Home Safe and Sound

The last 270 miles flew by today, and we arrived at home at 3:00 thanks largely due to some incredible traffic from Dayton on to Columbus . . bumper to bumper with tons of semis. And, the roads were terrible. My tax dollars aren't doing their work!

Unpacked, picked up our mail, and then got Monty from "the spa" (aka the kennel). Riding in the car actually felt weird after spending the past two weeks on a motorcycle.

We had a great vacation and hate for it to end, but all good things must. It was a pleasure spending time with our nephews and getting to know them a bit better. I'm sure they'll go back to Sturgis sooner than we will, but who knows what tomorrow holds!

Thanks for following our trip, loyal readers. Until next motorcycle excursion, signing off for now.

A New Mileage Record (Inadvertently)

The second day on the road - going and coming home - is purposely a few extra miles since we've had one day of riding to get acclimated. In this case, we were facing about 590 miles to get to our hotel. And, with the threat of rain lingering over 2 of the 3 routes Google proposed for us, I chose the northern route (ranked 2 of 3) as the weather showed the rain moving off through the other two more southerly routes. That was my first mistake of the day.

You see, though, it's all good because my wife is truly one of a kind, and the absolute best. Let me tell you why. . . . first, both of us missed our turnoff this morning leaving Sioux City, IA as we thought we were on that northern route rolling along. She was singing out loud to rock and roll and not paying attention, and I just wasn't paying attention. The result was a trip headed toward Minnesota, and a total of about 90 miles out of the way.

The weather was gorgeous and it was Iowa and its true countryside. . .tons of corn, lots of dairy cows, lots of beef cattle, the scent of manure wafting from both, and the occasional road kill not to run over.. Finding our way back to the route we were supposed to go on was a bit trying and we went through towns I'm not even sure you can find on the map. And, at least a couple times we ended up at a stop sign with an unmarked left or right turn available to us, or as Cheryl called it "at the intersection of wheat and corn". And, that's a second reason why she's the best. .. . . she keeps her cool when my head was about to explode for causing us a 2+ hour delay in what was already a long way to go to get to Danville, IL.

We finally got back to Route 20 after the 90 miles and 2+ hours of lost time. Of course, it was also mostly a two-lane road with one big detour. Wish I had paid more attention to Google when I was researching those routes. It finally turned into a four lane highway about 50 miles from our endpoint on this segment, the first part of the trip today, i.e., Waterloo, IA. And yet, Cheryl was still in a good mood! (I figured this can't last forever)

We barrelled down I-380 toward Cedar Rapids, and eventually onto Route 80, and finally onto I-74. That meant, at 6:00 p.m., only 220 more miles to go. And, this is where Cheryl's bubble started to burst. At a gas stop she temporarily lost it because she was cold (and so did I because we were both tired). The local guy 80 miles away at the final gas stop did nothing to lift our spirits when he said "Hell, you've got 80 more miles to go! It's on the other side of Danville." Finally, at 10:15 p.m. we arrived in Danville, IL and our hotel.

A happy drunk guy met us in the parking lot and offered us two spare beers, but we passed on this overt hospitality. Happily they had a hot tub so, for the second night in a row, we threw on our swimming togs (or whatever they're called) and headed down for a quick soak. A hot shower later and we're both good as new. And it is here where I offer my final observation on my wife.

She's tough as damn nails. Imagine a 50+ year old woman (I'm 54 and she's older than me) climbing on a motorcycle, riding 1350 miles one way, and then the same (or more) back to Columbus. She never complained - well almost never - and mostly kept me happy and upbeat. How'd I get so lucky?

Tomorrow we have a mere 270 miles back to Columbus. We're looking forward to being home, and hope that Montgomery Scott (the Full Monty) hasn't forgotten who his mother and father is. Thanks for joining us on our trip.

Rollin' Down the Highway

One of my favorite Doobie Brothers songs, it was more than apt today as we piled on 500 miles after leaving Deadwood about 8:00 a.m. MT (10 a.m. EST). Breakfast and our first fillup was about 40 minutes later in Rapid City, and then we were on our way.

