Stupendously Awesome Trip! Wish it woulda been on the bike.

[BigLenny]

Just got back last night from our 2 week, 4400 mile, 13 state vacation. It was a labor of love trip to take my 70 yr old mother who is in failing health on a long traveling vacation. Myself, my wife and my mom travelled in our Nissan Quest Van, but I gotta tell ya, on numerous occasions my wife and I wished we were on our bike.

 

We started out here in Little Rock and travelled up through Branson and Springfield, Mo. through Kansas City to Omaha. Then went up to Sioux Falls and went west through The Badlands and the Black Hills. Spent a couple nights in Deadwood. Saw Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, drove Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Rd, drove through Sturgis. Headed northwest through Wyoming into Montana. Saw Custers Last Stand, and stayed in Helena for 3 nights and visited relatives. Went down to Yellowstone for two days and made our way through Grand Tetons NP and through Jackson, Wy. and on to Rock Springs Wyoming for a one night stay. Then drove Hwy 191 from Rock Springs down through Utah to Canyonlands NP. Then drove Hwy 128 from Moab back up to I-70 and to Grand Junction, Co. Then drove Hwy 50 from Grand Junction across the state of Colorado via Gunnison, Monarch Pass, Salida, then Hwy 69 to I-25 down to Raton, NM. Then drove from Raton to through Clayton, NM on to Dumas Tx. Drove from Dumas, Tx to back home in Little Rock, Arkansas arriving last night.

 

We saw some of the most beautiful places on planet earth and made some unforgettable memories for my special mother! But, man, it sure woulda been great if we coulda done it on our bike.

[cowpuc]

Indeed lenny, you folks traveled some of the ost gorgeous country known to man! Personnaly I LOVE the black hills and 16a around to needles highway is just amazing! Any chance you folks stopped on that trail and visited the wolfs? The guy that runs that place is a really neat person who has done wonders for the wolf population thru the years. He has sioux indians come in and sit, meditate with those animals, fasinating stuff.. hopefully your mom enjoyed the special time you and your wife set aside just for her. Hats offf to you for giving her something she will never forget! My money is on a very special bike trip for you folks being in the near future just because you set aside some ride time to spend time with your mother, karma so to speak!

glad you all had a fabulous trip

puc

[BigLenny]

Puc,

 

Hate to say it, but we didn't find that place. However, we did drive Wildlife Loop Rd. and saw a large number of Bison, Pronghorn Deer, Prairie Dogs, and a coyote.

When we were in West Yellowstone we went to the Bear and Wolf Discovery Center. Saw quite a few wolves there. Really cool place.

 

My wife and I will definitely take a bike ride back to the Black Hills. Loved that area.

[Dragonslayer]

Just got back last night from our 2 week, 4400 mile, 13 state vacation. It was a labor of love trip to take my 70 yr old mother who is in failing health on a long traveling vacation. Myself, my wife and my mom travelled in our Nissan Quest Van, but I gotta tell ya, on numerous occasions my wife and I wished we were on our bike.

 

We started out here in Little Rock and travelled up through Branson and Springfield, Mo. through Kansas City to Omaha. Then went up to Sioux Falls and went west through The Badlands and the Black Hills. Spent a couple nights in Deadwood. Saw Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, drove Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Rd, drove through Sturgis. Headed northwest through Wyoming into Montana. Saw Custers Last Stand, and stayed in Helena for 3 nights and visited relatives. Went down to Yellowstone for two days and made our way through Grand Tetons NP and through Jackson, Wy. and on to Rock Springs Wyoming for a one night stay. Then drove Hwy 191 from Rock Springs down through Utah to Canyonlands NP. Then drove Hwy 128 from Moab back up to I-70 and to Grand Junction, Co. Then drove Hwy 50 from Grand Junction across the state of Colorado via Gunnison, Monarch Pass, Salida, then Hwy 69 to I-25 down to Raton, NM. Then drove from Raton to through Clayton, NM on to Dumas Tx. Drove from Dumas, Tx to back home in Little Rock, Arkansas arriving last night.

 

We saw some of the most beautiful places on planet earth and made some unforgettable memories for my special mother! But, man, it sure woulda been great if we coulda done it on our bike.

It sounds like you took my exact path on my Sturgis 2008 trip. It is great country. I like to pester my roommate when watching TV. by shouting "I've been there" every time I see a scene background of places I've been to.

[cagie]

The Black Hills region is indeed beautiful. Next time you are out that way be sure to ride through Spearfish Canyon (Alt 14) . We always went through Spearfish to Alt 14, to 85 then across 16 to Custer, a lot of nice scenery and twists. You didn't mention Devils Tower, but since you headed NW into Montana it's a gotta see IMO.

[cowpuc]

The Black Hills region is indeed beautiful. Next time you are out that way be sure to ride through Spearfish Canyon (Alt 14) . We always went through Spearfish to Alt 14, to 85 then across 16 to Custer, a lot of nice scenery and twists. You didn't mention Devils Tower, but since you headed NW into Montana it's a gotta see IMO.

