The Big Ride – Page 2 – St Julien Performance Group

June 2, 2015January 28, 2018

The Big Ride – New experiences of every kind! (Gulf Coastal Regional Florida / Biloxi, Mississippi

Over the past few days I’ve ridden through the Gulf Coastal Region of Florida and the word that comes to mind is “breathtaking”. The beaches are pristine and like no other that I’ve experienced in my time here on this beautiful planet on which we live. If the Universe is willing I hope to one day return to these parts. Here is a short video of Navarre Beach located on Santa Rosa Island south east of Pensacola, FL.

My travels also took me to Biloxi, Mississippi which was incredibly historic and filled with new experiences. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, it was one of the areas devastated by the tropical storm Katrina in 2005. Some of the buildings were under 30 feet of water, while others were washed away as a result of this powerful hurricane. As I drove along the shoreline the many empty lots with only the remains of a foundation or a deserted parking lot reminded me of how lives were dramatically changed as a result of the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Many of the businesses have rebuilt or renovated after the storm and life continues to flourish in this beautiful city. An example of this is the White House Hotel which was one of the places submerged under 30 feet of water. It reopened in the past year after extensive renovations.

The White House Hotel, Biloxi MS was submerged under 30 feet of water as a result of Katrina

The visit to this elegant hotel and restaurant was recommended to me by Ed Miles, a wonderful volunteer I met at the Biloxi Tourist Information Centre. Another beautiful location in the city!

Here are a few photos of the historic French Quarters. The area is filled with beautiful little shops, businesses and restaurants, including the Half Shell, a wonderful oyster bar where I had dinner. Yes I did it! I tried raw shucked oysters on the half shell.

In addition to having a wonderful restaurant district, the city has a number of casinos…another first for me. I’ve lived a sheltered life and not played the slots before which resulted in another favourable experience. I walked away $33 richer after a few minutes…Ben & Jerry’s were the next to benefit…a win-win experience from my perspective 🙂

Biloxi also has a working marina and is home to a large fishing fleet. The sky is reflective of the heat which reached 38 degrees Celsius earlier in the day. Yup…it was a little warm riding into the city. Earlier that day I managed to miss two major showers as I rode towards Biloxi. You have to love that!

This was seen on the back of a state police vehicle…a great investment strategy 🙂

From here my journey has taken me to New Orleans, Louisiana – It’s an amazing fun filled city that is worthy of a blog of its own! I’ll get back to you when the music stops 🙂

June 3, 2015October 2, 2015

The Big Ride- Taking it easy in The Big Easy (New Orleans – Louisiana)

It’s been three fun filled days of taking it easy in The Big Easy! Yes, New Orleans, Louisiana is all that it’s said to be and much much more. The city is rich in history, music and lots of good times.

My route to get here included riding over the 24 mile long bridge that spans Lake Pontchartrain which is 630 square miles. Wow what an awesome riding experience! Here’s a clip to give you a sense of what it was like. Yup…it went on forever.

For my stay in New Orleans I chose a small quaint boutique hotel in the French Quarter so I would be in the heart of the historic part of the city. As it turned out, the Dauphine Orleans Hotel was built in 1821 and has quite a history. From 1853 to 1917 it was run by May Baily and was known as one of the better named Bordellos that operated on the fringe of the infamous red-light district known as Storyville.

The hotel was only a block away from Bourbon Street which is known for its many bars and jazz clubs. What is interesting is that it was named by the French rue Bourbon after an aristocrat and was a premier residential area prior to the 1900’s before it became known for its many brothels, gaming and dance halls following an attempt to bring reform to the area. It’s not for everyone but it needs to be experienced at least once…if for no other reason than to say you were there. My first night in New Orleans I had dinner on the balcony of a great restaurant called Le Bayou that over looked the street while enjoying a traditional southern meal of jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and rice. Yes…I even took my motorcycle boots off and traded them in for dancing shoes 🙂

Dinner at Le Bayou on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter

Bourbon Street from the balcony of Le Bayou Restaurant

Here’s a few of my favourite photos from Bourbon Street.

