Black Hills Trip Planning - Input Welcome!

My brother and I are going to two-wheel it out to the V-Strom gathering in the Black Hills in June. He has a V-Strom 1000, and I, of course, have a '98 VFR (but all marquees are welcome). We'll be gone about two weeks total, unless the wives call and tell us not to come back (wishful thinking).

I'll leave my home which is a little west of Philadelphia, PA and drive up to his home in N. Syracuse, NY. We'll leave the next day and go north on I81 and cross into Ontario, then across Rte. 17 (camping one or two nights), then to Sault Ste. Marie, then down to Appleton, WI for free bed and board at a cousin's house, then across Minnesota and S. Dakota and to Rapid City (not far from Wyoming).

We will camp mostly, but get a motel room when the stench becomes unbearable. I estimate I'll put about 5,000 miles or so on the odometer by the time I get back.

If anyone has any suggestions for places of interest that are must sees along the way, or things I absolutely should not forget to take with me, please let me know. Thanks!

 

Thanks much, Derstuka. Great info.

I was last in Marquette and Copper Harbor 24 years ago! Forgot how beautiful it is up there, though the winters are long and brutal.

 

Yo, Stuke! How do YOU know so much about Michigan? Did you live there in a previous life? BTW, it looks awesome!! Makes me want to go!

As far as the Black Hills area... depending on how long you will be there... I think Devil's Tower (from Close Encounter of the 3rd Kind) is around there. I remember going to see it in that area on one of my cross-country trips. Of course Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, all that good stuff. between there and east... somewhere along the way is the great corn palace... literally made of corn. Stupid touristy stuff. I also remember seeing alot of car museums and stuff. I know... too general so not much help. Sorry. But the Black Hills area is beautiful!!

 

Hey wall drug is not bad, lots of little places to buy crap and few things to see. Nothing special but it's a quick little stop not far from rapid city. I am not sure what steak place you are talking about derstuka, maybe timberlodge not far from the interstate. That's my favorite place. There is also a texas road house too next to the mall.

So when is this trip going on, I plan on making it out there(the hills) atleast 3 times this year. Pick me up on the way, I won't stay as long but I will go riding with you. Lots of riding out there and devils tower in wyoming is about another couple hours west. But what is another couple of hours when it's on a bike right? You will put that many miles and maybe more, I was only our there for 4 days and I put on somewhere near 1500. Thats only from sioux falls(360miles) and out there and coming back.

I have a family thing going on out there I think at the end of june and will be out there for atleast a week too. It would work out pretty good if your thing happened to be around the same time and I can show you around.

Badlands is alright, I think it was 10 bucks per bike or around that when I was out there. But I have seen it before and it is nothing new to me. Lets see you have mount rushmore, crazy horse, lots of little towns like deadwood(casino town) and other small towns that have there own attractions. Plenty of pamflets out there wherever you go to figure out what to do. Honestly the best thing is to just ride, I was out there for the first time on a bike last year and it was nice. Lots of different caves to see, old trains, minning stuff. Always something to do is what explains it. It's not flashy by any means but it's nice. But this is coming from a guy that has only been out of state to go to minneapolis, omaha, des moines. Yeah I am a well traveled guy.

So get back to me and pick me up on the way out there, I will spend a long weekend out there and show you around the best I can. Hopefully the weather is good for you guys. But being out there for two weeks you should have some good riding days.

 

Great info. I'll let you know when we will be rolling through so we can ride in together. Look forward to meeting you.

 

I'm a bit dusty myself, so if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for the Viffer.

 

Hey HA to the SEWN!! Good call on the Wisconsin Dells! Those Ducks are pretty cool!!

 

Found out the reunion is the 27th to the 29th. Checked out the site for the get together and saw it was around the same time. Since I was already going to be out there till the first weekend of july it will work out good. I will probably take off of work starting the day your guys ride through here and head out with you guys if you don't mind. I have family out there for me to stay with, so no problems for me. I can go any time, look forward to meeting someone on this site. All I know is I can't wait for winter to get out of hear, overnight low tonight is 21 below and that's not including wind chill. Only had the bike four riding months last year and can't wait to break out big this year. This will be a nice trip/vacation for me if I go with you guys or just be out there period.

 

Thanks to all for the helpful feedback!