VROC - Deadwood, SD July '20

Blog is top to bottom, Click on a pic for a larger pic, text for a pic is under it.
If there are hyperlinks, they will be a funny color and it will go "somewhere" hopefully informative... .... Enjoy...  GBG

Deadwood, SD '11 Blog, many monuments

Deadwood, SD and Solvang '13, Devil's Tower

Well, it's off to Deadwood, my third trip!!!  Lot of nice roads and I'm going to hit some of my bucket list points along the way.  Million Dollar Highway and come back thru Jellystone, er Yellowstone....   GBG.

Going map:                  Deadwood or Bust!!!!
Coming back map:      Homeward bound!! San Jose, KalEfornYa!!!

The neat part of Google maps is, you can travel the roads right along with the little video
car!!!!  Look around and see what's there!!!  But of course, I'll try to add a little myself...  GBG

13 days and 3750 miles

Well, time to hit the road!! Been 2 years and really ready!!!  Loaded down!    On the Road Again, sing it Willy!!!!   Going to Deadwood!!!  Which way to start?   How about south!!  GBG

My first stop when heading out south / east, is always Barstow, either the Days in  of Super 8.  Super 8 won this toss!  The virus will chase me all thru this trip!!!!   The motels are tight as a rock and the restaurants  have been decimated!!!!!  

So, out of Barstow heading northish on 15, I'm into desert, which I don't mind as it's ever changing!!!  

My first turnoff is Nipton Rd and off to the left is Nipton California Power Plant which is a whole LOT of mirrors focused on one tower!  Read the Wikipedia  link...

Turning right on Nipton Rd and a few miles is ... well, guess what???!!!!  GBG  Nipton, Ca

Not a lot here and as I'm riding on 4th of July weekend, everything is closed, and if not enough, the virus has everything else shut down!!!   GBG + sigh....

..... one more and a few more deserted buildings and I'm headed for Searchlight, Nv.  Thru there and into Kingman, Az starting on old 66 and I was looking for an ice cream cone!!!  Came upon a McD look alike and stopped.  They had some decor about...

Somehow this police car did not look stock...  note muffler missing and just an exhaust pipe!!!

I think I've found a substitute for my Elio!!!   ... and on out 66 to 

Hackberry!!!  Neat ol' place with some old stuff laying about....

The prices at those pumps would be tempting!!!  GBG

And as I've been long weekend and viruses... it's closed!!!

One more shot and on to Seligman...

Crazy tourists will take a pic of anything!!!!  GBG... to the point....

Don VSP said this was a good place to eat!!!   But I had a rootbeer on my mind so I stopped at the Chevron/A&W place.. for a rootbeer and burger!!!

The place was open, but I was full for one of the few  times this trip!!!

Nice ol' car!!

One last pic and on to Flagstaff for the evening.

Next day was north on 89 to 160 and into the desert!  And of course, all was closed!  I could get gas at a station but the building was locked, no restrooms or food!!!  I went on out 160 to 163, the Monument Valley  loop.   It was hotter out there and I wandered thru Mexican Hat, not much there and nothing open...  but I DID get to see the monuments!!!!

Enough of a good thing and on to 4 corners and more of a theme I was to run into!!!

... yeah, closed!!!  .... onward to Cortez, where we had a nice rally in '10...  VROC - Cortez

Had a hot dog for lunch, finally!!! ... and on to Durango, the first of my bucket list items!!!!  On to rt 550 the Million Dollar Highway!!!    I think one of the passes touches 11,000 feet.  Going through Silverton, Co is above 9,000!!!   The main part of the Million Dollar Highway was Silverton to Ouray.  

So I'm about to start the trip up.... nice and easy, eh????!!!!   GBG

Pretty area, everything seems to be green....

Clouds are'a building!!!

Yeah, why all is green, and guess where I'm headed!!!???  Putting on my rain gear... and I needed it!!!  Not bad, but I did need it!

Coming down into Ouray, Co.

It WAS 4th of July weekend and full party mode was on!!!  Lots of folks!!!

