Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/155556
2013 Sturgis Report by JAMES JONES I just pulled in from riding to Sturgis, and realized I have an article due. This should be easy after racking up more than 5,000 miles on my bike. I was invited by Bill Bowman (publisher of Up & Coming Weekly) to ride with him. I told Bill that I would ride with him to Nashville where he was meeting his friend Bob. We spent a couple of nights at Bob's house and he cunningly placed Sturgis magazines in my room. The morning that we were leaving I Every year bikers rally at Sturgis to enjoy a week of applied The Walt Rule and decided revelry. to go. The Walt Rule is named after a friend of mine who was killed. The rule goes like this. If anyone asks me to do something and I can, then I should, because I never know when I will have the opportunity to do it with that person again. I was a little nervous about doing this. First, I was concerned about lodging. Bill assured me that I would be OK. This is the 12th year that Bill has made the journey to Sturgis, so I knew I was in good hands. He used his Harley-Davidson Ride Planner tool and laid out a nice route. Our route took us through Hannibal, Mo., which is the home of Samuel Clemons (a.k.a. Mark Twain) and Carhedge in Alliance, Neb. Another concern I had was that I couldn't help but wonder how my BMW and I would be received in a land dominated by Harley riders. This was the 73rd annual motorcycle rally. It started in 1938, and has been an annual event, except in 1942 when gasoline was rationed due to World War II. It is the largest motorcycle rally in the world drawing anywhere between a half-a-million to a million motorcycle enthusiasts together. Many people imagine that Sturgis is one big party, but I learned it is a beautiful area for riding and baptized in history. Being with an experienced group of men, they knew the good riding spots, danger areas and where and when to go see various places. I learned a lot about history while I was there — Wild Bill Hickok, Deadwood, Minute Man Missile silos and the gold rush. The roads were very crowded. At times, it reminded me of bees swarming around. The majority of people were very nice and courteous. With hundred of thousands of people and bikes, there was bound to be some exceptions and bad luck. According to the South Dakota State Highway Patrol, there were two deaths, 33 injury wrecks and 10 noninjury wrecks. We saw two separate motorcycle accidents. The rally is a huge economic boost for the area. It is reported that the rally brings in more than $800 million in a few weeks. Many people rent out their homes during the rally, which subsidizes their yearly income. This is great in a town where the median household income is $34,518 (2009 statistics). We rented a house in Deadwood that was perfect for us. Around the area of Sturgis, there are plenty of campgrounds and motels to choose from. During our stay, we had plenty of great rides. Most days we rode between 200 to 250 miles. We rode to Mount Rushmore, the Needles Highway, Devils Tower, the Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Spearfish Canyon and Custer State Park just to name a few. The town of Sturgis is one big bike store during the day with hundreds of motorcycle vendors. The Indian Motorcycle Company revealed the new 2014 Indian Chief in a big event downtown. There are many bars and casinos in the area. Live music filled the streets and big bands performed every night at some of the campgrounds. If you have always wanted to make the journey, it is well worth the time and money. If you plan on staying at a hotel I would recommend that you start planning early. If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE JAMES JONES, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcominSAFE! August 24 • Steele Angels Back to School Run Registration 2-4 p.m. at Starr's on Old McPherson Church Road. Ride leaves at 4 p.m. and goes to Crow's Nest on Chickenfoot Road in Gray's Creek. Music, food and door prizes. Bring school supplies or money donation to register. Call 988-5874. August 29 • Fatboy challenge at Mac's Speed Shop 5 people per team, $10 per person. Prizes. Call 910-354-2590 for more information. September 15 • Redneck Trivia Run and Games at Legends Pub. Benefit for Kirk Lewis. Call 867-2364. September 21 • Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation Friends of the Cancer Center RIBBON WALK & RIDE at the Medical Arts Center in downtown Fayetteville. 8 a.m. registration. 9:45 a.m. Ride Begins. 10 a.m. Walk Begins. For more information, visit www. ribbonwalkforcancer.org. Patriot Guard Riders The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard.org for more information about the group. REDNECK TRIVIA RUN AND GAMES September 15 • Fun begins at noon • Benefit for Kirk Lewis Thirsty Thursdays $1 off all drinks! 4624 BRAGG BLVD. gweekly.com. BIKE NIGHTS EvEry thursday 482 n. mcpherson church rd. 910-354-2590 LIVE MUSIC DRINK SPECIALS for daily food & drink speicals, Band schedules & more connect online ... 22 UCW AUGUST 21-27, 2013 MacSpeedShop.com WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM