Riding The Goldwing Into Sturgis

Waking late and thinking about the 570 miles left to go. Should be easy right? It’s a lot of open highway. The trip should be fast. My charging plan for my electronics isn’t going well.

Sitting on the table is a ridiculous amount of electronics. Camera, video camera, cell phone, and all of the chargers. There is even a power bank to keep the phone charged. Do I really need all of this stuff? It’s proving to make this trip miserable. Finding ways to slim this down is a new priority. The workflow needs to improve. Babysitting electronics has no positive impact on anything.

Eating the free hotel breakfast, fatigue sets in. 570 miles to go, but sleeping until checkout doesn’t seem like a bad idea. I feel eyes on me, probably due to looking as I feel. Back at the room, my version of mediation, just setting with the sun coming in on closed eyes, prepares me for the day.

It’s decided, the fast route it is. 80mph the rest of the way in should help. At 1:30 PM, the first Jackelope is spotted at the Thunderbird Lodge. Wall Drug signs have been going by for some time.

Wall Drug signs start before even entering Interstate 90. Hundreds of miles go by and the signs never tell how far it is to Wall Drug. They brag of their jackelope availability, knick-nacks, cold water, ice cream, and all the things travelers need, but never tell you that it’s such a long way to get there.

The statue is called “Dignity”. It’s on Interstate 90 in South Dakota.

Stopping at a statue called “Dignity” at a rest area provided some inspiration. The giant statue of Native American standing over the view of the Missouri River leaves one awe-struck. A see her for a ways as I cross the Missouri River. After the crossing the landscape slowly changes and the agriculture begins to change. Trees become more scarce. No more soybeans. Corn and hay fields are common. More cattle dot the hills.

More Wall Drug signs pass. They are finally saying how many miles there are to go. More motorcycles are appearing and fewer cars. The Wall Drug anticipation is building, even though I’m passing exits that have plenty of cold water and coffee.

After the miles of anticipation, the miles of promises of cold water, jackelopes, ice cream, donuts, locally made crafts, and 5 cent coffee, I arrive in Wall, South Dakota. Confusion sets in until I…