Gophers and Cheese

Saturday morning, I packed up the tent in Elk Mountain Campground and headed north, spotting some buffalo along the way.

The weather was still quite nice in mid-September and I decided, rather last-minute, to take a couple of days off and ride to the Black Hills.  I left on Friday the 13th.  I opted to avoid I-90 and take a slightly northern route through Pierre, SD.  This is Apol's Harley-Davidson in Raymond, which is along the way.  My Road King was loaded with supplies and camping gear to make the trip comfortable as I knew I'd be in for a lot of miles in a short amount of time.  I even dusted off the ol' windshield and threw it on to reduce fatigue and act as a bug shield.

The 50th Annual National Truck-In , also known as the Van Nationals (aka "Van Nats" or just "The Nats") are going on right now and the official start date is today July 5th.  I was there and am already home.  More on that later...  I had a really good trip out there.  I booked campgrounds in Sioux Falls and Custer, SD so I could meet up with some members & friends of Twin City Vans .  I pre-registered for the Nats including 2 early-camping days (Mon & Tue) so my plan was to stay for the whole thing, Mon-Sat.  Before leaving, I put some painters tape on my back windshield so it was clear to the rest of the world where I was headed.  I'd been looking forward to this for a while and was doing a ton of last minute projects on my van.  I left home Saturday July 1st with 98,805 miles on the odometer. 

That same day that I rode Iron Mountain Road 3 times in both directions, I packed up my campsite and headed towards the Badlands.  I stopped briefly at Wall Drug for a bite to eat. My timing was perfect as I arrived at the Badlands just before sunset.  The shadows were long, which made the landscape even more dramatic. Some panoramic photos that I took with my phone: More sunset photos: I ended up stopping at a hotel for the night near Chamberlain, SD I think.  Somewhere along the way, my bike hit 25,000 miles. If you have the option between stopping at a BP, Shell, or Kum & Go , which one are you going to choose.  Insert your own joke here. Along the way, I took a short detour to see the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, MN for the first time. Back in the 1970s, I'm sure there were many committee meetings in a smoky conference room to ensure this view was non-offensive. While I did stick to I-...

The next day was the best day of the trip (except for my damp boots).  Like a blessing in disguise, I lost the handle to my fishing reel so all I was going to do all day was ride, and ride I did. I left my windshield in the tent so I could finally enjoy the breeze. More buffalo! I enjoyed the sights. The real highlight of the day (and the trip) was riding Iron Mountain Road.  I had ridden it before but never when it was so open and deserted.  Without people in front of me, I could go at my own pace (which is to say "not slow").  I rode it back and forth 3 times in a row!!!  I've ridden the Tail of the Dragon (blog post here ), which I believe is more technical but I find Iron Mountain Road to simply be more fun.  By the way, check out the gas prices in the first photo below. Pigtail bridge! I love how the tunnels frame Mount Rushmore. Sadly, all good things must end and I had to pack up my campsite and h...