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Sturgis 2001 This journal won't be a day-by-day account of my trip for a couple of reasons, 1) I'm writing it in January 2002, five months after the trip, and 2) the whole trip lasted 21 days, which was too long for details of every day. Think of this as more of a photo album laced with wise sayings from a few of the better T-shirts and helmet stickers. But I will summarize as follows. I flew to Albuquerque Thursday afternoon, July 26, picked up my dresser and loafed up to Las Vegas, New Mexico. Friday I knocked off 588 miles to Lusk, Wyoming, and Saturday I was at the Kozy Motel in Spearfish (home base) by mid morning. This timing enabled a full week to tour before another week of rally. Now for the photos. “Thousands spent on chrome and not a dime on dentistry.” Mainly for fun, I put my Albuquerque to Spearfish routing on an old enduro timer, a scrolling paper-strip device that I used once in a mid-1970s enduro. I labeled it “Aggie GPS” (photo 01) and left it on the handlebars during the entire trip. It did get a laugh or two. The pre-rally week included my first trip to Badlands National Park (02 and 03) and an encounter with wild donkeys in Custer State Park (04).
“When I talk dirty to a woman, it's sexual harassment. When a woman talks dirty to me, it's $4.95 a minute.” I did the obligatory Rushmore thing (05 and 06) and also did my first-time visit to a tiny Black Hills town called Rochford. The main action in the Moonshine Gulch Saloon was a geezer getting his hair done (07). I met and had a good visit with Cathy and Jack Wilson from Lewisville, Texas and Rodeo Dave Laing from Henniker, New Hampshire (08). The Wilsons were on a Road King and Rodeo Dave (left in photo) on a '98 Valkyrie. He had ridden from New Hampshire to Sioux Falls in two bodacious days before an easier (for me) final segment into the Black Hills.
“I want to die quietly in my sleep like my grandfather, not horrified and screaming like the other people in the car he was driving.” I shot the saloon before leaving Rochford (09). Later that week I had lunch at the Firehouse Brewing Company (10) in an old fire station in Rapid City and I rode west to check out Gillette, Wyoming, where I spied a convenience store with an unusual name (11). My usual hangout for dinner in Spearfish was Roma's Ristorante (701 5th Street), a truly fine eatery in a wonderful old building. It's the place I raved about in last year's Sturgis report. One night at the bar there I met Gary Galleher (left) from Atlanta and Wayne Murphy from Denver (12). Both are representatives of Triumph Motorcycles America.
“I am the man from Nantucket.” Roma's was popular during the rally (13). Sturgis has a new portacan outfit, and I liked their slogan(14). Lazelle Street in Sturgis had a new concession (15), a free fall thingee where you (you, not me) could be lifted 140 feet in the air and then free fall about 80 feet into a two-stage arrest net - all, I think, for about 75 bucks. Look Ma, no bungees! I have a favorite parking spot on Main Street (16) and that's my dresser staking out my claim early.
During the rally, I spotted a fine little three-wheeler (17). When Main Street closed Saturday, August 5, the street department did the same thing they did last year - upside-down No U Turn signs (18). They were fixed the following day. At Roma's, I got to know Ruth and Sever Eubank (19), a friendly retired Spearfish couple. She taught middle school in Sturgis and he was chair of social sciences at Black Hills State College. Web host, Muthuh, flew in for just one day this year and I shot his pic (20) at the Pyramid Beer Garden. Just kidding - Muthuh doesn't like rallies, and when he does attend one, he doesn't wear his nipple rings. Editor: I usually let David get away with a fair amount of grief, but I can't let this one go.... please note, that this is really David last year before he grew his mustache. Compare to #19 and see it for yourself! -Muthuh (hehehe)
“What the hell are all these bikers doing here at Cop Week? At the urging of Mike Petrelli from Gillette, Wyoming, I hit the Broken Spoke Saloon several afternoons to catch Hans Olson (22), a Phoenix-based blues singer who plays guitar and a mean rack harmonica. Check out Olson's Web site at http://members.abilnet.com/hansolson/. Petrelli is a piece of work; he's on the right with Detroit guy, Jim Duncan (21). You'll see Mike some more later, mostly with assorted specimens of the female persuasion. Small world - on Main Street I ran across Dallas friend Bill Larkin. He's with Nortel, a customer of my Dallas construction outfit. We built two office buildings for Nortel in their better days. I (actually, the company) bought Bill's dinner at Roma's and I introduced him to Terry Kullbom, an oral surgeon with residences in Canada, Mexico and nearby Lead, South Dakota. That's Bill in the center (23) and Terry on the right. I'm wearing my homemade HD factory-crate tie-down strap suspenders. The logo on Terry's shirt is novel (24).
