Sturgis 2017 - posted now because I forgot to hit the 'publish' button apparently!

Well, I got home on Sunday from riding to Tail of the Dragon, up the ENTIRE Blue Ridge Parkway - into Maryland - then across PA, OH, and MI and back home. Now its Wednesday and time to head to Sturgis. Didn't have to unpack much!! Left MN around 7am - got to Sturgis 10 hours later. We had great riding, though it was by FAR the COLDEST Sturgis rally I have ever been to. I wore leathers almost all week... and it was cold sleeping in the tent which made rest hard to come by! And it also made cold beer not all that appetizing on the coldest night! So, between cold, shenanigans, and lack of wifi, here is a summary of Sturgis in photos!

3 days before we were leaving, I told my friend I would teach her how to change her own oil because its super easy. It didnt turn out easy at all. The shop she had taken it to the last few times overtightened not only the filter, but the oil plug too. Which resulted in a friend coming over to 're-drill' or whatever it is called her plug and get a new one put in. It was a little stressful considering we had a 2-3 day turn around! Wrecked oil filter from her bike - a buddy had to come help because it was so tight I couldn't even get it to budge. And this is the result of his having to use muscles to get it off.

When you are riding all day but want to snack on just bought cherries

A seriously off the beaten path gas station in no where SD where we watched a guy get arrested as we pulled up to the pumps

No Caption Needed

I love displaying my shirt the entire ride out to Sturgis every year. Most people find it funny, but there are always those who 'are offended'. Haha!

Just outside of Sturgis, the traffic backs up something crazy. We discovered a gravel backroad to avoid having to go thru Sturgis (the city) to get to our campground on the far city limit.

Weird, we never see other bikes on this path

The gravel isn't too bad... the fresh run of the grader made some spots a little less comfortable but overall, its a great backroad!

The final hill before we see the Sturgis City Limit @ the Buffalo Chip

After 9.5 hours of riding from MN and then the last 17 miles before our campground on so-so gravel, we were now (literally) .03 miles from camp and THIS is where I dump the bike. Right as the gravel was ending and my front tire hit pavement... and just as the guy in front of us and one on the side hammered the brakes to avoid a wreck... So with one tire on gravel, and one on pavement with gravel sprinkles, my odds were not good. Dumping the bike seemed the best reaction in that split second. It was that or I was going to slam into a bike pulling a trailer.

But, we MADE it to camp and Salty greeted us with his great smile

Poor Bike :( Luckily it was all cosmetic damage. But I went down pretty hard judging by the depth of the damage to the paint on the TOP of the bag...

We never drink and ride ~ why would you when you can ride Da BUS and have $2 beers while people watching (always hilariously fun). We make a lot of Da Bus friends through the week...and traded a shitty (free) can coozie for Da Bus cooozie

My friend is a local cop back home and he volunteered to work the Rally again this year. I was nicer to him this year than last, where I spotted him, he didn't see me, and I ran up behind him and smacked his ass. I was drunk (not on bikes). It was hilarious. But I was nice this year :) And his rally partner was pretty good to look at, so we talked to them more than once through the week - lol

The Dungeon carvings - A Sturgis Tradition. Mine is from last year and clear as day! (FA)

Found FA from 2 years ago too! Not as easy to spot

I forget the name of this burger, but it was DISGUSTING in my eyes.. Four 1/4 patties...
He made a pretty solid dent of it though!

Cruisin through the Black Hills - great roads, minimal traffic, and super pretty!

Coldest riding I have ever experienced during the Rally

Ahh, main street. Where people watching never gets old

Found him after all these years of looking!!!

When your flip flop breaks on the first day and the communal showers require them (ok I require them...). I duct taped the problem and when that started to come undone, Salty found a fix.

Fun on Main Street after bar close - pretty quiet! We were waiting for Da Bus and turns out we missed that last one. So we started walking home with the intention of hitch hiking (2ish miles).. It took a couple attempts, but low and behold, we got picked up! By none other than a DA BUS. Their hub is on the same road as our campground.... it was just a matter of time and a nice driver!

Riding into the HD dealer in Rapid City... and there's a tow truck following me in created SHEER PANIC attack.

Why? Because two years ago my bikes fuel pump went out in the HD parking lot (all vendors are there its crazy busy).. and the same tow truck had to come haul me out... I was having flashbacks!

Always have to find the Police Dept's Drunk Bus for a photo

We had a friendly visitor in camp in the middle of the night. I thought someone was just stumbling around drunk and hungry when I heard the rustle of a chip bag. Opened the zipper to see who the drunk person was and instead I saw this guy

While it is still daylight, we park the bikes and hop DA BUS into town. $2 beers on the bus and all the entertainment you could imagine!

My new custom made patch- thanks #3MomsStitchin!

Full moon at Sturgis

Not in order.. this was mid-way on our hitchhiking efforts back to camp at 3am

Friends we have met at the rally campground over the years - and now they are like family!

Stone House Saloon - literally in the middle of nowhere, in a field, right before the WY border.

Field parking and the place is packed! With live music!

Our Rally Homies

Live music and the lead guy was very nice to look at ;)

This is the Saloon from the other side of the road. Literally in the middle of a field and nothing else. When you leave the place, you ride through a culvert under the road to the other side and out onto the highway...

Might as well stop since we were a mile from it!

And yet another state in 2017!

Riding to the Stonehouse Saloon was a bit straight and boring. But we finally got to shed the leathers for a day!

Just into Wyoming... random pitstop with NASTY bathrooms that I wouldn't let even a stray dog enter

I love this guy!

Still on the long, straight, boring road!

Our annual End of the Rally photo

Even though we had to leave, our memory remained via a busted out pair of Shelly's pants and my busted out flip flop still intact with duck tape and a clothespin