On down the hill and on to Montrose, Co for the nite.  Next day was to get on U.S. 50 east!!!  I've been on 50 they Utah, and now Co....  It's a real nice road!  NOT freeway!!!  I won't go out of my way to avoid one, but I'm NOT a freeway person!!!

I ran along this Gunnison River / Blue Mesa Reservoir  for a while,  River / Reservoir   ... and then over Monarch Pass, 11,312'  From then on it was just traveling towards Deadwood through Denver, Cheyenne and up....

... well, not always traveling... sigh...  But I made it!!!!!  

Next day a few of us headed to Hill City for ice cream and a look around!

Look around first... the owner was packing a pistol, open carry here....

and then the good stuff!!!!  GBG  It was a lot and very good!!!!

We were close and why not?  I have my lifetime pass!!!  BUT!!!  They've figured out they can charge for parking!!!  GBG  Always a way....

I really can see the Don up there!!!   GBG  .... flames and arrows!!!!!   GBG

And back to motel for what we do best..... visiting and BS!!!!!!!!!  ... my initials... no coincidence!!!!!

Next AM and the only way to start the day!!!! Breakfast!!!!  Solo, Eric and friend...

Mal is doing something to Vet's scoot!!!

Butch and Teresa by their loader truck, more later.. neat way to carry a scoot!!!

A lot of folks going for a ride and I've been on the road for a few days, seen the "sights" and wanted a day off!!!  My third trip here and I've never gone downtown and looked about!!!  Today's the day!!  I walked 3 loops from hotel downtown and back!!!

Gettin' ready to ride!!!

Eric and Solo's friend, yeah, I know, I should remember..... sigh...

And headed downtown!!!

Gotta have a show for the folks!!!

Where Wild Bill got his due....   Aces and eights....

Like the ol' metal ceilings... popular in the midwest back in the day....

The man hisself....

Down to the end for a loop back.

This was an unusual color, brown and silver, and I thought is looked pretty good!

Heading back up the other side...

Get a different perspective....

Some of the old homes were nice.

... and back to the motel...

Loop X, nice ol' stage coach...

The guy was prolific with his saw....

.. and pretty good!

We're about to see some "stuff"....  GBG

They were lookin' at the clouds to see if they could get the show over before rain...

So we're gonna have the infamous card game!!!

... and guns going off, etc...  kids liked it!!!

Vet trying out a Vision...

... yeah, BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  time!!!  What we do best!!!

Next day was Spearfish Canyon loop, it's twisty!!!  

it has a falls... and a platform for pics, When I get'm, I'll add them...

.. back to the iron horse!!!  On to Sturgis!!!

I took this for Stewey!!!!  Remember the big pic in the '13 blog with all of us on the stage???!!  And then Mal promptly got us thrown out of the place!!!   GBG  Ya had to be there...  we were milling about in front wondering where lunch was and I asked, what's that across the street???!!!!

Well, the waitress across the street promptly thanked me for hearding'um her way!!!  GBG  Not quite what happened, but sounds good!!!  GBG

Yeah, we're here, and no way would I want to be here during the "event"!!!!!  JameyT said the radar indicated a storm was headed our way but we had time...   Well, I saved about $30,000 bucks!!!   We went to the Indian dealer and I finally got to sit on the Roadmaster!!!!  Did NOT like it!!!!  Went back and kissed my sweet Gina!!!!!    And we beat feet for the motel after we saw some lightning....

... and all heck broke loose!!!  I don't think I've see purple on the radar before!!!  The tornado siren went off, yeah, hail on the ground, for a few minutes, we were inundated!!!  Would NOT like to be in it on my scoot!!!!!

Now about that scoot carrier.... yup, just drive it up!!!  Plenty wide for foot support!

Front tire in and she's ready for tie down!!!!

Last breakfast!!! I pulled up a chair on the end and joined the group.   Little did I know JR was going to pay for all, second from the end on the right,  but I did leave a real nice tip!!! And off we go!!!  

