Featured Touring 15 Days, 11 States, & 3,660 Miles: Sturgis And A Wedding

Day #10: Riding the Black Hills of South Dakota...Mt. Rushmore, Hill City, Deadwood -- 135 miles
• Trip total to date = 2,301 miles

Although Steve and I had been to the Black Hills and the Sturgis Rally twice before, we'd primarily spent out time in Sturgis and Deadwood. Our actual riding time while there was relatively minimal with a ride to the Harley dealership in Rapid City and several rides through Spearfish Canyon (still one of our faves). This time we wanted to see some new territory and Steve REALLY wanted to see Mt. Rushmore for the first time in his 70+ years of life! So Mt. Rushmore National Monument was our first and primary destination of the day. The map below can be found pretty much everywhere in the Black Hills. I had this one since we were there last year.



Here was our route for the day. We had to do some rerouting due to work on 385 which is one of the main roads through the Black Hills. The work area is passable with vehicles but not good at all for motorcycles. The road itself is completely torn up in the area I indicated on the map and no rider in their right mind would ride it. It's even bad for cars and trucks but doable in a pinch. The kicker is, it will be that way for probably at least two more rallies!



Google

"Construction on the 15-mile project began in spring 2024 and is anticipated to be completed in fall 2026. Construction plans will include completely closing portions of the road for a period of time in consideration of traveler safety. Detours during road closures may add an extra 30 to 60 minutes to drivers' commutes."

The Black Hills area is truly gorgeous and if you live in the midwest (like my family in Minnesota), it is definitely the destination to go to if you want get out of the flatlands and see some mountains and trees! Here's a bit of info about the Black Hills compliments of our friend, Mr. Wikipedia.




After packing our bikes, we hit the road to meet up with Pete & Tammi on Pete's bike and Eli & Margo on Eli's bike at a designated gas station. Our first stop would be at Mt. Rushmore. I hadn't see it in years so was about as excited as Steve to see it again!



This is the route to get to the walkways that take you back towards the monument where you can view it pretty much from below. The route is lined with flags from around the world and the rock areas below the flags have plaques from each of the 50 states.



Me and my "little" brothers Ted on the left is a mechanical engineer who lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas and Pete, on the right, you've met him already.



More info about this spectacular monument



Day #10 continued in my next post.
I had problems with the forum this morning and can't seem to delete duplicates of some of my images. So I could only load 7 pics in this post not 10. Oh well, I'll add those when I get back from my Monday errands.

 

Ha! Well, after hitting the post button on that last post, it looks like that post is totally messed up. Sorry about that. Very frustrating. Well, I gotta go but will get back to it later and hopefully these "glitches" won't continue.

 

Day #10 continued -- the Black Hills

Here's a bit more information about Mt. Rushmore. It's hard to imagine that it was built nearly 100 years ago without today's technology and equipment!





At the end of our time at Mt. Rushmore everyone's tummies were starting to growl so we agreed to ride to the town of Hill City for lunch. Pete and Tammi had been there several times before because they have friends from their church who retired and moved to Hill City. The ride between the two places was fairly short but it certainly wasn't short on beauty. When we arrived, main street was packed with motorcycles. And the rally wasn't even scheduled to "officially" begin for another three days!

Here in front of our lunch restaurant are the bikes of those of us on today's ride. Russell wasn't with us because he had ridden to Chris' Campground where he stayed last year. Some other friends of ours from Tucson were staying there again this year so he spent the day with them. However, my brother, Ted, and sis-in-law, Karen, were in our convoy in their rental SUV tailing us from the back. Much of the time they also had Margo with them. She's not all that interested in riding but her boyfriend, my nephew Eli, is at least partially responsible for that. Let's just say he could have done a better job of getting his bike outfitted for a passenger! He did purchase a new Saddleman "Road Sofa" while at the rally so Margo was much happier after that seat went on the Street Glide.




It was great fun to get to ride with my brother and sister-in-law as well as one of my nephews and his girlfriend. I never imagined the day that I'd be riding motorcycles with my family! Soooooo cool and very special.



After leaving Hill City, we headed through the heart of the Black Hills on some small back roads since 385 wasn't an option. We headed to Sturgis where Margo hopped out of Ted & Karen's car and hopped on Eli's bike. Steve and I opted to ride to Deadwood after gassing up our bikes so we could check in, unload our luggage, and relax for a bit before meeting up with my family and with Russell for dinner later on.

Deadwood is one of Steve's and my favorite towns. In fact, this year when we go back to the Black Hils, we're planning to spend three nights there rather than the one night we stayed this year.

Here's a photo of our hotel, the Deadwood Mountain Grand followed by (thanks Mr. Google), here's a bit of its history.



