What a week!

Monday, we got rained in for most of the day. After a brief excursion to Walmart for the necessities we don’t have room to carry, we barely beat the precipitation back to the cabin. That was OK, though. The ride up was long and tiring, so having a day to relax was a Good Thing^(TM).

Tuesday, we headed to the mini-rally at Black Hills Harley-Davidson. I found one thing I was looking for. Best Riding Buddy had a set of LED brake and signal lights installed, so we ended up leaving later than expected. We got caught in quite the downpour on the way back to the campground. We spent the rest of the day drying out and warming up.

Wednesday, we rode to Sturgis for our only trek to the heart of the rally. Every year, we meet with our buddies from North Dakota. This year, only S.A., and A.J. could make it. It’s always good to see our northern friends, although one day a year is hardly enough.

Main Street in Sturgis is always interesting as bikers jockey for parking. The city closes off four blocks of the main drag to automobile traffic, so it’s motorcycles only during rally week. Practically everyone wants to park on Main Street, just to say they can. Or for convenience. Either way, it’s jammed with people; and the roaring motorcycles add to the sensory overload. I’m good for an afternoon, then I’m ready to get back on the bike.

Thursday, we rode to Deadwood to spend a couple of hours in the various gambling halls. I walked down to the bottom of the hill to take a picture of the brick street with the motorcycles lined up along the curb.

By Friday, we were winding down. Both of us were ready for a break, so we made a plan for lunch, then waited for our dinner date. A friend from our hometown moved up to the Black Hills a few years ago, so we make it a point to visit with her whenever we’re here. She wanted to see the band playing at the Gaslight Dining Saloon. Unfortunately, they cancelled at the last minute, so we spent the evening catching up instead.

Saturday turned into a repeat of Monday. We had enough time to run out for a meal and make it back to the cabin before the storm rolled in. Which meant the pool party was a wash. *sigh*

The weather forecast called for a cold front to roll through the region today. Because the leading edge of any system usually brings strong and gusty winds, First Reader and I chose to wait it out and spend an extra day packing. We would both rather not have to ride all day while fighting the wind and dodging raindrops. Instead, we’ll spend the day making sure we can get all our purchases packed onto the motorcycles for the journey home tomorrow.