“You're a bad boy. Go to my room.” I think one of my best pics of the trip is this shot (25) of storyteller Joe White, who was on an '86 Softail Custom from Boston. Vonnie and Floyd Hammer, retirees from Mesa, Arizona asked me to shoot their photo on my scoot with their camera (did so (26) with mine, too). Back at the Broken Spoke, Hans Olson's blues ignited some dancers (27 and 28).
Photo 28 is a front view; here's a rear view (29). Olson joined us after his set (30), but the rock group that followed him on stage made it difficult to shoot the bull. While at the Spoke, I shot a blonde on a leash (31). Later, I got a pic (32) of what I call a “small Harley.”
Small Harleys are abundant at Sturgis; here's another one (33). How about a Peterbilt Harley (34)? Back at the Spoke, I met and shot (35) Elena and Robb Austin from Romeoville, Illinois. At the Spoke, I guessed correctly on the winner of a flathead bike show, an original condition 1927 or 1928 Indian Scout (36).
“Straight Pride!” Still at the Spoke, Petrelli and I swapped photos (37 and 38) with Tiffany, a pretty girl with a paint job from Ellensburg, Washington. Main Street gets washed down every night (39). Had a good visit there with Gary Turlington (40), a Denver geologist on a Fat Boy.
“I am not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings.” Back at the Spoke, I shot a photo of Lynnsey (41) and sent the shot to her folks' e-mail address that night. Evel Knievel (42) attended the rally to kick off his new line of leather stuff. The weekend piano player at Roma's is 11-year-old Max Meyer (43), who plays his own compositions. He autographed a couple of copies of his CD for me; it was recorded last year when he was just 10. I read in the Rapid City paper that a Sturgis couple who sell commemorative issues of the Meade County Tribune from a booth on Main, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Black, were celebrating their 44th anniversary on August 11, so I stopped by that day to meet and congratulate them (44). They had just learned they were going to become grandparents.
“Me, the other white meat.” I've known Toni and Eldon Penner (45 and 46) from Gardnerville, Nevada since meeting them at the '96 rally, and it's always good to see them and check out their rally outfits. Another pretty good Main Street watering hole is Big Bad Bertha's, where I shot (from left) Richard, Mike, Karen and Ed (47) from Shreveport, Louisiana. The Christian bikers are pretty creative at linking Jesus to The Motor Company (48).
One of Roma's best entrees is grilled salmon filet with maple-soy glaze, served with mixed greens, candied pecans and shoestring potatoes - I mean, real tough-guy biker chow. Photo 49 shows waiter Jeremiah Le Beau presenting mine one night. One last checkout of Mike Petrelli (50). And lastly, a shot of yours truly on a bike with a backdrop at the Broken Spoke.
Did 623 miles Monday the 13th, mostly down I-25 through Colorado. Spent the night in Raton, New Mexico, then another easy 234 miles to Albuquerque Tuesday. Caught an early flight to Dallas Wednesday and was in my office by noon. If you're interested in a couple of one-page lists - The Best of Sturgis and Sturgis - The Stuff You Get Tired of Seeing, shoot me an e-mail at dvdallas@pobox.com and I'll send the document to you in Word.  For Information, contact: dvdallas@pobox.com
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