Sturgis: Day ... oh, heck if I know

August 07, 2008

Debbie Ingram

There are many things to be grateful for this Thursday morning.

First, there is time. There is the time to stay in the hottest, bestest shower ... oh, probably in my lifetime. No rush today. That’s right, it’s Debbie Day. I am setting the schedule and I am taking a 30-minute shower. Just like home.

Every day it’s rush, rush, rush. Hurry up. Go here. Go there. See this. See that. Come on. Hurry up. We need to ride. Go, go, go. It is like some crazy Vacation movie on steroids. Power vacation. But not today. No, sir. Today is nice and relaxed. My Day. Debbie Day! Slow the pace down. Stop where I want to stop. Ha! I am thankful.

Then there is another gorgeous sunrise and a lot of sunshine, the weather man says. No cool morning today. Yeah! Thank you, God. Because of yesterday’s son, I woke up with Angelina Jolie lips. People PAY for lips like these! Pouty with no lines. It’s a gift, I tell you. (And it hurts.)

The other day I ran across some Ed Hardy sunglasses ... Ed Hardy is a famous tattoo artist in California who has started designing clothes, sunglasses and other accessories. Smart man. Women will pay big bucks for stuff like this. And what woman from rural southeast Alabama doesn’t want to say, “I got what nobody else got.“ Anyway, saw a commercial on TV last night for a little boutique in Rapid City that carries Ed Hardy stuff. Surely I can find something for the teenage daughter there. But Sam and I have really different tastes. Anything flashy with bling, she doesn’t like. Anything flashy with bling, I like.

Usually what I do is find someone cute and fashionable thing in her early 20s to tell me, “Yes, your 17-year-old daughter will like that.“ So far they have been 100 percent right on. (I will only ask girls who still have their tops on.) We are about the same size, so I also usually try it on. It’s a system that’s worked pretty well.

So, let’s see…. I wanted to go to Bear Butte, that big mountain out our window, today. Wanted to ride to Montana. Wanted to go to Rapid City and shop. Wow. That seems like a full day. Montana one direction, Rapid City the other. Allow for traffic. I am wondering if we can get it all in….

Good heavens. We should have left an hour ago.

If you stay up with the owls you can’t soar with the Eagles

August 06, 2008

Debbie Ingram

When those words come out of the husband’s mouth, I want to push them back in with my fist.

Mark has adopted this “early to bed, early to rise” philosophy which he seeks to impose upon the other members of the family in oh so subtle ways, like by slamming a door at 5:30 a.m. Singing loudly in the shower at 6. Making the loudest coffee you ever heard long before the coffee is even awake.

The man is wearing me out on my vacation.

Today was a 200-mile round trip over into Wyoming to Devil’s Tower, where “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” was filmed. Honest, I wanna go rent every South Dakota flick when I get home so I can see this country again. Right now everything is running together. I can’t account for the days, the time, the day of the week, where I’ve been or what I’ve seen. I knew I should have been keeping a journal. No time for that AND shopping.

I was only able to send one photo in today and there are two reasons for that. One is, no service. And two, not appropriate. There were quite a few Western Exposures today. It feels odd—photographing half naked women. It seems odd—seeing half naked women.

“Oh, well you should have been over there,“ the husband points. “They were showing everything over there.“

“Where?“ asks Mule from Texas, who snaps his head to the right.

We saw a few wrecks yesterday and today. Bloody wrecks. Did I tell you we heard only two fatalities? We also heard unconfirmed report someone was struck by lightening last night.

We came back through Sturgis late afternoon today and got in horrible, horrible traffic. Tonight was the Kenny Chesney concert and we probably lost an hour of time going through it. Mark finally just shut the motorcycle off and walked it when he had to. It was that slow. Beautiful, sunny day, though.

The husband thinks I am not going to bed early enough—staying up with the owls—and therefore can’t soar with the Eagles. That would be him. In this little parable, the husband represents the Eagles. Very appropriate. Birds of prey. But sometimes you are too tired to drift off, and there’s the blog and this and that. I try to go to bed early, I really do.

A few bikes coming into the campground now. This Shade Valley RV Park gets four stars for quiet and accommodating. It is just a little far out is all.

It’s just after 10 p.m. and I am ready for bed. Tomorrow is “Debbie Day” where I rule. That’s right—- more shopping!!!

Devil’s Tower

Regina Rose

Debbie’s photo of Devil’s Tower.

