The Stone House Saloon - Sturgis Trip

After an incredible day of hiking Devil's Tower, we headed out of Wyoming and stopped at this place out in the middle of nowhere. Actually it was in Belle Fourche, South Dakota which isn't actually nowhere.

We were riding along enjoying the view of the many ranches covering the landscape, in fact, I even saw a cowboy on a horse!  It was an amazing sight.  A real cowboy.
The solitude of the ride was broken as we noticed that we were seeing more and more motorcycles around us. And all of a sudden, there it was, The Stone House Saloon, which was a place Cindy told us is a must stop.

Unfortunately, by the time we came upon it, we could not safely slow down to turn in so we passed it and turned back at the first safe opportunity. Parking was a little treacherous since there is nothing but hilly dirt. We were getting used to it though as it seemed like most places we went were like that.

The saloon is a house with all the windows removed. They serve drinks and food out of the openings. There is also a sitting area covered with netting to break the effects of the hot sun. It's very effective. It lets the breeze blow through and cuts the brightness of the sun beating down producing some shade.

There were plenty of tables, benches and old tree stumps available to sit down on and rest. The atmosphere was warm and relaxing.  There was also a band playing.  So we ordered some food and drinks and sat down to listen to the band.  After a week's worth of riding and fun events along with our morning hike, this felt like the most relaxing place on earth.  I don't know what it was, the ambiance, the timing, the warm weather or our vacation days winding down, but it sure felt good to be sitting still.

Devils Tower, Wyoming

As we rode towards Hulett, Wyoming to see Devils Tower we wondered if we would be able to easily spot it from the highway.  Would it be down some long, lonely road hidden by mountains, or not? As a tourist, there is so much rock and sandstone that I'm not sure what to expect.  It is amazing and beautiful and as soon as I think the land is all flat, there's a rocky ridge with a cliff that is deeper than I can see.

I love how hot and dry the air is.  No allergies out here, the air is fresh but dry enough to leave a feel of sediment from the wind blowing. I love the climate.

As we rode we saw the signs first telling us that we are on the right path.  Devils Tower is on this route.  Suddenly we could see it in the distance.  The landscape is so simple, that it was impossible to miss.  As we got closer we had to pull over at a rest stop to take some photos.  Wow. It was just like on TV.

When we got really close, it felt much different and less mysterious.  Driving in, we passed the campground first.  They actually show the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind every night there.  How cheezy yet appropriate.  Then we passed the gift shops and souvenir shops along the road.  There were plenty of trinkets and baubles to buy, even Harley shirts.  So we will be stopping to pick some up on our way out.

We decided to hike all the way around it.  The paved trail is 1 and 3/10 miles long.  An easy walk.  Along the trail we saw climbers scaling the side of the monument.  The park rangers explained that you have to be a certified climber to be allowed up there and it was always busy. It was amazing to see these people just hanging on the totally vertical sides. 

The wildlife and vegetation was exactly what I expected.  Large pines and cottonwoods dotted the landscape and there was plenty of sagebrush all around.  I loved watching the prairie dogs bob up and down from their burrows.  Lots of them were popping their little heads up to greet us.

There were these little pieces of fabric hanging from the bushes and trees.  A sign read not to disturb them. They were American Indian prayer cloths placed there by natives who believe the tower to be sacred.  They were beautiful and fascinating. 

Lorenzo Lamas and Custer State Park

What a week. We got tickets to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction breakfast where we will be sitting at Senator Zien's table. What incredible luck! I've been hoping to attend this, but not because Nancy Davidson was being inducted into the hall but because the guest speaker was Lorenzo Lamas. 

What a thrill to see this heartthrob from my favorite television drama, Falcon Crest.  It's like a dream come true. We had a wonderful breakfast with such fun people. 

This is a great start to a fun day of riding.  After the breakfast we got on the bike, stopped at a deli and packed some sandwiches. Then we headed to Custer State Park.  The winding roads and pretty views were great.  We pulled over and had a nice lunch on some rocks.  It was exactly how vacation should be, relaxing and exciting all at the same time.

The Biker Build Off at Buffalo Chip

An evening at the Buffalo Chip was nothing like I could have ever imagined.  I pictured a sort of Summerfest type event where you just staked out a spot and parked yourself on a piece of lawn and listened to the band playing on stage.  It was sort of like that only at a magnitude that was bigger than ever. Huge. There were about 12 stages all around the perimeter of the venue.  It was a little like a circus with many acts all going on at once and if you were standing in the middle all you have to do is keep turning around to see them all. People were in lawn chairs, on blankets and some looked like they were camped out in the same place for days. Which they probably were. And we were here to see Bob Dylan.

