Sturgis, Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park

The Knuckle Saloon in Sturgis.

Wednesday August 25, 2010. Start kilometers 22640. Finish kilometers 23130. Total today 490.

OK so I got side tracked. I even slept in a little. Not many kilometers were accumulated today as I couldn't pass up the opportunity to explore this part of South Dakota. First I drove into downtown Sturgis to check out the biker babes. There were none. Everyone has left town. Guys and gals. All four hundred thousand of them. This years edition of the Sturgis rally happened between August 9 to August 15. Shortly before the rally, a transformation begins in Sturgis. Hundreds of vendors arrive with canopies and merchandise. Church basements become cafeterias. Backyards change to campgrounds. The same store that sells cocktail dresses becomes an emporium dealing in black leather. The hardware store becomes a motorcycle accessory shop. Bikers of all stripes and persuasions from all over the world flock here for the week long party. Among the beards, tattoos and fringed tank tops are movie stars, businessmen, diplomats, housewives, policemen and preachers. The week is filled with group touring, poker runs, short track races, drag racing, stunt performances, show and shines, trade shows, hill climbs, pro am racing and concerts. But mostly they come to party. Altogether it's a very unconventional convention. And I missed it by a little over a week.

After a stroll through town for some pics I wandered into the local Harley dealer to purchase a T shirt. I ended up chatting with the sales help for over an hour before heading out of town and up to Mount Rushmore. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity for this side trip and it was well worth it.

Rattlesnakes never scared me.

My next side trip took me south off of Route 90 into Badlands National Park to witness some stunning landscape. I have always had a fascination with landscapes composed only from the starkest elements of nature. They speak to the fundamentals of our planet. Wind, rock and sky. These places will endure; they are timeless, vast and forever changing. After a number of stops to do some HDR photography I mounted the bike cam to the front fender and shot some video as I continued on through this magnificent geography. I will add this 17 minute video later to this blog for those that have the time to view it. The last four minutes are the most interesting.

Badlands National Park.

This afternoon I returned to route 90 to continue eastward bucking high winds until I stopped for the night in the town of Chamberlain. Chicago is getting nearer. Stay tuned.

With all of the places to park, this dude went to some trouble to back into mine.

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Mount Rushmore.