Sturgis

After a bit of a sleep-in it was off to the local college for breakfast, and what a breakfast it was to. All you can eat for 10 bucks! I tried the biscuits (scones) and gravy and even though the gravy was a little salty it was quite nice and will have it again. From the college it was into town to have a look. Boy, saying it was busy and repetitive would be an understatement and it was hot even though it was cloudy.

We did have a look at some very nice pieces of machinery; V8 trikes, choppers, Indians etc. etc. We did enjoy watching a very beautiful young lady getting body painted to go with the bike she was draped over, very tasteful. After having a look around and buying some t shirts it was off to lunch and then onto the bike and back to camp.

Tonight we sat around and had a few drinks before going down to have a bite to eat and listen to the band. Early night tonight as tomorrow will be a big day visiting Mt Rushmore and riding the Needles.

Buffalo to Sturgis

Well it was supposed to be an 0830hrs start today for our short hop into Sturgis but one of the bikes wasn't running well and had to be left behind to be recovered by the bike shop. We finally left at 0900hrs headed for Gillette to rendezvous will the second half of the group who stayed there. From Gillette it was to Walmart to purchase camping supplies and then refuel before heading to Deadwood and Sturgis.



Deadwood is a pretty famous town in its Wild West days but today it relies on the tourist dollar. Riding into Deadwood was to give us a taste of what was to come. Coming down into Deadwood you could look across the valley and see hundreds of bikes moving down the road like ants and then you turn right to head into town and then it starts, stalls, pubs, casinos and hundreds and hundreds of bikes. Deadwood has one casino for every 72 permanent inhabitants and several bars, a kiwis dream come true!

We had a couple of hours to explore and have lunch before we headed to Sturgis and Buffalo Chip. Sturgis was/is everything that I have ever been told; curb to curb bikes, footpath to footpath people and a huge amount of stalls selling everything from t shirts to motorcycles.

After a very hot ride through the Main Street it was onto Buffalo Chip (which took a while due to everyone else having the same idea) to put up our tents and blow up our mattresses. Buffalo Chip is this huge camping entertainment centre; it stretches for miles and even has its own beach! Bikini Beach. You have to see it to believe it. There is wall to wall RV's, caravans and tents; heaps of bars, eateries and stalls. The food is shite (we will never ever complain about NZ takeaways again) and it is expensive. The entertainment hasn't been too bad; we had The Dobbie Brothers and Kid Rock the first night.



It is busy and the service people haven't a clue. You have to wait in line for sometimes up to an hour to be served and when you finally get it, it is cold and something we wouldn't be served at home; oh for a roast dinner!



Tuesday, tomorrow, we have a free day so will go into Sturgis to have a look and shop.

Cody to Buffalo

After a lovely sleep in we left Cody at 0930hrs headed for Buffalo.

Our first stop was Thermopolis where to our surprise we found the National HQ of Ulysses!! Well it was actually to visit its dinosaur museum. One of its displays was a Supersaurus named "Jimbo"; 107 feet long and one of only two ever found.

After Thermopolis it was onto Ten Sleep for lunch. Ten Sleep is a true example of western lifestyle. Located at the base of the Big Horn Mountains, the area is rich in fertile soil and waterways which make it perfect for raising cattle and sheep.

Ten Sleep got its name by being ten sleeps (nights) between the Great Sioux Camps and the Platte River to the south, and the northern camp located near Bridger, Mont.
 

We had lunch at one of two saloons in town which was very nice and we were well looked after by the staff.

Buffalo was our next stop. Buffalo is where the true Wild West began and advised by the local historian it only lasted about 20-30 years; this is the wild part we are talking about. Here in Buffalo we are staying in the Occidental Hotel which in itself has an enormous amount of history, too much to go into on this blog but Google it yourself to find out.

Tomorrow we are Sturgis bound and therefore will not have internet so any posting will be done when able. See you in about 4 days!

