Made it to Sturgis and Home again to....Hell Hot Texas

The week before the rally....bikes and vendors are rolling in. 2011

 We went to Sturgis via Kansas and Nebraska.  HOT HOT HOT.......but we did fine with our hydration vest and stopping for a cold drink here and there along the way.  BTW no alcohol when I'm on two wheels....when I say cold drink I mean water or energy drink.  Just saying....

Rosey nearing final destination for the evening, Valentine, NE.

  
Anyway Kansas stinks!  There are so many feedlots there.....YUK....now when I see an 18 wheeler hauling cows I think "he's hauling Kansas!"
There is not a lot of scenery till you get up into the northern part of Nebraska.  I must say tho the road was excellent and hardly any traffic so it's not a bad route.  83 to Liberal, KS then on to Valentine, NE.  From Valentine, we ended up coming into the Badlands from the backside and on to Walls Drugs then on to Sturgis.  EXCELLENT DAY!  To go thru the Badlands in the morning is awesome.  The colors are at their best for pics.  Amazing.

Rooster and Rosey being good in the Badlands 2011

Rooster at Harley shop in Walls, SD

Rosey and Peggy 2011

 

   

We spent our time riding the Blackhills and visiting with our friends Peggy and Fielding, we stay at Peggy's house in Sturgis.  She's awesome, we never go hungry at Peggy's house.  She had TWO Rhubarb Pies ready for us and breakfast every morning.  

Rosey and Rooster at Devils Tower 2011

This is not a postcard, my huney took this pic.

 Our trip home was crazy......I wanted to go thru Colorado so we could go by Bishops Castle outside Pueblo.  Well, the only major frwy thru Colorado that goes North and South is frigging I-25.  From Fort Collins thru Denver and all the way into Colorado Springs.....bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic.  Of course it was Friday afternoon too!!  GEEZZZ!!   Somebody SHOOT ME!!!  We made it ok tho and stopped in Colorado Springs for the night.

On our way up the mountain on 78 heading for Bishops Castle.

Next morning, we are going to Bishops Castle.....well, there's two ways to go according to the map.....off I-25 take 165 straight to it and then double back to I-25....OR...at Pueblo, go a little ways into town, hook onto 78 that takes you thru the mountains and joins 165 just 3 miles from the castle.  So we asked a local which was best......78 is most scenic so off we go and it was gorgeous!  Twisty turny and up a mountain we go......we have only 12 more miles to go and we are on the upward climb of a very tall mountain when BOOM......no more pavement......a sign says "Gravel road next 9 miles"!!!!  So my huney says, now what?  I say "I haven't come this far to turn back now!"  Up we go.  VERY carefully, it's more like hard packed dirt road with a little gravel, not too bad, but we are still going up and the hairpin switchbacks are crazy with little ripple ruts from rain.  I can do this.....I keep looking at my odometer, saying ok, that's 1 mile, then 2 miles, then 3 miles and suddenly I hear my huney's horn beeping.......I look forward toward him, he's about to turn a sharp corner but he seems stopped, then I see a 400lb BEAR running across the road in front of him!!!  YIKES!!  Needless to say, my arm pits got very wet after that and I was praying for pavement!!

Finally we reached 165 and pavement!!  We both just looked straight to the heavens and yelled out"THANK YOU SWEET JESUS!!"

If I were standing in front of the yellow sign I would be half as tall. 

Bishops Castle, climb at your own risk.

When we got to the castle, I asked my huney, "You were much closer to that bear than me, what was he doing when you came around that corner?"  He said "He was just on the side of the road, when I came around he kinda lifted up to look at me, I didn't know what to do so I beeped my horn, thank God he ran, cause I didn't know what next."

Hell Hot Texas...but Cool morings.......ahhhh

All adventures on our bike are fun, some are extra fun and then there are those times that could be tragic and when they are not and turn out good like this one, they become one of those stories that you tell over and over.  Some day from a rocking chair but today I'm still finding more stories to tell from the saddle of my RED ANGEL.

 Big Texas Hugs from Rosey