Day 2. Play day in the Black Hills

 

Today was a day to enjoy the road and the scenery in the Black Hills and see the sights. Sunny and warm, only 243 miles for the day, and slow miles because of all the twisty roads, but a very enjoyable day. 

 

Rick gave me this wonderful gift called a Gaurduan Bell. It's supposed to ward off evil spirits and keep you safe while you are riding. A friend gave him one and he thought he'd get one for me. I have it hung just below my motor where it looks like a single, tiny, little silver testicle hanging below my bike. 

 

Today, in keeping with our theme of getting the most out of the beautiful Black Hills, our first step was to ride the Needles highway. It's not really a highway, more like a single lane, very twisty road they built through these spectacular rock spires.  The picture doesn't do it justice but as a reference, this was taken down the hill from the spires we had just ridden through. 

 

Part of the Needles are several of these very tight tunnel passages blasted from the rock. 

 

After the Needles we headed for Mt. Rushmore but not until Ruby, the flag woman, would let us pass. We waited for about 15 minutes chatting with Ruby and a forest ranger. According to the forest ranger, the Needles and Iron Mountain Rd. which we take to get to Mt. Rushmore, were the first roads designed specifically to obtain maximum scenic views back in the 1900's. So far I believe they were successful. 

 

Rick and I were wondering if our faces are stoic enough to sit on Mt. Rushmore along side Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt  and Lincoln??

 

In 1978 I was 20 years old and on my second cross country motorcycle trip with two of my pledge brothers from Purdue, Dave Chastain and Dave Bonitz. We were on our way to California from Indiana and we stopped at Devils Tower along the way. That was 39 years ago. Devils Tower hasn't changed but I sure have!!

 

After heading west to get to Devils Tower in Wyoming we now had to turn back east towards S. Dakota again before heading north. As we headed east the dark clouds and lightening started to build.  We thought we had a chance to skirt the storm. 

 

We thought wrong. About 10 miles after the photo above we encountered some pretty steady rain.  Riding pretty much in the middle of no-where we put on our rain gear and pushed on east. We had about 30 or 40 miles of medium to light rain before crossing back into S. Dakota.  The storm clouds were content to follow right along with us. 

No matter the rain gear, the rain always finds a way in and you still get wet and cold.  We stopped here in Belle Fourche, SD to dry off a little bit and see how the weather would develop to the north before we headed in that direction. Being just after 5pm we probably already knew that after we got some food in us we would call it a night rather than pushing on. 

 

 

And the Sunset Motel in Belle Fourche became our home for the night. Time to unpack, dry out our gear and get a hot shower. 

 

Some how the Universe always knows what to give you.  Our room, and perhaps the entire motel, appears to be motorcycle themed!  We are styling now!!