What is it about Norwegians? They must have a gene passed on in their DNA where they can sniff out any hint of Norwegian heritage, no matter where they are. That’s right, we were sitting in a campground off the highway, staring at Devil’s Tavern, having breakfast, when I gave Shap the task of finding out what was around Sturgis. Designation was to a motorcycle rally going on over the week-end; yet I was hoping he would also find a few hiking areas in the Black Hills for us to explore. Nope, he found a Stave church right smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood in Rapid City. Off we went. More about that later.
I set the alarm for 6 AM so we could be on “Dawn Patrol” as it was called in Cuba. The worst part is getting out of bed, but a peek out the window of the van and I was up. The most brilliant sunrise was happening right over the canyon wall where we were parked. Grabbing cameras, we started shooting. The sun did not hit Devil’s Tower until about 7:00 and then it all happened. Shot after shot, Shap and I snapped pictures, as the sun rose. Morning illuminated the side of this monolith, while sweeping soft light spread out over the land surrounding it. A magnificent sight and well worth the early morning wake up.
Back at the van, I found Shap lounging in bed, I handed him a cup of coffee and went off to the showers. We ate breakfast at the restaurant where Jesus loves us, and hit the road shortly after. Pulling up to the entrance of Devil’s Tower, we experienced our first line to get into a National Park. Having spent the night practically on top of it, we decided to forgo the park and move on. Up close, Devil’s Tower is even more impressive with its striated walls reaching to the sky. A rock climber’s dream, I am sure.
Our next big adventure was in the town of Aladdin, population 15 (actually now 12). We discovered an old coal mine, took several pictures there, read about its history, collected Ponderous pinecones, then backtracked to the general store which proved to be an interesting collection of antiques and any kind of odds and ends you could think of. I met one of the sales people who grew up in Middlebury, Vt. She told me she made a pack with her husband, who would not go any farther east, she would only live in this area of Wyoming because it was green and there was a change of seasons. She missed the covered bridges and the seasons of Vermont.
Arriving in Rapid City we drove through a residential neighborhood to get to the Stave church. This was built on the home site of a devoted Lutheran for his Lutheran minister in the 1960’s. Built from plans of Stave churches in Norway, this small but exquisitely beautiful church with its bell tower, stone walls, and sculptures along the “Peace Path” graced the Ponderosa pines and manicured lawn with elegance. Carved outside, but plain inside, music filled the church bouncing off of the high ceilings and surrounding one with reverence. Sitting on the wooden austere benches it was easy to take a breath and meditate on the beauty of the structure.
Getting back in the van, Shap’s next suggestion was the antique car museum and I put my foot down. I did not want to pull into the camp site in the dark. It was the right decision because when we pulled into Suzy’s campground I took one look and we drove right through. Not only was it right off the highway, but it was basically a field with RV’s parked in the blazing sun right smack next to each other. KOA looked great for sure. So here we are in Spearfish in a KOA and happy. There is grass, trees, and not a cement parking area. There were no Harvest Host sites close by and after reading reviews of campsites near Sturgis, this looks like our best bet.
Deadwood, Sturgis, the whole area is like a Western idea of what it was in the 1800’s interspersed with Walmart, quick marts and the like. Heading for the hills tomorrow to walk in the National Park of the Black Hills and finding the Presidents. Oh yes, we will have a bit of a motorcycle photography thrill along the way.
Go wild with the Smith's 