Even as a pile of ashes and rubble, all that’s left of the Full Throttle Saloon after a fire destroyed it last September, the venue continues to generate a great deal of attention and talk. Of course, most of it was purely speculation. Rumors ranging from probable to utterly ridiculous have passed the lips of not only the FTS fan club, but the legions of “haters” as well, and everyone in between. For the most part, I have held my tongue and waited for confirmation. And confirmation we have, as...

It has been quite a long time since I have written a blog, and for that, I apologize. I have had to deal with a shit ton of personal issues, and sorry to say, but writing blogs that do not produce money is just not a priority. But hey, I’m back. The 75 annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was, as expected, a great time with great people. Because of the expectedly huge increase in number of rallygoers, my husband and I decided to not venture very far from our compound at the Buffalo Chip. We even dec...

  Face it, we have all fallen victim to a particularly bad piece of advice in our lives at one time or another. Bad advice can range anywhere from “Yes, you should totally go blonde” to “I know he cheated on you in the past, but you should marry him anyway.” This is the reason why I started a Sturgis Rally info group on Facebook. I was tired of witnessing people give others bad advice about the Rally. Some of this bad advice could have resulted in simple disappointment, but some could have...

  What can ruin any experience for anyone? I say it’s when a person’s expectations are way too high, and reality proves it. I have noticed a trend in commenting on social media indicating that a lot of people do not have an accurate picture of what the Sturgis Rally is like, from the accommodations and pricing, to traffic. A very common misconception that I have seen is that people seem to think that Sturgis is a naked free for all. Now while it is true that this type of entertainment can...

There is no doubt that the law of supply and demand is in full effect during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Prices of things like accommodations, prepared food, and alcohol do increase during the Rally, and it is to be expected. For years, I have defended the vendors, campgrounds, hotels, and others who provide services and goods to Rallygoers against allegations of price gouging. The cost of doing business increases during high volume periods such as the Rally. Venues and venders must staff the...

I remember reading an online review of a Rally campground where the reviewer complained about his camping neighbor, and how he dealt with the situation. He claimed that his neighbor, who was in a dry RV, ran a generator near his tent all night long, therefore disturbing his sleep, night after night, all week long. He felt compelled to rev up his bike in the wee hours of the morning, and clearly felt justified in doing so. Now ladies and gentlemen, please ask yourself: why on earth would someone ...

One issue that is guaranteed to start a debate in Sturgis circles is the topic of bringing children to the Rally.  Personally, I see both sides of the argument. Growing up in the Black Hills area, I was always led to believe that good girls don’t go to Sturgis. Bikers were dirty, they stole, swore, drank and caused trouble. The young ladies who partook of the festivities in Sturgis were no better than prostitutes, and the bikers who took them there. Back in the 80s, it was certainly not a ...

Want to get a free one day pass to the Biggest Party Anywhere? Can you answer a few simple questions about yourself? Do you have a vagina? Yes yes and yes! The Legendary Buffalo Chip is putting on its annual poster model search competition, and with the promise of a free concert just for answering a couple of questions, you can see why so many local women participate. And yes, that includes me. I already have my week long pass, but I like to get the day passes for my friends who would not othe...

People in our Facebook group often ask “What’s the best campground to stay at during the Rally?” My admins and I just roll our eyes and mutter, “Here we go again.” Why such a negative reaction? It seems like a legitimate question! Perhaps it would be, if we had a little more information. Usually what results is a "Coke Vs. Pepsi" type debate. The simple answer is that there is no simple answer. We all come to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for different reasons, do different things while we are h...

    As a local, I have been to the Rally many, many times, but had never actually stayed there overnight until 2009. In the year I took to prepare, I searched the web for stories other people had written about their Sturgis experiences. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find much. Disappointed, I hoped to write about my experiences and share some of the more bizarre. There had to be other people like me who enjoy the freak show, right? While preparing this blog entry, I asked my frien...