The 12 Days of Sturgis - day 1 - travel time

On the first day of Sturgis we got away so late
and split my rain pants right out of the gate!

Ah yes, we donned our "duck suits" and had to be trailered the mile down the gravel road from the farm to the highway to begin our journey. It was about 4 pm rather than noon when we left in the rain to fill up in Dumore and by the time we got to Elkwater the rain had stopped, the fog had set in, and we were thinking the dreaded "S" word - Snow - but it didn't. Thank goodness for heated vests and we were off. Sitting on the back of a bike with only the sound of the roaring wind and rumbling pipes in my ears, I had lots of time to think. Amazing how you think of the past as your ride into the future and take in the present. As we passed Elkwater, I smelled something sweet like honey and I thought of my old dog Jake, who would roll in dead carcasses that for some reason smelled like honey to me, and dead carcasses to my honey. We stopped for lunch at the Duck Inn in Havre and rode along Montana's Highway 2. As we passed the many, MANY white markers on the roadside, I thought of Randy Travis' song "Three Wooden Crosses" even though there where 3 times as many. Know wonder the signs say "4 the 2" and call your Congressman. So many lives lost on that lonely road.

We road through Belknap Reservation, but not that swift as there was a major car accident that held us up for at least a half hour. We had hoped to make it to Billings that night, but the sun was sinking, the deer were grazing in ditches, and we were on the road later than planned. We pulled into Grass Range Montana about 11 pm with no gas station open, no vacancy signs in sight and found our way to a bar and casino with but 4 people inside. After a warm welcome and wet one, they gave us the phone to call the local bed and breakfast in hopes there was room in the Inn. As luck had it, we were the first official guests at the Elk Creek Bed and Breakfast and the minute we walked in I thought of my friend Lorene. That would be her in 20 years, as the couple showed us around the newly renovated, 5 bedroom 2 bathroom luxurious ranch home on the side of the hill with a beautiful view. (not that we could see it at the time) but woke in the morning to fresh fruit and juice and a delicious breakfast in the nook and a breathtaking view.



7 hours to the end day 1 with 7 or so more to go to Sturgis, was just the beginning of luck, good and bad!