It has come and gone – another Sturgis motorcycle rally is in the books. And to me, casual observer-extraordinaire, this year’s rally sure seemed like a good’un.

The crowds were large, the concerts impressive and the weather surprisingly cooperative. One of the most reliable attendance estimates usually comes from the official rally organizers with the City of Sturgis, who are guessing that around 600,000 people attended this year’s 70th annual rally. They use a combination of things to come up with their estimate including: Department of Transportation vehicle counters, number of accidents reported, amount of garbage collected and vendor licenses among others.

Regardless of the actual number of visitors, to me, it was a great event. I must admit – this is only my fourth Sturgis rally – and only my third as an adult. My first memory of the rally is from when I was six years old.

My parents had loaded all four of us kids into the wood-paneled station wagon (yes, really) and taken us on a family road trip ‘Out West’ through Montana, Yellowstone and The Tetons. On our way back, we were going to spend a couple of peaceful days in the Black Hills – and we were all really looking forward to it: Spearfish Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park , the whole traditional family trip.

That was until we hit Sundance, Wyoming or so and realized that the annual Sturgis rally was roaring along full-force in the approaching hills.

You see, my parents – bless their hearts – have always been the “drive until we’re tired, see where we end up and hope to find a motel room” sort. And their method usually worked pretty well – except this time around they had overlooked the whole Sturgis rally thing.

On that hot August day, we rolled in to the Black Hills on Tuesday – traditionally the busiest traffic day of the rally. I remember Mom and Dad in the front seat quietly discussing what to do, as us kids peered out the windows – wide eyed and a little scared by the bikes flying by on either side of the station wagon.

I’m not sure which one of the parents made the decision, but next thing we knew we were exiting the interstate and turning INTO the legendary motorcycle destination! Here we were – six Iowans in a brown, two-toned station wagon cruising down Lazelle Street in Sturgis. We stuck out like a sore thumb.

As we slowly made our way through town, mixed in with several hundred thousand bikers, I remember being told to keep the doors locked and the windows up. It was more motorcycles, leather and beards (among other things) than I had ever seen! As a six-year old farm kid, it was a pretty wild sight.

We drove through town and made the loop back out on Junction Avenue to the Interstate. I have no idea what the conversation between our parents was, but I do remember merging onto Interstate-90 and heading directly east toward Iowa. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

So much for Mount Rushmore or any of the other attractions we had been so excited to see.

Because of the motorcycle rally, every roadside motel room for the first couple hundred miles east of Sturgis was full. Mom and Dad decided that since we were already that close to home, we might as well go all the way. We ended up driving straight through the night and arrived back home in the wee hours of the morning.

That was my first exposure to the Sturgis rally – and it would be my last for a couple of decades.

Today, as a Black Hills resident and contributor for the travel blog, I have a whole different viewpoint of the rally. Through spending some time at the Sturgis rally hot spots the past few years, I’ve really come to appreciate the event.

Interesting people, positive economic impacts, opportunities for out-of-the-ordinary entertainment and another chance to show off this beautiful area that some of us are lucky enough to call Home.

While not everyone enjoys the motorcycle rally in Sturgis as much as I do, it’s tough to deny what a spectacle of an event it is and what a boon it presents for Black Hills businesses.

Sure, I prefer the solitude of a backwoods Black Hills hike any day – but, as far as the few-day-a-year motorcycle rally is concerned, it’s part of what makes this region so unique. And it’s part of what will continue to draw visitors to the Black Hills for years to come.