75th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

New Jersey Road Sisters were among the 739,000 attendees of the 75th Annual 2015 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Not only did we ride all the way from Central New Jersey to Sturgis, South Dakota and back…we took the long way through 19 states, 5 great lakes and 2 countries! Our total mileage for this trip was 5,119 miles!

The journey to and from Sturgis was amazing! We took a few necessary detours to ensure we caught as much as week could. We stopped at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which showcases an amazing history of motorcycle engineering and design. We also made a new lifelong friend there. Thanks for meeting up with us June! We braved the heat and high winds in and around Chicago and rode a couple miles Route 66. We bolted like lightning when we spotted some above the world’s largest truck stop in Iowa. Jersey girl Ghost learned in Nebraska that eating anything “on a roll” is a Jersey thing. We headed as far west as Montana before we turned back east…why? Why not? We had never rode in Montana and know we can say we have. The skies over Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota were blue and vast and we now understand the phrase “big sky country.” When we crossed into Canada, it was hard to remember the speed limit was 80 kilometers, not miles. And there were dozens of signs warning of moose, we never spotted any to our huge disappointment.

Our favorite part of the trip? Riding the Black Hills of South Dakota! Those sweeping and twisty roads were beautiful and humbling. This is a motorcyclist paradise, but respect must be shown and care taken. Not only were we cautious of the thousands of cars and motorcycles on the road, we had to watch out for buffalo! And did I mention being chased by a billy goat and her kid? Alas, we were there 5 days and it was not enough time. There are so many rides and attractions that we will definitely have to go back and finish the list. Who is coming with us?