Funny thing happened on our way to the concert.  Cindy offered us press passes which allowed us access to a dinner and a biker build-off event backstage from the concert.  We were so excited. We actually had dinner with the people from the Biker Build-off shows.  Not the ones who film it but the real biker builders.  These were the people Jeff loved to watch construct their amazing motorcycles. 

The exhibit was amazing.  Michael Lichter's art photography was all over the walls and the motorcycles were on display.  It was an incredible event and we were so grateful to be there. As we walked through the exhibit we could hear the music playing.  Bob Dylan was on stage and we were right behind it.  I wish I could have snapped a photo but it was too dark to capture it. 

A Day in Downtown Sturgis

There is so much to do here where do we start?  We have to hit the rally stuff right away.  Mostly because the events we want to attend are later in the week so we should do this now.

The streets of downtown Sturgis are loaded with nothing but vendors.  The pop-up shops line the streets everywhere.  There are vendors selling jewelry, leathers, bags, t-shirts, hats, motorcycle parts and so much other stuff I could go on and on.  There are food vendors and bars tucked in-between all the other stuff.  It's the usual rally style things that we are accustomed to only at a much larger level. The same junky vendors are here, but there are also higher-end items here too.

 

We've seen some of the craziest things and met the nicest people.  We even felt a little piece of home as we sat atop the Iron Horse Hotel's venue, on the roof of a semi-trailer.  The people watching view was fun and we met Tim Dixon, owner of the Iron Horse and his marketing director, Brigette Breitenbach.  They served us some cocktails while we enjoyed the people watching.

We made plans to go on the Veterans' Ride which was amazing.  There were so many people and so many bikes. It seemed like the group stretched for a mile.  It was a good experience with other veterans and we met more great people from all over the country.

 

Veterans' Ride

Veterans' Ride

Mount Rushmore

 

A visit to Mount Rushmore was as cool as I expected it to be.  So much history is here. It's amazing to see it in person considering we have all seen photos of it from our very first exposure to history, geography and civics.  There are no words to describe the experience, I am just glad to be here.

 

The Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota

We got up early as usual and went for a swim before breakfast. After breakfast it was still early so we decided to go over to the Corn Palace before we checked out of our hotel. It was a mere 1 mile away and very easy to find. It was more impressive than we could have imagined. Back in the 1890s it was built to showcase the rich corn growing soil of South Dakota and encourage people to settle there. Today it houses the arena for Wesleyan University's basketball team and also the local high school team. Each year the entire exterior of the building is decorated with murals made of corn and other grains.

Inside, there are photos along the walls that have each year's design all the way back to the 1892. It was fun to see them all. There is an entire Corn Palace Village across the street from the building where one can buy anything corn-related and some things not so corn-related like Black Hills Gold. We walked through a few of the shops before we realized that we didn't really need to waste our time. I did buy some caramel corn though. It is very touristy and as tourists we could not resist getting in on the fun.

Badlands National Park

By the time we checked out of the hotel, it was 10:30. The night before, the lot was loaded with motorcycles and trailers pulling motorcycles. People were being turned away because they were booked solid. By the time we left in the morning, the lot was deserted. We were the only ones not in a hurry, I think.

We crossed the Missouri River as we headed west.
When we got to Cactus Flats, we turned into Badlands National Park. It was quite a sight and understandable why it was called the Badlands. The rough terrain was filled with gullies, canyons, and ravines. I can't imagine anyone crossing this land. The landscape looked harsh but beautiful. The clay in the rock formations were so colorful, but at the same time it looked a little like it could be something from another planet. We hiked up a few rock formations for the best views.

While we were climbing, we met a group of 6 men who spoke in broken English. They came up for Sturgis from Brazil. We meet the most interesting people on our motorcycle adventures.

We stopped to take a few photos but they don't do justice to the scenery. It's about as spectacular as the Grand Canyon. There were a few scary moments, like coming across a Beware of Rattlesnakes sign and I climbed out onto a ledge where I was surrounded by a few hundred feet drop below me. I don't know what I was thinking when I walked the narrow path to the end of nowhere. I think I got a little caught up in the moment.

