The Motorcycle Diaries (Now with VIDEO and SOUND)

These posts really write themselves. All I have to do is load up the day's pictures, space them out in chronological order, and fill in the blanks. Here's the second half of Day 3 - Sioux City, South Dakota to Gillette, Wyoming. By the way, 10 states and 2,000 miles down, still many more of both to go.

We left Sioux City and got back on the highway, where we finally timed our picture of the once-thought-to-be-mythical 75 mph speed limit sign.

(They do exist!)

I also decided to snap a flick of myself sitting shotgun, just so I could understand what all the lucky eastbound drivers were seeing as they rolled by.

(Rugged good looks...or something.)

We headed straight across the state of SD, in order to get to Badlands National Park, a breathtaking natural treasure that can only be done a bit of justice via photograph. Here are some pics of the rock formations, as well as your friendly roadtrippers. No captions necessary.

While driving through SD, we stopped for gas in the quaint little town of Reliance, SD. At the pump, we met a couple of bikers who were coming back from the annual Sturgis rally (more to come on this later...)

(Nothing keeps a relationship together like a giant 1000cc Honda Valkyrie)

It is definitely worth mentioning that on our way across South Dakota, we crossed the Missouri River, which I must say, looked to be a lot more robust than the "Mighty" Mississippi. Now look, I know it all depends on where you cross, but if I could only pick one stretch of river to back me up in a bar fight, I would pick the South Dakotan Missouri over the WI/MN Mississippi any day.

(Makes the Hudson River look like a Slip N' Slide)

After doing to Badlands loop, we drove right past Rapid City (because honestly, do we really need to hit up 4 major destinations in the state of South Dakota?), and on to Sturgis, the site of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the world's largest and decidedly most awesome chopperfest. It was interesting because ever since Wisconsin, we had noticed a preponderance of bikes, and the closer we got to Sturgis, the more prominent the two-wheeled population became.

Here's what happened in Sturgis: We saw a lot of bikers. And motorcycles. A whole lot. Like more motorcycles than I will see for the next decade. Apparently there are 100,000 die-hard riders that converge on Sturgis each year. Oh and by the way, Aerosmith had played the previous night, and Steven Tyler had gotten so into the performance that he fell off the stage, hurt himself, and the set had to be cut short. I'm wishing him a speedy recovery. Also, the band .38 Special was playing the night we were there. Just hold on loosely...

I recorded a video of a typical road (some were way more intense that this), and here are some pics as well:

(Just your average day in Sturgis...100,000 bikers and 1 Mazda)

(Will Morel and Harley Davidson)

(This guy was revving his engine big time, so I figured he was starved for attention, and I obliged him.)

(At times it felt like I was driving the only 4-wheeled vehicle on the road. Oh yeah, because I was.)

After leaving Sturgis, we drove another hundred or so miles to Gillette, Wyoming, where we hoped to find a good steak and a good bed. We drove through an epic storm in Sundance, Wyoming (home of Robert Redford's annual film festival named after the town), which is the subject of the blog's very first video, showing Jim and me crawling along the highway as the skies opened up:

(In case you can't hear the audio, this is us doing 30-35 mph in a 75 mph zone, windshield wipers set to warp speed.)

The good news was the cloud cover led to some beautiful sunset shots once the storm broke up. Here are a few good ones:

Last but not least, we arrived in Gillette, dropped our stuff off at the local Super 8 (we are becoming regulars there, I suppose), and headed to "The Prime Rib" for what we were hoping was not going to be amateurish meat. Oh man, it was not. My dad ordered a New York Strip, Medium Rare, and it was perfect. He's been eating meat for over six decades now, and he claimed it was one of the best-cooked steaks he has ever had. I ordered a prime rib (their specialty), size Large (16 oz), and once prompted for my flavor preferences/combinations, I asked for half regular, half cajun. Apparently this meant that I was going to receive two completely separate 8 oz cuts of prime rib (note: NOT complaining), and given that it was already 10pm when we sat down (based on the time zone in which we started our drive), I am pleased/ashamed to announce that our motel room's fridge now contains 5 or 6 oz of delicious cow, which I will be devouring first thing tomorrow (along with another sweet, sweet Super 8 continental breakfast). Yes, I usually finish my food, but all things considered, I think this was the smart play. Here are the pictures from the Prime Rib:

(We unfortunately did not make time for the "Blue Martini Lounge")

(45 dollars goes a long, long way in Wyoming)

(A Closer Look at a True Medium Rare New York Strip. A few steakhouses in Manhattan could learn a thing or two from these guys.)

I should note a serious thank you to Jerome for the Prime Rib recommendation. Tomorrow we are off to Bozeman, Montana to stay with his mother and check out the live music scene, but he is making sure that on the way, we are going to ride along the Beartooth Highway, which is apparently a breathtaking alpine roadway that cuts from Montana into Wyoming and back again, passing through Yellowstone National Park (which I hadn't expected to be able to see). I think it's safe to say Jerome is on a roll, and he has earned himself a couple of beers once I'm back in NYC.