 

Ohhhhh yea! When ya get to the bottom of the spear fish canyon ride you will come to a great big beautiful lodge. It is sitting on a bend in the road and has a wo track that veers to the right in front of the lodge. If you look closely at the side of that two track you will see a sign that says waterfalls, I think its less than 5 miles into that two tracck is where the falls are, they are gorgeous! If you follow that two track after the falls, camp 15 miles in you will hear elk bugling all night, awesome.. then stay on the two track,, a few miles of quad trailing and you will come across a small, 2x2 sign that says, wyoming state line,,,, keep going and you will come out no more than 20 miles from devils tower.

Hooked up with a major in the rangers who had just gotten home from his second tour of duty from iraq out in sturgis a few years ago. He was riding a brand new harley with less than 2k miles on it, long story but we became best friends after I met him out there that year. Long story short, he followed me thru all those two tracks on a brand new harley, camped and played all week with me and said it was the best riding he had ever experienced on a motorcycle! The scenery and riding was spectactular! Once again, not the place for towing a trailer BUT certainly a really great day ride if your already camped at sturgis and want to escape the madness of the crowds.. personnaly,, I could spend a whole summer in those mountains and the only sadness I would have is leaving them.

Later his new harely cleaned up just like new again,, ya dont have to worry about destroying your bike on this one!

puc

[BigLenny]

The Black Hills region is indeed beautiful. Next time you are out that way be sure to ride through Spearfish Canyon (Alt 14) . We always went through Spearfish to Alt 14, to 85 then across 16 to Custer, a lot of nice scenery and twists. You didn't mention Devils Tower, but since you headed NW into Montana it's a gotta see IMO.

 

Actually, we got off of the exit for Devils Tower, but decided to not take the 40 mile round trip to see it because it was the one day that we had a timeline to be somewhere. We had family in Helena, Mt that we had set a dinner time with. We will definitely see it when we go back on the bike. That drive across the corner of Wyoming and through Montana to Helena is beautiful! We stayed at Custers Last Stand longer than I thought we would. Pretty interesting stuff. I never thought the headstones would've been spread across as large of an area as they were.

[BigLenny]

Yellowstone NP was every bit as beautiful and interesting as we had always heard it would be, but there were several places that totally shocked us with unexpected beauty.

 

Such as:

 

1. The drive across the state of South Dakota. I had always heard the drive from Sioux Falls to The Badlands was flat and boring. Not! What a beautiful venture of rolling green fields. We all thought it was super interesting. We even stopped at Mitchell and toured Americas only Corn Palace. LOL.

 

2. The drive from Helena, Mt. down to West Yellowstone, Mt. All I can say is, WOW! Awesome farms with the Rockies as their backdrop. Mountain streams and rivers everywhere.

 

3. The Grand Tetons drive around to and through Jackson, Wy. Amazing treat after experiencing Yellowstone.

 

4. Hwy 191 from Rock Springs, Wy. south to Green River, Utah. Stunning drive through the bottoms of canyons and over the top of mountains. The Flamimg Gorge area was spectacular!

 

5. Canyonlands NP. OMG! This place is pretty close to being as grand as Grand Canyon. Very unique beauty!

 

6. Hwy 128 from Moab to I-70. It's like driving through the bottom of the Grand Canyon with the Colorado River beside you the whole way, and giant steep cliffs on each side of you.

 

7. Hwy 50 across Colorado. Farms, Rockies, Blue Mesa Lake, Monarch Pass, the town of Salida with the Arkansas River running through it.

 

Those are just a sampling of some places that surpised us.

[BigLenny]

Ohhhhh yea! When ya get to the bottom of the spear fish canyon ride you will come to a great big beautiful lodge. It is sitting on a bend in the road and has a wo track that veers to the right in front of the lodge. If you look closely at the side of that two track you will see a sign that says waterfalls, I think its less than 5 miles into that two tracck is where the falls are, they are gorgeous! If you follow that two track after the falls, camp 15 miles in you will hear elk bugling all night, awesome.. then stay on the two track,, a few miles of quad trailing and you will come across a small, 2x2 sign that says, wyoming state line,,,, keep going and you will come out no more than 20 miles from devils tower.

Hooked up with a major in the rangers who had just gotten home from his second tour of duty from iraq out in sturgis a few years ago. He was riding a brand new harley with less than 2k miles on it, long story but we became best friends after I met him out there that year. Long story short, he followed me thru all those two tracks on a brand new harley, camped and played all week with me and said it was the best riding he had ever experienced on a motorcycle! The scenery and riding was spectactular! Once again, not the place for towing a trailer BUT certainly a really great day ride if your already camped at sturgis and want to escape the madness of the crowds.. personnaly,, I could spend a whole summer in those mountains and the only sadness I would have is leaving them.

Later his new harely cleaned up just like new again,, ya dont have to worry about destroying your bike on this one!

puc

 

Puc,

 

Whenever we do our ride to the Black Hills, I'm definitely going to lean on you to help me plan an itinerary. LOL.