Thus far, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the 69^th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I made it to the Korn concert on Monday night at the Full Throttle—Awesome—TruTV was even there filming. Checking out all of the bikes on Sturgis’ main street, also great. But this year I have been disappointed in something: the number of accidents is surpassing last year.

The Sturgis Rally brings in some 400,000 visitors to the Black Hills every year, making the roads quite a bit more crowded and congested than we’re use to.  I compiled some safety tips from saveabiker.com to help us keep the roads safe.

Motorcycles are hard to see: Think about your blind spot! Motorcycles have a much smaller profile than a car, making it much more difficult to notice them. Remember this too, large vehicles (campers, trucks, trailers, etc) can block a motorcycle from your view as well. Be alert drivers, and try to avoid those blind spots bikers!

A motorcycle maneuvers differently than a car: That piece of road debris might be harmless to your vehicle, but it could easily have different consequences for a bike. A seemingly little pothole might not worry you, but it could be deadly to a biker. It’s the same with weather conditions. Be aware of things that might cause a biker to take evasive action.

Do not tailgate: It’s not always easy to anticipate someone else’s speed, who knows if the vehicle in front of you might have to make an emergency stop. This rule goes both ways—bikers, leave room between you and the vehicle ahead of you and don’t try to share a lane with a car; drivers, give the bikers space.

Don’t ride the line: We can all do our best not to huddle to near the other lane. It’s easy to veer to the left or right in the Black Hills with all of the attention-catching scenery. Watch out for the curves!

Signals: It’s all of our responsibility to use turning signals, whether it be our blinker or arm signals. Take care at intersections.

Try to make yourself noticeable: Bikers can try to wear contrasting gear that makes them more visible to the cars around them. Also, reflective material and headlight can be helpful.

There’s still plenty of time left to enjoy the festivities at this year’s rally. I’ll be heading into Sturgis for Aerosmith tonight at the Buffalo Chip. Enjoy the rest of the week, and stay safe!

I’m a fan of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, that’s for sure. I’m there every year, checking out the vendors, hitting up a few concerts and, of course, scoping out all of the bikes. I’m by no means a motorcycle expert, but the designs of the bikes are enough to catch anyone’s eye. Especially if it’s the 10-passenger motorcycle developed by Doc Hopkins.

Yes, a 10-passenger motorcycle. 10 seats and 9 Harley Davidson motors.

Doc’s Harley Davidson has created quite a few imaginative bikes over the years (He’s a pretty interesting guy, I recommend you check out his website). His Four-Tee-Five motorcycle seats five passengers, he’s developed a Harley-powered pontoon and he and his crew have even constructed a pirate ship. I also found info on a “moosecycle” which has an uncanning resemblance to an actual moose. (Take a look at Doc’s Creations). Speaking of animals, Doc’s dealership, which sits on 58 acres of land in Shawano, Wisconsin, also has a zoo, with camels, emus, watusi cattle, tortoises, a Vietnamese Blue-eyed Pinto potbellied pig, parrots, alligators etc. etc.

The law offices of Hupy & Abraham have sponsored Doc’s and his 9 passengers’ ride from Milwaukee to this year’s rally in hopes of promoting safety for motorcycles on the road. The bike is 24 feet long, and some of the engines date all the way back to 1909.

On my way to Sturgis tonight, I’ll have my eyes open to catch a glimpse of Doc’s latest creation. After all, it be pretty hard to miss, don’t you think?

It always makes me smile to see people surrounding the Wild Bill statue outside of Four Aces in Deadwood for a photo.  Do a search for Wall Drug, you’ll find a good amount of pictures of people riding the huge jackalope in the backyard or sitting on a bench next to one of the many life-size sculptings. And, of course, we can’t forget about all of the great shots with the scenic beauty of the Badlands or Black Hills National Forest captured in the background.

The Black Hills are kind of like one giant photo op. This leads me to one of my favorite things to do when my friends and family come out to visit. It’s become somewhat of an unwritten tradition that we go out and take an old time photo.

Getting dressed up and choosing a Wild West background has always been tons of fun. We’ve done everything from frilly dresses and hoopskirts to saloon girl outfits. I think I have around six different photos I’ve taken at Woody’s Wild West Old Time Photos in Deadwood. Some taken in front of a model saloon, some in an old-time bedroom and a couple with a simple black and white background.

Old time photos can be a fun time for everyone. I’ve seen them used as family portraits, with entire wedding parties, baby pictures, etc. etc. Each time I’ve gone it’s only taken about an hour or two.  The prints were done and ready to pick up a few hours later, or we’ve just stopped in the next morning.

There’s a couple different places offering old time photos in the area, which I’ve included links to below. The next venture you make to the Black Hills, you might want to keep an old time photo on your agenda. It will go great in the scrap book next to the picture on top of Harney Peak and on the mustang at Wall Drug.

Woodys Wild WestOld Time Photo
Buffalo Old Time Photos
Frontier Photo
Legacy Old Time Photo

One of the favorite sightseeing trips I’ve had since moving to the Black Hills was visiting Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. I’ve you’ve never been there, you should probably be jealous. The site is amazing.

