Road to Sturgis—Mayor’s Ride

Every summer, my high school buddies and I reunited at the greatest biker event on Earth—the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Leading up to our time there again this year, I will be writing a series of blog posts about the best rides, restaurants and bars, motorcycle shops, and best-kept-secrets that keep us going back to Sturgis every year.

For this blog, I want to highlight one of my favorite rides of the week—the Mayor’s Ride. This ride combines an abundance of scenery and landmarks with great company and a great cause--the proceeds from the ride will go to the Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department.

Like any ride, it’s only as good as the people you’re with. True to the name, we’ll be riding with Sturgis Mayor Mark Carstensen, as well as plenty of other motorcycle enthusiasts and biker legends. We’ll start the early morning ride in Sturgis along Highway 385, winding our way through Vanocker Canyon, and past the Pactola Reservoir. There will be regular stops along the more scenic parts and landmarks of the road, so don’t worry about having the opportunity to take pictures.

After passing the Reservoir, we’ll continue on Highway 16 through Keystone, stopping briefly at one of the greatest landmarks in the United States—Mount Rushmore. It truly is a majestic sight to see those American heroes enshrined on the mountain. Finally, we’ll finish off the morning by stopping in Custer State Park to enjoy a delicious lunch with Mayor Carstensen.

Of course, if that’s not enough of an incentive, riders also get a limited edition decanter of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, a 2013 Mayor’s Ride t-shirt, and an 11th Annual Mayor’s Ride pin. If you’re in Sturgis this summer and have got $150 to spare for the Sturgis Volunteer Fire Department, this is a ride you can’t afford to miss.

As always, let us know if you’re planning to ship your motorcycle to Sturgis 2013. See you there!