I know ten months is not a short while.....

I guess I left off in January with my adventures going to Sturgis and really haven't taken the opportunity to get back and finish the story. My most humble apologies for the long delay but, life happens.  My daughter has a really well written blog that follows my oldest son's family of 6 kids and his wife.  My wife and I moved in with his family in early April of this year and for the most part, Erin's blog pretty much tells the story from there.  It is very well written and I am posting the link to her blog so that anyone that wishes can follow it, I really hope that she doesn't mind because I feel that she does a great job of telling the Edwards' story.  (FYI, Erin married my son and I look at her as well as my other son's wife as daughters, not in laws)  Here is the link to her blog, then on with my rantings: http://erinthegreat1.blogspot.com/
On with the story! 
I finished my ride across Beartooth pass and was into Wyoming.  It was really strange, the Montana side of Beartooth was dramatically different than the Wyoming side.  The Montana side was picturesque and almost as though it had been carefully designed and laid out with nice long roads ending with a well designed switchback all encased with artful guardrails.  At the state line the scenery instantly changed.  Don't mis-interpret me, the scenery on both sides was gorgeous and the colors were a compliment to the creator, but the man made aesthetics were as different as night and day.  Upon crossing into Wyoming it was as though someone had taken the road and just strewn it about the picturesque landscape with the road taking on the resemblance of a string of spaghetti simply tossed onto the ground.  These pictures can show the contrast far better than my words could ever do it.

Beartooth Pass on the Montana side, almost manicured and artful

Beartooth on the Wyoming side, same road, just the other side of the mountain.





I rode on into Red Cloud, Wyoming where I stopped to fuel up the bike and just look around.  A common theme that was in this small town was the continued use of a sign that simply stated "rest rooms for customer use only".  Being the average, take things for granted person that I am, it was explained to me by the attendant at the fuel station why such a sign was a true necessity in this town at this time.  During bike week as well as the preceding and week after, the population of this area dramatically increases.  There are literally tens of thousands of people that converge on this small town with a sewer system that is only designed to accommodate a few thousand people on a regular basis.  Seems many of the passers through didn't understand that the food and drink (emphasize drink)consumed the previous day would be expelled the next, and this area was just not equipped to handle the waste.  Okay, enough for the sanitation lesson, but I thought it was interesting.
I departed Red Cloud and made my way to highway 14a.  If you take out your map of Wyoming and look at the northern part you will see an east west highway 14 and 14a.  If you ever plan to travel this part of the country here is an informational tid bit for you.  If you just want to get from one side of the state to the other, take highway 14.  If you, like me, want to take the most scenic and informative route, take 14a.  This highway is a nice and windy road that traverses the state.  the road has numerous rock formations and many have educational signs that tell the age of the formations and other various geological facts about them.  It is a great road to drive if you are into formations and geology.  I took in the awesome beauty of the area and made my way east to the destination for the night, Sheridan, Wyoming, where I set up my tent and just relaxed.
Remember, I left Kansas City on Saturday morning.  I awoke in Sheridan Wyoming on Thursday morning.  This would be my last day on the road by myself.  There really wasn't much to see or do between Sheridan and Sturgis and I was due to meet up with several friends of mine in Rapid City this afternoon, so I hopped on the interstate and made my way to Rapid City, South Dakota. 
I arrived at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology mid afternoon, ahead of the friends I was to meet up with, and got checked in.  If you are ever planning on going to Sturgis during bike week, I highly recommend that you look into the accommodations this school offers.  I stayed in the dorm area.  Our group opted for the 4 person dorm.  There was a shared restroom and four bunks.  Not really roughing it but very affordable.  If memory serves, it was about $40 per person per night, compared to the Super 8 at well over $150 per night, if you could even get a room.  The school had buckets at the doorway with towels to clean your bikes with and they were very helpful and friendly.  Another thing about bike week in this area is the emphasis on BIKE.  The downtown area of Rapid City had huge areas of prime parking reserved for bikes only.  In Sturgis, the main street was all bikes, no cages allowed.

The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

My accommodations

Main Street, Sturgis, SD

My friends arrived in Rapid a short time later and got all checked in.  Seems that they, unlike lucky me, had encountered a bit of rain on the way up from Kansas.  I had made the trip with very little negative impact from the weather whereas they had encountered a harsh thunderstorm coming across Nebraska, one of those that comes up without enough warning to get the rain gear out then really pummults anyone that is out in the path.  We gathered and rode on into Sturgis.  For many of us this was the first time we had ever been to bike week.  We rode into town, not really knowing what to expect.  There were motorcycles and motorcyclists everywhere!  There were motorcycles that I had seen on TV, motorcycles that exhibited a lot of artists' hard work and some that exhibited the kid in all of us.

The Dixie Chopper built on American Chopper

A hemi powered hotwheel for the kid in all of us!

