SOONER STATE ABATE SENTINEL Sooner State Abate Vol 5 Issue 1 | Page 4

Sooner State ABATE Sentinel - Volume 5 Issue 1
Ghost and Sparrow’s
Excellent Mis-adventures
June 30, 2018
4:30 am alarm. Vacation begins! Checking the locator,
Jay is almost back to the OKC yard from Amarillo. He
loaded his bike the night before and rode to work to head
out first thing. Now to get my bike loaded and meet him
at the yard. Both bikes loaded down with bedrolls, a tent,
luggage bag, cooking/camp gear, rain gear, cold gear
and helmets. Bikes have been serviced and tanks are
full and even washed!
5:30 am off we go headed towards South Dakota. As we
make a pit stop in the middle of nowhere to get fuel on a
back road, I see some tourist looking at something under
a pavilion. All I could guess was it was a ball of yarn or
twine and think are you kidding me? Out here? We fuel,
and I convince Jay to pull back over there and see what
the hype is all about. Sure enough, World’s Largest Ball
of Twine in Cawker, KS! Wow, just wow. So, of course I
made him take a picture with it ha-ha. He just shook his
head and said come, on let’s get back on the road.
As we get onto I-80 he sees a sign for the original Pony
Express Museum in Gothenburg, NE. Very pretty place
and very interesting! We learned much about the Pony
Express that was new to us. Picked up some read-
ing material for the kids and some souvenirs. Learn
something new every day! Back on the road we go. No
destination in site. Just keep riding until we are tired.
Well, that didn’t last long as we hit a hail storm! Bruised
and banged up I made the call to go ahead and stop at a
hotel and get some hot tub time and relax. Hello Holiday
Inn in Scottsbluff-Gering, NE.
S.D. here we come. Made a stop in Hot Springs and
decided to check out the Mammoth Dig Site. THAT WAS
AMAZING! Being that close to real bones in an actual
dig site! They were huge! Great idea to stop and take
a break. Learned so many things about all the animals
they have dug up and found since 1970 and they are
only 100 ft down at the furthest spot so far! 60 Columbi-
an mammoths (all male), 2 Wooly mammoths (all male,
just saying), camels, rabbits, antelope, wolves, and
extinct short nose bear and much more. This is definitely
a family vacation spot! From here we decide to head to
Deadwood area and drop camp and then ride through
Spearfish Canyon. As we get closer we look at camp-
grounds that we can stop for the night at.
As Jay pulls off on to the gravel drive into the camp-
ground, I am slowing down to hit the gravel slowly. Well,
that was the plan anyhow. The FedEx truck behind me
had other plans. Not paying attention or moving into the
other lane to pass me. So, he proceeds to run me off
the road and as I hit the gravel I slide and down I go. No
stopping her. Off the bike completely I go. I stand up,
check myself over and try to stand her back up. At this
point Jay notices, I wasn’t behind him and comes back
to see I needed help and asked what happened. We get
the bike back up (150# of gear on her) No damage. I was
a bit shaken up but got back on and we checked out the
area. It was a no go. We headed down the road a little
more and found a KOA. We set up camp and got some
rest near Custer. This is when I notice the HUGE bruise
on my leg from the fall. Nice.
New plan for the next day. Head to Deadwood and find a
campground to drop gear for a couple days. Came into
Lead and Deadwood and ended up staying at Whistler
Gulch Campground. It was an alright place. We dropped
our gear and went to explore Spearfish Canyon. It was
nice to ride lighter at this point! Still shaken up from the
FedEx episode, as I was pulling out of the parking lot
making a hard right I dropped her from a stop. REALLY!
I stood up, threw the kickstand out and lifted her back up,
got back on and waited for the fuel sensor to settle and
go. Meanwhile, Jay sees I’m not with him at the light and
makes his way back when he seen I was down again.
Some gentlemen that were also in the lot were coming
over to help me. But as they were all half way there,
I already had her back up on my own. The men were
amazed, and Jay was proud ha-ha. I was just mad and
ready to keep going. Riding the Canyon was beautiful
and relaxing. We came back into Deadwood and walked
around, checked out the stores, and ate dinner at the Ea-
gle Bar. This bar and grill was phenomenal! So much so,
that we made sure to eat dinner there the next night! Jay
had his beer at Saloon No. 10 where Wild Bill was shot.