Most of my rally's, the trip there/back is just that and the event is the happening, well not this time.   The trip was what I was after!!!  On to Jellystone!!!!!!!  ... er Yellowstone.....

Headed towards I-90 up 85, got gas before the highway and the country looked so nice!!! 3 trips here and I'm finally gonna get to take 212 all the way across Montana and into the park!  Next stop Red Lodge Montana!!!!  212 Route Across Montana

Well, the first thing up next day was Beartooth Pass.  Nice little hill!!!!  GBG  Looks innocent enough!!!!  ... yeah... understatement...

When ya start to talk about going up, and you start from over a mile up, you get really up really fast!!!!!  GBG

Didn't even get to 11,000!!!  GBG

The ol' gal did quite fine  the entire trip, er well... lost the speedo / speed control leaving Jackson Hole towards Id, over Teton Pass....

Nice roaring street!!!

The wild flowers were in bloom!!!  Everywhere ya looked!!!

Nice  stream...

I know these ladies knew what they were doing, but I wasn't gonna  ask... And I'm sure that heard of buffalo further out could care less....  Some folks were more worth a pic than the wildlife!!!  They would get out a chair and watch buffalo laying in the grass... just stare!!!

Well, now there ya go again!!!!  My planned route!!!!  Grand Loop Rd, I had to go up to Mammoth Hot Springs and back down and towards Yellowstone Lake, and a big lake it is!!! 

While in Mammoth Hot Springs

The falls, I had to stop for a pic... or 2...

Going south, just out of Yellowstone, is Grand Teton National Park. 

Jackson Hole, Wy!!!  Made it!  Real glad I planned on a short day, it took that and a bit!!!  What with closed roads, getting lost... did you know all the route numbers you see on a map are NOT referenced by park signs???!!!!  Only thing they talk about is their attractions.  I you don't know where you are going.... you're in trouble!!!!!  

So I ask the motel about breakfast, she said 4 blocks down is a BBQ place??  Breakfast???  OK, I went!!!  It was great!  The pic is what I left!!!  Couldn't eat it all!!!  Real good!!!

So now we know what they do in the winter....  Had to get to I 15 next day, took state back roads, took Teton Pass over to Id and into Idaho Falls.   Well at the bottom of the pass, going into a little town, a truck was going by and I  heard this strange sound, thought "boy has HE got problems..."   then a car went by and....  yeah... chances of 2 of 'um having the same problem are 0.... pulled over and checked my tires.. all ok!!!!  On down the road and noticed my speedo was reading 0...  I think my speedo gear in the front tire ate itself... sigh...  and there goes my speed control!!!!  Pulled over and dug out my throttle rocker....  onward...  Twin Falls...

Next day was Nv, desert!  

Miles and miles..

Got to a rest stop and they had some pony express info...

Made it to Ely, Nv and was going to take a pic of the Hotel Nevada, the sound of the kickstand latching down was it latching up....  yeah... by time I  figured it out... clunk.  I tried a quick jerk it up, strained my back, saw a guy across the street, asked him for a hand.... yeah.. he really did... clap...  GBG  He jogged across the street and  I told him to grab the right handle bar and lean back... that was enough....  normally not a problem, but I was really loaded...  weight wise... har...

On out west from Ely and next stop is Eureka, stopped at the gas station for a pause and gas, to ask about a motel across the road... got gas and started inside... minivan by me with tailgate open... I'll guess it opened to about 5'5"...  I was looking down and walked right into it!!!   Feet kept going and I couldn't recover and down I went!!!  I had my scoot gear on, it hit my helmet so not to worry... just felt stoopid....  So on to my last stop Austin, Nv

.. and the whole place was shut down due to construction!!!!  No food, no breakfast, nada.  Had plenty of gas to make to Fallon for breakfast and gas and go HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

13 days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonite!!!!!!!!!!   GBG   Tired!!!! 

Great trip!!!  Got to cross a couple more from my bucket list....  what's next?????!!!!!!