We got up at 5am and got things ready to go. There was a bike wash at the hotel due to the fact that there was a HOG group Lewis and Clark ride happening and they were also staying at our hotel, so Dwayne gave the bikes a quick scrub before we left. They were easily 10 pounds lighter with all of those bugs taken off, haha!

We hit the road about 6am and rode 45 minutes to Hardin where we stopped for a quick breakfast at Hardees.

We filled up the bikes in Buffalo, which brought back memories of our first bike trip out this way, when we went through Buffalo and rode 16 to Worland on our way to Yellowstone. That was such a beautiful ride, and was also my first taste of going on a ride where you went from warm in the valleys to freezing and surrounded by snow on the mountains. That was well before I had heated grips and seats, oh, the joys of added comfort options!

From Buffalo we continued on 90 to Sundance, where the temperature went from 90 down to 83 with a cool breeze, and it felt amazing!!! I did a good job mapping that fuel stop out 😉

I was a bit sad watching the snow covered mountains disappear behind me in my mirrors. I truly love this part of the country, and it always makes me sad when it is time to leave. I know I’ll be back, though.

We arrived in Rapid City in 92 degrees, and were too early to check in at the hotel, so we had to go get lunch and come back.

We noticed tonight when we went for dinner that there were a couple of BMW GS bikes at the hotel that were also at last night’s hotel too. We were hoping to run into them to see where they’d been, but we didn’t. Maybe they will leave super early in the morning like we intend to and we will see them then. Their plates are from Wisconsin, so I don’t think they’ll be following us to Sioux City tomorrow.

Be sure to check out tomorrow nights blog, I should have more pictures to share, we have decided to detour to the Badlands National Park when we leave because we missed it last time we were here.