Wyoming to South Dakota

AUGUST 10, 2010 - DAY 6 - GILLETTE, WY TO HILL CITY, SD

Today was opposite day. When I awoke at five I tried to go back to sleep because Angel was sleeping in. Didn't work. By 5:30 a.m. I was up getting dressed. I think I was just too wound up thinking about my bike and wondering what was going to be the outcome today.

Angel woke up just as I was heading down to breakfast so we decided to take the laundry with us. The thought of freshly cleaned smelling clothes seemed exciting. Such is the life on the road!

When we got to the H-D dealership we found a lot of other bikers there as well. Some for the obligatory stop and shop, others with service issues, and some others actually buying new bikes.

Now as I am sure you can tell by now I do like the H-D brand. However, sometimes you just have to go elsewhere to get a straight answer rather than the corporate one. So after much delay I hopped on my bike and rode it around the corner. The mechanic immediately took it inside, checked it out, topped off my oil and sent me on my way for under $50.

So with all this delay, having to finally pack up, eat and head out, we didn't hit the road till three. Definitely not how we planned it. This was going to be our early morning on the road with only a short ride to our destination but so much to do and see along the way.

We did get some sights in though. Devil's Tower is amazing to look at as it just pops up in the middle of a field. And the town of Sundance looked as though it was inhabited by bikers only. This is where William Bonner grew up and got his name, the Sundance Kid. Even here the small H-D dealership was thriving with business.

But then there was Deadwood and Hill City. The only thing more amazing than seeing all the thousands upon thousands of bikes lining the streets was riding the roads through the Black Hills. And that is because all you saw were bikes. It was funny to realize that if you actually saw a car on the road it looked out of place. But even when Hollister had the rallies and bikers came from all over there weren't this many bikes. It's as though in this entire region everyone is some sort of biker.

Because of our late start we didn't spend time visiting these places, deciding to leave it for tomorrow. So we head out toward Mt. Rushmore and our stop for these next two nights, The Lodge at Palmer Gulch. It's out in the middle of nowhere so has it's own town like setting. There's the Lodge, where our ground floor room looks out onto the parking lot and our bikes. The perfect biker room. It's also a KOA so there are campsites and cabins. Then there's the restaurant / bar, and a small strip of shops including pizza and ice cream which seem to be everywhere.

Everyone is gathered round, sharing stories, finding common ground with our love for riding no matter what we ride or where we live. Life is good today. But with the late start comes a late night and we need to sleep. Got to try to have an early day tomorrow as there is so much to do for one day: Mt. Rushmore, stops and shops in Deadwood and Hill City, and of course the mecca of motorcycle mania, Sturgis itself.

Today's Stats: 5 hours and 177 miles.