"The Deadwood Mountain Grand is a casino and resort hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota, situated within the former Homestake Mine Slime Plant, a historic structure that once processed gold ore from the nearby Homestake Mine, a key part of the Black Hills gold rush in the late 19th century; the hotel's design incorporates nods to this mining past, with the renovated building now offering modern amenities while maintaining its original industrial aesthetic as a testament to Deadwood's gold rush history."

Deadwood's Main Street





After parking our bikes in the parking garage (hurray...covered parking!), we got situated in our room. I headed back to my bike to check on a couple of things and then--poof!--one of those "magical motorcycle meetings" that happens more than coincidentally happened.

My bike, Steve's bike, and the trike that's connected to the magical meeting.



As I was checking on my bike, the owner of the trike and I struck up a conversation. He had also just arrived in Deadwood but was going to be there for 10 days! He explained that he had ridden in today from Tennessee and came to the Sturgis Rally annually. I told him we were from Arizona and--sadly--only spending one night in Deadwood. At some point he had his back to me and his black leather vest had a patch with this design on it. I recognized it immediately and said to him, "Oh, you're a DOBER!" he asked me how I knew that and I told him my husband was a DOBER, too. FYI, DOBER stands for Dirty Old Baster Enjoying Riding.



Well, Steve has a big silver ring with that same design. A guy named George Ganem started the DOBERS. George is a jeweler in Scottsdale, Arizona who turned to making beautiful heavy silver "biker" jewelry. His company is called Night Rider. Some of you may recall photos I've posted of Steve's and my King and Queen's Keys which we always wear when we travel together on motorcycles. Anyway, the trike owner asked me if we'd seen George yet. George owns a fair amount of real estate in the town of Sturgis including a Night Rider jewelry store and a bar called The Stinger Saloon.

Trike rider (I still hadn't gotten his name) said that he'd just come from Sturgis where he made a "special delivery" to George. When I asked him what the delivery was, he said, "Let me show you." Hmm, now my curiosity was killing me! He opened the trike's trunk and pulled out two duffel bags and set them on the ground. Then he asked me if I liked whiskey, bourbon in particular. Well, hey, is the Pope Catholic?! He then pulled several mason jars with handwritten descriptions from one of the duffels while telling me about his friend who makes moonshine bourbon that he ages in the Tennessee hills. Now I was practically drooling. He selected one of the jars, unscrewed the lid, and passed it to me to take a whiff. Heavenly! Then he asked if I'd like a taste. Yes, please! I'll tell you, I've had a lot of great bourbons but this was one of the best I've ever had. It was an 18 year bourbon. So then he selects a second jar and does the same thing. Even more delicious! And older, too, at 20 years.

At this point I realized that we'd met this guy before--back during our first Sturgis trip in fact, and in this very same hotel. What are the dang odds?! I told him so and he actually remembered when I fleshed out the details. That meeting had culminated in Steve, me, and our buddy, Larry, drinking (Tennessee bourbon, of course) with trike guy and his friend in their hotel room. And that meeting also came about because of the DOBER connection.

We finally shared our names. His is Craig but his motorcycle "handle" is Raw Sewage. I kid you not! He even had some "coins" made akin to collectable coins that MC dealerships give out and he gave me two for my collection. Here are the front and back of both of them.




Craig asked where my hubby was and I said he was relaxing in our room. I offered to help him carry his duffels and other gear to his room. He agreed on the condition that Steve and I join him in his hotel room for a bit more bourbon and a chat. As we passed through the hotel, it was clear that Craig was a regular at the Deadwood Grand as nearly all the staff greeted him by name. After dropping his gear off at his room, I went back to our room and Steve was as amazed as me at the "coincidence" of meeting the same guy we'd met five years before! So off we went to see Raw Sewage and his bourbon.

These lovelies were laid out on the dresser in his room when we arrived.



Continued in my next post.....

 

Day #10 continued -- hanging out in Deadwood, South Dakota

Craig, aka Raw Sewage. Check out his rings. I have a Night Rider ring just like the one he has on his little finger. It's called The Guardian. You can't see it all that well, but I recognized it immediately. Craig was an incredibly kind and friendly soul. And generous! Nope, all bikers are not hoodlums and renegades.



He even had a stash of shot glasses in one of his duffel bags so he opened a jar and teed us up. He also did a very interesting thing. He had a 4th shot glass into which he poured a very small amount of bourbon. Then he said we needed a toast. He raised his glass and we raised ours. He said, "To all those who we have lost. May they drink the angel's share." He told us that you leave that glass out overnight and in the morning the bourbon is gone. It was a lovely moment.