Yup...lots of Spirit here! — Yup…lots of Spirit here!

Is there anything left? — Bottomless and Topless…is there anything left?

For me, a great way to become familiar with a city in a short period of time is to take a Hop-on Hop-Off tour, so that’s what I did while in New Orleans. The city is rich with history going back to the early 1700’s when it was founded by the French and then later taken over by Spanish rule. The architecture reflects the Spanish influence and is incredibly beautiful. Similar to what is seen in Savannah Georgia, many of the buildings are ordained in beautiful black iron.

Here’s a short video from my Hop-on Hop-off tour along with a few shots from around the city.

Another interesting aspect about New Orleans is its cemeteries. Given that the city is below sea level it was found that during heavy rains the remains would rise to the surface, resulting in the need to use above ground crypts as a means of eliminating the problem. Here is a short clip from my tour of the Lafayette Cemetery…after all no tour is complete without a visit to the cemetery.

From here I’m off to Lake Charles, Louisiana. On the way I’ll be visiting a historical plantation, checking out a few bayous and perhaps an alligator farm. What an awesome experience this trip is turning out to be!

June 6, 2015August 2, 2015

The Big Ride – Memories that live on (Oak Alley Plantation, Louisiana)

After leaving New Orleans, LA (Wednesday June 4, 2015) I headed towards Morgan City, LA with a stop at the historic Oak Alley Plantation which is located on River Road (Highway 18) near Vacherie, LA just west of New Orleans.

The history was richly recounted by our guide who told stories about the fate of the handful of owners, including the last one who remained happily on the plantation for over 40 years after her husband passed and is now resting peacefully beneath one of the mighty oaks that adorn this magnificent property.

This palatial house was breathtaking! It was built over a two year period and was completed in 1839. It had fallen into a state of ruin after the Civil War and was restored with impeccable care and attention to detail by the second owners. The tour was brought to life by our guide Jess, who was dressed in period attire and was exceptional in her story telling. The tour also included information provided by a Civil War historian, Andre Jacob, who was on site and gave a passionate overview of the impact the war had on the plantation and its owner at that time.

In addition, there were replications of the sparse quarters that would have been used to house the 100+ slaves who worked on the plantation planting and harvesting the sugar cane, maintaining the livestock and the house.

While in New Orleans, I read that when slaves in the north were sold to plantation owners, many chose to take their lives rather than being sent to New Orleans to work on the plantations. After touring the plantation I understood why. In addition to the risk of contracting malaria and yellow fever, they were often separated from their families, working conditions were brutal, accommodation sparse and the summer heat unbearable.

Here is a video that will provide you with a glimpse of what it was like.

When I left the plantation I felt a part of the South and closer to those who had lived and worked there…and to those who remain.

June 8, 2015October 17, 2015

The Big Ride – Miles and miles and miles (Creole Nature Park – Louisiana)

It’s been a few days since I’ve made a post to the blog. Although in some respects it feels like only a short time ago, in reality, it’s been miles and miles and miles and on a road trip a lot can happen in three days. Road trips are like that. Time passes quickly and upon reflection it’s sometimes difficult to recall all of the interesting details but I’ll do my best…just for you.

The last time I posted I was in Morgan City, LA and I had just toured Oak Alley Plantation after leaving New Orleans. While heading towards Lake Charles I stopped in the historic town of New Iberia to take a couple of photos.

While there I went into the library…I know it sounds strange but road trips lead you to interesting places. The truth of the matter was that it was about 38 degrees Celsius with plenty of humidity and the library was air conditioned and had facilities. There I met Jackie, a woman who works there. She is formerly from Canada and now lives in New Iberia. She and her colleague chatted with me about the area and suggested I check out a little town called Beaux Bridge located a few miles north. Thank you ladies for the suggestion!

