Chris McGinnis
Cesar Millan
Sam Lowe
Jason Fogelson
Bryson Forbes
Amy Graff
Karla Henriquez
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
August 11 2011 by Jason Fogelson
Another year goes by, August rolls around, and I'm not in Sturgis. How did this happen?
This year marks the 71s annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This year, the bikers are gathering from August 8-14. The party is already underway as I write these words.
Some bikers build their entire calendars around Sturgis. Attendance at the event has been estimated in the hundreds of thousands each year. Some estimates put peak attendance at over 700,000 in 2004, but that number is probably inflated. The truth is that Sturgis is the gathering of the faithful, hard core bikers and dedicated motorcyclists. It is an event for grownups, with drinking and partying on the agenda for many. But it has evolved organically into an event that celebrates the mythology of the biker lifestyle, and it is said that every Harley-Davidson rider should go to Sturgis at least once.
So why have I let another year pass without going to the Rally?
Life intervenes. If I were to go to Sturgis, I'd want to do it right. I'd want to ride there on my motorcycle. I wouldn't want to fly in, or trailer my bike. I'd want to make the time to see the sights, hear all the great music, and ride all the great roads in the Black Hills. I'd want to stay for the whole week.
I haven't been able to devote the time for a ride all the way to South Dakota (and back). I haven't been willing to spend the money to get my bike ready for a long tour. I haven't planned ahead.
Next year's going to be different. I'm going to book a room at the BEST WESTERN Sturgis Inn as soon as possible. I'm going to reserve a motorcycle through Harley-Davidson Authorized Rentals at Black Hills Harley-Davidson, and I'm going to fly in and pick up my bike and ride at the Rally. I'm going to compromise on part of my ideal plan so that I don't miss out on the whole thing.
In the meantime, I'll have to content myself with looking at the Sturgis Rally webcams (Warning -- not always suitable for work), and dreaming of next year's rally - August 6-12, 2012.
Who's with me?
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