From Mr. Google:
"The angel's share is the whiskey lost to evaporation during the aging process. It's an inevitable part of making whiskey. This whiskey that evaporates into the air and perfumes the storehouse was dubbed the angel's share in medieval Ireland and Scotland".



We asked Craig if he was selling any of those mason jars of exquisite bourbon and he responded that they were all gifts for his Black Hills friends. Steve asked how much a jar would cost and Craig informed us they went for about $100 a pop! But, he said, if you come back next year, I'll bring you a jar. We exchanged contact info, thanked Craig profusely, and said our goodbyes. I LOVE how motorcycles bring people together!



Day #10 continued in my next post (tomorrow) -- an evening in Deadwood with family and friends

 

@joe mc donald
Thanks, Joe! Glad you're enjoying the write up. Maybe I can make you an "honorary" member of the DOBER Society. Actually, I'm not sure I can because I'm not "officially" a Dober--I think it's only men. Maybe Steve can. Or maybe you can be the first UK Dober!

 

Thanks, @Wessa! I truly feel blessed to be able to travel by motorcycle. It definitely allows us to see beautiful sights and to meet some really cool folks.

 

Yep, @Helmut Visor, they are always the best stories, arent' they?! This 2nd meeting of Craig (aka "Raw Sewage") didn't really feel like chance though having met him five years prior and then parking right next to him in the hotel parking garage. Coincidence? Maybe not......

 

Day #10: an evening with family and friends in Deadwood, South Dakota

After our "bourbon toast" with Craig, Steve and I headed over to Main Street and the Deadwood Social Club where Steve had made reservations for dinner.



This photo from the Deadwood Social Club website shows Deadwood's Main Street a few years before the photo above. Ok, well, maybe more than a "few" years. Yep, it was definitely the wild, wild West!



The Deadwood Social Club is located above a famous Deadwood saloon called "Saloon #10". The Social Club is touted as Italian and steakhouse fine dining and known for having an extensive whiskey collection/selection.



We had a large group that numbered nine of us. From the left circling to the right are Karen (sister-in-law) and her hubby, Ted (brother) from Texas; Tammi (sister-in-law) and hubby Pete (brother) from Minnesota; our riding buddy, Russell; Steve and me; and Eli (Minnesota nephew) and his girlfriend, Margo. While Russell is technically not true family, my Minnesota family has completely adopted him as Uncle Russell!



Steve ordered a martini in a bourbon bar. Mistake. He said it was the worst martini he's ever had. And he's had a lot of them. I, on the other hand, am a fan of the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". I ordered a delicious bourbon and was quite satisfied.



No food pics, I'm afraid. But I do have a few fun motorcycle photos to wind down the evening. When we left the restaurant, we strolled Main Street, had some ice cream, and checked out a to see what bikes were out and about tonight.

A gorgeous Triumph Rocket 3 GT. Who says all the bikes at the Sturgis Rally are Harleys?



This photo gives you a little taste of Deadwood's Main Street at night. As I mentioned previously, we were in Deadwood and the Sturgis area a few days prior to the official start of the Sturgis Rally. In a week, this street would be completely filled with bikes and people.

This motorcycle was a beauty. To me it was like motorcycle jewelry. Here's the right side of it.....



And here's the left. This bike kind of blew my family away as they'd never really seen a customized bike quite like this one.



Here's Steve checking out a pair of matching "Fast Johnnie" Harley Street Glides. You can't really see the one behind the front one but they were very close to identical. They were the same model but customized slightly differently. This "Fast Johnnie" paint job is the one I have on my Harley Low Rider ST.



After we said out good nights, Steve, Russell, and I headed back to the Deadwood Mountain Grand which is also a casino. We don't bet but it's always fun to stroll through the casino floor. None of the three of us bet but not because we think it's evil or something like that. We just like to spend our money on a sure thing--like parts for our motorcycles.



Up next, Day #11: breakfast and a morning stroll in Deadwood then we hit the road for Laramie, Wyoming

 

Glad to help get your anticipation engine rolling, @Bikerman!

 

We can see how much crossover between our two trips we have.

 

Day #11: Deadwood and Black Hills of South Dakota to Laramie, Wyoming -- 303 miles
• Trip total to date = 2,604 miles

Our plan for today was to pack up, have some breakfast, wander Deadwood for a bit, then load the bikes and hit the road to Laramie, Wyoming, the first leg of our return trip to Tucson.

The secret word of the day was "Wind" although it wasn't really such a secret. And although it was windy, especially from our lunch stop in Lusk, Wyoming to Laramie, it wasn't nearly as bad as the wind was on I-90 to Rapid City a couple of days ago.



