Scooterin' To Sturgis 2007
Big Dan UPDATE!!!!
Well, I made it. 11 Days, Nearly 3000 miles, 6 states & one heck of a good time! For those of you that pledged the penny a mile, Thank You. A lot of you have asked if you can still make a pledge/donation. Yes you can!
Please make checks payable to
RMHRIDE INC. PO BOX 214
New York Mills, Mn. 56567
Memo; Scooterin’ to Sturgis.
Thank You for your support.
Big Dan
Here's my story
I left on Friday Aug. 3rd. A few days after the 35W bridge collapse. My Trip to Sturgis almost got cancelled due to mandatory 12 hr shifts & days off being cancelled. Luckily I was able to go. I felt a good starting point would be the site of the collapse. After a short prayer, I was on the road. I made it to Watertown S.D. before the heavy rain came. Hotel, pool, hot tub, breakfast & back on the road.
Loooooong trip across S.D. I had to stop for gas every 100 miles. They were all good stops. The Scooter ride is fun but it’s a lot different than riding on a touring bike. I was able to ride comfortably @ 55-58 MPH. I was bound and determined to make it to Sturgis Sat evening. I could see Bear Butte in the distance. I Kinda figured I would not make it on the gas in the tank, but I tried. 5 miles from The Chip, I ran out of gas. (I carried a spare 1 ½ gal gas can bungeed between my legs). So, after filling up I was back on the road. I made it to The Chip Sat PM. Got camp set up just before the rain started. Kenny Wayne Shepard performed on the main stage. Great show. Temp. high 91 low 66
- Sunday - AM loaded as much as I could on the Scooter (tent, bed roll, sleeping bag, lawn chair, cooler, changes of clothes & of course my spare gas can, which I would need 2 more times on the trip). I headed to Montana. Spent the day riding thru southern Montana. Ended up @ Devils Tower, Wyoming. Working my way back to Sturgis, I ran Spearfish Canyon. Set up camp for the night & headed to a new venue called “The Boneyard”. Nice place. Randall Zwatre band performed. Temp. high 95 low 70
- Monday AM Long ride thru the Black Hills. Deadwood, Keystone, Hill City, Custer, Hot Springs. Made it back to the Buffalo Chip just in time for the Toby Keith show. Things were really hopping. Largest stage & show of the entire rally. Great show. Temp. high 94 low 69
- Tuesday AM. Quick stop by Sturgis for some patched for my vest. On to Belle Fourche, Spearfish, Deadwood, Rapid City. Rode Vannocker Cannon twice. One of my favorite rides. Back to the Chip. Large storm coming. Waited the storm out. A good meal and seen Grand Funk Railroad & Foreigner. Both bands really rocked & were crowd favorites. Great show. Temp. high 96 low 65
- Wednesday. Back to Sturgis to get patch sewn on vest, then off to Deadwood. 105 degrees. Played Some Black Jack. (won $70.00 J) Hooked up with some friends. Headed back to the Chip to check out the new Beach @ The Black Parrot Bar. Water was very refreshing. Too many pretty girls in Bikini’s, So, I left. (Yeah, Right)! Back to the tent for a nap before dinner & the concert. Velvet Revolver. Great show. Mechanical Rodeo & crowd watching after. Temp. high 94 low 65
- Thursday, slept in. Woke up to over 100 degrees in my tent. I knew it was gonna be a hot one. So, I headed back to Deadwood. Played in a Texas Holdem’ Tournament. 4th place J. I rode Needles Highway & took some back roads (that usually turned into gravel) Nice scenery, Very hot. Back to the Chip. Buck Cherry, & ZZ Top performed. Strange billing. But, great shows. 60-70,000 people took in the show. Robbie Kneivel made his world record jump after the concert. Partied ‘til the weeeee hours of the morning. Temp. high 100+ low 62.
- Friday, slept in again. Woke up to over 100 degrees in my tent again. Spent the day at The Black Parrot Bar / Beach. Never left the Buffalo Chip. Too hot! When the sun went down. I hit the rack. Getting too old, Running outta steam, Needed to recharge for the ride home. Temp high 100+ low 71.
- Saturday AM. Last day for riding, shopping, sight seeing, etc. I was asked to escort the Budweiser Girls to the Broken Spoke Saloon. Being the gentleman that I am. I obliged them. Back on the road. Wouldn’t you know it. My last day & the temp is finally comfortable. Spearfish Canyon, Nemo, Rimrock Hwy & Iron Mountain Road Finished off the Riding in the Hills. Back to the Chip. Seether & Papa Roach Performed. Many (non biker) fans in attendance. I’m not a big fan of that kind of music, but it was probably the best show. What a way to end a week of concerts. Temp. high 88 low 69
- Sunday AM. Woke up to 57 degrees, rain, cold, windy. Waited for the weather to break. Noon, I’m on the road home. Pretty uneventful trip back home. Hot, Windy, tired. I pulled in to Plum City, Wisc. on Monday night @ 10:30 PM. I was happy to be home. It was a very memorable trip.
There are a few people & Companies I would like to thank. This journey would not be possible without their help & support. First, The Ride Committee for The Ronald McDonald House Ride. They are a very dedicated group. Their commitment to the success of the RMH Ride is second to none. They also know how to throw one hell of a party & put together a great ride & fun weekend.
T Bob from Scooterville, Mn. Donation of the Kymco Peoples 250 scooter. Bob really came through by donating the scooter. It’s a well built scooter & was the right choice for this journey. I never rode a scooter prior to this journey. I must admit, it was fun. It was fun to tool around on. I sure caught a few eyes from everyone that passed me. (Believe me, a lot of people passed me!) The folks @ Scooterville Mn. have been a pleasure to work with. Tom from Piggybacker trailers provided a great lightweight trailer. It’s all decaled & looks sharp. I was surprised how light it is & it pulls nice behind the scooter. We auctioned the trailer off at The RMH ride on June 9th. I will be delivering the trailer to Jeff Martensen (winning bidder) in the near future. Thanks Jeff.
REI (Bloomington, Mn.) & Sportsman’s Warehouse Fargo, ND Donated camping gear which I used on the trip. Jeff Martensen was the winning bidder for the camping gear as well.
Matt Bjorge. Now there is a true friend. I’ve known Matt for quite a while. He always comes thru when I need something modified or fixed. He donated all his time / labor & parts to make the rig road worthy. I appreciate his friendship & mechanical skills. (keep that positive attitude, brother).
Danny, Adam, Sam, Jenny, Doug & all the St. Francis Gang & St Francis Foods. These crazy kids threw a great party before I left, wishing me luck on the journey. They kept it a secret from me for a couple weeks. I was very pleasantly surprised. You guys are the greatest. Love ya!
Least I forget Bonnie @ The Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, S.D. I contacted Bonnie a while back & she arranged the VIP accommodations for my stay while out in Sturgis. The Buffalo Chip is The Biggest & Best campground in Sturgis. I stayed there last year & was treated to an unforgettable time. I had a great time. Bonnie, Lee Ann, Carol & Woody are great hosts. They always make sure everyone has a memorable experience. I had a blast.
The RMH ride program would not be possible without all the folks that support it. Thanks to all that attended the Ride in June & all the folks that made the penny-a-mile pledge.
Special thanks to Ruth & the staff @ the Ronald McDonald House (Fargo, N.D.)
Anyone I forgot to mention, Thank You for your support.
Ride Safe, Big Dan
Mail and Makes Checks Payable To: RMH Ride, Inc. P.O. Box 214 New York Mills, MN 56567