Spanish moss adorning a majestic oak tree

Interesting to learn that New Iberia was home to a Prisoner of War camp during the WWII

Beaux Bridge is a quaint little town with interesting shops and cafes, including one called “Joie de Vivre” where I was able to treat myself to a frozen latté while being able to admire some local art. Here are a few of my favorite photos from there.

The following day led me south of Lake Charles to the Creole Nature Trail which is a 180 mile long loop that includes Louisiana Highway 27 which runs through a part of the Intracoastal Waterway that runs inland from the Great Lakes at home, along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US down through the Gulf of Mexico.

I set out with hopes of finding an alligator farm and perhaps taking advantage of being close to the sea to enjoy one last roadside lunch of craw-fish. The scenic byway surpassed my expectations! The vistas were breathtaking! And visiting with the locals who were parked along the roadside and pull offs to take advantage of the crabbing and fishing was equally as refreshing.

I never did find an alligator farm but to my delight, when I stopped at one of the walkways there was an alligator in the wild that was hanging out there. Yup…alligators hang out waiting for tourists to show up 🙂 I think that locals fed him despite the warnings not to. Here’s a couple of short videos from the trip through the Creole Nature Trail.

Oh…and I also found a great place to enjoy a craw-fish lunch. I love when it all comes together!!

I’ll try to catch up with the blogging over the next day or two. It’s been a couple of very hot days in Texas…sizzle sizzle sizzle!

June 9, 2015August 2, 2015

The Big Ride – Plans…ever changing (Nacogdoches, Texas)

As I made my way west I had the unfortunate experience of being stuck in traffic on the I-10 a few miles outside of Orange, my first destination in Texas. I haven’t been using the freeways on this trip but every now and again it’s a necessity, as it was a couple of days ago. It was Saturday, traffic was heavy and there was a short stretch of construction that resulted in hours…and I mean hours of sitting on the hot pavement idling along and slow riding in first gear. After an hour I pulled off into a truck weigh station to let my bike cool down and after the second hour I was fortunate enough to be able to pull off at the Texas Travel Center and benefit from their air conditioning and some fresh water. It was about 40 degrees Celsius that afternoon without taking the humid-ex into consideration or the heat off of my bike.

Lesson learned: travel during the cooler part of the day by leaving earlier and check the internet for possible construction delays.

On the other hand, my experience has been that with every challenge comes a blessing and stopping in at the travel center that day and speaking with one of the staff members was just that. She suggested that I include a visit to Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas to my route. What an awesome suggestion it turned out to be!

I took Route 87 through the Sabine National Forest which is treed with beautiful Yellow Pine. The scent of the pine filled my senses as I wound my way through the majestic forest. When I reached Nacogdoches I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a town that was rich with both history and beauty of every kind.

First of all, the little town wasn’t so little. It has a thriving University with an established forestry and agriculture program which adds a youthful and vibrant air to the town. A walk through the university’s arboretum was a delightfully refreshing experience on a sunny hot Sunday afternoon.

Initially Nacogdoches was an Indian settlement prior to Spain establishing a mission there in 1716. In the early 1800’s when Tejas (that isn’t a typo and was the original Spanish name for Texas) was still part of Mexico, Nacogdoches was considered the “Gateway” as settlers moved north during this era when Mexico encouraged migration and colonization to the region which is now the state of Texas.

After the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed in 1836 another significant event took place that changed the face of Nacogdoches. In 1866 the first oil field in Texas was discovered in Nacogdoches county. Yup…Black Gold…Texas Tea!

Oil Sprngs - Nacogdoches County 1866 — Oil Springs – Nacogdoches County 1866

Here are a few photos of the town, as well as a couple video clips that I’ve put together for your viewing pleasure.

The Nacogdoches Visitor Information Centre

Here’s a two short videos of some incredible architecture in the historic town of Nacogdoches.

