Back to Travel

Back to Black Hills Home

Back to Home

Sturgis and The Badlands
	Sturgis, the Mecca of the Harley owner. Having been born, and lived all my life in Milwaukee, I had to visit.
	The place is full of famous (and infamous) saloons, bars, and party establishments.
	Loud America must be pretty rough on the neighbors. On the other hand, anyone who lives here knows what to expect. To some, this is music.
	A number of shops line the street, along with other commercial venues.
	Bike week is long past; but many of the shops are still open, though in mush reduced form. Next summer, this place will be a packed, noisy rollicking, madhouse.
	Left: Just outside of The Black Hills, sits this rest stop. Below: A look back Note the deep green of The Black Hills, which appear black when they are viewed from far away. Lower: Compared to The Black Hills, just a few miles away, the surrounding landscape is dry, stark, and sparsely vegetated. Compare to all of the surrounding areas, The Black Hills are like another world. On satellite photos, it has been compared to an island in a stark sea.
	The Badlands, which were experiencing a very rare period of foggy overcast, on my way out, are their usual brightly lit selves, on my way back.
	I actually have come to be able to recognize a number of formation here. The place is always changing. geologist estimate that all of these structures are worn down by an average of two inches a year. Even so, the change is gradual enough. Compare this photo to THIS ONE taken over thirty years ago.
	A camper is practically a natural site out here. Cities are small, and further apart, and there are parks and wild areas everywhere.
	A look out, over a vast area. The vistas here can encompass thirty miles and more. The elevation, low humidity, and height of these bluffs combine to give a bird's eye view of the place.
	A guard rail defines the edge of the observation platform, and helps to keep the awestruck visitor from falling off the edge of the world.

Back to Deadwood

Forward to going home