I noted before that we get about 150 miles or so on a tank of gas before it is time to fill up again, but that would prove NOT to be the case today. We fought a head- and/or side-wind for most of the day, and it took a toll on gas mileage.

There were many times I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Cheryl's bike inclined about 30 degrees against the wind. It was particularly tricky going around semi trucks and big trucks towing trailers full of bikes! Mind you we were passed a lot, too, as 75 mph (the speed limit) just wasn't fast enough for some of the young fleeing Sturgis and headed east.

Lunch was at a nice truck stop named Marlin's in Mitchell, SD. The waitress was particularly chatty once she saw Cheryl's shirt which featured Steven Tyler's signature. And, our meal was great, so we took the leftovers with us and are finishing them tonight for dinner.

In Sioux Falls, SD, we turned off I-90 and headed south on I-29 toward our destination in Sioux City, IA. The road went from excellent to terrible, and I wondered if my back would survive the bouncing it was taking for the full 98 miles to our hotel.

Not sure what the origin is, but the Floyd River here in Sioux City is completely flooded. I know they had terrible flooding this past spring throughout Iowa, but didn't expect it to still be here. It is almost across the highway and looks like it has taken several river-side businesses along with it.

We're trying a new, bargain rate hotel (AmericInn) and it is really quite nice. Other than the 100+ senior citizens staying overnight, we have the hotel to ourselves. In fact, their bus pulled up at the same time we did. Even though I was saddle sore, you can be damn sure I drug my butt off that bike as fast as I could to beat them into the check-in.

So, we're here enconsced in our oh so cool room, and getting ready for a nice soak in the hot tub, that is if we can beat the seniors down there first.

Tomorrow. we're headed about 600 miles to Danville, IL so that our last day ride is only about 270 miles. More from the road tomorrow.

Winding Down

Today marks our last day in Deadwood, but not the last day of vacation. There was a guy on the local news last night being interviewed, and he said that the best part of coming to Sturgis was the trip out and the trip back home. I'm not sure that riding hell bent for leather is better than seeing Mount Rushmore, but tomorrow we begin the trip back home.

I can only hope the weather is as perfect as it was today. There's not a cloud in the sky which is oh so blue, and the temperature is a very pleasant 80 degrees. It just doesn't get any better than that. Hope, too, that the nephews are experiencing similarly good weather on their trek home.

Tom rode 900 miles after leaving yesterday morning to end up somewhere in Davenport, IA, and is very likely home by the time I'm typing this. Jim got his bike back this morning from the Harley dealer in Rapid City who told him they couldn't find anything wrong with it other than the computer that runs the darn thing "must've burped!" Oh well, he's satisfied and well on his way by now, too.

Today, Cheryl and I rode back into Sturgis which was only a bit thinner in crowds on this the last day. Last minute "shopping" for must haves like Sturgis t-shirts and the like occupied us for a few hours. We're going back into Deadwood for dinner tonight, and may play a few of the omnipresent slot machines to ensure we leave even more dollars behind.

We both remarked what a wonderful trip this was for us, and even better than when we came in 2008. I think it was because we had these extra couple of days and didn't have to jam everything we did in 5 days. The weather wasn't quite as cooperative this time around, but we certainly had a very relaxing and wonderful time with our biker brethern.

I'll post again tomorrow night after we get to our first overnight, Sioux City, IA, about 490 miles - an easy jaunt - from here in Deadwood. See you then!

Where's the Wildlife?

You can tell we're winding down on this vacation with one day (Saturday) left to go. The 150 miles we put on the bike today was both fun and beautiful and also exhausting. Much of the ride was through the Black Hills which got their name because, from a distance, the hills look black!

Through the Black Hills we rode south to Custer State Park for the wildlife loop where, in 2008, we saw all kinds of wildlife, including buffalo. Today, they must've had the day off as all we saw were some prairie dogs (cute, but not buffalo), an elk/caribou/member of the deer family from a long way away, and finally a lot of burros with their hands out, er, mouths out for food from tourists ignoring the "don't feed the animals" signs.

The only buffalo I saw was the buffalo burger on my plate at lunch in Custer, SD. This was probably the best overall meal we've had on the whole trip. After lunch, we ambled down the street to a fur shop and saw all kinds of skins and skeletons from the critters who must've had the day off at the wildlife loop.

