We're Drinking our Coffee on the Bank of the Snake River...

The purpose of this post is to tell a short story about a game we have played for darn near 20 years and are still playing it today... although the situation has changed quite a bit from the original.  When we lived in Stockton, Maryland we would sip our weekend morning coffee on our back deck and say to each other, "we are drinking our coffee on the banks of the Snake River" as we would look out over the garden pasture and then giggle like kids.   Fast forward to today, we were on our way to visit family in Yakima, Washington departing from Irwin, Idaho during the events of this post.  We made the trip with a single overnight stay near Huntington, Oregon.  We usually will find a large parking lot just off the road we are traveling and dry camp overnight.  That was the plan for this trip per usual.  En-route we decided it was too hot and would stay at a little campground a few miles off of our road, but located right on the banks of the Snake River!  We love the Snake River, it is a magnificent river.

You guessed it, here we are DRINKING OUR COFFEE on the BANKS of the SNAKE RIVER!  This time the river bank is exactly where it is supposed to be... directly under our feet.

Gari looks out on the Snake River from our spot at Catfish Junction RV Park.

Magnificent views from our spot at Catfish RV.

The Snake River splits and branches often, then comes back together, making it an even more interesting river.

The terrain along the loooong Snake River is varied adding to the mystery and allure of the river.

Romeo and Penelope at a quick stop atop Deadman's Pass coming into Pendleton, Oregon.   Next stop Yakima, Washington... we can almost see it from here!

We will have to back up on our next post and tell of our real estate adventure during our short 4 day stay in Irwin, Idaho.

Rapid City to Jackson

We snapped a few pictures on our last move into Idaho.  Always exciting to take a new route, at least some of it was new to us.

Tumble Inn indeed!  Powder River, Wyoming

We're in Wyoming for sure.  Stegosaurus on that hill.

All alone west of Casper, Wyoming.

Headed into Shoshoni, Wyoming

Boysen Reservoir, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming

Big square bales

Horses.

Colorful Layers.

 

New Red Roofs.

 A stop along Wind River, Wind River Reservation, Wyoming

Texture and valley color.

Add horses to the mix.  See the fifth horse?  He's a gray.

Wind River Reservation, Wyoming

Jackalope under saddle.

Approaching Jackson and the Teton Range.

Grand Tetons.

A Musical Campground Treat

We had some great neighbors this summer in Rapid City, SD.  One guy, Joe plays guitar at a few local establishments during the week.  Well he's got friends and one day announced that Kenny Putnam and J.J. Kent would be coming into our little campground to play some music.  We must admit that we had never heard of either, but were game for some campground music.  Both are local Rapid City, SD musical artists.  Kenny Putnam played with the locally famous Red Willow Band, and later played with Roy Clark on Hee Haw for eight years.  Kenny is a cool guy and highly talented with the fiddle.  J.J. Kent, also a very kind man, is a Native American of Oglala Lakota heritage, which is prominent in this area of South Dakota.  J.J. played in Nashville for ten years and in London England as well.  He opened for Waylon Jennings in 1993.   Along with Joe, these three put on quite a show of relaxing country western music, including songs performed by Willy Nelson, George Straight and others.

Tuning up; L to R: Joe, J.J. Kent, Kenny Putnam

The Crowd is gathering.  Shari, Joe's wife left, Linnea, Kenny's wife right.

The gang's all here now.

Another angle.

J.J. has the harmonica going on this one.

Nearing the end they were gettin' it!

79th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Another first for for us this year, we stayed before, during and soon to be after the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  Normally we are out of town a week before Rally starts, this year we decided to embrace it.  The local news is reporting that attendance is down from last year, but we can tell you that there are still motorcycles everywhere around the Black Hills area.  Motorcycles by the thousands are on the roads, they are parked in the restaurants and bars, they are in the campgrounds and hotels, they are parked at the stores and most of all they are parked on Main Street in Sturgis!

Welcome riders to the 79th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally!  Main Street looking east. The pattern is full.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally started as motorcycle races so many years ago, and the town of Sturgis has memorialized one of the great racers who frequented the races and hill climbs around Sturgis, Joe Petrali.  Joe held several motorcycle speed records during his lifetime.

It's thirsty out there on Main Street.

Lots of cool riders idling by on their cool rides. Look, there goes one now!

 A literal parade of bikes styling down Main Street.

Plenty of characters too.  We saw the drunk obnoxious guy having fun wearing a barrel.  He wanted two-bits for a photo, and four-bits for a peek!  Lol, no thank you to the peek!

Steve likes the bikes!

Chopper alert!

Plenty of other characters too...

Maybe fast, but doesn't look so comfortable in the long run.

Liberace?

We called this one Longhorn.  We saw the rider later in the week at One Eyed Jack's Saloon.

Funny looking forky bikes.

Really old Rally guy.

Gari goes to Sturgis!  People laughed as we snapped this memory, they said look left and you can take a picture with real bikes!

Elegantly intricate bike...

Oh no, wait.... just WHTRSH!

Gari found a bike she can ride, it had a real western horse saddle for the seat.  She likes it, hey Gari!

Lots of live entertainment at the Rally.  This band, Zeona Road was good and free!

We have been up to Sturgis during the Rally a couple of times now and are thinking of going back on the last day.  We hear that the vendors want to give their remaining stock away rather than haul it back out.  So this is how we shop for clothes now lol.  Gari spotted some boot chaps that make a statement.

Chillin' on Main Street

Brass knuckle clutch and brake levers on this bad boy, even has a parking ticket on the seat!

Nice bikes everywhere...

Every kind you can imagine...

There is Longhorn Guy with his Lady at One Eyed Jack's.. lookin' good!

Oh wait, Tennis Shoes?  Dude!  Had the look nailed, then missed it by that much!

Getting fancy.  Nice paint.

Hot Stuff with a fatty rear!

Skinny chopper next door.

Travelin' Rider.

Travelin' Chopper.  This one has a drive belt and a chain!

Sturgis Hill and the famous Knuckle Saloon looking down a side street.

Steve never did get this ol' gals story, but it looks like she's been here a very looooong time.

Still cruisin' Main

Judges evaluate the beard of a contestant in the Beard & Mustache Competition.

A mustache winner.  He was a man of few words.   How long does it take you to braid your mustache?  'Bout 10 minutes.

OK this guys is having lunch with two Pugs.

Inspector Gadget?

At the beard contest. Yep we're taking your picture :)

 Oh the sleek lines.

 Nuff to give a person nightmares.

Parking the chopper at One Eyed Jack's

On our walk out we spotted a Mini Cooper that can be yours!  Advertised as Actual Size in the fine print by Gari's reflection.

More evidence of motorcycles everywhere.  This shot was taken near Custer, SD probably 60 miles from Sturgis.  We were fishing at the Grace Coolidge Creek that morning.  Here they come roaring around the corner!