Sturgis 75th Anniversary

Day 8        

What more can I say?

What an event! The Sturgis Rally has grown substantially bigger since our last visit. Vendors are spread out from the beginning of town and throughout the streets. The streets were packed with bikes and riders. We planned our arrival to Sturgis at just the right time.

The rally had calmed down by the time we arrived

This bike with sidecar was for sale. We need the sidecar for my sister Karen!

Time for a Bloody Mary!

The million rider rally was winding down, and although sales had obviously been excellent, we were able to spend a little cash in town. Sturgis is always a visual feast. Unusual bikes, tattoos, clothing (lack of), music, food.  One place was trying to shut down and had all the merchandise going for $7. The chick behind the register had on pasties and a tiny little scrape of clothing on her bottom. She was a bit grouchy if someone tried to take her picture without putting a tip in her "college fund" jar. The kindness thing I can say is she was blessed with a lot of courage.  Somehow we found a table at One Eyed Jack Saloon for lunch. The service was slow, the waitress had on fishnet stockings with a black bikini bottom and a low top, and the food was mediocre, but we had a table.

After taking in the sites at Sturgis we took off for Full Throttle.

Really?

It was crowded, hot, dusty, and crazy. We walked around, spent some money, and when the clouds started turning black we scooted. Unfortunately our luck ran out and we were drenched before we got to Sturgis. We pulled over and stood underneath an overhang at a physical therapy business. George, John, and I put on our rain gear, over our soaking wet clothes. Doris was a stud and said she would just stay in her wet clothes. So, we get back into traffic, get on the highway, and George's helmet blows off! Now, this is the original helmet purchased when George started riding. I think it finally blew off in desperation. I could hear it yelling as it flew away, "I'm retiring! Get your huge head another helmet!" So off we rode, sun comes out, starts to dry us, we begin relaxing as we get closer to the hotel exit. And then, the skies unload AGAIN, this time the driving rain was accompanied with hail. I kept my gloved hands over George's sad, bald head so he would not get wounded by the sharp pellets of ice until we  drove to an underpass with other riders and waited out the storm. Soaking wet, again, cold, and two exits from a warm shower. We finally made a run for it and before long we were stripping off layers of clothes and racing for the dryer. South Dakota being what it is, we all walked to dinner that night and the sky was clear and the air was cool and clear.

George was reading a blog by a guy who flew a drone over Sturgis. He commented that most of the riders are white males. There's a surprise. White males with women on the back with minimal coverage.

What a day! By the way, the email address to send me comments is gplatt007@yahoo.com.

More tomorrow,
Jenson