Day 40 - Sturgis and the Black Hills of South Dakota

I am in South Dakota - it feels good just saying it. Elton John's "Indian Sunset" began playing on my headphones as I crossed the border into SD and it was perfect. I could feel the reverence of this land, the hard history of the change from native american to european settlers yet it was also beautiful to feel and experience this history while riding through the exact place where it happened. I think this land is absolutely beautiful and I can almost feel why the Lakota people consider these Black Hills sacred. I started the day visiting Devils Tower - an impressive monument to nature's awesome power. As soon I entered the park I stopped to take some pictures and there was my good friend the moon just sitting there in the sky next to the Tower. You crazy orb! From there I ventured into the wild world that is Sturgis's 72nd Annual Motorcycle Rally. It is quite the festival!! Hundreds of thousands of folk having fun and enjoying the place and each other. I met Sam for lunch then ventured out on my own into the craziness. All I can say is that I had a lot of fun people watching, I enjoyed talking with some of them who were from all over the world, and also just listening to the mayhem. Sam and Kristie then picked me up and showed me some of the sights and sounds of this magnificent area - Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, The Gaslight Salon and some of the gorgeous places in between. I enjoyed them all but I must say the Crazy Horse Memorial really touched me. I like the fact that the main reason the Lakota elders wanted this memorial built was to show future generation that they had heroes too - how excellent! Afterwards we had a great dinner at the Gaslight Salon and then I rode my bike to my hotel a couple of towns away. I like it when I visit a place and connect with the land and the people. Thank you Sam and Kristie for taking the time to show me around and for being such good and generous people. And thank you Elton John and the Lakota people for connecting me to this land. I have thoroughly come to love both land and people here in this special place called South Dakota.