"McMike" (mcmike)
08/17/2015 at 15:18 • Filed to: McSturgis, tutu153, twowheelsbad, road trip
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"McMike" (mcmike)
08/17/2015 at 15:18 • Filed to: McSturgis, tutu153, twowheelsbad, road trip | 6
| 20 |
Sturgis. It was never something on my bucket list. My buddy wanted to go, so we started talking about it last year. It was the 75th anniversary of the thing, and it was apparently supposed to be bigger than ever this year (whatever that means).
I think anytime a state’s population doubles for one week, it’s a pretty big event.
“I’m on board, let’s do it,”
I said, as I put on my sunglasses to deal with it.
As some of you know, I rode my motorcycle from
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
during the first two weeks in August. It’s only now that I’m putting all the photos together, and trying to come up with some interesting parts of the trip to share. I wrote nothing down, and only have time-stamped images and a future credit card bill to
freak out about
sort it out.
Mr&Mrs McMike - somewhere in Pennsylvania on day one
We tried to recruit as many of our motorcycling couples as we could. Depending on how many were on board, we could rent an RV or two and tow the bikes, ride out and fly the women there, trailer the bikes, ship the bikes, etc..... Since only two couples (Me & Mrs McMike, and Mr & Mrs #2) could commit to the trip, we decided that it made the most sense to ride there and back. It was going to take two weeks, and I couldn’t believe both the women were up for it. I was excited.
There was only one, little problem..... Couple #2 sold their motorcycle late last year, and as time was approaching, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
He ended up buying one a week before travel time, and waited until the day before we left to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! We were relieved.
He had no owners manual, and no seat time on the newer bike. The bike came with a 30 day/1500 mile warranty that would expire about 500 miles before we even got there. Fingers crossed, and let the adventure start!
The Rally itself, was no different than any other bike week I’ve been too. There are lots of flip-phones, beer bellies, heads of gray hair, and white New Balance Sneakers at all of them. The only thing that was really different about this one was the:
Length of time it took to get there (five days) and back (five days)
The fucking size of it.
Pasties and body painting.
Better scenery (Item #3 not included)
There have been hundreds of articles written about the Sturgis Rally from every imaginable point of view, so I’m not even going to try to share facts or any breaking news about it. It is what it is. I’ll just try to share some of the things I found interesting over the last two weeks (and things I have photos of). We were only in the Sturgis area two full days.
Things that might be worth sharing (mostly notes for myself)
The lack of 93RON west of Indiana.
Holding up traffic on the Tail Of The Dragon
4500 miles only 38% of it being Interstate.
!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Jcarr
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 15:24 |
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There are lots of flip-phones, beer bellies, heads of gray hair, and white New Balance Sneakers at all of them.
An entire subculture summarized in one sentence. I love it.
ceanderson920
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 15:28 |
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I hope you had a good time and SD treated you alright! I’m from around Sioux Falls SD so you drove right by my town on the way.
For Sweden
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 15:31 |
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Bugs you say?
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McMike
> ceanderson920
08/17/2015 at 15:32 |
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Drove by? We stayed the night, and had a fine evening at your charming Fireside Casino
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Jcarr
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 15:35 |
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Stop or stay anywhere in IA? I’m from the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.
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McMike
> Jcarr
08/17/2015 at 15:39 |
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Davenport was a stop.
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ceanderson920
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 15:46 |
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Great to hear! and yes you did drive by because I don’t live in Sioux Falls, about 20 miles south of Sioux falls actually. I have never been to the Fireside either, I tend to stay downtown when I go out in Sioux Falls, better looking chicks down there.
Textured Soy Protein
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 15:49 |
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The amount of ugly white dad shoes on guys riding motorcycles never ceases to amaze me .
WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 16:04 |
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You rode through my neck of the woods, kind of! Did your travel path include I-68? That seems like an exhausting trip.
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McMike
> WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe
08/17/2015 at 16:41 |
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So many roads, so wow navigation. I had the hardest time putting that map together. I think I was close...
I have no idea.
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McMike
> ceanderson920
08/17/2015 at 16:46 |
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Fireside was the closest place to our hotel to drink.
We always looked for somewhere to hang out as we idled into our (insert budget name here) hotel.
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ceanderson920
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 16:50 |
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I don’t blame you one bit, you gotta save as much money on the way out because once you get anywhere near Rapid or Sturgis they prices are jacked up during the rally. I heard that the comfort inn in Deadwood was around $700 per night.
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McMike
> ceanderson920
08/17/2015 at 16:54 |
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Our HoJo in Spearfish was like, $280/night, and that was the cheapest/closest thing we could find to Sturgis that had access to DaBus.
There are no amount of continental breakfast mini-muffins one can eat to make up for that.
I would have loved to stay in Deadwood, though. We passed thought there on our way to our hotel.
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ceanderson920
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 16:57 |
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I like Deadwood a lot, when it isn’t during the rally the town isn’t as packed and you can enjoy the whole area alot more.
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McMike
> ceanderson920
08/17/2015 at 17:24 |
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...when it isn’t during the rally the town isn’t as packed and you can enjoy the whole area alot more.
I’m assuming that statement is true for pretty much most of SW SD
desertdog5051
> McMike
08/17/2015 at 18:28 |
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If you ever go again or know someone going, stay in Edgemont. I did in 97. Just west of Hot Springs. $40 night (then) for a decent Mom & Pop motel and a good restaurant and a bar down the street. All walking distance from each other.
*tech tips from 3 trips to Sturgis*
Pickup_man
> ceanderson920
08/18/2015 at 13:17 |
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Sioux Falls!? I’m just north of there actually, in the small town of Baltic.
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ceanderson920
> Pickup_man
08/18/2015 at 13:21 |
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Im actually from Canton, but I am good friends with a couple people that went to high school at Baltic.
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Pickup_man
> ceanderson920
08/18/2015 at 13:53 |
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Cool, it’s kinda fun to see another person from my area here. BTW, any idea on how to get me out of the grey here on oppo?
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ceanderson920
> Pickup_man
08/18/2015 at 13:55 |
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I don’t really know, my guess is that you have to get a moderator to do that.