Sturgis Bike Week: The Cheaper Alternative
I’m in Sturgis for the rally but it’s not like when the OFMC did the rally in 2006. This time I’m alone, and I’m here to work. And I want to make money, not spend it, so no $500 per night hotel rooms in Rapid City this time. Sure, we split that four ways, but that’s still $125 per person per night. Ouch!
This time I’m camping. That’s my tent and my Kawi in the picture above. I’m actually right in Sturgis and it’s amazingly inexpensive at the Vanocker Campground where I’m dug in. The cost is just $15 a night and they have showers and a little cafe for breakfast. On top of that, coffee is free at the cafe and food is good as well as affordable. The one guy running the operation cooks up your order on a small stove while you sit at the table outside and chat with fellow campers. My large breakfast taco was only $3.
As always, there are pluses and minuses. There isn’t much shade, so when I arrived yesterday at about 3 p.m. I was lucky to find one of the only two somewhat shaded spots left. And if it rains hard, as is predicted for later today and tonight, camping could be fun, not to mention riding my road bike across this field.
And then, of course, there are the neighbors. I’ve always heard that it’s the campgrounds where the fun is at Sturgis, but that may be referring to places like the Buffalo Chip, where they have concerts. At places like Vanocker it’s more a matter of meeting and getting acquainted with the folks next to you. Except that guy.
There’s always a “that guy,” isn’t there? In this case, that guy is some jerk who drove his semi-sized rig and large trailer in and set himself up this morning at about 5:30 a.m. Far be it from him to just stop along the road somewhere and get a couple hours sleep, before arriving after everyone was up. No, he came right in while it was still dark and made damn sure everyone was aware he had done so. There’s something about a semi maneuvering back and forth about 20 feet from your tent that makes it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Not to mention his Doberman, who got out and started barking. Thanks, asshole!
So anyway, I’m looking for the real Sturgis experience this year. Maury LaRue, the mayor of Sturgis, tells me they estimate rally-goers spend an obligatory 2 hours and 37 minutes in Sturgis, and the rest of the time out cruising or hanging out at their motels/campgrounds elsewhere. I’m figuring on more like 70 hours, myself. And if, unlike yesterday, I don’t have to spend it all working I may even have some fun. Wish me luck.
Biker Quote for Today
All who wander are not lost. Be a traveler, not a tourist.
Tags: motorcycle rally, Sturgis rally
August 9th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Things do get better with age sometimes. Best thing about Sturgis: there is room for growth. They have room to expand and can accommodate a large group of people. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve spent a few nights at the Chip camping, and when I was offered a place to throw my sleeping bag in Spearfish (rental home) I snagged it up FAST. I am getting old(er)…and I like to sleep too.
Hope your endeavors will be profitable to you…
August 9th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
I am in Sturgis as well. If you see a Road King with a yellow license plate, thats probably me! Have fun.
Gary
February 1st, 2014 at 10:19 am
Motorcycle camping? Done it in Spain in 2012 and wore myself out with all the clobber, gear, mats, tent, etc., to unstrap and pull off the bike, pack back on each morning sweating in 100°F heat for half an hour trying to jam a duckdown sleeping bag back into its fully-loosened compression bag… Hmmm. This year it will be hotel, hostel, B&B, in fact, anything other than motorcycle camping and saving that little bit of money. I haven’t mentioned the dozens of bugs and mosquitoes that gleefully flew into the tent every time I opened the entrance to get in at night!