Deadwood

This is our annual trip to Deadwood with the HOG Chapter.  This is our 6th year going.  After working the primary election and putting in very long hours I was ready for a vacation.  I like going to Deadwood because I get to celebrate my birthday.  What a fun way to celebrate.  Next year we will be traveling on my birthday.


We left Thursday morning and met friends at McDonald's.  This is the only ride where we don't have to ride 50 miles just to start.  The weather was nice, we had sun.  Our friend Marty called us when his group left Billings.  There was only another couple with Marty.


We had coffee and a nice visit with two other couples who met at McDonald's, then we waited on the overpass for the other two.  Made our way to Sheridan for a gas stop before traveling to Spotted Horse.


We ate lunch in Gillette, then it was decided to just get to Deadwood.  The original route was to go to Newcastle then take the scenic route into Deadwood.  The guys just wanted to get to Deadwood.  It was 1:00 when we left Gillette, then the 2nd group started showing up.  The guys figured that it would have been 5:00 before we got to Deadwood.  We just took the interstate the rest of the way.


Arrived in Deadwood around 4:00, got checked in and settled.  We then signed up for the slot tournament that the First Gold Casino puts on for us.  Thursday was the only nice day we had for the whole weekend.


The rest of the weekend was very rainy, so not a lot of riding.  We did our usual route of going to Sturgis then to Rapid City.  It was raining so just went back.  Saturday it was just cloudy and cool, we rode through Vanocker Canyon then into Rapid.  We stopped in Sturgis and went through the Indian dealership, then on our way back we stopped again in Sturgis and had a bite to eat at a new restaurant called Easy Rider.  Very good food, decided to go back there next year.


On Saturday, the chapter gets together for a bit, everyone gets a prize and then they raffle off for the big stuff.  A leather coat and the 50/50 raffle.  In fact the raffle is usually 60/40 (one wins 60 another wins 40).  Gary and I didn't win at all this year.  I won the leather coat two years ago and last year I won the 60 pot. 


I should clarify, you don't actually win a leather coat, just $200 towards a purchase of the coat.  It is still advertised at winning a leather coat.  I managed to get two cloth coats out of my deal as I refused to pay for something that I "won".  Since I won, I am not eligible to win again.  That's fine.


It was so cold and weather crappy that our get together was no enjoyable (at least for us it wasn't).  This year we weren't so lucky.  Won just enough money to keep playing but not a lot.  I guess I did win because I bought lunches with my winnings.  I still came home with some money, just not at much as I started out with.


Seems to me that the machines in Deadwood are tight, very stingy.  We did play 3 card poker and won a few hands, but then the dealers just took the rest of our money.


On the way home Sunday it was pouring down rain.  I really thought about calling in sick for Monday and staying another day in Deadwood, but I had to run the office because the elections administrator had federal court on Monday.  We rode in rain for 200 miles, didn't get out of it until Sheridan.


We did stop in Gillette for gas, then went to the McDonald's for something warm to drink and dry out our stuff.  We were using the hand dryers to dry out our gloves and neck warmers.  We were cold to our bones.  After eating lunch in Sheridan, the sun was out and it felt very good, finally got to warm up.


We had a good time despite the weather, as the saying goes "A bad day of biking it better than a good day at work".  Looking forward to next year.