Mr. and Mrs. Tim Rigsby

August 08, 2008

Debbie Ingram

Leaving out in the dark

Debbie Ingram

Our last day here took us to Deadwood, where we stood in as photographer, videographer and witnesses to the wedding of Sandi Sims and Tim Rigsby of Dothan. They exchanged vows shortly after 12:30 today—that’s 8-8-08—on the stairway of a beautiful old hotel in the historic downtown area.

The bride and groom wore black and gold Harley Davidson shirts, matching of course, and there were flowers and a veil from Wal-Mart. Afterwards we ate pizza at the Ugly Horse Pub and toasted to many happy years.

The four of us then went to Wild Bill Hickoc’s gravesite. Calamity Jane asked to be, and was, buried beside him. We rode back through Spearfish Canyon, which I found a very appropriate way to celebrate a wedding. The bride and groom had “Just Married” organge T’s stretched across the back seats of their bikes. Drinks were bought. Thumbs up were given.

We ended our day pretty early, dropped my scooter off at Richard and William’s place in Whitewood, and came home. The Rigsbys passed us on the interstate, heading back to Rapid City. We stopped at the Buffalo Chip for a T-shirt for Bill Perkins, only to find the vendor closed!!!

Back at camp, we had a shower and a discussion. The husband and I decided to go ahead and pack up and hit the road tonight. This trip can hardly be driven in two days, so we got a jump on the journey home.

Hooking and loading up, he only got mad at me once. Frequently, the husband gets mad cause he thinks I am mad. So, it goes like this….

“Why are you mad?“

“Because you’re mad!“

“I’m not mad. I was just mad because you’re mad.“

It is a ridiculous pattern for us.

It’s 9 p.m. as we head through Sturgis for the last time. A big dog barks from his iffy perch on the back of a motorcycle. We wave for the last time, hear the music for the last time, stop at 9 four-way stops for the last time.

“There’s one thing about it. There’s only one way in and one way out,“ the husband says.

Sturgis is a maze of bikers, vendors, lights and action as bikers know this party is almost over.

“Watch out!“ I say.

We can’t get used to people darting out in front of us. You know, in some parts of the world, pedestrians have the right away. We would be dead 20 times now in Dothan.

I ended up logging about 350 miles of Sturgis time on my bike—- which now has a mystery dent!!!!——but anyway, after taking these curves and hills and managing this crowd, I feel I am on the road to confidency driving the Circle. Big difference is, here folks are used to seeing bikes. They SEE bikes. Not so in Dothan, Alabama.

So, as we pull the trailer back through town for the last time, and I post for the last time (Password expiring; can’t change it.), let me say congrats to Tim and Sandi. Thanks for letting us share this with you! You’ve added to my first-year event.

Good-bye, Sturgis, South Dakota. I hope to see you next year.

Photos from Debbie

Whitney McHugh

Debbie’s husband, Mark, tries his luck at the slots in Deadwood, S.D.

Bear Butte overlooks Debbie’s campsite. Buffalo roam at the foot of the mountain.

The gravesite of Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, S.D. Calamity Jane is buried beside him.

A report on Thursday

Debbie Ingram

Seems I am always a day behind here. I can’t help it. I am nearly 50 and I am in boot camp. At some point, the body shuts down.

Yesterday we logged 200 miles—me on mine and the husband on his. We took off west and crossed into Wyoming and then drove over into Montana. Beautiful country and the elevations make for some great riding.

At one point we were riding and riding and I noted that there was not a car, bike or cow in front of us, behind us, beside us. There was no house, no farmstead. No sign of life, I am telling you, for miles and miles. That’s when I cried. That’s right. I cried out of both appreciation for this country and out of gratitude for the opportunity to be here. In life we take so much for granted. This is a great trip and I am privileged to be able to take it.

After the Montana trip, we headed over toward Rapid City. The sun was a killer yesterday and even with 40-something sun block, I am suffering today. We have heard umpteen locals comment on the humidity here.

“It’s never this humid!“ they exclaim.

People, it is so dry my nose bleeds every day. Humid? Please.

We stopped just north of Sturgis where we took a demo ride on the Ridley. This is a cool automatic bike made in Oklahoma. I have looked at them before, since we discovered their booth in Daytona about three years ago. This is a bike with power and it has a bike sound. My little scooter sounds like a moped and against the wind yesterday, I was struggling to keep up. 55 on the interstate is not good, but traffic was not bad. The Ridley, at about $20,000, has REAL power. I am not ready for that.

The speed limit on two-lane roads is 65, 70 in Montana. Every billboard we see tells us how many minutes, not miles, to the advertised destination. If the speed limit was not fast, I get the feeling you would NEVER get there.

Rapid City is a little bigger than Dothan, about 67,000 people. Beautiful downtown with lots of little shops and restaurants. Think Dothan will ever get to that point? I wish people understood the value of downtown. When we travel, it is the first place I head to, looking for quaint little places to shop. Which I found yesterday. Got the teenager a shirt. The more I think of it, the more I have my doubts she will like it. I will tell her it is EXPENSIVE—which it was. She may like it then.

Wanna give a shout out to Sidney’s teacher, Barbara Spivey, who took my little girl home with her last night. If anybody else with an empty nest needs to rent a 6-year-old for the night—the rates are cheap, cheap. Actually, Barbara is helping me out. Thank you, Mrs. S!

When we left Rapid City, we rode back to Sturgis and stopped at Full Throttle. Think bar that is a little city. There are shops, racetracks, wrestling pits, shops, campgrounds, restaurants, vendors. Oh, and dancing girls in little pink saloon outfits. Pasties made of candy. As a mama of girls, I can’t help but think, “what would her mama think?“ We did pass a sign yesterday: “Go ahead and show ‘em. Your mom’s not here.“

Heading out to a wedding today. Tim and Sandi from Dothan are marrying at high noon in Deadwood. Will send photo.

Photo from Aladdin, Wyoming

August 07, 2008

Regina Rose

Debbie’s picture of Aladdin, Wyoming.