On my previous visit to this part of the country, I checked out Custer State Park and had my first encounter with the very large and cantankerous bison, aka buffalo. These animals look twice as big when one is sitting on a motorcycle as opposed to sitting in a car. So I felt no need to risk a second visit. Instead I decided to stay in Spearfish, a small town 17 miles west of Sturgis. The latter needs no introduction to most motorcyclists. The annual Black Hills Rally has been happening here in August for 75 years and they normally get an attendance of about 4-500,000 people. I imagine the place is a zoo, so I had planned to avoid it. However, preparations are gearing up, and people are starting to trickle in. I took the bike into Sturgis this am for a service, basically a $200 oil change, at the BMW dealership. Yes, there is a BM dealer in Harley Town! Already there are humungous tents going up, like the one at the Ulysses AGM, but a lot more of them, and I even saw a replica wild west town under construction. The Sheriff is going to have his work cut out in this town.
There are numerous destinations convenient to Spearfish, such as Spearfish Canyon, the towns of Deadwood and Lead, Mt Rushmore, and the so called Badlands a little further east. All with pretty good bike roads connecting them, so a good base for a few interesting days.
Two shots taken in Spearfish Canyon.
I also made a day trip to the Badlands. I understand the area got its name not from being the hideout of outlaws and bandits, but because of its unsuitability for farming and /or traversing by wagon trains. The kind of geological formation throughout this very large region looks to me like eroded soft sedimentary rock such as mudstone or sandstone. It reminded me very much of the formations visible right on the coast of Adelaide, specifically at Hallett Cove Conservation Park and from Moana through to Maslin Beach. These would be familiar to any student who ever took Geology at the University of Adelaide. Old Dr. Alf. Kleeman has been taking students on field trips to these sites ever since the Mesozoic Era. Old Alf must be getting on a bit these days.
Quite a remarkable place. Another remarkable place very near here is the National Historic Site housing a display relating to the Cold War. How so? This region of the US was dotted with underground Minuteman missile silos, all aimed at the Soviet Union, and one silo and its control room has been preserved, (minus the nuclear warhead). A chilling prospect to contemplate really. Don't worry, they still have quite a few left. Just in case. I did mention to some people that this potential nuclear armageddon and the ruination of planet Earth was in some small way facilitated by a kow-towing Australian Government, (and I think in this case, a little kow -towing is probably a good idea) courtesy of several US bases on Australian soil, such as Pine Gap, Narrungar and North West Cape. They looked at me as if I was bonkers, and parents started gathering up their children. There's no telling some people, especially if all they want are hats, t-shirts and coffee mugs emblazoned with slogans like "making the world safe" or "preserving peace", and to know where the nearest ice cream shop is.
While in Spearfish I visited a most interesting gallery, operated by Dick Termes. This guy is a freaking genius, and I don't use the term lightly. His speciality is perspective. Remember those brain twisters by M.C.Escher, with staircases going up and down at the same time, and all that stuff? Well, this guy does similar stuff, but on the surface of spheres. They are called Termespheres and they are mind blowing, both in terms of the concept itself, and in its execution. The complexity of some pieces only becomes apparent when the spheres rotate. He has been doing it since the sixties, and while its tempting to say you could do it on a computer (a 4 year old could probably do it on his mobile phone), his work is all done the hard way. Using psychotropic drugs (no, I'm joking). His gallery is awesome. I actually purchased a piece, and will have it mailed home before I leave. The guy could probably understand the Theory of Relativity. Really.
And to wrap up, on my way out of the Black Hills, heading across South Dakota towards Minnesota, I went through a fly speck on the map called Faith. So what? Well check this out.
You would not have wanted to be around this place 65 million years ago. The most complete skeleton of T-Rex ever found, in fact all of it, was unearthed right here. It's now on display in Chicago. All poor old Faith got out of it was this lame sign. Oh well, them's the breaks. Dr Kleeman could probably tell you first hand what T-Rex smelled like.
On my way across the vast rolling prairies of The Great Plains, probably the heart and soul of America, I observed some of the extremes that nature can dish out. I nearly got blown off the road by vicious side winds, I saw endless grassy plains and tried to imagine immense herds of buffalo grazing on them, prosperous looking farms, large lakes, hunting lodges, grotty looking Indian Reservations and habitats, small towns like Faith where I stopped for coffee and a chat with friendly people, and vacant property such as the farmhouse below where it had all gone wrong.
