Sturgis, South Dakota is a name gives bikers from around the country goose bumps. The Sturgis Bike Rally started with eighteen men in 1936 that got together, calling themselves the JackPine Gypsies. A year later, the Gypsies joined with another motorcycle club called the Rapid City Pioneers. Businessmen from the area decided they wanted to be part of the rally and so they formed the Black Hills Motor Classic. With the death of its founder, “Pappy” Hoel, the rally then changed hands to corporations.

The rally takes place in the beautiful Black Hills Mountains of South Dakota. Many bikers plan their trip a year in advance. This year, it will be the 69th anniversary. Since 1936, Sturgis has grown from a few races to several different kinds of races and rides. Choices range from The Mayor’s Ride to Motocross, as well as hill climbs and short track racing. There is a clubhouse, concession stands, and camping available at the infamous Buffalo Chip campground.

Several bands also stop in to perform for visitors. This year, the line-up includes Buck Cherry, Creedence Clearwater, and George Thorogood. There is also the Suicide Ride for Hope, which uses the proceeds to help prevent youth suicides in the Indian nation. In years past, the moving Vietnam Vet moving wall has made an appearance to remind everyone the debt paid for the freedom.

This year, to commemorate the history of the ride, visitors and groups alike can purchase granite pavers with their name to be place on the infamous Main Street. Collectible bricks to showcase in your home are also available. What better way to leave your mark at the biggest motorcycle rally in the nation?

What is probably the largest gathering of motorcycles in the United States began in the 1930s. It started with nine bikes and has grown ever since. The rally is held annually in South Dakota in the town of Sturgis, thus the name Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The original three day event has now evolved to the present day seven day wonder that encompasses races, rallies, beauty contests, club gatherings, music concerts, and everything else in between.

Sturgis is a stunning display of biker culture. If you want a bike, have a bike that needs a face lift, want emblems, major or minor bike repairs, this is the place to go. People also seem to shed their own skin and assume a new persona. Clothing and tattoos are available in abundance. The predominant motorcycle is of course the Harley Davidson, but that does not stop anyone else from showing up.

The home club for Sturgis is called the Jackpine Gypsies. They are a non-profit organization that donate much of their proceeds to area charities. The club owns all the property on which most of the races take place. Last year, the 68th rally attendance was down from previous years. High gas prices have been blamed and the hope is that this year will show an upswing in spite of the economy.

It seems that getting married is one of the things to do while at the Sturgis rally. Sixty six marriage licenses were issued in 2008. South Dakota and the Black Hills are known for Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse memorial. South Dakota has one of the highest concentrations of state and national parks which makes it perfect for camping, backpacking, hiking, fishing and other outdoor activities. Bike rides are scheduled through the state and national Parks during rally week.

Motorcycle travelers are growing and more are turning to the great outdoors to rest their heads. Motorcycle campers are constantly in search for new locations and sites. In nearly every state you'll find campsites that cater to the motorcyclist. They come in all fashions, from the large cruiser bikes that pull a fancy trailer packed with a tent and all their camping gear, to the dirt bike haulers that ride the wild trails. Many come back to one central campsite to rest up, cook a meal and gas up for more trails.

The road warrior comes on the big cruiser with the fully loaded camper. Their prepared to real in the sites and enjoy the best camping possible. Then there are the rough bikers that have little more than a blanket and pillow. They find what is needed along the way. Some campsites don't like the motorcycle camper and some camp sites lay out the red carpet. In some states, like Washington, the mountain scenic roads are the perfect place were you can pull off to the side of the road next to a mountain stream and pitch a tent. Beware of the rules off the land regarding open campfires.

A Lot of our national parks are a great place to stop and camp because they will provide a safe place to pitch a tent and start a campfire. Most of the state parks also provide showers and clean bathroom facilities. You should try to plan your route and call ahead to make sure they accept motorcycles. Some campsite don't like the two wheeled vehicles around. In any case, from Maine to California and from Florida to Alaska there are thousands of campsites to find and explore throughout this great country.

There are many tools to take with you on a camping trip, but when traveling by motorcycle, one needs to be thrifty and efficient, as there is not much space for packing on a motorcycle.

The most essential tools are a sleeping bag, tent, tool kit, cooking utensils, weather suit and storage facilities. There are two types of storage facilities for a motorcycle and they are hard storage container (panniers) and soft storage containers (saddlebags). Benefits of the hard storage containers are that they keep things dry, safe and can also protect your motorcycle in the event of an accident. However, the hard storage containers are cumbersome and sometimes hard to mount to your bike. Soft storage containers are easy to place on your motorcycle by throwing over the saddle. However, the soft storage containers do not keep your equipment dry when it rains and they don't hold form when filled.

If deciding to be one with nature, save some money and camp for the night, then the sleeping bag, tent and cooking utensils will be appreciated. You can get a good nights sleep and have a good cooked meal if you remember to buy something to cook. The weather suit will come in handy when and if you run into rain, snow or other bad weather conditions. They are easy to pack and don't take up too much room. The tool kit holds all your tools to help fix minor problems with your motorcycle; it is a very necessary package for the motorcyclist.

So, always remember to pack a tool kit, maps, a sleeping bag, tent, cooking utensils and extra money to buy those essentials you might need on your camping outing.

They say half the fun of Yellowstone National Park is getting there so start at Cody, Wyoming and after you visited the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum you go West to the Yellowstone National Park and come in at the East gate. This is closed in the winter, at Pahaska. Looking at a map and staying on this route to Lake Village you will have traveled around the Yellowstone Lake to West Thumb and on to the North to the Old Faithful Geyser. Further north you will be able to visit Obsidian Cliff, one of the most significant sources of Obsidian in North America.

You will soon come to the North Gate of Yellowstone National Park at the Mammoth Hot Spring. There are terraces of mineral rocks flowing with hot water. As you head on down to Tower Junction you will be able to see the petrified Tree and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The Yellowstone River flows through the canyon. The Yellowstone River is the longest river without a dam in North America, and that includes Canada and Mexico. You may have seen some of the magnificent mountain peaks, some of the most beautiful mountains in this country are in this area of the Rocky Mountains.

Further on you will see Inspiration Point and Artist Point and now you are almost back to Lake Village at the Yellowstone Lake. You have just passed the Mud Volcano, a heated pool of mud that burps every now and then. If you weren't too busy just traveling you may have had time to see some elk, grizzly bears, bison, or maybe a wolf and a high soaring Bald Eagle. If you could fit your fishing gear on your bike you may want to take advantage of the many rivers in Yellowstone and do some fly fishing for some trout.