Trip to Sturgis Day 2, Part 3

The last leg of the trip took us all the way to Mitchell. It was a tough ride but we made it safe and sound. We checked into our hotel around 6 pm and went right to the pool. I swear I could hear a sizzling sound as my body entered the water. It felt so good. Right across the street from our hotel was a restaurant called Corona Village. I was pretty sure I could get a margarita there. We walked over and found the place to be filled with Hispanic people, both as customers and staff. We were certain that we wouldn't be disappointed with the food and we weren't. The margaritas were fantastic and the food was authentic. I tried to call the rest of the VCPI crew to let them know where we were and to see if they wanted to join us but I got voice mail each time I dialed a number.

The total accumulative miles today is 676 so we traveled another 428 today.
Happy trails.

Trip to Sturgis Day 2, Part 2

It was a long haul between Mankato and Sioux Falls, 156 miles to be exact. The heat was wearing on us but we continued on. We hit a stretch where the skies clouded up and by checking the traffic on the other side of the highway, cars had their headlights on and most people on motorcycles were wearing rain suits as well. Instead of chancing it, we pulled over and put our rain suits back on. Almost immediately, we were accompanied by another 10 bikers doing the same. Better safe than sorry, it's no fun wearing a rain suit when your're already a little wet so it's always best to have it on before the rain even starts. This morning we weren't so lucky but we learned from the experience so this time we were ready.

It did rain for a little while, but not terribly long. We were glad to be prepared though. As the skies cleared, there was nothing left to think about the the road ahead. It was smooth sailing, or riding in our case.
The Minnesota countryside was mostly corn. We could see why as we passed some biodiesel and some ethanol plants between the cornfields. The landscape was also dotted with windmills. It's good to see that people are using the new technology for a better world.

As we rode along I was thinking about my geography classes. As a child with limited travel experience (we spent summers in Crivitz on my grandmother's farm or Menominee at my other grandmother's place) what I learned in geography classes might as well have been fiction. Textbooks filled with images of our great country from the Midwest farmlands to the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains was just about as real as a fairy tale. It was all in a book, nothing I knew from my own travels. So here we are riding along with my feet two feet off the ground, smelling the smells of the countryside, seeing the world up close for myself. The Minnesota lush green farmlands turned into drier grasslands and plainfields as we rode into South Dakota; the fairy tale was fading and what I learned in geography class was becoming reality.

There is nothing like traveling on a motorcycle, the sights, sounds, and smells are always amazing. If it weren't for the sound of the engine, I would feel like I was one with Mother Nature. We could hear the cicadas chirping over the bike; there must have been tons of them. We rode past the most amazing fields filled with sunflowers. They were growing as far as the eyes could see, like yellow polka dots among a dark green background. Their bright faces were all aimed towards the sun in the exact same direction like little soldiers all in a row. As the vegetation changed from the cornfields in humid Wisconsin and Minnesota to the dryness of the Great Plains where the grasses took over, we knew we were now near Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

It was time to take a break so we took the downtown exit. There was nothing that exciting to see, so we had to make a choice. Try another exit or ride directly to Mitchell, another 60 miles to our final destination of the day. We were both getting cranky so adventuring around Sioux Falls seemed like a bad idea; we decided to continue on to our hotel in Mitchell.

Trip to Sturgis Day 2, Part 1

We went for a morning swim in the hotel pool then had some breakfast before we started out for the day. The Executive group was scheduled to be in Rochester by 8:30 am which meant they were leaving La Crosse pretty early. We chose to sleep in and catch up with them later. Maybe. We are just as happy all by ourselves so it was yet to be determined whether we would continue on with the group at all. We were going to follow their route because it was on the back roads, no more I-90 expressway.
We checked out at 8:45 and got on the road. The first stop of the day is Rochester which was about 65 miles away. We knew we wouldn't catch the group riders there but we were in no rush, we're on vacation.

The view on the ride was incredible. We followed the Mississippi River for quite a while and passed through many small towns along the way. There was little traffic which made the ride all that much more enjoyable.

It started to rain so we had to stop to put the rain suits on. It was a pretty heavy rain with stressed us out, more Jeff than me though. When we got to Rochester it was clear that the group riders had already come and gone so we did not stop. Since it was still raining we would continue moving as long as possible just to get as far as we could and hopefully get past this storm. Waiting it out is not an option.