One small bump in the road with Jim and Tom. They left this a.m. to make the trip home in 2 days, not the 2 1/2 we spent coming out here. Apparently in Sturgis they stopped for gas and Jim's bike would simply not restart. He eventually had it towed to the Harley dealer in Rapid City and looks like the line in front of his for service is so big he's renting a car and driving back to stay with us for the evening. More on that tomorrow when we know the cause, but I told him that both Cheryl and I have had bike problems before so just to keep it in perspective.

That's the full excitement for today. No specific plans for tomorrow but will very likely do one more swing through Sturgis and see if we can not get in any trouble. More tomororw.

Spearfish Canyon, Wild Bill, and the Legendary Buffalo Chip

Thursday was a pretty slow-paced day, yet we managed to get a lot of activities in over the course of the day. Jim and Tom took off fairly early for a ride along the Needles Highway and the wildlife loop of Custer State Park. Cheryl and I hung around the house before starting out for a trip through the beautiful Spearfish Canyon, about which Cheryl has remarked that it is the "most beautiful ride I've ever taken".

Spearfish Canyon is a 20+ mile winding road through an ancient, wooded forest that is part of the Black Hills National Forest, beginning outside Lead, SD and ending up in Spearfish, SD. There are several places to stop and soak in the beauty, and a huge lodge/hotel about halfway along. We stopped there for coffee and I inquired as to the room rate during this. the peak season, fully expecting to hear that it was $300+ a night. I was surprised to learn that it was a mere $190 per night and would certainly give that some thought as a place to stay if (when?) we come again. Although isolated, it isn't far from anywhere and certainly beautiful.

After a lunch at the Spearfish Burger King - no, Cheryl, they don't have frozen Coke out here in the West! - we rolled back into Deadwood and headed for the gravesite of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. From Wikipedia, "His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized. His nickname of Wild Bill has inspired similar nicknames for men known for their daring in various fields.


Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach driver, then became a lawman in the frontier territories of Kansas and Nebraska. He fought in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, actor, and professional gambler. Between his law-enforcement duties and gambling, which easily overlapped, Hickok was involved in several notable shootouts, until he was shot and killed while playing poker in a Dakota Territory saloon.


Next to Wild Bill's grave is that of "Calamity Jane", herself a very interesting story on Wikipedia. Seems like she was at the very least infatuated with Wild Bill and, perhaps, his wife who fathered a child by him. Her dying exclamation was "Bury me beside Wild Bill" although some of his compatriots later said he had no use for her and putting her there was a last prank on him - unrequited love is always sad says Mrs. Douglas (Cheryl).

The day concluded with a trip to the legenday Buffalo Chip to see Jeff Bridges and Friends (John Fogerty and Stevie Nicks). A unique thing about "The Chip" is that bikes park right along with people close to the stage, and when concertgoers hear something they like, they rev their engines. Stevie Nicks opened with "Landslide" just as we got off our bike on arrival. We had VIP admission (which simply means a more expensive ticket) and found ourselves right down front. Cheryl moved through the crowd to get front and center so she could get a good perspective on the still wonderful Stevie Nicks.

Her set, though, was pretty short - only about 4 songs. One notable thing, though, was the tornado watch on for the evening exhibited itself as an incredibly strong wind, pushing right into the band's face and actually blowing her microphone over. As little as she is, it was tough for her to stand there and belt it out. It actually blew the banners hanging from the back of the stage right off and somewhere into Kansas, I think.

The stage was cleared and on came, as Jeff Bridges introduced him, as the "man who wrote the soundtrack for the Vietnam War" and he didn't disappoint a crowd I'd estimate of 3,000 or so. It was one hit after another - "Up Around the Bend", "Hey Tonight", "Willie and the Poor Boys", and all those great Creedence songs as well as those big hits of his own, e.g., "Centerfield", "Hot Rod Heart", etc.

For the encore, he invited Jeff Bridges out and they sang together "Proud Mary". Clearly, Jeff Bridges, aka Jeff Lebowski whose Creedence tapes were stolen in the movie, was enjoying watching someone he idolized very much, as before his appearance he was offstage swaying and dancing. It was truly enjoyable watching them both!

