Sturgis Via the Grand Canyon

We’d been going to Sturgis Bike Rally every year for a  while. 2011 marked Sean’s 10^th visit and my 5^th.   So in 2012 we thought we do something a little different and keep heading West.

A group of our Sturgis friends decided to join us which made the adventure even better.

Colorado

After a night in Rapid City we headed through Wyoming to Colorado.

I've been to various airports in the state and attended a couple work conferences in Colorado Springs, but had never had the chance to see the glory of the mountains there. Riding in the mountains was cold and rainy but the scenery was first rate (other than the drops off the sheer cliffs). Some of the mountain towns we passed on the Million Dollar Highway deserve a trip back and much more time spent there.

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah

The next couple days were grueling. We visited Four Corners, even though we had body parts in all four states, it wasn't quite official enough.

So the trip continued through New Mexico,

and Arizona,

It was hot, hot, hot, but full of so many wonderful things to see.

Another place neither Sean nor I had been to was the Grand Canyon. Yes, I know – everyone’s been to the Grand Canyon. And now we have too. It was even more amazing than I could have imagined. Everywhere we looked was a scene more wonderful than the last. It far exceeded anything I’d ever seen in books or movies.

In Utah

we visited Monument Valley and Arches which did look exactly like I expected it to. And I even managed to get a few good shots (or at least decent since I was taking them from the back of a Harley going 70 miles an hour.)

Idaho and Wyoming

We stayed in Utah for a night before heading to Idaho

and Wyoming, which gave us Jackson Hole. We loved the elk antlers

and the Cowboy Bar.

The next morning we drove through the lower part of Yellowstone, visited Old Faithful,

lots of buffalo and more impressive scenery.

The Big Horn Mountains proved to be quite an obstacle course as we dodged deer, stranded calves and even a runaway dog. There are no pictures of this part of the adventure because I was hanging on to Sean for dear life.

Back to Sturgis

By then it was time to mosey on back to Sturgis where we met up with the rest of our Sturgis family

and got to share our adventure around the camp fire.

Ok, actually it was a picnic table, but you get the point – and plan our next great leg of the adventure.