If Texas happens to be on your bucket list, I recommend that you add Nacogdoches to your itinerary. Be sure to stop into the town’s visitor center and while there speak with Mark if he’s around as he has a wealth of knowledge about the local history and is a delight to speak with. The center has a plethora of historical exhibits that you may find interesting as well.

Mark, thank you for all of the information on your beautiful town and for the many travel suggestions you shared!

June 10, 2015August 2, 2015

The Big Ride – When it’s sizzling hot! (Texas)

When it’s sizzling hot in Texas there’s only one thing to do!

June 12, 2015October 2, 2015

The Big Ride – When the unexpected turns into the spectacular (Little Grand Canyon – Texas)

Riding through Texas has brought so many amazing experiences and riding into Palo Duro Canyon was one of them. The magnificence of the Canyon was far more than I had anticipated. From the research I did when planning my trip I knew it was referred to as the Little Grand Canyon. What I wasn’t aware of was that I would be able to ride down into the base of the canyon on my motorcycle. Doing so was nothing short of spectacular!

As I started to descend into the canyon I was in a complete state of awe and wonderment at the beauty that unfolded before me. The layers of the richly coloured rock that was millions of years old called out to me as I navigated my way through the park. As I rode deeper into the Canyon I could feel the presence of the Comanche Indians who dwelled there just a little over a century ago. As I looked up to the ridge, in my minds eye I could see them as they prepared for the battle against the US Army that would result in them being forced out of the 120 mile long expansive paradise. This was the Comanche’s last stronghold.

Palo Duro Canyon, Mexico
“The Little Grand Canyon”

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas The Little Grande Canyon — Palo Duro Canyon, Texas
The Little Grand Canyon

And for those of you who would like to be a part of the ride, here’s a video clip of some of what I experienced while in the Canyon.

Finally, here are a few additional photos to amuse you

Yup...Texan Armadillo Poo It's a big seller out this way — Yup…Texan Armadillo Poo It’s a big seller out this way

June 12, 2015October 2, 2015

The Big Ride – When in Rome (Marlin Texas)

The past few days riding across Texas have been memorable. After leaving Nacogdoches I had the pleasure of chatting with a couple of locals in Marlin, Texas, a small town that was at one time known for its mineral hot spring and a buzz of activity with many people visiting to benefit from its healing properties.

An exuberant Beth Scruggs and her friend Earnest Cluck provided me with an incredible amount of information about that town and its history. Beth recounted how her father, now 87 was the owner of one of the largest herds of Texas Long Horns. She went on to say that the Hilton Hotel chain built its eighth high rise hotel in the town to provide accommodations for the many visitors who once flocked to what was a vibrant bustling little town. The lavish 110 room facility was built by Conrad Hilton in 1929 with a tunnel that led to a bath house across the street.

Visitors included the New York Giants Team who came to Marlin during their spring training between 1908 to 1918 to take advantage of the healing mineral waters.

Wanting to learn more about the mineral springs and the “little town that was”, I rode over to the Chamber of Commerce to check it out. There I met Dusty Rhodes, a 67 year old local who claimed that from the time he was a young boy he’s been drinking the water as part of his daily regime. He was there at the spring collecting water to take home for bathing.

Marlin, Texas - The mineral water capital of Texas — Marlin, Texas – The mineral water capital of Texas

Being the curious type and wanting to do as the Romans do….literally and figuratively speaking, I took the plunge. Not only did I experience relief when I soaked my hot tired feet in the mineral water…my feet had been stuck in my hot motorcycle boots all day. I also drank a full glass of the hot salty water. I must admit I think it made a difference. I feel wiser as a result and I think I’m a little taller too. Oh wait…that’s from those new cowgirl boots I bought…but now I’m getting ahead of myself in my story telling and will have to leave that for another blog 🙂

Stay tuned…there’s more to come!