Sturgis: Day 7—Ridin’ to Devil’s Tower

Debbie Ingram

Today we go into Wyoming to see Devil’s Tower.

The husband describes it as such: “It is this huge rock ....“

He estimates it is 5,000 feet or so. A tree stump with roots.

It is 62 degrees this morning and very pleasant. We are getting breakfast and hooking up with Richard and William, who we didn’t see yesterday, and Tim and Sandi and Mule and Jen from Texas.

Richard, the experienced Sturgis goer, spends a lot of time in Deadwood. Can you say casino? When we were over there the other night, I asked a local who told me there are probably 60 casinos there. Don’t think Biloxi. Think every little shop on the street filled with slot machines and blackjack tables. Second floor restaurants, maybe hotels. It is a beautiful town with brick streets, but I don’t care for casinos. Our Deadwood day trip is Friday, so we will explore the history then.

While in Wyoming today, I am looking up some locals. A Pierre farmer sent me an email and because this year’s wheat harvest was late he is not able to come to the rally. His in-laws own the trading post at Devil’s Tower, so I am looking up the family. He says they have the world’s largest Harley Davidson flag, which only flys during Bike Week.

The news says 60-something accidents and two fatalities. Attendance is for sure down, everybody says—I have no point of reference. We have seen or visited with folks from Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, both Carolinas, Connecticut ..... High gas prices didn’t stop some of us.

As we were driving back through Sturgis yesterday, we passed the house on “the corner,“ where the guy was jumping on the trampoline in the grass skirt the other day. Anyway, as we stop to make the turn, a guy picks up the bullhorn and asks me to show him ... you know.

I just laugh and shake my head.

“Come on,“ he urges. “You got ‘em.“

“They are 50 years old!“ I shout back.

Some other guy hits the siren. Weeeooo, weeeooo, weeeooo .... It is a front yard full of old men with beards down to their chests. Enjoying the show. But this show ain’t playin’.

I am just thinking the husband has set a very high standard for anniversary gifts. Did that sound funny after the previous story? Year one I get Sturgis. What can he do next year? I know, Sturgis at a hotel with a hot tub! Really, the hotel is not for me. Camping is just too fun!

It’s supposed to warm up to the high 80s today. The Badlands yesterday was about 10 degrees hotter than away from the Badlands. Face hurts.

Later.

The Badlands, storm and Larry cancels

Debbie Ingram

Another full day of riding through the Badlands. How can I describe this? Think something like the grand canyon, only of a near white dirt. They look like sand, but forget sticking your finger in it. It is rock hard.

We saw a village of prairie dogs. They pop their heads up and raise cain with this little bird-like chirping. Our group discussed why they are called prairie dogs. Prairie squirrels would be more appropriate.

As we made our way through the national park, there are a dozen or more overlooks and pull-offs. You know how this goes, you think you might get “the photo” around the next bend, so when you start off, you stop at this point. You stop at that point. There reaches a point, you just gotta keep driving.

We ended up back at Wall Drug in Wall. This is a block-long drug store with a cafe that seats 530. Everything is organized by shop—western wear, biker stuff, nostalgia trinkets, jewelry, Black Hills stuff, toiletries, cards ... I am sure somewhere in there you could get prescriptions filled too. I never saw it.

When you walk in the door, they hand you a map. Imagine, getting lost in a drug store. I bought a button I saw on the first trip. “50 is the new 30,“ it reads.

Yeah, baby.

We high-tailed it back late yesterday and showered to get ready for Larry the Cable Guy. It was a no go. A big storm moved in from the west and “his promoter wouldn’t let him go on.“ Disappointing.

So we headed back to the campgrounds and had movie night. I popped popcorn and we put in disc 5 of episode two of LOST. Three of us at that paper are watching it. We did this at the same time, without knowing our coworkers were watching it too. Lance, I hope disc one, two and three are holding you. I cheated on him. Not only did I go to Nick the lender and jump the season ahead of Lance, but I left town with the discs. I just couldn’t help it—this is the most addictive show I have seen. Oh, and Lance, just wait until you see what happens to .... !! Sawyer is my new favorite character.

About 8 p.m. the storm moved in. Heavy winds and lots of rain. Wind gusts over 60 miles per hour according to the weather man. We expected to see a tent fly by. West of here there was golf ball size hail, the weather man says. Windows broken out. We are headed that way on our next ride.