Category Archives: travel

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

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This is not the rally that I remember

As a frequent visitor to the Tetons and Yellowstone, I often travel along Interstate 90 through Wyoming and South Dakota to reach these national parks. More than a few times I’ve passed through western South Dakota near the small town of Sturgis. Coincidentally the iconic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that takes place each year in early August.

Leaving the national parks we passed and were passed by dozens (maybe hundreds) of motorcycle riders, pickup trucks and motorhomes towing trailers of motorcycles of all types and styles.
Here’s what I learned about the rally after talking to some of this year’s attendees.

One motorcyclist told me: “Attendance is way down”. This gentlemen, a senior about my age, tells me he’s been to the rally many time since the 1980s. The Dakota News Now (television station) said that attendance has been dropping steadily since 2015 when it was a record 740,000.

This year estimated attendance to be about 500,000 according to rally organizers. They attribute the drop to inflation, fuel cost, weather and aging demographic.

A group of motorcyclists were at the same hotel as we were staying. I mentioned to one of them that in the 1980s I used to see tents on the hills of Sturgis where motorcyclists would camp. He said that since then, so many attendees have become financially well off. His days of camping were long past and he pointed out his motor home saying that he drags his bike behind in a trailer from North Carolina and then drives his bike from the nearby RV park into Sturgis.
One of Sturgis’ nearby attractions is Mt. Rushmore National Monument. During our visit there we couldn’t help but notice the hundreds of rally attendees also at Mt. Rushmore. Here they were having an impromptu meeting to show their support and loyalty to our country’s veterans.
The city of Sturgis have been targeting younger attendees. They say that its efforts are paying off. A survey last year showed the average age of attendees was 50.8 years old compared with 53.5 years old in 2017. Most of the motorcyclists that I talked to were older than this 50.8 year average.

This same survey noted that 40% of rally goers in 2022 had household incomes of more than $100,000 a year. With the price of a road motorcycle hovering at the $20,000 mark, motorcycling most likely requires a decent income.

Written by:

Arnie Lee
 
 

Red Star Line Museum

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Emigration to America

A couple of years ago while visiting friends in Belgium we drove a short distance from Brussels to the nearby port city of Antwerp.

Antwerp is Belgium’s second largest city. It’s situated along the Schedt River which empties into the North Sea which is turn connects to the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the world’s biggest ports, Antwerp handles more cargo than any other port in Europe except nearby Rotterdam. Seeing the inviting waterfront surrounding us, we took a very pleasant sightseeing boat ride on the Sheldt.
After our sightseeing excursion, we explored the streets of Antwerp and stumbled upon the Red Star Line Museum.

The Red Star Line was a shipping company that operated between Antwerp and the eastern seaboard of the USA and Canada. Throughout Europe they advertised their routes and from 1873 to 1934 – sixty years – Antwerp was a center for emigration from the continent. Emigrants from Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, France, Italy and other countries traveled to Antwerp to board the ships bound for North America.
More than two million Europeans were passengers on the Red Star Line steamships from Antwerp to America’s large metropolitan centers – New York, Philadelphia, Boston. Paintings and displays in the museum depict the many travelers in Antwerp’s streets preparing for the long and challenging journey across the ocean to a destination that promised them a new, brighter future.
On display are curated personal belongings – clothing, suitcases, diaries, photographs, jewelry, toys – that punctuate the stories of individuals and families who decided to leave their homeland hoping for a better life.

For me, the Red Star Line Museum highlighted the overwhelming struggle that millions of individuals experienced reaching for a better future by having to brave the unknowns of emigrating to America.

If you’re interested in learning more, here’s the link to the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp.

National Parks on the Fly

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When Your Free Time is Limited

 
The May calendar had only a few days left to fit in a visit to two of my favorite places – Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks so it had to be a quick trip. I initially thought about flying to nearby Jackson and renting a car but instead I decided to drive the 3000+ miles lugging a small satchel of clothes and a bunch of camera equipment.

While the drive is long, I totally enjoy the fast changing vistas traversing our impressive interstate highway system and then the spectacular mountains and landscapes of rural Wyoming.

You can read about my six day cross country drive from Grand Rapids by clicking here. Otherwise continue on for the small scrapbook of my visit to the parks.

After 1500 relaxing miles on the lightly traveled highway I arrived at Jackson Hole and the Tetons. I immediately went into visitor mode and armed myself with a couple of cameras to record this quick visit. Following are some of the highlights.

Grand Teton National Park

This is an area of the Tetons settled in the 1890s by Mormans from Utah

The iconic T.A. Moulton barn with low clouds obscuring the Tetons

Here you can see the low water level in Jackson Lake

The water flows from Jackson Lake Dam into the Snake River

This is the Snake River at Oxbow Bend with Mt. Moran in the background

I tried to duplicate this familiar view at Snake River Overlook made famous by Ansel Adams

Another picture of the T.A. Moulton barn after the clouds have lifted

This furry marmot is a resident of Mormon Row

Chapel of the Transfiguration is an Episcopal church in the Tetons

This is the picturesque interior of the church

From a distance the Tetons remain an impressive backdrop to the valley

The popular Jenny Lake is still covered with ice in early May

Yellowstone National Park

This is the iconic Old Faithful Inn

The interior of the Old Faithful Inn is simply breathtaking

A huge crowd of visitors are awaiting the eruption of Old Faithful Geyser

As expected the Old Faithful eruption happens right on time

The Grand Prismatic Spring one of Yellowstone’s most colorful thermal features

Here is some of the hot runoff streaming from the Grand Prismatic Spring

This bison is strolling along the pathway at one of the geysers

I was surprised to find sandhill cranes in Lamar Valley

This herd of bison is relaxing in the Lamar Valley

Here is a lone bighorn sheep near Slough Creek

This is a newborn bison calf

This Yellowstone tour bus is easily identifiable

The Roosevelt Arch marks the North Entrance to Yellowstone

This is the roaring Upper Yosemite Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

The Yellowstone River is pouring over the Upper Falls

 

 
You can see that I packed quite a few activities into a few short days in these two national parks.

Can you tell that I thoroughly enjoyed the mini-vacation?

 
 
Written by Arnie Lee