Friday, July 31st, our last South Dakota sunrise for a while.
We packed most of our things the night before, but still had to break down and pack the tent, air mattress, etc. This year, we would be the first ones leaving our group. Before we left, I got some photos of our friends from Quebec, leaving to take several of their family members to the airport.
Jacques and Jesse
JF and Karine
Lucie and Melanye
Me, Jesse, Jacques, JF, Troy, Bill, Melanye, Karine, Lucie and Kim.
How I miss this crew already!
Our final breakfast at Perkins and we were off, passing the caravan of toyhaulers, and motorhomes with trailers heading west. We would again get lucky with the weather – very lucky, not a single drop on our two day ride home.
When we reached the motel in Iowa, I made an unpleasant discovery – I’d left my saddlebag open at one of our gas stops and missing was my long sleeved Full Throttle shirt, but worst of all, my jump pack! %$#@!# At least it wasn’t something irreplaceable.
Saturday morning, we stopped in Grinnell, Iowa to visit some dear friends of ours who could not make it this year, but plan to make it out in 2016. Don and Phyllis are a riot, just a fun, spunky older couple who have attended the rally since the 60s. I learned that they knew personally Pappy and Pearl Hoel, the founders of the rally!
They served us lunch and we chatted about our visit to Sturgis, life in general and how it’s changed in the year that we’d seen them last. We hated to leave, but Detroit was still a long ways away, we arrived home at about 1:30am, EST.
Today, August 9th, marks the end of the 75th Annual Sturgis Rally, one that I’m actually glad we did not attend. From the stories I’ve heard, it was like trying to pour a gallon of water into a bottle cap. We really enjoyed being there two weeks prior, riding with less traffic, waiting in virtually no lines anywhere. The only thing I regret missing are the races, which is how it all began. The flat track races and hill climb are my favorites, and I look forward to visiting the Sturgis Dragway.
Well, another trip out west is in the books, and we pray that the final rallygoers make it home safely. In a few months, the 2016 itinerary will come together as we bring in the new year – our NYE tradition.
Thank you for reading and joining us on this journey!
And here I thought you were also staying for the rally (sounds like a good thing that you didn’t.) You don’t know how many people asked me when I was riding in the Dakotas if I was going to Sturgis. Not me – way too crowded for me.
Looks like you had great friends to meet up with and sounds like you all had a great time. That’s what it’s all about.
VStarLady recently posted…Another Summer Saturday
Yes, last year when we left SD, they were already estimating over 1 million bikes. Not our kind of fun at all. We still got to see some bikes and vendors, but missed all the craziness. Thank God.
Wow! That sunset is truly something. Love the deep orange, it’s so beautiful! What a great photo. It looks like you guys had an awesome trip!
We’re still there, in our dreams. 🙂