Cody

Today started in a great manner with another lay-in. We got up at around 0930hrs to a fantastic sunny day. Jude and I jumped on the bike and went down to the laundry, then Walmart and the Post Office. The rest of the day we hung around town and went to Old Trail Town; this is where original buildings, including the one Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and their Hole in the Wall Gang hid out in, have been found around the area and relocated to Cody and restored; very interesting and gave you an insight on how things were.

Back to the hotel for a nana nap before heading to the bar for happy hour and out to the rodeo; man it was fun, though for the competitors it was serious competition. During the summer months they ride every night.

Tomorrow Buffalo.

Jackson (Hole) to Cody

Today we were ready to go at 0800hrs and left. It was a little chilly as we headed out and remained so until around 1400hrs. We went through two national parks today; the first park was the Teton National Park which was pretty uneventful except we did get to see a Buck Deer. The second park was Yellowstone.

The ride through to Old Faithful (geyser) was slow as the traffic was heaving; the speed slow and we had road works. On the way we did see an Elk beside the road feeding. As we pulled into the car park we could see the geyser going off so had a wait of around 90 minutes before we could see it perform again. We took the opportunity to have lunch and a look around before taking up position for the show. We were lucky as two geysers put on a show which was quite spectacular.

After the geyser we continued to head through the park and rode upon a single Buffalo sunning himself; there were lots of traffic stopped so we carried on and soon came upon a big herd of them right beside the road. seeing the Buffalo was great and we continued to see them until well outside the park.

About half way through the park we stopped for gas and realized  that two of our group hadn't made it. We asked another group of bikers who had just pulled up if they had seen anything and were advised two bikes and two cars had been pulled over by a cop who had just passed us. We found out tonight that they both got a ticket and have to appear in court the day after we have left; they have talked to the judge and have it all sorted.

We continued on  and continued to see Buffalo, we saw an Osprey with three chicks but alas no bears.

Out the other side of the park we again hit road works but got lucky and had no wait. We then turned onto the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and had free riding right through to Cody. This stretch of road is 47 mi long and has some history to go along with the views.

Cody is a small town but a lively one. We arrived to happy hour and a shoot-out in the street; a re-enactment of the shooting of Buffalo Bill. A group of us had dinner then Judy and I went for a walk.

Tomorrow it is a free day in Cody.

Jackson Hole

Today was a free day. We started by having a lay in and then giving the bike a wash, it needed it! We went to breakfast and then back to catch the bus out to Teton Village to take a ride on a tram (cable car) up to the summit of Rendezvous Peak.

Jackson Hole was named after an early trapper and the hole part came from the sensation of climbing into a hole when descending into the valley.

Jackson's income is derived from tourism, cattle and skiing. Grand Teton National Park and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is the largest and most popular ski resort in the state so as you can probably image it is a pretty spectacular place. Some of the ski slopes are only for experts and are pretty serious. The photo of a rocky slope below is one such run. Jackson airport is the busiest in the state.

Our first trip up on the tram (yes Judy and I had more than one, more later) was great! The girls got to see a moose. At the top we could see for hundreds of miles and Grand Teton Peak was very visible. After a drink it was back down to the bottom only to find that I had left our Ulysses bag at the top on the back of a chair. One of the operators made a quick call to the top and it was located so back onto the tram (free ride) and up to the top to retrieve the bag; the good side of this was that we got to see the moose twice more.

Tonight we had a couple of beers on the deck of the motel and a light meal arranged by our lovely ladies.

Tomorrow it is a short trip to Cody via Yellowstone National Park; hope to see some bears and buffalo.

Vernal to Jackson Hole

We left Vernal at 0830hrs and had a leisurely ride out to and through Flaming Gorge. When you think you have seen the best America can offer then something else comes along and blows your socks off. Our first stop was Green River where we had a drink and gave all some time to regroup.

From Green  River it was up to Border and then a brief foray Montpelier Idaho then it was off to Afton. Afton is another small town America that offers something unique; in Afton's case it was an antler arch over the road and a most amazing furniture shop.

After Afton it was up to Alpine and then following the Snake River into Jackson Hole. The Snake River is around 1700kms long and is used for fishing and white water rafting.

Tomorrow we have a day off to explore Jackson Hole; sleep-in, yipee!!