June 15, 2015October 2, 2015

The Big Ride – Until we meet again (Texas)

I must say that I’ve enjoyed the past six days in Texas riding through the majestic Yellow Pine forests, through the hill sides and across the grasslands that went on forever until they touched the sky somewhere far off in the distance. The vast canyons called out to my soul as I traveled over the lands where many a great warrior had gone before me and I was able to share the passion of my dream with numerous locals along the way.

My last stop in Texas was in Amarillo where I visited the notorious Cadillac Ranch that is somewhat immersed after the tumultuous rain falls experienced in Texas a few weeks ago, not to mention a little shopping pleasure and of course being a carnivore at heart what would be a trip through the “cattle state” without enjoying a great steak dinner!

Here are a few final photos for your viewing pleasure:

Cadillac Ranch - the cars are in a pretty big puddle after the horrendous rains in Texas in the past number of weeks. — Cadillac Ranch – the cars are in a pretty big puddle after the horrendous rains in Texas in the past number of weeks.

Yup…they’re everywhere and Walmart has a huge selection!

I understand the principle but it scares me!

A little shopping pleasure before leaving the state:

An addition to my collection of belts and buckles

From here my amigos….I’m New Mexico bound!

June 17, 2015October 2, 2015

The Big Ride – Culture and the Arts! (New Mexico)

Two of the States that I have always wanted to visit were Texas and New Mexico, so having the opportunity to visit them back to back was incredibly amazing. As you know from my last post, Texas surpassed my expectations. Well, that was also the case with New Mexico!

I was able to spend time in Las Vegas, New Mexico – a small historical town , along with a couple days in Santa Fe. What a wonderful experience it’s been visiting New Mexico.

My first stop was in Las Vegas, NM, which was established in 1835. The little town was built around a central plaza in a traditional Spanish style with a plaza surrounded by buildings that would have been used to fortify the city in the event of an attack. With the arrival of the railway in 1880, the town became notorious for it’s reputation of murderers, robbers, thieves, gamblers and gunmen, including Doc Holliday and his girlfriend Big Nose Kate…I wonder how she got her name…Jesse James, Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp. What’s interesting is that some parts of the town appear to still have a similar “flavour” 🙂

Here’s a few of my favorite photos from Las Vegas, NM.

One of the local — The Plaza Hotel, which apparently is “haunted”

I could pull this behind my Harley as a spare set of wheels :) — I could pull this behind my Harley as a spare set of wheels 🙂

From Las Vegas, I headed towards Santa Fe, NM. The scenery was exceptional! Here are a few photos from along the way.

One of the many valleys that adorn New Mexico

Amazing scenery on the way to Santa Fe, NM — Breathtaking scenery on the way to Santa Fe, NM

post11 — There were numerous rock formations like this along the way

post9 — There were also a lot of arid dessert like areas along the way

post7 — The roadways swept through the mountains and hillsides making for some very nice riding!

My travels included a stop at the historic Nambe Trading Post off Route 503. It’s one of the last authentic trading posts in the area. There I met Jennifer Jesse Smith, one of the owners of the shop and a local artist. What a wonderful experience that turned out to be. Jennifer took the time to show me around the trading post and provided a commentary about the wonderful collection she has at the Trading Post, including numerous authentic native artifacts and an array of fabulous pieces of local art, such as handcrafted jewelry, locally woven native blankets, pottery, paintings and more. Included in the collection were a number of native costumes made by her mother, Cathy A. Smith, the Emmy award winning designer, made for the movie Dances with Wolves which starred Kevin Costner. If you are in New Mexico, stopping in at the Nambe Trading Post is a must! Here are a few photos of what you might find there.

