Thursday the 6th was a recovery day for the most part. The last big push of riding to get into Sturgis the day before, followed by a wild, late night at One Eyed Jacks, called for sleeping in. By the time we got going it was lunch time and we grabbed something at a little place up the street. Then we hooked up with Tom and took a nice leisurely ride into the hills outside of Sturgis, eventually looping around and ending up in Deadwood. Deadwood is a really cool little town. It was the center of the Black Hills gold rush of the 1870s, and is where western legend Wild Bill Hickok was murdered. He is still buried there, alongside the infamous Calamity Jane.
I was still a little fuzzy from the night before, so of course I left my camera in my saddlebag and didn't realize it until we had walked quite a ways into town. If not for my bad ankle I probably would've run back and gotten it, but I said screw it. We checked out a few places, shops, bars and so forth. After a few beers we were getting hungry so we figured we'd have dinner there. Upstairs from a casino we found an excellent restaurant and sat down to a great steak dinner. After that it was back to Sturgis and a few more beers down on the strip. We took a break from One Eyed's and tried a few other bars along the strip, including the Dungeon, which was like partying in somebody's basement.
When I went out the next morning, Friday the 7th, my bike was looking pretty sad, just caked with bugs and mud and grime from the road. I had noticed a Bikini Bike Wash down the street, and it didn't take huge prodding from me to get Jay to agree to head down there with me.
Note the look of satisfaction on his face as he realizes he can start the day's riding off on a nice clean bike!
While my Springer was being bikini washed, I noticed this cool looking Boss Hoss in the parking lot.
These bad boys have a GM V8 engine, 8.5 gallon fuel tank, reverse gear, and weigh in at about 1,300 pounds. It's not a bike I would want for myself, but they are definitely an attention-getter.
With the bikes clean and ready to go, we headed back to the motel to meet Tom and his Dad, who were going to be leading the ride today. I have to mention how cool it was that they were out there and that we hooked up with them. Having been there several times before, they knew the area really well, and were more than happy to be our tour guides. That was so cool, because without them, Jay and I would have spent far too much time pulling over and looking at maps. We were heading to see Mount Rushmore, ride the Iron Mountain and Needles Highways, and go through Custer State Park. When we arrived at the Pactola Dam and Resevoir, we were barely off the bikes when another pack pulled in that was obviously all HOG members. When I saw their patches I was blown away...
Switzerland! And I thought I'd come a long way to get to Sturgis...how cool is this? It is true I saw HOG members from other countries, even Australia and the UK, when I was in Milwaukee last year, but it never ceases to amaze me just how far bikers will go to be a part of something special.
Me, with the Brothers and Sisters from the Ticino Chapter of South Switzerland, Harley Owners Group. This is what it's all about folks.
There are WAY too many pictures to keep going on this way - I'd be on the computer for 3 days. Slide show time!
The end of the day's riding in the mountains took us back through Hill City, where we stopped for a few beers and some dinner. After that it was a long ride back to Sturgis by way of Deadwood. Come to find out it was lucky for us that we were so far out of town that day. We returned to find out that a severe storm had come through Sturgis during the day, dumping a deluge of wind-driven baseball-sized hail, and doing lots of damage. Some bikes had broken windshields, speedomters, and dented gas tanks. Many of the outside vendors had damage to merchandise, and even a few broken cash registers. Some of the roads at the campgrounds were washed away, and from what I heard a few tents went with them. Very much relieved to have missed that, we had a few nightcaps in the room and called it a night.
Next Up: Our last day at the rally takes us to the Crazy Horse Memorial, and then we head for home...
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