I've always wanted to do it and finally things fell in place and I got to go out on the road, no definite destination or schedule. Left out of Dallas in the afternoon just knowing I was going north hadn't decided if I was going to cruise around the rockies or the black hills. Road to Amarillo and decided to stay the night with all the deer on the road and not being that far from scenery worth seeing. It was hot! lots of stops to cool off and get something to drink. Left out of Amarillo the next morning heading to Raton, NM.

I guess I should say something about my bike and load out. I have a 2009 FXSTC and even though I have a windshield for it I don't want it for this trip, I think I may have had it on the bike twice since I bought it. I don't have saddle bags either, I load everything I need in my old offshore bag and strap it down across my seat and lazy-rider bag. My wife thinks it is quite hilarious looking and loves to call me Jed Clampett. It is very comfortable for long rides. It's like riding in a lazyboy, good back support and takes all the pressure from riding without a windshield off your arms.


Just west of Amarillo, not a lot to see.

Day 2: rode from Amarillo to Raton and turned north on I-25 through Denver to Cheyenne, WY and got a room for the night and my first meal that didn't come from a gas station.


North of Raton, NM on I-25

Spanish Peak south of Pueblo, CO

Got tied up in traffic and construction in Denver. Rode on up to Cheyenne and didn't get to take a lot of pics, weather was nice and it was good to start feeling cooler air than I had left in Texas. Met a bunch of nice people on the road. I couldn't stop to get gas or check my map without someone coming up to comment on my bike or ask where I was going. I had to decide if I was going west and stay in the rockies or east to the black hills and having never been to the black hills I decided I would go there. It was hard to turn away from the peaks I had been looking at to the west. I decide that my next trip will take me there.

Day 3: leave Cheyenne take Hwy 85 through Newcastle, WY to Lead, SD.
In Guernsey, WY had coffee and swapped stories with a guy riding a street glide back south to his home in Kansas.

Just out of Newcastle, WY my first look at the black hills.

Rode into Lead, SD and pulled over to work out my route and a nice 68 year old lady came up to me and wanted to know if I would like some advice on where to go. She still likes cross country skiing and doesn't care for the crowded slopes, told me not to stay long in Deadwood cause they would just take my money. I rode on to Deadwood and was going to check it out but where I was going to have to park didn't seem like a good place to leave all my stuff sitting on the bike, so I headed on over to Sturgis and checked in to hotel and left my bag there. Cruised around Sturgis and headed to Mt Rushmore on Vanocker Canyon Rd. Saw Rushmore and headed back to leave some money in Deadwood.


Day 4: Loaded up and headed down to see Crazyhorse and ride Needles Hwy and the wildlife loop in Custer State Park.


Needles Hwy

Needles Hwy

Stopped in Hill City for lunch at the Mangey Moose and met Tom, he rides a sporty, had a beer and swapped stories. Great guy.

Mine and Tom's bikes in front of the Mangy Moose in Hill City.

My ugly mug on Needles Hwy

Headed on south back toward Dallas and ran into this in Hot Springs, SD


Damn near drowned and had a hard time keeping the bike up, had to turn around and head back north to wait it out. Found out my weather proof jacket wasn't monsoon proof, killed my cell phone in an inside pocket. Storm wore me out and I stopped and got a room in Alliance, NB

Picture doesn't do justice to how dirty my bike is.

Day 5: rode 910 miles through Nebraska, Eastern Colorado, down to Amarillo and to the house, just stopping for gas and every so often staying long enough to stretch and rest some. Just north of Amarillo the wind kicked in and whipped me around almost all the way home.

Total ride 2608 miles, loved it and will do it again, will probably leave off any 900 mile stretches next time though. If you haven't done something like this I recommend it, the scenery was great, the people I met were better, and being alone on the road with no schedule was the best.

 

Looks like had a lot of fun, gonna run some of the same areas myself come late July ..

 

awesome! thanks for sharing,would love to see the blackhills and rushmore someday

 

Awesome! One more thing checked off your bucket list!

 

Sounds like a blast. Really want to do something like that one day.

 

sounds like a great trip. Great pic's. Memories made.

 

Sounds as if you had a great trip, I need to get to that part of the USA myself.

 

N I C E !! Great pics too.*********** I haven't been up through there sense '96. Really hope to do it ONE more time, at least, before I check out.

 

Thanks for sharing, great pics. I am moving to El Paso in January I plan on heading north to visit my sister in Driggs, ID the first week off I get.

 

I think there should be a section here on the forums entitled Journey Journals, where all can post this type of ride. Photos, short, long........looks like you had a fabulous time and the pictures are beautiful. Glad your spirit lives in all of us.