I couldn’t help but wonder as we were riding through the Black Hills and the roads were lined with bikes going both directions and hardly a car in sight, in the Black Hills, during the Sturgis rally, do car drivers wave at each other?

It’s beyond pointless to say I’ve never seen so many motorcycles in my life. That was a given. What did surprise me was the number of women riding their own. If a group of 10 bikes went by it was almost a certainty that one or even two or three would be women. You don’t see those numbers anywhere else that I’ve ever been.

What people who have never been to the rally may also not understand is that the rally is not just in Sturgis. It is actually a regional rally. All the other towns are packed with bikes, like Deadwood, Keystone, Custer, Spearfish, and of course Rapid City. And then there are the numerous campgrounds outside of Sturgis where a sizeable admission fee buys you not just a campsite but nightly concerts by top name bands. Sturgis itself is just one spot that probably everyone drops in on at least once but where only a very small number actually stay.

I had been a bit uncertain about going to the rally because I was envisioning just three days of solid partying in Sturgis but that wasn’t the case at all. We did spend the better part of one day in Sturgis doing the drinking, shopping, and people watching thing, but the rest of the time we spent riding the fabulous roads of the Black Hills. Which really suggests that making the Black Hills a destination for an extended stay when the rally is not making things crowded and expensive is an appealing vacation possibility.

Those are some initial thoughts about the rally. I’ll have more on the trip later.

Tomorrow is the day. The Old Farts Motorcycle Club is going to the Sturgis rally this year and we leave tomorrow. There will be eight of us going this year. This includes the three stalwarts, John, Bill, and Ken; four who have joined us over the years, Friggs, Dennis, Johnathon, and Jason; and one newbie, Brett.

We’ll be heading out Friday afternoon and riding to Guernsey, WY, where we’ll spend the first night. Saturday it’s on to stake claim to our accommodations in Rapid City, where we’ll spend three nights. During that time we’ll be running over to Sturgis, up to Deadwood, and generally cruising the terrific roads of the Black Hills.

Next we’ll head west, with a stop for the night in Gillette. Then on to Saratoga to our favorite lodging there, the Sage and Sand Motel. After one night in Saratoga Johnathon, Jason, and Brett will head back to Denver while the rest of us take a loop trip through the Snowy Range and spend a second night in Saratoga.

Leaving Saratoga we’ll cruise the short distance to Craig, CO, where we have a tee-time set for a bit of golf. No, we don’t carry our clubs with us, that’s what rentals are for. Then on home the next day.

We don’t normally plan out our summer trip with reservations all along the way but this year, traveling in the vicinity of the rally during actual rally week we figured it would be wise. We didn’t used to make any plans, other than the destination for our first day. Then we’d just follow our noses and see where we ended up. Those days are gone, though–that’s part of what the OF part of OFMC is all about.

Look for details on this trip in about 10 days. Sturgis, here we come.

We’ve been to Sturgis before but this year we’re going to the rally. Who is “we”? The guys I ride with have taken the whimsical name of “Old Farts Motorcycle Club” although, as one wife points out, some of the guys have just cause to dispute that name. It all started with John, Bill, and me (Ken) when we first got our bikes and started taking these summer trips. After awhile John’s son Johnathon joined us (after his dad got a new Shadow and gave him the old Virago) and then Bill’s brother Friggs moved back to town and got a bike. Bill’s brother-in-law Dennis joined us with his Gold Wing, and next, Bill’s son Jason joined us on his dad’s old Shadow when Bill bought his Harley, and Jason’s friend Todd came with Jason. Finally, Johnathon’s friend Randy hooked in with us.

So this year we’re headed to Sturgis, although the OFMC line-up is already changing. Just got word yesterday from Jason that Todd wiped out on his VTX just a few days ago. Totaled the bike, broke a few bones, and demolished his helmet (not his head!). Don’t have details yet but Jason says he should be OK. In the meantime Jason has another friend who is interested in coming and is working to get a hall pass from his wife and employer.

We don’t always have stops plannned and accommodations reserved but this year, traveling near the Black Hills during the rally, we figured it’s essential. I’ve been looking at motels half-way between Rapid City and Denver — some place we can reach easily after work on a Friday night — and it sure is funny how the price on this date is higher than their highest posted price. Can someone explain that to me? Oh, I get it.

That’s OK. No one bought a motorcycle in order to save money, or if they did they were misinformed.

So anyway, we’ll see you maybe in Sturgis. We’ll be the large group of Hondas with a Yamaha and one Harley mixed in.