Don’t be surprised if you have a hard time taking your eyes off the tower once it comes into view. Devils Tower is 867 feet from the base to its summit and has a circumference of nearly one mile. The top measures about the length of a football field.

Devils Tower attracts some 4,000 climbers hoping to overcome the challenge of reaching its summit each year.  The tower consists of a type of rock called Phonolite porphyry, very similar to granite.  The first known successful climber was local rancher William Rogers with the help of Willard Ripley. The two men staked a 350 foot wooden ladder to a crack in the monument, which allowed Rogers to reach the summit in 1893.

In 1941, Devils Tower became the site of a publicity stunt when professional parachutist George Hopkins parachuted onto its summit.  He hadn’t planned his descent very well and found himself stuck there for six days until skilled climbers were able to safely guide him down. I wonder if he saw any of the occasional chipmunks or snakes that live up there.

Devils Tower holds a very importance cultural significance as well.  The National Park Service states that 20 Native American tribes have a cultural affiliation with the tower. The Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Kiowa and Sioux all have legends consisting of a bear being a part of the tower’s creation, its claws scratching the tower’s sides. Take a look at the First Stories. This is why the tower is also referred to with names like Bears Tipi, Bears Lodge or Bear Peak (It’s believed the ‘Devil’s Tower’ originated when Colonel Dodge’s interpreter incorrectly translated the name). The tower is still very sacred to the Native American culture. June has a voluntary climbing closure, as many ceremonies are held this month.

With all of the towers beauty, history and cultural importance, it’s no wonder President Theodore Roosevelt made it the first national monument in 1906. Hopefully, you’ll have the chance to visit Devils Tower, but remember to treat the sacred area with respect. For more info, take a look at the National Park Service Website.

Potato Creek Johnny. Courtesy Adams Museum, Deadwood, SD

This past weekend my brother and his family came out to the Black Hills for a visit. After taking a break from the 4-wheeling and grilling, we decided to do some sightseeing. Since my mother was the only one of us who’d visited the grave sites of Wild Bill and Calamity Jane, we decided to take a trip to Deadwood and stop at Mount Moriah Cemetery.

When we reached their tombstones, we noticed the adjacent grave of John Perrett, or who you might know as “Potato Creek Johnny.” My mother asked me why he’d been famous, and all I could recall was that he’d found a huge gold nugget during the Gold Rush. My curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to a little reading this morning.

Potato Creek Johnny came to the United States from Whales in 1883 when he was 17 years old. Dreams of striking it rich eventually lead him and his gold pan to the Black Hills and a claim on Potato Creek (Hence, John Perrett became Potato Creek Johnny).

In 1929, Perrett discovered one of the largest gold nuggets in Black Hills history, weighing 7 ¾ troy ounces. Some claimed the nugget was merely a melted mass of gold ore that Perrett had stolen from a neighboring miner, but this was never proven. He sold the nugget for $250 to W.E. Adams, and it was displayed at Deadwood’s Adam’s Museum.

After his discovery, Potato Creek Johnny himself became somewhat of a tourist attraction for Deadwood. People would come to his cabin to listen to him tell stories of Deadwood and prospecting while he continued to pan for gold. The barely four-foot tall man had grown his hair and beard to quite the length. He was pretty much a living example of a real prospector.

John Perrett passed away at age 77 in 1943. The day of his funeral, the bell of the Adams Museum chimed 77 times as his procession ventured to Mount Moriah.  A replica of his nugget is still on display in the museum, while the original is stored in a safe deposit box.

To learn more about Potato Creek Johnny and other legendary Wild West characters, I recommend you pay a visit the Adams Museum.

Anytime I take a ride in the car, I’m usually scoping out the license plates on the vehicles around me to see how many states and provinces I can spot.  Just going about a mile through Deadwood I spotted Saskatchewan, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, New York and Nebraska.

I wouldn’t be surprised to find all the states before the summer ends. The time of year for summer road trips is here, and we can only expect the roads to get busier. There are still plenty of big events, including the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, that will undoubtedly attract a pretty good amount (meaning a couple thousand) of visitors from all over.

It always feels like the increased traffic comes along with an increase in road construction. For anyone hopping into their campers, packing their cars or taking out their motorcycles, here are some helpful sites to plan your road trip route to the Black Hills.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation Website has a map of road construction sites throughout the entire state. They’ve got a description of the work being done, any delays involved and the expected date of completion. Safe Travel USA also provides the locations of road construction along with weather and traffic conditions. And let’s not forget about America’s Traveler Information phone number, 511.

Safe travels! Hope you enjoy your venture to the Black Hills! I’ll be looking for your license plate soon.

If you’ve read some of my past blogs, you’ve probably gathered that I love the summer in the Black Hills. The majority of my recent writings have revolved around hiking trails, lakes, rock climbing, biking, etc. etc. Well, today while I was daydreaming about being outside, I started thinking about another outdoor activity that I should probably check-out in the Black Hills:  golfing.

