Day 11 Mile
2503
Sturgis, SD
The word for today is “BIKER.” Blink and you’d miss Sturgis- a small speck of a town miles north of the major tourist stops in South Dakota. But in early August, get ready- this place will rock as close to a million motorcycle aficionados descend on Sturgis for the 75th Annual Bike Rally.
This year, the 75th anniversary, promises to notch things up to a new level. Imagine Daytona Beach on steroids. There aren’t even a million people living in South Dakota- where are they going to put all these party animals? Huge bars line the two-lane main drag. Full Throttle, an infamous bar made famous on TRU TV, even has a lot next door lined with hundreds of tiny trainer/cabins so patrons can stumble home without even hopping onto their bikes. I can imagine it now, “Hey babe, want to come see my tiny 200 square foot beer-stinky closet?” And you won’t want to miss Topless Tuesday or Lynyrd Skynyrd in concert. Hey, as a frequent Mardi Gras participant, I guess I can’t throw any stones. Or beads. Party on, Garth!
Sturgis, SD
The word for today is “BIKER.” Blink and you’d miss Sturgis- a small speck of a town miles north of the major tourist stops in South Dakota. But in early August, get ready- this place will rock as close to a million motorcycle aficionados descend on Sturgis for the 75th Annual Bike Rally.
I always
wonder- how does a small town like Sturgis become the mecca for all things “biker?” Why not Des Moines, Reno or Orange Park, FL? I think it is relentless and committed
marketing. Sturgis all started with the local Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club
and a race with nine bikes and a small audience in 1938. Since then, crowds
have grown to an all-time high of 600,000 who converge in Sturgis to party,
race and do God-knows what else.
This year, the 75th anniversary, promises to notch things up to a new level. Imagine Daytona Beach on steroids. There aren’t even a million people living in South Dakota- where are they going to put all these party animals? Huge bars line the two-lane main drag. Full Throttle, an infamous bar made famous on TRU TV, even has a lot next door lined with hundreds of tiny trainer/cabins so patrons can stumble home without even hopping onto their bikes. I can imagine it now, “Hey babe, want to come see my tiny 200 square foot beer-stinky closet?” And you won’t want to miss Topless Tuesday or Lynyrd Skynyrd in concert. Hey, as a frequent Mardi Gras participant, I guess I can’t throw any stones. Or beads. Party on, Garth!