It stopped raining about an hour later so we pulled into the Harley dealership in Mankato. It was a good spot to take the rain suits off and the Executive ride just happened to still be there. Now that Karen Davidson knows who we are she approached us to see how our trip was going so far. Jeff told her we were now riding on our own at our pace and we would continue to do so, with that we said our goodbyes for now knowing we would see each other again in Sturgis.

Jeff took our picture before we left.

Trip to Sturgis Day 1, Part 4

In La Crosse the dealership was giving out passes for a ’Ride to Sturgis’ event at the Oktoberfest grounds. We grabbed two tickets and left for our hotel. We checked in and unloaded our stuff from the bike. After a quick shower to wash the day off, we rode over to the Oktoberfest grounds. We had been here for the S & S 50th Anniversary party so we were somewhat familiar with the grounds. Once inside, there were booths for all things motorcycling. Most were run by volunteer organizations that were trying to raffle off something or sell something to raise money for their group. We went to the bar and ordered a beer and walked towards the band. They were called The Brat Pack and played 80’s music dressed in goofy costumes with props like a Star Wars light saber and Pac Man video games, reflecting the era they were trying to represent. They were really good. We were having a good time so we ordered a sandwich from the food vendor and another beer. A guy approached me offering a 1 in 10 chance to win 4 tickets to the Buffalo Chip for Tuesday night’s Dylan/Kid Rock concert at $20 per entry. I didn’t hesitate. I gave him twenty bucks for the chance and I would know before the end of the evening if I was the winner. We listened to the band for quite a while and the place was filling up. Just as we were getting ready to leave, the man with the raffle approached us to tell us we didn’t win but the winner was a girl from the La Crosse roller derby team who wasn’t going to Sturgis so maybe she would want to sell them. We decided to approach her and she was ready to sell them. I offered her $60. She asked me if I knew that they were worth $280. I said yes, I knew that but I had exactly $60 cash on my person and that was all. So I said good-night, I was tired and didn’t really care about them all that much any more. I was ready to walk away. She says, “now wait”, then looks at Jeff and asks him if he has any to add. He says that between the two of us we have exactly $100, take it or leave it. She rolls her eyes, repeats what they are worth and then hands me the envelope. We gave her the $100 cash. She did ask me to do her a favor; go see the Roller Derby at Monkey Rocks. We agreed.

I never thought I would go to a little La Crosse party and end up with 4 expensive tickets to the Buffalo Chip. And to the Dylan show on top of that. What a great day!

We left our house at 8:30 am and checked into our hotel at 5:30 pm. We logged 248 miles for the day.

Happy trails.

Trip to Sturgis Day 1, Part 3

We pulled out of Capital City Harley-Davidson and left for the Dells where we stopped at Monk’s for lunch. Jeff and I chose to sit at the bar and split an order of chicken sliders. Two guys from Connecticut sat next to us. We started chatting and I handed them some of Cindy’s maps. One of the guys had a faraway look and I asked him if he was feeling ok. He told us he rolled over a piece of loose luggage that fell off one of the bikes. He said his bike was airborne and he feels lucky to be here right now. The sick feeling he had was from watching his life flash before his eyes. Understandable. I guess I was wrong about that bag I saw between the lanes.

We got back on the bikes and had a somewhat uneventful ride to Mauston. When we ride in large groups, the rule is always safetly first, so sometimes the group gets split at a stoplight or when traffic merges between us. That happened at the off ramp to the Mauston H-D dealership. Unfortunately, the person at the front didn't know the area, but he had a GPS. Now, I have never been a believer in GPS's reliability so I was not sure we would get where we needed to go. Jeff didn't know the exact location of the dealership so we were at his mercy. And of course, we took a wrong turn. GPS could not adjust the mistake without taking us miles out of the way. One of the women in the group knew exactly where the wrong turn was made and we all turned around and followed her back in the right direction to the dealership.

This dealer seemed much more organized. The dealership set up a table for the Davidsons and allowed anyone to get in line for autographs. Jeff decided to take the opportunity to get his vest signed by the family so he got in line and got it done.

We met some guys from a local veterans group, as usual Jeff was making some new friends. These guys were on the Vietnam Vets ride to Lambeau just like Jeff so they had a few stories to share. While he was yapping I took the opportunity to get a photo with my favorite State Senator, David Zein. He is such a fun guy, I hope I run into him again some time.