You’re probably wondering why you should take time to golf in the Black Hills when there are plenty of opportunities all over to hop into a golf cart, swing a club and shout four. Well, there’s a few reasons why teeing off in the Black Hills is great way to spend the day.

A game of golf can be pretty relaxing, and being surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills is pretty calming too. Don’t be surprised to see nearby streams, smell the ponderosa pines or have a view of mountain peaks while on the course.

Many courses have golf pros, lessons, golf shops, practice courses, cart-and-club rentals, bars and grills courses and snack bars. Some have driving ranges, and the Spearfish Canyon Country Club even has a heated pool. Overall, a day at the course could be enjoyed by the entire family.

Not sure where to go? There are 19 courses in the Black Hills. Golf Digest has mentioned Hart Ranch in Rapid City, the Southern Hills Golf Course in Hot Springs and Devils Tower Golf in Hulett, Wyoming as some of the best courses in America. Take a look at Black Hills Badlands and Lakes for a listing of the courses in the area. Other great sites for South Dakota golf info are www.golfblackhills.com and www.sdga.org.

This summer, I plan to spend as much time as possible at the lake. My friend Brandy and I have already spent our share of days enjoying Iron Creek. If you ask me, there’s nothing better than some sunshine and the sparkling lake water surrounded by the beautiful Black Hills National Forest.

I was thinking about which other lakes we should visit this summer. According to Black Hills Badlands and Lakes, there are 18 lakes in the area. Some of the lakes you may have heard of before are Legion and Sylvan. Another lake, Pactola, really caught my attention, not just because of its great scenery and water recreation, but because of its history.

Pactola, with a surface area of 800 acres, is the largest lake in the Black Hills. The lake is a great for fishing, and its clear waters (the visibility is usually 20-25 feet) attracts many boating and water skiing fans.  The lake is a great place for all kinds of water recreation, camping and picnicking.

What distincts Pactola from the other lakes in the Black Hills is the fact that there is a ghost town lying beneath its surface. From what I’ve gathered, the town of Pactola was settled in the 1870’s and became a mining community.  Once the gold rush ended, ghost towns started popping up, including that of Pactola, which eventually became submerged by water. Well, along with the kayaking and fly fishing, scuba diving and finding some relics of the city’s past is also a pretty popular activity.

Pactola is off of Hwy 385 about 20 miles west of Rapid City. It’s also only a short jaunt from Deadwood-Lead (28 miles) and Custer (30 miles). The nearby Pactola Pines Marina rents pontoons, fishing boats and canoes. I hope you get the chance to enjoy one of the lakes in the Black Hills, and don’t forget your sunblock and life jacket.  I’m sure I’ll be heading to one very soon.

One of my favorite parts of vacation is going out to eat. I’ve never been a fan, or very capable, of cooking. So, sitting down and letting someone else prepare a meal for me has always been a good time in my book.

Well, for your next dining-out experience in the Black Hills, you might want to consider heading to a chuckwagon. No, I’m not referring to those huge sandwiches called chuckwagons, but to a supper featuring Western music, a little bit of comedy and old-west foods like buffalo, roast beef, baked potatoes, ginger cake, etc. etc.

Chuckwagons were originally the name of the wagon in which food was kept and prepared during trail drives. Eventually, the time of trail rides and homesteading ended, and chuckwagon became the name of an old-style supper and entertainment based upon the wagon’s Wild West history.

Various sites throughout the Black Hills plan chuckwagon suppers. This includes the Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park, Palmer Gulch in Hill City and Heritage Village near the Crazy Horse Memorial. Rapid City is home to the Flying T, Circle B and Fort Hays, where some of the buildings constructed for Kevin Costner’s “Dances with Wolves” film are on display.

Times and prices vary depending upon the site, but on average, most chuckwagon suppers begin around 6:30 p.m. during the summer at $19 per adult and $10 per child. This changes depending upon meal choice.

For further info on Chuckwagon Suppers, take a look at the Black Hills Badlands and Lakes Association. You can also purchase to some of the chuckwagons online at www.blackhillsvacations.com.

I’ve blogged about this plenty of times before, but South Dakota is quite the popular set for movies and television productions, whether they’re actually filmed here or are the inspiration for a Hollywood movie set. Well, it was only a matter of time before the unique location and beauty of the Badlands found itself as the backdrop of a series. Tonight is the premier episode of the new science fictions series, Warehouse 13.

Here’s a quick overview of the show:  Warehouse 13, referred to as “America’s Attic,” is a massive, top-secret government storage unit located in the Badlands. Supernatural objects, like Pandora’s Box and Houdini’s wallet, are housed in the secluded warehouse looked after by a caretaker named Artie. Secret Service Agents Pete and Myka are assigned to Warehouse 13 after saving the president’s life from a possessed idol at the Museum of Natural History. Their new mission is to retrieve any paranormal artifacts and bring them back to be stored safely in “the attic.”

The new show airs tonight at 9/8:00 Central on the SyFy channel. I plan on watching just to see how South Dakota and the Badlands are portrayed.

Take a look at some reviews of the show below:
Los Angeles Times
Oregon’s Mail Tribune
TV.Com
Eclipse Magazine