YOU CAN BE A LITTLE STUPID
AND STILL GET THERE
Reminiscing about a time back in 2012…
It was the morning after spending nine days celebrating my Freedoms at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Beer, concerts, beer, chatting with my neighbors, beer, and living in a tent that welcomed in the rain like a white gloved doorman at a five star hotel. (Ah, the life!) Oh, and beer.
After three cups of strong coffee and a pancake and bacon breakfast, I figured it was time to get to riding in South Dakota. I headed east.
In the next few days, I enjoyed a killer roast beef dinner at a diner in the Cow Town Mall and found out that population-wise Pierre, South Dakota is the second smallest state capitol in the United States. (Montpelier, Vermont is the smallest.) (By the bye, South Dakotans pronounce Pierre as “PEER.”)
Here’re a coupla-three interesting facts I observed about the Dakotas: there must be a million sunflower farms, and there’s more roadkill per mile than in any other state. And several times, I got to wait for bison to clear off the road. Fun stuff!
I got to Montana and after spending the night in Glendive, rode 80 some-odd miles to a gas station/convenience store in Miles City. My plan for the day was to get to Gillette, Wyoming, maybe Cheyenne, via Highway 59 and, other than filling the gas tank, I wanted to make sure that the road I thought was Highway 59 was, indeed, Highway 59. (I do get lost a lot.)
So I walked into the convenience store to find someone who could help me. And there she was: a sweet, elderly Montana lady wearing a dark brown straw hat with a dried yellow flower on it. There was a playful sparkle in her eyes. I figured she was good candidate for know the roads around here. I walked over.
Me: Hi!
Sweet and Elderly Montana Lady with a Sparkle and a Hat: Hello!
Me: Say, are you familiar with this area?
Sweet and Elderly Montana Lady with a Sparkle and a Hat: I am.
Me: Great! Is that Highway 59? (I point)
Sweet and Elderly Montana Lady with a Sparkle and a Hat: It is. Where are you headed?
Me: Well, I was thinking that if I went that way (I point again) and I’m not too stupid, I’ll end up in Gillette.
Sweet and Elderly Montana Lady with a Sparkle and a Hat: That’s the way, all right. But don’t worry, you can be a little stupid and still get there.
Later, I realized that that Sweet and Elderly Montana Lady with a Sparkle and a Hat had come up with an excellent philosophy for life: Even if you’re a little stupid, you can still get there.
Dakota sunflowers.
It actually exists!
“Oh give me a home
where the buffalo roam . . .”
The Beast (my bike) meets some Bison Beasts.
The Beast in the South Dakota Badlands.
I’d been traveling along Highway 59 at 60mph through the Grasslands of Wyoming when my front tire blew out, then went flat three seconds later. Talk about getting your heart pumping!