From there we started out towards La Crosse. As we rode, we went under an overpass in Tomah that was lined with people waving and cheering us. I wondered if they knew it was Willie G. leading the group. I wondered why they were there at all. It felt good knowing we were getting close to the last stop. Riding in the sun all day is tiring, even as a passenger.

Trip to Sturgis Day 1, Part 2

We rode from the H-D Museum to Capital City Harley. The route was straight up I-94. When it's just the two of us we try to stay on the back roads but we thought it would be fun to ride with this group no matter which route they took. But getting a group this large to stay together in Milwaukee traffic is difficult and we did get split in two separate groups. We were towards the front of the second group. Four bikes were in front of us, all with North Carolina plates. We knew they couldn't lead (they were switching into lanes that didn't make sense by the stadium) so at the first opportunity Jeff and two others passed them to take the lead. There was plenty of construction near Madison so it made for a stressful ride. Just before Sun Prairie, there was a travel bag lying on the white lane markers. Luckily it was between the lanes so no one would run over it. Somebody on this ride lost their luggage. That's gonna suck.

When we got to the Madison store, we talked to the North Carolina group and they were grateful that we got in front of them. They rode up to Milwaukee just to ride with Willie G. to Sturgis. I am surprised anyone would do that but I guess I should be surprised especially by the many people came out to greet the Davidsons. There were camera crews from the local news, reporters, and local fans. They were disappointed when we showed up without the majority of the Davidson family. So the reporters did an interview with the CEO, Keith Wandell.
20 minutes into our visit, the Davidsons pulled up on their motorcycles. The crowd went wild with applause. Even the Wandell interview stopped to turn the camera on the Davidsons.
As everyone crowded around them I stepped back and took a walk. It was nice to stretch, sit under a shady tree and enjoy the quiet. Just as I started walking back towards the building, a photographer approached me and asked if he could take my photo. I said yes, he took the shot, looked at the results and asked if I would be willing to do a series of shots. I needed more info first and he told me he is the photographer for Harley Davidson and he does all their promotional material. Then he asked me to sign a release form. So I did it.

After I found Jeff we saw Karen Davidson with just a few people hovering nearby. We took the opportunity to introduce ourselves as Jen's parents. The first thing she said was, "doesn't she make the most amazing cupcakes?" (Yeah, Jen and her Iron Cupcake competitions.) We had a nice conversation. The group started to get back together to head out and on the walk back to the bike, a reporter from Janesville approached me and started to ask questions. I gave her the details the best I could starting with the pancake breakfast. I am again surprised at the interest.

Trip to Sturgis Day 1, Part 1

We packed up the bike and left home around 7:30 to get to the Harley Museum. The museum held a pancake breakfast for riders heading out to Sturgis with the Harley Executives. When we arrived, there were lots and lots of bikes. About 25 employees were riding with the Davidsons and another 25 of us were tagging along.

After we parked, one of first people we encountered was a friendly face, Tony SanFelippo. Everyone knows Tony, he is familiar to bikers because he is the head road guard for the Governor's Ride and the County Executive's Ride. And non-bikers will know him from the Hupy & Abraham commercials where he says, "if you've been injured in a motorcycle accident..." That's Tony in those ads. When he saw me with Cindy's maps, he mentioned that her husband was handing them out last night.

Some of the people who will ride along with us this morning were going to go as far as they could and just turn around. Everyone wanted to ride with Willie G. even for a short while. Unfortunately, Willie, Nancy, and Karen were delayed and would catch up with the group in Madison which was a little disappointing for some.

After the breakfast Bill Davidson gave the group instructions for lining up for the ride then a Deacon from a south side church gave a blessing. The interesting thing about the guy is that he is a Deacon on Sundays and he works at the Harley Museum during the week. By 8:30 we were heading out of the parking lot and on our way.
(In the photos: Bill Davidson, Tony SanFelippo, State Senator David Zein, The Deacon)

Time for sturgis

The Pee Wee kick off

I found this ad tonight:

ONLINE CASTING CALL
Register for your chance to be selected by Pee-wee Herman to play a Biker Bar Patron Extra in “PEE-WEE’S BIG STURGIS ADVENTURE” being shot on-site at the Legendary Buffalo Chip on August 8-9 by a professional Hollywood production team. Be a part of the new version of the infamous Tequila dance biker bar scene from “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” cult-classic movie.

So I signed Jeff up. The requirement was to send 3 bad-ass photos and I did the best I could to dig some up. Good luck, hun.