Final Sturgis Observations – Tee Roy Takes Sturgis

After 5 days and 4 nights in Sturgis, I'm broke, sticky, and confused. In other words, it was a successful trip! Last week, I gave you some random thoughts, part 1. Here's the follow up, with some advice for anyone who has never attended...

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1. South Dakota doesn't know how to make straight roads -

When traveling through the black hills, about the longest straight stretch you'll see is maybe a mile. The roads are great if you're just wanting to cruise and enjoy the scenery. Not so much if you have to get anywhere in a hurry...

2. The city of sturgis is fun, for only about a day -

The whole Sturgis experience isn't about Sturgis. It's about taking a week to cruise, commit debauchery, and check out some great South Dakota sights. While there is plenty to do in the actual town, it gets old after a few hours. Plan on hitting the roads to check out all of the cool stuff around the area...

3. Take The Back Roads When You Can-

The mountain roads in South Dakota are beautiful, and you'll find the trip much better than the destination. I can't recall how many bikes I saw on the side of the road, with their riders taking pictures of nothing more than the mountains. Great way to kill an afternoon...

4. A lot of attendees aren't really that good of riders -

I noticed a few people who looked like they weren't too comfortable on their bikes, and saw one dude put his bike down with his lady on the back. While embarrassing, you'll have no problem finding people willing to help get you back upright. Hey, we all learned at some time...just not in a city full of bikers. Not really a place you want to hone your chops...

5. Old people get freaky too -

While this year was a little light on the nudity, I did notice that the majority of freaks were at least in their 40's. Not sure if the younger crowd was just not feeling it, but I did see some...disturbing things...

6. A couple days is more than enough-

Usually, I'm ready to out head on day 3. I've partied too hard, spent all of my money, and am tired of being covered in funk. This year, due to work responsibilities, I had to stay 5 days. While we enjoyed it all, it was too long for this guy...

7. Most of the Bikers aren't bikers-

The majority of the "bikers" in Sturgis are just like me...Some dude who wants to be free and easy for a few days. You meet a lot of professionals, every day Joe's, and good people just looking to have a good time. It's not about the lifestyle, it's about the experience.

8. Sturgis is expensive, but you can do it for cheap -

As you've heard me say before, I get paid in t-shirts and concert tickets. I'm not complaining, but my lack of money makes trips more interesting. While eating at restaurants and bars is cool and all, we found that bringing a grille to the campsite and loading up on beer ahead of time can save quite a few bucks, and frees up our spending money for some over-priced memorabilia. Heck, we even made it through one day with only dropping $28. Winning!

9. Watch yourself...If you go once, you'll be hooked for life! -

This is my third straight year of attending, and I'm already starting to plan out my trip for next year. While we've seen and done tons of things these past few years, there's still so much more to experience. Just the different cruises are well worth the trip! As I sit back and remember, I can't help but think that I missed out on so much. I go through this every year, and it makes the anticipation of the next trip even more exciting.