Sturgis...

Of course, the whole reason for coming all this way was to go to Sturgis. Main Street is where it all happens, as we wanted to be there.

Now, I had heard that upwards of 800,000 to 1,000,000 people were going to be on hand this year and, while there were bikers everywhere, I don't think the attendance numbers quite hit those lofty predictions. Even still, bikes jammed Main Street, just as they do every year, and the downtown bars, restaurants and shops all make their year at the rally.

Before taking on Sturgis, though, we decided to hit the Needles Highway. The Needles Highway is much like the famed Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee. It's a bit of a dangerous drive, so much so that it's closed every winter. Also, there are some rather small tunnels which threaten the paint on practically any four-wheel vehicle that dare traverse them. White knuckle? In some places, yeah, maybe a little:

 

These folks were all waiting for us to get through the tunnel...

And then, in some areas, it's a wide open, leisurely drive:

 

We decided to venture into Custer National Park and, if you've never been there it's, well, wide open and vast:

 

Quite honestly, there wasn't much to see other than motorcycles (and a lot of them). Still we decided to drive through and, at one point, made a right hand turn up some dirt road.

And there they were:

Last year, when my daughter and I drove through Yellowstone, we were amazed at the size of the bison there. They were huge animals. These, however, while being large in stature, were quite thin in comparison, and you could tell it was getting towards the end of their summer.

 

Our cruise through Custer National Park at an end, we decided to head into Sturgis.

The rally in Sturgis is really a sight to behold. If you're like me, and enjoy people watching, this is definitely a good choice.

This guy was a real character, and quite obliging...

Just because you can doesn't mean you should...

And, not only are there some pretty crazy people to see, there are, of course, the motorcycles:

Now, if that wasn't sensory overload to the nth degree, you have to remember that live music is everywhere in Sturgis during the rally. For our evening entertainment we opted for the Iron Horse Saloon. The facility is top-notch and can easily host any act, big or small. When we were there, the band "Hairball" was performing. They pretty much do everything that's 80's rock, and they even dress the part::

 

It was surely a feast for the eyes and the ears, and there were about 6,000 people crammed into the outdoor venue. That said, it never felt crowded and you never had to wait too long for your server to return with your beer.

We erred on the side of caution this night and decided to stay downtown in the camper. It was probably a wise move, as the police were everywhere, we'd been drinking, and we had more things to do the next day...