Tee-pee made by Cathy A. Smith for her daughter Jennifer Jesse to play in when she was young girl — Tee-pee made by Cathy A. Smith, Emmy-winning costume designer, for her daughter Jennifer Jesse to play in when she was a little girl

Outside the Nambe Trading Post, NM — The Nambe Trading Post, NM

Costumes made by Emmy-winning costume designer, Cathy A. Smith for use in the movie, Dances with Wolves

Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, wearing one of the costumes designed by Cathy A. Smith, co-owner of the Nambe Trading Post

Here are a few other photos that I found interesting.

post21 — A fence crafted from small branches

post13 — Historic wagon outside of the Nambe Trading Post

post22 — The fireplace at my hotel in Santa Fe

My time spent touring around Santa Fe is worthy of its own post…stay tuned for Part 2 of “Culture and the Arts!”

June 18, 2015October 2, 2015

The Big Ride – Culture and the Arts…part 2 (New Mexico)

If you read my last blog titled Culture and the Arts you will know that my travels in New Mexico were filled with some great riding, along with some interesting Spanish architecture and an array of beautiful art.

My visit to Santa Fe was equally as charming. While there I had the opportunity to stroll through the historical district. There I met Donna, a former motorcyclist who was helping out a friend at one of the local art galleries. The gallery had a wonderful collection of Edward Curtis original photographs of North American Indians from the late 1800’s. Donna also shared an interesting piece of history about the building where the art was being shown.

The room where we were standing was joined to a small office that had been the working space of J. Robert Oppenheimer, (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) often called the “father of the atomic bomb” for his role in overseeing the Manhattan Project, the World War II project that developed the first nuclear weapons. It seems my travels have been filled with some very interesting history!

The building where Oppenheimer's office was while he lead the — The building where Oppenheimer’s office was while overseeing the Manhattan Project aka developing the A-Bomb

My visit also included the famous Loretta Chapel which was constructed in the 1870’s. The chapel resembles the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris but it is on a smaller scale. Before the chapel was completed, the architect died suddenly leaving the builders to realize it lacked a stairway to the choir loft. Due to the chapel’s small size, a standard staircase would have been too large. The story is that a shabby looking carpenter appeared at the chapel and offered to build a staircase. He used a small number of primitive tools including a square, a saw and some warm water and constructed a spiral staircase. The identity of the carpenter is not known. When the staircase was finished three months later the carpenter was gone. The spiral staircase is twenty feet high and has two complete revolutions up to the choir loft. There are no nails or apparent center support. It is an incredible piece of mastery!

Another historical landmark in the Santa Fe historical district of interest was the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral which was built during the three year period 1714 to 1717. Here are a few photos, including one of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) the first North American Indian to be promoted to Saint. In her final years, she lived in a Jesuit mission south of Montreal in what was then known as New France.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi built 1747-1717 — The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi built in 1714-1717

Outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) the first North American Indian to be promoted to Saint.

Here are a few additional photos that you may find interesting. Enjoy!

Interesting sidewalk art — Cool sidewalk art

A delighful ceiling in the lounge of the Loretta Inn — A delightful ceiling in the lounge of the Loretta Inn

Emma will be jealous if she finds out I'm photographing other felines! — Emma will be jealous if she finds out I’m photographing other felines!

If you know me well, popcorn is my favorite snack - I selected hot green chili...oh my it was deliciously spicy! — If you know me well, popcorn is my favorite snack – I selected hot green chili…oh my it was deliciously spicy!

Even the parking garages in Santa Fe have an artistic flair! — Even the parking garages have an artistic flair

Stay tuned and find out where I’m off to next!! 🙂

June 19, 2015July 23, 2015

The Big Ride – Before moving on (New Mexico)

Before moving on here is a short video of some of what I experienced while riding through northern New Mexico. I hope you enjoy it.

June 20, 2015June 20, 2015

The Big Ride – You know it’s good when… (Part 1)

One of the many challenging roads in Colorado is the Million Dollar Highway and forms part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway.

My first day in Colorado took me on this route from Durango, through Silverton and Ouray. Much of the route, especially between Silverton and Ouray runs through a gorge which is challenging and potentially hazardous to drive. It consists of steep cliffs, narrow lanes, and a lack of guardrails. It also uses a number of hairpin curves to gain elevation. In most places the lanes are narrow with much of it cut into the sides of mountains. Although the route was challenging, it was not nearly as technical as some of the awesome roads that followed. I have hours and hours of video so it will take a couple of days to put together a few clips to share with you.

