2025 August 15 - 22 South Dakota
I woke up at 5:30 to shower and start preparing breakfast. This trip we assigned each couple one day to cook breakfast and dinner and today was our day. I prepped bacon, mushrooms, ham, and green onions by cutting and cooking them. I brought 10 dozen eggs for the entire week. I also brought my own sauté pan so I didn't have to cook in whatever leftover scummy pan was in the rental.
I also started writing this blog since I had no chance to do it yesterday. My blogging has been very spotty lately but I really want to save more memories so I'll try to keep this up.
People started waking up about 8:00 and I began making omelets. There are several different ways to make omelets and I tend to do the style with just eggs, rapidly stirred until curds form, then smooth it out. Let the eggs solidify, then flip the eggs and sprinkle cheese over the whole thing. Add whatever fillings they want, then fold it in half. Let the cheese melt on one side then flip to melt the other side and serve it.
If you add filling directly into the eggs you have to leave the eggs very soft (nearly raw) or the omelet will crack and won't look appealing.
That enough of my omelet making expertise. Everyone seemed happy with the results.
By 10:00 we began migrating down to the bikes. It often takes 30 minutes to load cups with ice and water, find gloves, get snacks and all the other important things you need on a ride. But being in a house and doing day rides is MUCH better than those rides where you are in a different hotel every night and have to unpack and repack every day.
We started by riding down the hill from the house to a gas station where more prep was done. I started out wearing a jacked but sitting there waiting for others to be ready I began seating, so I tucked the jacket in one of my saddlebags.
We headed South down the highway for 8 miles and turned back North into Spearfish Canyon. The temp was in the low 70s and felt really good.
Riding down Spearfish Canyon
Spearfish canyon is a relaxing ride. It's all low speeds, like 35 and 45. We cruised along for 15 minutes just enjoying the scenery until we got to the first waterfall called Spearfish Falls. It was just far enough into the ride that many of us old geezers needed to use the bathroom, but these were really bad and smelled it. You just had to take a deep breath and dash in. The sad part was, once we left, there were about 10 clean, new, port-a-potties just down the road. Probably put there for the Sturgis rally.Once the necessities were done, we walked over to the trail map. It said the trail was 1.8 miles round trip and neither Nan or myself wanted to do that. Exactly the same as the last time we visited this place. So instead we walked over to the overlook and waited for the 2 adventurous couples to get down to the falls and take pictures of each other.
Nan, Clay, John, and Angela
Brenda, Greg, Karen, and Ron
Once we got back together we all ate some of Brenda's custom made trail mix and got back on the bikes. We saw the big bank of port-a-potties, then scattered ones every mile or two. There was a creek running beside the road and fairly often we saw a car or motorcycle parked with no one around. I assume most were off fishing the creek nearby. We did see a few, and especially in any ponds or wide spots. This would probably be a fun place to fish.
Our next stop was at "Bridal Veil Falls". I think by law, every state MUST have a bridal veil falls somewhere in its borders.
There was a nice view point and we lined up with everyone else to get our picture. But a couple ladies were just standing there watching their kids cross the creek and hike up to the falls. We waited a while and eventually someone got up the gumption to ask the to scoot over. We got a nasty glare from one lady but they did move over and I tried to take our picture as quick as we could. I narrowed the picture a bit because they wouldn't actually get out of the way, they just scooched over a bit. Yes, that's a waterfall behind us and yes, it WAS worth a picture.
Bridal Veil Falls
Once the photo drama was over we mounted up again and continued our ride. Just a few miles down the road I started a video and almost immediately came around a corner to see a bunch of mountain goats beside the road. I rode pretty slowly past but I probably should have just stopped because one of the babies was being very playful and jumping on the mom. The wives assures me it was adorable.
After the goats we meandered the rest of the way out of canyon, then stopped at a gas station for refreshment. It was close to lunch time but no one was hungry yet. We eventually decided to run to walmart to pick up a few things we needed. There is a long standing joke between John and Nannette about going to Walmart on vacation. 17 years ago on our first ride together, Nan needed some things so we went to Walmart and John wasn't happy, so we've teased him ever since and this was no exception.
John's facebook post about being drug to Walmart
2008 Picture of John in a Walmart on the PCH ride
Once we decided to go to Walmart I look up directions and we started to head out. But for some reason, Ron decided to take off first and led the way out of the parking lot. But he turned right and headed us into downtown Spearfish. I didn't know if he knew something I didn't so I let him lead on. Then about 2 miles later Ron finally pulled over and put his hands in the air like "I don't know where I'm going". So I pulled around him and leds us in a loop back to Walmart. Sometimes it just happens that you get excited and head down the road before knowing where you're going.
We got to the Walmart, but once you get 8 people in a store, everyone starts remembering stuff they need. Nan and I originally went in for 2 things but came out with about 10. But we were all on Spyders and you have to consider what you have room for. We were spread out all over the store and it took almost 30 minutes to get us back out of the store. Once we got out, someone remembered a restaurant we saw on Ron's wild ride, so we headed back to downtown. It was a great lunch.
Lunch at Red Water Kitchen
After lunch we decided just to ride right back down Spearfish Canyon back to the rental. It was just as beautiful on the way back as it was coming, but this time there were no mountain goats.
A week ago we had an "Empty Nesters" dinner with other older couples. I made chicken fajitas and just made allot more than we need. I vacuum sealed it, froze it, and brought it with us on this trip. So tonight I made chicken fajitas for dinner. I also made guacamole and by the end of the meal, there wasn't much left over chicken or guac, so it must have been pretty good.
After dinner everyone else started playing a card game called "Looser", but Nan and I went out to the Hot tub and soaked for 30 minutes. The temperature was turned way up to 105 degrees and it took a while to get in. It was a really nice hot tub with powerful jets. We took turns moving around the different jet seats with the bubbles turned on and massaging our muscles.
Everyone started yawning and went to sleep by about 8:30. I stayed up and kept writing this blog until about 10:30. I still haven't even finished the first day.
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