Oh, and I crossed the Missouri River, and bloody nearly got blown right into it.
An interesting week all round sofar. Shortly I head into Minnesota, then back into Canada for a look at the northern shore of Lake Superior in Ontario. Catch you then.
There are numerous destinations convenient to Spearfish, such as Spearfish Canyon, the towns of Deadwood and Lead, Mt Rushmore, and the so called Badlands a little further east. All with pretty good bike roads connecting them, so a good base for a few interesting days.
Two shots taken in Spearfish Canyon.
I also made a day trip to the Badlands. I understand the area got its name not from being the hideout of outlaws and bandits, but because of its unsuitability for farming and /or traversing by wagon trains. The kind of geological formation throughout this very large region looks to me like eroded soft sedimentary rock such as mudstone or sandstone. It reminded me very much of the formations visible right on the coast of Adelaide, specifically at Hallett Cove Conservation Park and from Moana through to Maslin Beach. These would be familiar to any student who ever took Geology at the University of Adelaide. Old Dr. Alf. Kleeman has been taking students on field trips to these sites ever since the Mesozoic Era. Old Alf must be getting on a bit these days.
Quite a remarkable place. Another remarkable place very near here is the National Historic Site housing a display relating to the Cold War. How so? This region of the US was dotted with underground Minuteman missile silos, all aimed at the Soviet Union, and one silo and its control room has been preserved, (minus the nuclear warhead). A chilling prospect to contemplate really. Don't worry, they still have quite a few left. Just in case. I did mention to some people that this potential nuclear armageddon and the ruination of planet Earth was in some small way facilitated by a kow-towing Australian Government, (and I think in this case, a little kow -towing is probably a good idea) courtesy of several US bases on Australian soil, such as Pine Gap, Narrungar and North West Cape. They looked at me as if I was bonkers, and parents started gathering up their children. There's no telling some people, especially if all they want are hats, t-shirts and coffee mugs emblazoned with slogans like "making the world safe" or "preserving peace", and to know where the nearest ice cream shop is.
While in Spearfish I visited a most interesting gallery, operated by Dick Termes. This guy is a freaking genius, and I don't use the term lightly. His speciality is perspective. Remember those brain twisters by M.C.Escher, with staircases going up and down at the same time, and all that stuff? Well, this guy does similar stuff, but on the surface of spheres. They are called Termespheres and they are mind blowing, both in terms of the concept itself, and in its execution. The complexity of some pieces only becomes apparent when the spheres rotate. He has been doing it since the sixties, and while its tempting to say you could do it on a computer (a 4 year old could probably do it on his mobile phone), his work is all done the hard way. Using psychotropic drugs (no, I'm joking). His gallery is awesome. I actually purchased a piece, and will have it mailed home before I leave. The guy could probably understand the Theory of Relativity. Really.
And to wrap up, on my way out of the Black Hills, heading across South Dakota towards Minnesota, I went through a fly speck on the map called Faith. So what? Well check this out.
You would not have wanted to be around this place 65 million years ago. The most complete skeleton of T-Rex ever found, in fact all of it, was unearthed right here. It's now on display in Chicago. All poor old Faith got out of it was this lame sign. Oh well, them's the breaks. Dr Kleeman could probably tell you first hand what T-Rex smelled like.
On my way across the vast rolling prairies of The Great Plains, probably the heart and soul of America, I observed some of the extremes that nature can dish out. I nearly got blown off the road by vicious side winds, I saw endless grassy plains and tried to imagine immense herds of buffalo grazing on them, prosperous looking farms, large lakes, hunting lodges, grotty looking Indian Reservations and habitats, small towns like Faith where I stopped for coffee and a chat with friendly people, and vacant property such as the farmhouse below where it had all gone wrong.
Oh, and I crossed the Missouri River, and bloody nearly got blown right into it.
An interesting week all round sofar. Shortly I head into Minnesota, then back into Canada for a look at the northern shore of Lake Superior in Ontario. Catch you then.
4 comments:
What an amazing change so far. I can definitely see some of these photos gracing your walls. You're getting better at stopping for pictures. "A" for effort
Lol I dont often repeat myself
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