The V10 Viper Bike

We hung around Sturgis for a bit then decided to find some place to eat.  We ended up back in Rapid City, had some food then all decided to get some rest.  Friday would be a day of riding the area and spending some more time in Sturgis.
We went back into Sturgis Friday morning and took in some more of the sights.  For those not really familiar with the Sturgis/bike week phenomenon, here is just a bit of info for you.  The small town of Sturgis, regular population I'm guessing to be less than 7000, grows to a community of tens of thousands for Bike Week.  We were told that the majority of the shops and business located on main street were owned by big companies and were closed and vacant most of the year, with the weeks surrounding bike week being the only time they were occupied. 
We left Sturgis and took in some of the riding the area roads had to offer.  We went to Mount Rushmore, rode on Needles Highway and took in the Wildlife Highway.  One thing for sure, there is no shortage of good riding in this part of the country, the down side is that there are so many bikes out, some with impaired riders, that true enjoyment of the roads in this area would have to be done sometime other than bike week.  Saturday we did some more riding in the area, ending up back in Sturgis one last time.  By Saturday afternoon, most of the traveling exhibits were gone so there wasn't much to see.  Oh well, back to Rapid to get some rest for the early departure Sunday morning.
We got up early Sunday morning and left Rapid City as a group.  Needless to say that due to the diverse riding styles, we did not stay a group for long.  By the time we got to Chamberlain, SD, our "group" was now three.  The three of us rode the 720 plus miles to Kansas City only stopping for fuel.  Speaking for myself, it had been a great week of riding and scenery but it was time to get home to the first love of my life, my wife, and give bike a rest for a few hours. 

One good looking mug in front of four not near as handsome

A stop on Needles Highway.

The Crazy Horse Monument under construction

This is just one of the "needles" along needles highway

So, yes, I have been to Sturgis but I must say that the highlight of the trip was THE TRIP, Sturgis was just a destination along the way.
I invite you to check back and I promise not to go ten months between post.  Watch for more of my travels and the excitement that life has to offer!  Be safe and may God Bless

Have You Ever Been to Sturgis????



Main Street Sturgis



Seems like this is the first question people, riders and non-riders, ask as soon as it is known that you ride a motorcycle.  Seems that the name "Sturgis and Harley-Davidson" are instilled in the minds of anyone that has ever seen a motorcycle.  They are both American icons and have a deep American history.  Being a motorcyclist I can say "yes, I have been to Sturgis but no I do not ride a Harley."  The type or brand of bike a person rides is of no matter to me.  A rider is a rider, no matter the brand name.  This is the story of my trip to Sturgis, along with a few pictures.  I hope you enjoy reading this because I surely had a blast living it!

It was the beginning of Bike Week, 2006.  I met up with a friend at 110th and I-70 at 0730 to begin the trek out west.  My son had made arrangements for lodging in Rapid City, South Dakota beginning Thursday and gave it to me for father's day.  I took a weeks vacation and was going to do some serious riding in the mountains of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota.  One of my riding friends had done some riding out west before and was willing to ride out with me and show me some of the roads out there.  We met up at 0730 on Saturday morning on I-70.  It was a little dreary with some mist in the warm air but my heart saw nothing but sunshine and pure riding pleasure ahead.  This would be a great experience for me.  It was to be the first full week vacation spent on my motorcycle.  I had my tent and air mattress and had emptied out the piggy bank intent on having the best time I could while enjoying the great mountain scenery.  We ventured out across I-70 to exit 225.  There we exited the big road and hit the two lanes.  This would be our last encounter with a big road til Wednesday morning.The ride west across Kansas was good but after all it was Kansas and aside from the feed lots and open lands, there just wasn't a lot to see.  We ventured on towards our destination for the night, Walsenburg, Colorado.  It turned into an official motorcycle ride not far from our destination by having the clouds open up and dump a fresh rain on us.  This still did not cloud my heart, after all, by now I had learned that a good rain suit was invaluable and it came in very handy on this run.We arrived at Walsenburg and made our way to a great state park.

With out tents pitched and bodies fresh showered we ventured into town for the evening meal.  The local Pizza Hut served us well delivering a fine Italian cuisine.  Our bellies full and our spirits high we headed back to our campsite to get some sleep for tomorrow the riding began!  The fresh, rain washed air made it easy to fall asleep and the fact that we had been riding all day didn't have a negative effect either.  Sunday morning we awoke to a clear sky and made our way back into town for a light breakfast then out on the road.  We headed west on 160 and began our scenic and fun filled ride.  Highway 160 is a good road and I was having a blast, then we turned onto 149 and ventured into the Black River Canyon.  This was a fantastic ride.  We stopped several times along this route and took pictures and just took in the sights.  We even saw a hawk hunting and then taking it's prey back to its nest.



Black River Canyon



The river was far below and it seemed as though we just kept climbing.  Now I had been been out west before but the only sights I got to see were from the seat of a Freightliner on the interstate, that was nice but this was GLORIOUS!!.  Great riding, great weather and great scenery, This would be a vacation I would never forget.  We made our way through Black River Canyon, on into Gunnison and on down to Ouray, where we set up our tents for the night.  Ouray is a very bike friendly town and we had a fine meal there that evening.  Our campsite was very quiet and the view was phenomenal.



