Fifteen Summers: 2015 Harley Roadtrip: Part 1, Sturgis

2015 Harley Roadtrip: Part 1, Sturgis

“God didn’t create metal so that man could make paperclips.” Harley Davidson ad.

Because of some timing issues, in late July, 2015, I was able to take an unexpected vacation during a large work project that allowed me to take 10 days off. The summer before, as I blogged earlier, I visited my dad in Oregon thinking that might be the last time I ever saw him. Having the 10 days available, I planned a surprise trip to go visit him and his wife, Peggy.

The timing was perfect for another reason. August 4, 2015 was the official start date of the 75^th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the world’s largest and most infamous rally. Sturgis, as it’s commonly called, is a week-long (actually longer) gathering of bike riders from all over the world. While the Sturgis mystique is probably more fiction than fact, I thought checking it out on my way to my dad’s would be a great idea and only slightly out of the way.

With an official population of 6,627, the small town of Sturgis, South Dakota, in the Black Hills, has become synonymous with Harley Davidson and the biggest annual biker celebrations on the planet. The 75^th Anniversary was going to be an epic event with an estimated attendance of 1,000,000 riders.

With little time to organize my trip, I made a reservation for a campsite in Sturgis. They required an upfront payment for a minimum of a 4 night stay at a rate I am sure is ten times above the normal rate outside of the rally season. No worries though. I wanted to be sure I had a place to stay once I got there. Their website bragged about showers, bathrooms, restaurant, convenience store, and a small river that runs through the campground; all just a mile from the central downtown area of Sturgis……works for me.

I also made a reservation for a campsite in the Grand Canyon, my first night’s stop. Other than these two reservations, I was going to play the rest of the trip by ear, taking it as it came, with the exception of meeting up with Anthony “Drifter” Landis at some point along the way. Where and when was to be determined based on his boss giving him time off of work.

I left Sierra Madre early on Thursday morning, July 30, 2015, heading east on I-10 through the California desert, then on the 62 through Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and 29 Palms; all looking like a tweeker’s ground zero. Eventually, I made it to the California / Arizona border, crossing over the Colorado River into Parker, Arizona. It had been over 40 years since I had been to Parker with my childhood friend Brett Mendez. We were just 16 or 17 years old on a road trip in my pick-up truck thinking we were legends in our own time but in reality we were more like legends in our own minds….that is a whole other story in itself. I will say, though, it includes a lot of beer drinking and teenage bragging rights.

By the time I made it to Lake Havasu, the temperature had reached 100 degrees. I made a fuel stop at some truck stop and bought and choked down some nasty-ass packaged sandwich and a Diet Coke. I also put on my evaporate vest that cools the body. It was the first time I ever used it and I’m here to say, “it works.” My neighbor, Wayne, a seasoned rider who has ridden in every state in the US, suggested I buy the vest and not to hesitate using it. Thanks Wayne for that bit of advice. It made the Arizona desert tolerable.

I headed east on I-40 for several hours, only stopping for fuel and drinks. I-40 parallels the famous Route 66 with small historical towns along the way. Of interest was the colorful funky little tourist-town of Seligman.

Pictures of Seligman, I’m convinced, must be included on every pamphlet offered to Japanese tourists by every enterprising tour bus company. I’ll bet there have even been some Elvis sightings there too. Regardless, Seligman is well worth the stop.

A bit farther up the I-40, Hwy 64 took me north to the Grand Canyon. I found my campground, made camp, and headed to get a view of the Grand Canyon.