Life is a highway...

I wanna ride it all night long... if you said "Rascal Flats, 2006," you get 75 bonus points.

Today was more about highways and canyons.  We haven't been north in a while - so out Hwy 16, left on Catron Blvd, then out Rimrock Highway, for a right on Norris Peak Rd...

Most of this twisty road is 45 mph speed limit; there are some good hills and curves along the way.  Then, onto Nemo Road...

Shooting over my shoulder, I almost didn't get Joan in that shot.  This is also a fun road, and no traffic until we got close to the town of Nemo, where a double-trailer gravel hauler slowed us down.  Off Nemo Rd and into Vanocker Canyon; we stopped to coordinate where we were heading, and a dozen or so Harleys roared by... that would be embarrassing for them if a couple old folks on scooters caught up to them.  ;-)

It didn't take us long...

We backed off as we rolled into Sturgis...

... and stopped for gas: PCX/117mpg, Vespa/97.8mpg.  Riding through Sturgis and into Boulder Canyon - this is the road to Deadwood, and all the billboards tell you so...

Boulder Canyon has changed a lot since we build a house and lived there in the late 70s, early 80s.  Back then, the highway was narrow two lane with lots of tight curves.  They used to sell T-shirts during the Rally that read "Boulder Canyon Death-tripper"... there were fatalities from motorcycle accidents in the Canyon most years back then.  Now, only the lower part of the Canyon highway is two lane...

And the road has been re-engineered to make the curves less tight and better crowning on the road.  The upper part of the Canyon highway is 4 lane, and pretty bland...

And then, you're in Deadwood...

Things have changed a lot in Deadwood over the years, too.  In 1988, gambling was legalized in city limits... almost overnight, it went from a dying tourist town to over 80 casinos.  Of course, the casinos didn't all make it, but in the meantime, they drove out retail businesses, car dealerships, etc, when their property was worth more to gaming developers than to operate the former businesses.

So, gaming is still the main industry in Deadwood, and some larger casios have sprung up over the years.  This one is on the edge of town...

That is Cadillac Jack's, now several chain hotels, restaurants, and, of course, plenty of casino floorspace.  Originally, the casinos had an "old west" feel to them; now...

More of a "Vegas feel" to it.  Not much action at the tables when we stopped there on a Thursday for lunch.  Things will pick up as the day goes on (and bus tours roll in).

After lunch, we decided to take Highway 385 back towards Rapid City.  We haven't been on this stretch of highway since last year.  It is a steep climb out of Deadwood...

Another highway that used to be a narrow two-lane and has been widened to accommodate the additional traffic that came with gaming.  The speed limit is 55 on most of this highway and both scoots are very comfortable with that speed.  We took 385 south, past several new RV parks a few miles out of Deadwood and enjoyed the easy riding.  Then, back onto Rimrock Highway into Rapid City.

I asked Joan, "Would you like to stop for ice cream before we head back?"

"No, thanks."

"Would you like to watch me eat ice cream, 'cause I'm feeling it?"  She was OK with that.  We stopped at Culver's for some frozen custard, got the current scooter tag (your scoot with a burger place - your scooter at a burger place... pretty easy since Culver's is the "home of the butterburger"), posted another tag (your scoot at a children's playland - Story Book Island), then made our way back to Hart Ranch.

Another fine day of riding.  We are down to 1 week from departure.