You've heard a lot from me over the past month. But this adventure wouldn't have been possible without my partner in crime. So today I'm going to turn the blog over to Mike, our Road Captain...
So, what an adventure. This was my second time to Sturgis and it didn't disappoint. Before I go too far, there are a few people I need to acknowledge:
Pat & Marlene – saying that they simply provided a place to stay is a gross understatement. For all intents and purposes, they gave us the keys to the castle and said “have fun!” Narnia, the Compound, the Camp, whatever you want to call it, is simply beautiful. I cannot thank you enough for your most generous hospitality.
Derek – my brother from another mother. We’ve done this twice now and I am glad to have you as my riding buddy. I know that if we got into trouble, one way or another, you’d have my back just the way I would have yours. Frankly, the quality of work you perform at Sygnos is a big part of what makes these trips possible.
Cari – you brought a selfie stick! There’s no way we would have taken some of the great group photos without it! Especially that great photo of us from above at Four Corners. You were also fantastic in helping me ease Gloria’s anxiety about such a seemingly daunting trip. You did a lot of things all along the way that made this trip successful. Aside from all of that though, you’re like a little sister to me and I’m just glad you were there. It wouldn’t be the same without you.
Gloria – now, it wasn’t that bad, was it? I told you so... I am very, very happy that you came along. This was your first experience riding on a bike for such a long trip. You took it all in stride and absorbed everything. You also took on the task of documenting the trip – from photos (some of which might not be sharable, it is Sturgis after all) to this blog. Without you, we would likely only have our memories and a few pictures to remind us of this adventure. Thank you.
Another note about the girls…What troopers! Some would say that taking a long motorcycle trip is daunting in and of itself. For the passenger on a motorcycle, it can be downright boring. Imagine sitting on a seat for a couple hours, not being able to talk to anyone, barely being able to make out what’s playing on the radio, having only the scenery to look at, and not being allowed to take a nap, or so I'm told, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there may have been a nap or two. Then you make a 30 minute stop for fuel, bathroom and a snack, then do it all over again. This cycle would repeat itself as many as 3-4 times a day on the ride up to Sturgis and back. As a rider, I have a lot to keep my mind engaged – riding the bike, checking out traffic, playing mobile DJ, etc. The passenger just has to sit there and go along for the ride. You two didn’t complain, or revolt, there were no pink-panty meltdowns…nothing. An occasional bathroom stop was it. I am truly impressed and proud of both of you.
About the trip. In one word…Awesome. We had our fair share of challenges. Late, late night arrival at one destination, rain, cold temperatures, rain, re-repacking in the morning because things never go back in the bag the way they came out, rain, getting to concerts late because they started early, rain, extreme heat, flash floods, and rain. When I started planning this route almost a year ago, the goal was to try a different route than last year, but still avoid the interstate as much as possible. I also shortened the ride up by one day, so we would have an extra day riding home…which worked out well, I think.
Unfortunately, there are not many non-interstate routes from Southern California to South Dakota that will still get you there in 4 days. We re-traced some of our route from last year, but still largely avoided the super slab. We also rode through Nebraska for the first time.
Sturgis was the destination, but to me, this trip is just as much about the journey there. Here’s what stands out to me the most though – how big our country really is, how diverse it’s people are, and how much you miss if you don’t get out and experience it.
We live in the greatest, most beautiful country in the world. So much of our country does not revolve around shopping malls, food courts, chain restaurants, SIG Alerts, and racing to be that guy who passes the most cars on the freeway.
Once you get out of California, it seems that people are just more courteous and unrushed. They let you merge into traffic and if you ask them when they expect to get where they’re going, they’ll answer “I’ll get there when I get there.” The front desk at the Flagstaff motel (where we arrived super late) even called me a couple of times to make sure we were ok, still on our way, and when she learned we were riding, gave me updates on the weather. Where does stuff like that happen here? We rode through towns that had no supermarket, no Wal-Mart, no gas station, not even Pokemon Go. It’s hard to explain, but just being in that environment – where life just slows down a step or two – is relaxing.
I’m already looking forward to the next adventure. Thinking back to when we left…
…Seems like yesterday, even though, that was fourteen hundred and fifty two beers ago…
It's me again. Tomorrow I'll post my wrap up of the trip and Thursday will be a special all picture post.
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