles were everywhere again. I
pulled over to the side of the road, took a pic, and continued on, wanting to
avoid the crowds.
A bit farther was the turn-off to Mount Rushmore National
Memorial. (https://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm) I took it and got in my place in the seemingly endless line of bikes.
By the time I got to the memorial, the parking lot looked like rush hour on the
405 Freeway in Los Angeles. I got a good enough glimpse from the road and blasted
by it getting out of there as quickly as possible. I suppose I should have
known better.
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| Crazy Horse in the background |
Being
hungry, I did the unthinkable as I made my way into Rapid City. I ate at
McDonalds. WTF. Now granted, I’ve eaten way more than my share of Big Macs. I’ve
eaten them in the likes of Mexico, Thailand, Italy, Germany, and probably in every state I’ve
traveled to in the U.S. One thing you can always rely on is that they all taste
the same; like processed cardboard. I’m convinced that the box it comes in has
more nutritional value than the Big Mac itself. I do like their fries though. Of
course, I ordered the #1 Big Mac Combo, super-sized with Diet Coke……probably
had an apple pie too.
Hitting the
road again, I headed on the last leg of the day’s ride and on into Sturgis.
Miles before the off-ramp, the highway became jam-packed with bikes. I passed by
one accident on the side of the road where no one was injured, just motorcycle damage. The off ramp was
backed up for miles. From the off-ramp to my camp ground was about 3 miles and
it ended up taking 3 hours to get there. One thing about air cooled motorcycle
engines is that they require air flow; which means that everyone’s bike was over
heating. The whole scene looked like Marti Gras for Harley riders. Riding through
the town of Sturgis was somewhat like cruising Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, CA on New
Years Eve night (on steroids)…..except it was all about "all things Harley Davidson."
When I
finally made it to the campground and checked in for what was supposed to be
for 3 nights, it looked nothing like the web-site promised.
 | |
| Try finding your tent in the dark. Sturgis |
Shortly
before sundown, I decide to ride back into town to get an idea of what was in
store. Again, I should have known better. Nowhere to park. I would have been
better off walking into town. Oh well, live and learn. At night, Sturgis is one
giant party…….and I don’t party. I don’t drink and have been sober for nearly
37 years. Perhaps if I had been here with friends the night would have been
different. Ok, screw it, I’ll just ride back to my tent and get a good night’s
sleep. That night, while cozy in my sleeping bag, I decided to leave Sturgis in
the early morning.
Waking up
just before first light, I grabbed my towel and toilet kit and walked to the
campground’s shower. Who would have thought that there would be 30 people
waiting in line at 5:30 AM? Certainly not me! Screw this, I’m so outta here. I
went back to the tent, broke camp, rode through downtown Sturgis, and made tracks outta town.
So much for my
Sturgis adventure. At least I have some bragging rights, I suppose. After all, I
did attend the 75th Annual. LOL
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