Destination: Sturgis - Side Trip: Deadwood

A WORLD-famous biker town (motorcycle stopover) and a famous Wild West Town. We were overnighting in Sturgis before our visit to Mt. Rushmore.

LisaMarie had a date with four Presidents (all simultaneously) in two days at Mount Rushmore.

But first, we needed to overnight in Sturgis, South Dakota.

As we drove south on Rt. 79 towards Sturgis, it was difficult not to be captivated by the imposing mountain (actually, it is a butte - rhymes with cute) as we headed south. Bear Butte was nearly 50 miles away, but it still struck a staunch pose as it broke the horizon (even though it was shrouded in hazy smoke from the Canadian wildfires). 

Bear Butte served as a directional beacon for over an hour as we headed toward our evening campsite in Sturgis. If you aren’t aware or have never heard, Sturgis is home to the largest motorcycle rally in the world. According to the South Dakota DOT, over half a million motorcycle enthusiasts attended the 10-day event in 2022. Lucky for us, we were arriving three weeks before the August 2023 event got underway.

However, before we arrived in Sturgis, we saw an unexpected bit of eclectic, unique Americana with a decidedly ‘Ironhorse’ motorcycle flavor. I was struck by the unique, massive, and fantastic metal sculptures that lined the highway at the Full Throttle Saloon; it is jaw-droppingly huge, and the word GINORMOUS comes to mind. The Full Throttle Saloon even had its own reality TV Series from 2009-2015.

Enjoy the photos, it is truly a one-of-a-kind establishment. Check out the sculptures, the grounds, the bar, and the live entertainment stages.

This was the biggest mailbox I had ever seen; estimating its size as 10’ off the ground, 8’ long, and 4’ tall.

Inside, the monstrous Full Throttle Saloon interior is truly exceptional.

Yes, those are authentic train trestles in front of a former church steeple with Bear Butte in the background.

It reportedly can serve 15,000 patrons on busy nights (former rally event above) and sits among 30 rolling acres of the famous Black Hills.

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After finishing our Full Throttle Saloon self-guided tour, we started up our rig towing Minney (check out the enormous size of these sculptures compared to our little entourage), with Bear Butte in the distance. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived in town at the Sturgis RV Park.

Once we disconnected Minney and set up our site, we left for Deadwood to check out the former gold-rush town of 1876, which also had a TV series (on HBO). The town has been designated as a National Historic Landmark District for its well-preserved Gold Rush-era architecture. It was only a short 30-minute drive from Sturgis.

The town has a decidedly old-west charm (that honors the legend of Wild Bill Hickok) and provides modern amenities and a variety of retail shops to appeal to its tourist shopping clientele.

LisaMarie selected the Jacob’s Brewhouse (located in the former Hattenbach Brothers Grocery, circa 1895) for an early dinner. We met Scott Jacob, the owner, and restauranteur, and discovered he is an accomplished drummer (toured with legendary rock bands), is also a fantastic artist (completed hundreds of lifelike motorcycle paintings, like the ones below), collects and races classic and antique motorcycles, and is an incredibly down-to-earth guy. He is one-of-a-kind.

I hope you enjoyed the story and the two completely different flavors of southwest South Dakota; the Wild West (past rough and tumble) of Deadwood and the motorcycle/Ironhorses (current rough and tumble) of the Full Throttle Saloon.

Now that I think about it, they are more similar than I first thought (apparently, even Wild Bill thinks so)

Next, we go deep into the Black Hills, including the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and three of the most breathtakingly memorable scenic drives we have ever taken. 

Love to get your thoughts and comments on today’s exploration.