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All Kinds of Wildlife on Motorcycle Pilgrimage

When we last left Kit on her trip to Motorcycle Paradise (Sturgis, South Dakota) our Tale of Whoa scribe had encountered many difficulties with local wildlife and other aspects of Nature. Fortunately, she ended the day with beer, ice cream and a quiet night in a packed campground. We rejoin Kit the next morning.

I woke up very early and with my camera in hand hiked off into the field at the edge of the campground. I was determined to find out what the commotion was all about every morning.

I waited patiently, when off to the right, I heard a thundering sound coming toward me. From the woods, whooping, hollering herders (cowboys/girls/people?) on horses drove lots and lots of horses along the outer perimeter of the park.

It all made sense now. The front of the KOA campground offered a stable where people could rent and ride these magnificent animals. After their shift, back they went to their stables on the opposite side of the park. So, this was the 6 am commute in to work.

I snapped lots of photos and captured some great shots. Beaming, I headed back to the trailer and woke Wayne up to share my tale and my pictures. Mystery solved, I grabbed my plate and cutlery and decided to go for pancakes. Another terrific day lay ahead and I needed sustenance.

We were heading to Sturgis today to see what the entire hullabaloo was about. The ride was 45 minutes from our park but the scenery made the ride seem short. I snapped pictures while on the back of Wayne’s’ bike. Since I wanted no part of riding among 500,000 other motorcyclists, I chose to sit today and enjoy the show.

We rolled into town and headed directly to the Full Throttle Saloon. This was supposed to be the bar, where everything and anything went on. We walked in and were immediately confronted by buxom waitresses on top of a bar pouring drinks into the mouths of overzealous biker boys. Next, a woman in chaps strolled by. Just chaps and a thong, her jeans missing! The scene was wild!

Burn out pits (an area where you can literally burn the rubber off your tires), a constant stream of biker bands, tattoo shops, leather gear and t-shirt shops filled the open-arena style bar. Bikes parked in the centre of the arena completed the scene. None of us had ever seen anything like it. We clutched our beers while taking in the antics of the burn out pit. Chunks of burnt rubber flew off as wheels spinned feverously, all the while spectators screamed with delight. Who does this stuff?

Well, apparently I do.

No, no not burning rubber. However, for years I had secretly been thinking of getting a tattoo. This seemed to me the perfect venue to become a rebel. I told Wayne I wanted a frog crawling on my shoulder and so after talking to a tattoo artist in from Port Huron, MI just for the rally (he knew there would be lots of experience-loving women here, I guess) I booked my tattoo. Then I kept quiet about the whole thing until it was time for my appointment.

I must tell you it hurts like hell for a while. Don’t let people tell you differently. They are just putting forth a brave face. No such thing for me, I tell the truth. It hurt! It hurt! An hour later, though, I had a frog crawling on my back. No regrets. Another thing off my to-do list. I headed off to find our crew and show off my newly acquired piece of art.

Downtown Sturgis was just a continuation of the party atmosphere that was all around us. Every motorbike manufacturer was here showing off their newest steeds. Every piece of chrome imaginable was up for grabs as were t-shirts sized from small to XXXXL. I had my list and made the purchases.

The end of the day was approaching and we decided to head back in daylight. We had had a wonderful time and would remember this for a long time to come. I would remember it forever. Horses, turkeys, bison and the little amphibian on my shoulder.