I have to start out by saying I made a serious omission in yesterday’s report. In the interest of full disclosure, I should have mentioned that Vince was pulled over by Rapid City PD for speeding in the downtown business district (he was reportedly looking for a Wal-Mart) – 35mph in a 20mph zone. Any guesses as to whether or not he got cited? Hint: he's a retired deputy. Bingo! The official score is two police stops and zero cites – that's a 100% approval rating, boys and girls.
Today we say goodbye to Sturgis and all the lovely bartenders at the Full Throttle (a tear in every eye, to be sure) and begin the journey home. Being intrepid explorers, our return trip will take a different route than the eastward leg. Up early, we're pretty keen to hit the road. We load up, all a little heavier than when we arrived...and no, it's not the beer and the burgers, it's the swag.
Walking to my bike, I notice...spots. You've got to be kidding me! Every night on the trip I have covered my bike (following the old axiom that “unseen is unstolen”, not to mention that it keeps the rig just that much cleaner...always a good thing). As you can imagine, between my cover and the Vault disc lock, I've taken a fair amount of good-natured grief: "He's putting his bike into DEFCON 5 mode!" Mature stuff like that.
So I had figured what the hell, it's parked right in front of the hotel, it's a nice night, I'll just leave it "exposed"...and it flippin' rains! It’s the first rain of the trip, as a matter of fact, and it was unexpected. We're all wiping down our rigs, except for the lads...they see the grime as a sort of badge of honor and won't remove a single bug. To each his own.
A quick breakfast (one of those free hotel jobs), some petrol, and we're on our way. The sun is brilliant and the temperature is tolerable. Time to make some time – we've got over 300 miles to cover today.
We're heading west on Interstate 90 to Hardin Montana, and these are fast and hard miles. Once west of Sturgis the terrain turns to rolling prairie grasses and an occasional tree. It's stark and beautiful. There's a strong-cross wind buffeting the bikes, no big deal, but it gets your attention. The further west we go, the hotter the sun burns. With all the late nights, fatigue makes itself known, at least for the author. We see more and more bikes heading east – the rally has about a week to go and the numbers are growing, and growing fast. We sorta get the feeling we're heading in the wrong direction!
So far so good, we're making good time...it's been a charmed trip. Of course, it’s right when you say such things that you get a reminder that life is capricious.
About six miles out from our planned gas stop in Gillette, Wyoming, the Fates start testing young JP. Without warning, his vest’s side lacing decides to unravel, turning his stylish biker costume into a big-ass leather blindfold. Simultaneously, the bike sputters as it hits reserve (Vince and I had just been talking about the fact that the FXSR was about at the end of its range, and how right we were!). Blind and almost out of gas. Awesome.
JP deftly regains his composure, even saves his cell phone from scattering on the asphalt, although a few priceless souvenirs from Sturgis are lost forever (you'll have to ask JP for more details as to what, exactly, met its sad end on the side of the road). Nate and I motor to the next exit and pull off – right into the waiting parking lot of "Deluxe Harley Davidson". How lucky can we get? We're about to find out, as I learn over the Chatterbox that the 1990 Dyna is reluctant to start – not cool.
A quick note on Chatterboxes: for a trip of any length, they are an absolute must. They de-stress the ride – no guessing or stupid hand signals, and you can keep the group more organized much more easily. Oh, and you can play "movie dialog quotes", which will keep you entertained for miles. I recommend the higher-end version with multiple channels (ours only have two) so others’ conversations don’t bombard you when you're near towns and cities.
With a little coaxing, Father Vince, Uncle Mark and Spawn-of-Vince JP get the bike going again and head down the freeway, right past Nate and me! I’m scrambling for my helmet so I can get on the Chatterbox and with contact restored, I find out that Vince didn't really know which exit we took. He decides to get gas first, then head back to the dealership. The troubled bike starts at the station and the three head back to meet up with us.
Sure that it's a battery problem, our fingers are crossed that our new favorite Harley dealer (OK, second favorite...McGuire's is my number one, hands down) has the proper battery in stock. Will the trip stay "charmed"? A quick check in the backroom and the answer is YES! We're back in business. Nate and Vince change out the old battery (six years old to be exact – the notoriously thrifty old man pushed that battery to the limit...tsk, tsk) in a matter of minutes. Off we go.
Just east of Hardin is the Little Big Horn Battleground, a must-see historical sight for the group. This is doubly true for Vince, as circumstances have prevented him from making the stop on not one, but two separate trips. The third time will indeed be a charm. The site is stunning and quite unlike I imagined it to be. We watch a short video about the battle, take a walking tour. You cannot help but be moved by what took place on this very ground so long ago. The fact that the park serves as a National Cemetary adds to the reverential mood of the place. By all means, make the stop if you're in the area – it’s worth every minute.
We’re only a couple of miles from Hardin (and a shower and a bed), so we knock out the remaining few miles. Having checked in, we walk across the street for dinner at Shawna's, a casino/steakhouse. Our server is the owner, Shawna herself. Friendly and genuine, we know we've made a good choice. The joint is small and full of mostly locals. The steaks are amazing (even after all the “cattle country” we’ve crossed), and the drinks are flowing. We laugh, play a bit of "name that tune", and rehash the day's ride. When the check comes, delivered by Shawna, she smiles and says "The drinks were on the house – thanks a lot, guys." When's the last time you've experienced that at your local Applebee's? I don't know if you'll get a free beer, but I do know you'll get a great steak and fries. Don't pass up the "Central Hardin exit".
Tomorrow we have a short hop to Cody...I'm told the scenery, and the road itself, are fantastic. Time to get some rest.
Nicely put together online shop - had a great deal on the item I purchased. Most of their prices on other items seemed fairly competitive with other sites I had browsed.