Here is the first of the series that I will be sharing with you. The video hardly does it justice but will give you an idea of he amazing experience I had while riding the “Million Dollar Highway”.

Here are a few photos to share with you as well.

While on the road I also ran into some folks from Orange Texas who were also enjoying the ride.

Fellow Harley riders from Orange Texas enjoying the route and doing the “long horn”

You know it's going to be good when.... — You know it’s going to be good when….

Stay tuned for the next segment of The Million Dollar Highway…and some of the amazing Colorado Rocky Mountain Mama Roads that follow!

June 21, 2015July 21, 2015

The Big Ride – You know it’s good when… (Part 2 – Million Dollar Highway, Colorado)

As promised, here is the second video of the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado. It was part of my first days’ ride in Colorado. As you can see in the video, the road has a few challenging turns with a few potential hazards with its steep cliffs, narrow lanes, and few guardrails.

Here’s the clip. I hope you enjoy the ride!

And a few photos taken along the way:

One of the many waterfalls along the roadside

IMG_1228 - Copy - Copy - Copy — It amazes me how such beauty can grow from so little

June 24, 2015July 21, 2015

The Big Ride – How do you spell WOW! (Lusk, Wy and Blackhills, South Dakota)

As I was leaving Colorado I felt somewhat melancholy after the awesome motorcycle riding I had experienced while visiting there. My ride to South Dakota took me through a small part of Wyoming with an overnight stop in Lusk, which at first glace looked like a one horse town. As it turned out, it was a cute horse.

I caught the cowboy...got the boot...and now I've got the horse! — I caught the cowboy…I bought the boots…and now I’ve got the horse!

I stayed at the Best Western in Lusk, Wyoming which had a very interesting western theme in their outdoor entertainment area. Building on this theme, the hotel offered its guests a “chuck wagon” breakfast served by staff members dressed in western attire. Not only was it a fun way to start the day, the omelette made to order was very tasty!

Fresh made to order omelettes being whipped up by the hotel staff at the Best Western in Lusk, Wyoming

“Sit loosely in the saddle of life” – wise words indeed

When I made my way to South Dakota I was “wowed” by what I found. The Black Hills offered some of the best motorcycling roads that I’ve come across and the roads through the parks, such as Custer State Park were out of this world! One of the roads in particular, Needles Eye, was engineered using “pigtail” turns. When you see a sign like this you know you’re in for some mean twists!

Here is video of my experience while riding the Needles Eye

In addition to some great riding, a visit to Mount Rushmore was equally as wowing in a different way! What an incredible undertaking it must have been to carve such a masterpiece out of the face of the mountain.

Bonnie and the boys - George, Teddy, Tommy and Ab — Bonnie and the Boys – George, Tommy, Teddy and Abe

The routes in South Dakota included a number of single lane bridges carved out of the mountainside

The rock formations on the Needles Eye route were spectacular - unlike anything I've seen before — The rock formations on the Needles Eye route were spectacular – unlike anything I’ve seen before

The number of hairpin corners were so numerous I lost count after the first 20 or 30 minutes of riding!

Just one of the many incredible scenes along the way

Part of the herd of buffalo I came across just outside of Custer”s Park

I came across a herd of buffalo as well - This is mom with her young one — This is mom with her young one

While riding outside of Rapid City, I had the good fortune of meeting up with a couple of riders, Robbie and Al who were from the area. While chatting, they mentioned that they were heading off to ride the “Canyon”. You know that peaked my interest so on the way out, I added the Spearfish Canyon into my route. Robbie, thank you for putting me on to this amazing route. Wow, what a great way to start the day!

Here are a few photos from the ride….video to follow.