Russell had been singing the praises of this particular raspberry french toast that he'd had with our friend, Chas, when they stayed at Chris' Campground on previous trips. It was to be found at a fairly dicey diner that's part of the Gold Country Inn, Gambling Ha, and Cafe. So at Russell's urging, down the hill we went to get some french toast. Here's what shows up on Gold Country's web page.



A few of the sights we saw on our way to breakfast......







And here's the cafe.....with a couple of cool old bikes outside the door, of course.





Ok, don't tell Russell I said this, but the raspberry french toast was a total let-down. Not the best ever. Not even something I would order again IF he could talk me into going to that restaurant again. Which is highly unlikely.

After we finished our breakfast and paid up, we moseyed "the long way" back to our hotel. here are just a few pics of from our last few minutes in Deadwood for 2024. But, we're heading back again this summer! There's something about "Sturgis" and the Black Hills that seems to keep drawing us back. That along with the cool routes we take to and from the rally (or in our case the pre-rally).

This area was across form the cafe and seemed to be a place that folks could park their trailers.



Deadwood's elementary school. It's bigger than what is in the photo and continues further on to the right than you can see.



These very cute houses were on the same street that the cafe and school were on. There were a number of them, several of which had signs indicating that they were rentals. I'm not sure if they're rentals year-round or not. I've heard that many folks who live in the Black Hills, especially Sturgis and Deadwood, rent out their homes during the motorcycle rally for big bucks and just go off on vacation or stay in a hotel during that time because they can make so much money in a couple of weeks.



Day #11 Deadwood to Laramie continued in my next post

 

Day #11 continued

The ride out of the Black Hills this year was WAAAAY better than last year! This year the sun was shining and the wind (for now) was calm. Last year we were evacuated out of our hotel due to a burst water pipe that flooded the hotel. AND we were evacuated out a day earlier than we were scheduled to leave. AND it was pouring down rain the entire ride out of the Black Hills until we got into Wyoming. But the silver lining of last years travails was that we stayed in Laramie, a stay that was unplanned, and we really enjoyed it! So that's where we were heading again as we left Deadwood in our rear view mirrors.

We stopped for lunch in a town called Lusk. We stopped at this place--the Silver Dollar Bar and Scrappy's Grill--last year, too. I think the owner was new, and his schtick was teasing. I laughed at first but then it became a bit much. I can see why the restaurant is called "Scrappy's". The thing is, there aren't a lot of options--there don't seem to be other lunch choices and there definitely aren't other towns for miles!






While we were having our lunch my sister-in-law, Tammi, texted me a couple of photos. She and Pete did more riding in the Black Hills and the pics made me wish we'd been able to spend another day or two!

Steve and I haven't the ride that goes through this spot. I think it's on a road called the Needles Highway. Tammi said that it looked harder than it was. But then, she was riding pillion.



Tammi with Pete's Harley Heritage Classic at a photo op stop



We'd reserved rooms in Laramie at the Hilton Garden Inn which is right next door to the University of Wyoming. The University of Wyoming has about 12,000 students and is the only four-year university in the state. Laramie itself has only about 32,000 residents--and that includes the 12,000 that attend UW! Wyoming as a whole has only about 580,000 residents and the biggest "city" is Cheyenne at 65,000. That wind that alluded to a few posts back got very strong, butfater the strong crosswinds back on I-19 I didn't feel very bothered by it. I read that Wyoming is the second windiest state in the United States. Only Alaska is windier!

When we arrived at our hotel we saw that we would be sharing the parking with the famous Weinermobile! I'd seen this before but not for years. Steve did a bit of research to find out more about the Weinermobile, and learned that there are several around the United States. When they are active in the summer, two college students man each vehicles. Wow, who knew?!



After unloading our gear and showering up, we decided to have diner at the same restaurant we ate at last year, Altitude. We called for an Uber since we didn't want to ride to the historic downtown area where Altitude is situated. Turns out that our driver was from Jackson, Minnesota, a small town right near Windom where we stayed for the wedding! Our driver thought that was pretty serendipitous, and so did eye.

The two guys behind Russell on the patio struck up a conversation with us as I was trying to get a shot of Altitude's front exterior. They told us they were heading to the Sturgis Rally and we told them we were leaving the rally.If I remember correctly, they were riding from California.



Altitude has a great vibe--and a great local beer selection. There's something about riding a motorcycle hard most of the day makes me want a beer.

'


My dinner--delicious!



This statue of a buffalo is made out of metal wiring of some sort. It was impressive--huge and powerful. I'm sorry that didn't translate all that well to a picture.



Coming up next, Day #12: Laramie, Wyoming to Salida, Colorado