The traffic back toward Deadwood at midnight was surprisingly heavy, and it was spitting rain. Given that the road between Sturgis and Deadwood (14A) is one twist after another, I was concerned about being out there, in the dark, and in the rain, but the rain held off until we were on the outskirts of Deadwood with about 3 miles to home. We were blessed, once again, to be safe. Mrs. Douglas says it was because she was praying fervently the entire trip.

Today (Friday) is probably our trip to the wildlife loop of Custer State Park where we expect to see all kinds of critters - bison, bighorn sheep, burros, wild turkeys, etc. - right by the road. Will let you know with another post later this evening. Thanks for reading.

Devil's Tower and God Lends a Hand

The day started on a downer as we learned of the passing of our friend, Jim McCarty, who succumbed to cancer in Hospice at Berger Hospital, Circleville, Ohio. I first met Jim back in the late 80's at Riverside Methodist Hospital where he worked in IT and I in Radiology. He was the smartest IT person I ever knew, and certainly helped me/us a number of times with our computer woes at home. He will be greatly missed and I mentally dedicated the day to his memory, and it turned out I think he helped us out, again, in a big way. More on that later.

Our group changed a bit today as Tom went off with 15 other fellows from his company who are here biking, so Jim, Cheryl, and I headed off about 9:30 to the nation's first national monument - Devil's Tower. About 30 minutes into the ride we crossed the state line into Wyoming so we stopped, like a lot of other bikers, and got our picture taken. Some even wheeled their bike up to the sign and shot the photo that way.

Devil's Tower can be seen emerging from the horizon about 20 miles away, and it is simply huge. We took photos of it last trip to Sturgis, but this time decided to actually go to it and see it up close. As it is extremely busy during the Rally, and Wednesday is the busiest day, we were pleasantly surprised how well organized it was in terms of handling traffic. The entrance to the park had an area of prairie with about 1,000 prairie dogs, all posing for photographs and hoping for a morsel of something despite the signs everywhere saying "Don't feed the prairie dogs!".

We walked up a short hill and the pathway was crowded. Of course the people we decide to chat with were from Portsmouth, OH - there are TONS of Buckeyes out here. We headed back down and got back on the bikes - time to leave for Hulett, WY and - take your choice - Pantiless Wednesday or the Ham 'n' Jam charity event. It was here that Jim re-enters the story.

Hulett is only about 10 miles from Devil's Tower, and we were scooting along at a 60 mph clip about 2 miles out when a deer ran across the highway about 20 feet in front of me. As my head turned to watch it, out of the corner of my left eye I saw its partner, and it was a hell of a lot closer. In fact, it was right in front of me and I think I may have clipped its rear hoof with the front of my tire.

Despite my heart beating about 200 beats per minute from the very near miss (which would've had ugly consequences for Cheryl and I), I somehow had the feeling - call it corny if you want - that Jim McCarty had looked down from heaven and used his hand to scoot that deer along just fast enough that we missed it and avoided a bad accident.

We quickly recovered our wits and rode on into Hulett. It was yet another small town, crowded with bikers, and vendors selling stuff we already had or didn't want. Cheryl did meet, as she did last time we were there in 2008, some of her kind of peeps and they obliged her with photos.

The ride back to our house in Deadwood was extremely pleasant and uneventful. The sky was a brilliant blue, and puffy white clouds floated everywhere. It was the first day without a drop of rain falling on us - Jim was that you, again?

For dinner, we jumped on the bikes and rode into Deadwood and had a nice dinner at a Chinese restaurant. We finished the evening with a cold one at Saloon #10 which is the rebuilt saloon where Wild Bill Hickock was shot and killed by the cowardly Jack McCall. In fact, his "death chair" sits over the entrance and is reputedly the chair in which he held his hand of aces and eights when Jack McCall gunned him down.

Cheryl didn't have a cold one with us, but did have a cold ice cream cone that she ate on the back of my bike as we jetted home. Another wonderful day, and thank you Jim McCarty for your life and for very likely saving ours today.