The view from my tent, Ouray, Colorado



  Our adventure on Monday would take us across the Million Dollar Highway, on into Durango and Silverton Colorado.  Must be something about the fresh mountain air because sleep was easy and waking even easier!  Monday morning we got up and began our day.  The first thing we could see when we opened our tents was this huge rock.

  It was a very majestic rock, but only a preface of the things we would see that day.  We loaded our bikes and headed out.  The ride that day took us past some old iron mining camps and some great mountain scenes.  We rode next to clear mountain streams and through cool mountain forests.  We rode into Silverton, Colorado. 



Silverton, Colorado



 Silverton is a rustic town that looks like it was in many western movies.  With the exception of the cars on the street this town looked like a place to ride into, hitch up your horse and go into the saloon for something cold to drink.  Back on the road we went on into Durango.  We stopped to eat at a fast food restaurant that was at the boarding station for the Durango-Silverton railroad. 

 This is an old steam locomotive that runs into the mountains from Durango to the little town of Silverton.  Someday I will go back out there and ride that train but it just wasn't in the plans this trip. We trekked onward eventually heading north and into more beautiful mountain terrain.  We rode through Telluride, past Lake City into Grand Junction on up to Rangely and into Dinosaur, Colorado.  From Dinosaur we ventured on into Utah to the town of Vernal where we set up our tents for the night.Tuesday morning we headed north out of Utah into Wyoming.  We found some fantastic roads as we entered Wyoming.  Steep hills with slow winding curves.  This seemed to be the venue for this area.  I was more used to the quick and sharp curves of the Smoky Mountains but fell in love with the nice sweepers out here.  Today would be the last day I would have a riding companion.  I had plans to go into Montana and my friend was heading into Yellowstone.  We got to Jackson Wyoming and went into an information center.

  I had considered going to Yellowstone with my friend but changed my mind when I went into the information center.  To understand this next part you have to know a little about me.  I am kind of stubborn and have this thing about paying for something twice.  Even in the years I drove a truck over the road I would not take the turnpike simply because I felt it was a federal highway paid for with federal tax money and I just could not justify paying to drive on a road that, in my mind I had already paid for.  The same principle came into play here.  We went inside and while looking around I saw a sign that read "Motorcycles $12.50".  I inquired as to what the twelve fifty was for, since there was a federal highway that I intended to ride in and a federal highway I was going  to ride out on so why did I have to pay for them twice.  I was simply told that if I wanted to go to Yellowstone I would have to pay.  My friend even offered to pay but like I said, to me it was a matter of principle.  We parted there in Jackson.  He went on to Yellowstone, I headed west across Levita Pass in Idaho and headed north.  My venture into Idaho allowed me to stumble across a place that had a lot of old aircraft.  it was out in the middle of nowhere and I have no idea what it was or why it was there but sometime the most interesting things are simply stumbled upon while just riding. 



Airplanes in the middle of nowhere



 I rode on into West Yellowstone, Montana where I decided to set up my tent.I found a great campground with grass as soft and green as any golf course.



My bike and living quarters, West Yellowstone, MT



  The people were very friendly and since I still had lots of daylight I decided to clean my bike then go and have a good sit down steak dinner and maybe even a beer or two.  I went back to my campsite (just for the record, I walked to the steak house where I did have a few beers then I walked back to the campsite, I would never ride after drinking even 1 beer).  I got up Wednesday morning refreshed and ready to ride.  Today I was going to head on north into Montana, hit the Chief Joseph Highway, Beartooth Pass and then ride across northern Wyoming on highway 14a to Sheridan, where I would stay the night.  I thought that as long as I was this close to Yellowstone Park I would see if they were really going to charge me to enter on a federal highway.  I rode to the entrance and approached the gate.  I asked the ranger if they were really going to charge me to ride on this highway and, as I figured, I was told if I went into the park I would have to pay.  I asked the ranger if I could ride past the dividers and make a u-turn and leave.  I was given permission to do so.  I can say that I have been  into Yellowstone.



I can say I have been to Yellowstone!



 I didn't stay but I have been there.  My ride on up to I-90 was fairly uneventful but I knew that the roads I was headed for would be worth the effort.  I was not wrong!  Chief Joseph proved to be both beautiful as well as challenging.  Now I went on to Beartooth Pass.  Beartooth had just recently been re-opened after a massive rock slide had it blocked for a while.  Remember, this is August and the temperatures had been mostly upper 80's and then some.  I approached the Montana side of Beartooth with eager anticipation.  I had seen pictures and heard about this road so say that I was a little intimidated would be a falsehood.  I was a lot intimidated! 

 This has gotten a bit long so in the interest of time, I will finish this one later.  If you want to follow the rest of this ride, check back in a week or so.  God Bless, Frank