Onto the next day of adventures to Custer State Park,
The Badlands and the Crazy Horse Monument. Crazy
Horse was an amazing site! There is so much history
and artifacts in each building to learn about. A lady and
her husband make jewelry and horse hair wristbands.
Jay bought one from her when he went up there during
the 2015 75th Sturgis Rally. He couldn’t wait for me to
meet her and see their work. I picked out a wrist band.
As we were talking with her, we found out here husband
was a Marine (Native American) and he had passed
away a few months prior. As she was showing me how
to put on the wristband and telling me this, my body filled
with goosebumps. Her husband made the wristbands.
What was left of them was all there was ever going to
be. I was so honored to have made this trip to meet her.
We were all in tears as we said our goodbyes and gave
her our thoughts and prayers. Marine to Marine, rest in
peace brother.
Up Iron Mountain we go to Mt. Rushmore. Beautiful
country sites! We pulled over to a campground and found
our patches and shirts for Iron Mountain! (after getting
back home he finds out that campground is for sale!)
Onward we go. Seeing Mt. Rushmore through the single
lane tunnels was exciting. At one point I didn’t think this
obstacle course of a mountain was ever going to end ha-
ha-ha! (17 MILES, 314 CURVES, 14 SWITCHBACKS,
3 PIGTAILS, 3 TUNNELS, 4 PRESIDENTS, 2 SPLITS)
2nd most exciting ride I have been on! 1st one being
Pikes Peak in the snow. Finally, we get to Mt. Rushmore
and it is HOT! We speed walked up to take pictures of
the monument and hurried to get into the A/C and enjoy
some Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream! Oh Oh Oh, it was
delicious and worth the ride. As we were headed back to
the bikes, I asked if there was an easier way out of here
other than Iron Mountain Road ha-ha. I was exhausted!
Back to the campground we went for our final night’s
stay before heading to Michigan.
Up early and tear everything down and packed up.
Breakfast and on the road. Made stops in Wall and
Sturgis. Today was a 700-mile day so we were not
stopping much. On a schedule to be to the 1:30 am ferry
in WI to MI. That was the plan. Again, that’s what we get
for planning. We were approx. an hour and a half away
(Fond Du Lac, WI) when I notice the road felt slick. I
look at Jay and his bike wasn’t squirrely. I look at the
road to see if there was a rut I was in, no. At that time the
wobble started, and it hit me. FLAT TIRE! So I slow down
to get to the shoulder of the road. She was wobbling so
hard it wobbled right off the shoulder and into the gravel
and Down I Went AGAIN. Being on a hill, I just stepped
off. Jay was still ahead on the road. I flip the kickstand
out and get her ready to be sat back up. Jay comes
flying back up the shoulder in a panic. I was okay. But he
didn’t know that at the time (11 pm and pitch black out).
We stand her up and see the rear was flat for sure. (from
this point read the article “The Importance of Brother-
hood”) We get her towed to a Harley Dealership 4 miles
up the road (thank goodness). Hotel it is for the night. 2
new tires the next morning and we made it just in time to
make the 2:30 pm ferry across. Met some hilarious folks
on the ride, conversated with some other bikers and rest-
ed. 5-hour boat ride. The weather was very cooperative
and sunny. Land! 2-hour ride ahead of us to my parents
in Farwell, MI.
As we arrived that evening, my father had the grill going
and had a steak dinner waiting for us!! We made it home
in time for my Grandmothers birthday party the next day.
Then we packed back up and helped my parents pack
the trailer and truck and we were on the road the next
day with three bikes and a truck headed to the Macki-
naw Bridge to the Upper Peninsula for more camping.
Endless waterfalls, Canyon Falls Park and a Shipwreck
Glass Bottom Boat Tour later, this was a BEAUTIFUL
area!!
Time to head out again. Woke up to a flooded campsite
and cold rain to pack the bikes up in! It didn’t end there.
We rode our first 200 miles through Wisconsin in thick
nonstop rain. Finally stopped for fuel and take a break
to dump our water filled boots and peel off layers of rain
gear and waterlogged leathers. A change of dry socks,
dry gloves and warm food in the belly, we are on the
road with the sun coming out!!!
The temperatures climbed as we headed south. As we
hit Kansas City rush hour traffic and a major interstate