Well we have spent the last three days in Sturgis, South Dakota. Leroy's home town, his roots. We spent time doing the nostalgia tour, we visited graves, we put flowers on grave today before leaving and we sat and watched the Homecoming parade which I think brought tears to his eyes. We had a drink with his biker and high school friends that are still in the area.We had a nice long visit, we went to Deadwood and gambled and had a superb supper at the No 10. A restaurant the locals go to. Not cheap but worth every penny. didn't feel we wasted any money there. The steak was humongous and fixed to perfection. Leroy had buffalo rigatoni. I had a tomato bisque soup that was with out a doubt the best i have EVER had. I hiked a section of the centennial trail (Leroy went for part, some of the dogs went for part, but Iris persevered). It was gorgeous hiking thru the grassland hills on the section i took and the sun was shinning, no other people around, the dogs ran their heads off and were real natural dogs like they were intended to be till they got tired and followed in my footsteps and we didn't see a rattler so all was well. I could go for hours on trails like that till I just drop and can't take another step. I can't describe the beauty and peace that comes from that. This is beautiful country. But the gravestones made it look as no one lives long here so can't settle here, ha ha. They even have a small quilt shop so i got there. We got downtown which now is just a ghost town almost when the races aren't on and Leroy got his tshirts that are his trademark anymore. We admired bikes again, we went up Boulder Canyon and he recounted many rides and incidents on that road. The Dances with Wolves was filmed here and our friend the state trooper tells us of them coming down the canyon and not taking heed of conditions and ending up trucks and all in the river. It is windy and mountainous and could be a deadly road if you aren't careful, not unlike my Boulder Canyon from Boulder Colo. We saw one of our old campgrounds that we stayed at once during the rally and they blew up the outhouse right next to us (in the nicest pattern) and Leroy had to wake me up to tell me what happened. Yes, we have had many visits here, all rewarding( except the funeral ones), and some fun rally days. Leroy has been around for all of them almost, knew and bought his first bike from the guy that organized it. We do have a soft spot for bikers. We visited the really off color campground for the rally, man has it expanded. It is on his uncles land now. We looked for the fence lines of the Hells Angels compound (they have many many acres on the back side of Sly Hill) and there is talk its a huge fence with wire that can't be crossed but what i saw wasn't to impressive. Sometimes I think they get a lot more glorified than they are. Our trooper friend says the Sons of Satan are a lot worse. But in general most of the bikers that come are just ordinary people, some very educated, and darn nice, except they get to let loose and drink and do all the things they shouldn't for a week. Many people in town rent their houses, extra bedrooms, and yards out to them while they are in town. The whole thing brings lots of needed economy to a poor little dying town that would probably be gone now had not John Pappy Hoyle started this whole thing. In all the years I have been here, I have never once felt fearful in any way or accosted. I have always been treated with respect and friendliness. There that is my info on the sturgis rally, which we missed by a few weeks.
Next year I hope to be back and hike the whole centennial trail in sections and maybe we can hit the rally again. It will be the 74th rally. I want to ride into town on a three wheeler on its 100th, Leroy and i would be in our 90's. Wouldn't that be cute. I bet we would make the papers.
We are now headed to a campground at the base lof the hills near Rapid City. We will regroup there and do some things that will have easier access from here, and hopefully get some hiking in.. Then we continue east with hopefully a stop in the badlands. I LOVE to hike the badlands.
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