Heading Home

On Sunday we took time for more rides in Blackhills... to Keystone, another typical old west town on the way to Mt Rushmore. Then the Needles Highway which is a narrow road which winds through tall thin rock formations hence the name. This road is nothing but hairpin turns and one lane tunnels up and down the mountain, making it fun to ride, but less enjoyable for the passenger. At one point we were following an idiot who was riding with one hand, taking pictures and video with the other. Fortunately he went off in a different direction before I had a chance to share my thoughts on his riding style. We continued on through Hill City and back to Deadwood

Today we left this all behind and headed east on I 90, bypassing the Badlands in order to get to our home for this night in time to get laundry done. At a remote gas station somewhere between Sturgis and the end of the earth, we were treated to a short display of biker stupidity. The station was configured such that there was ONE dedicated entrance and ONE dedicated exit. As I finished gassing up, I heard a distant ranting and saw a biker trying to enter the exit...blocked by a rusty pickup truck. By the time I saw him he was off his bike, challenging the unsuspecting traveler to exit his vehicle for a showdown. The driver stayed safe inside his truck, while the screams went on for a couple of minutes before his wife or someone convinced him to ride away before someone hauled him away.

We are due for rain, and according to the local experts Tuesday should be the day. We have not looked at much news or weather in 6 weeks but it appears that the Midwest and south have been getting rain since we left home, so I suppose there is no reason to think it will change just to make our trip home more comfortable.

The next few days will take us through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, then back home by way of Savannah. To date we have traveled about 7,000 miles, and are still more than 2,000 miles from Sarasota based on our planned route. Another week of hotels and highways and this trip will be another memory. So although the most scenic rides are behind us we will have to remember to enjoy each of the next few days while they last.