03/30/2026
MMR Great Sturgis Adventure
Home, home on the range…..
Day 1-Thursday 8/3/06
We land in Rapid City at 3 p.m., pick up bikes and drive to Custer. Side trip through Custer State Park to get a little of the local flavor. Go to bed early to rest up for first real day.
Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam
Day 2-Friday 8/4/06
We ride over the Needles Highway which is very steep gradient up and down with lots of sharp curves and tons of bike and camper traffic each way. Magnificent vistas each way, but you had to stop to look as constant attention needs to be paid while driving. Lots of cool tunnels through the rocks at certain points. One lane traffic. Continued to Hill City, Deadwood and then Sturgis. Great riding and lots of sights.
And the deer and the antelope play
Day 3-Saturday 8/5/06
We go out every morning early and clean our bikes,the hotel in Custer supplies tons of towels for cleaning. They have obviously had lots of practice at this. Off we go to the Badlands by way off Deadwood. Temperatures quickly rise through the 70’s to the 80’s, then 90’s and finally into the 100’s. We stopped in Deadwood for lunch and slot machines. Some of us won enough to pay for lunch.
It is totally obvious how the Badlands got their name. They provide awesome scenery of the stark kind. Dry, hot and arid with eye-catching land-scape. Huge pinnacled hills that look like giant termite mounds. We have to stop for frequent cold drinks and wetting of our dew rags to stay cool. On the way out, we experience 30 mile per hour cross-winds combined with 105 degree temps.
We stop in Keystone on the way home and it is a charming little town with an old west flavor. We grab some supper and then drive back to Custer trying to avoid deer in the road.
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word (except that Paul O'Rourke is near collapse)
Day 4-Sunday 8/6/06
Many people go to a local church and we all needed a less strenuous day, so we don’t leave until noon. We did the wildlife loop in Custer State Park and saw tons of buffalo, deer and prairie dogs. We shot photos left and right. Some of us bought clothing and decorations for our bikes at a neat trading post. We hung out in Keystone for lunch and then drove to Mount Rushmore. We had three different groups of four guys pose with the four presidents in the background as if they were the four presidents. It was a riot.
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Day 5-Monday 8/7/06
Tom, Carol, Roberto and Rob Staines arrive and we all head out to Hot Springs in the southern part of the state, via a beautiful route through the Black Hills National Forest. Around 2 p.m. we stopped at a cool spring in the middle of nowhere and went wading and swimming. Everyone had a great time as we cooled of for the first time in a while. Then we stopped in Pringle (where rumor has it they make stackable buffalo chips) at Elks Corner Crossing (Elk capital of the US) for lunch. Some people went on to Needles again and some went back to the hotel to rest.
Where Big Bill leads the rides
Day 6-Tuesday 8/8/06
We left for Spearfish in the northern part of the state early. Along the way we stopped at a gold-mine where you could pan for gold for $5 and get a small sample. We rode through Spearfish canyon which was beautiful. There were more bikes on the roads as more people were arriving every day. We stopped at a waterfall and took some pictures. When we got back that night we went out for pizza.
with Paula seated in back
Day 7-Wednesday 8/9/06
We went to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming (Wyoming is very close to Custer) and then to Hewlett also in Wyoming for what was billed as “no pants day”. It was extremely hot and everyone kept their pants on. However there were lots of bikinis with chaps outfits and some pasties.
On the way back, the heat got to some people and we had some minor bike malfunctions. Lee was going to go get one bike with his trailer , but the rider, Paul O’Rourke, was able to nurse it home.
We found out later that Tom and Carol had hit a deer and Tom suffered a broken ankle.
Finally, that day, we were absolutely flabbergasted when Lisa Lunedi showed up after driving 3 days on her Sportster with no windshield from Mass to South Dakota. We are now calling her Lisa the Legend!!!!!
As we travel the roads
Day 8-Thursday 8/10/06
We drove to Wounded Knee, site of the worst Native American slaughter of the 1800 period of our history. It was a stark memorial in the middle of nowhere at the border of Nebraska and extremely hot. We bogied home quickly to get out of the heat.
On the way to Wounded Knee, we took Lisa through the wildlife loop so she could see all the animals. She loved it.. At night we went to the Crazy Horse memorial for the laser show and it was fabulous.
After the buffalo pack
Day 9-Friday 8/11/05
We drove to Sturgis and Rapid City to meet Ed Kelley, who was working at the bike expo. Before Sturgis we stopped at a trading post where several people bought switchblades. Boys will be boys!!!
People were worn out and went their separate ways for supper.
Round curve after curve
where you better not swerve
Through the torrid heat
what vacation could be as sweet
Day 10-Saturday 8/12/06
Most people were leaving this morning and those few of us left behind said our goodbyes. It was rather sad as we had all bonded during the trip and it was a little depressing to think about going home. That coupled with a light to moderate rain really put a damper on this day. Rob Staines and I rode in the rain and did Iron Mountain. Excellent adverse driving condition practice. I helped load Rob’s bike onto his trailer and went back to the hotel.
Oh give me a home
Where helmet-less we roam
and the bikini chapped bikey chicks play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the bikes run smoothly all day
Day 11- Sunday 8/13/06
Travel home day. Drove to Rapid City, dropped off bike for transport home and went to the airport. Lingering looks at the gorgeous scenery and quiet time for reflection before the plane took off. Arrived in Boston at mid-night and home at 1 a.m.. Very strange to be back home.
Hawk
