Warm-up for Custer in '09

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With the '09 National KawaNOW rally planned for Custer, SD, Waterman and I did a little unofficial scouting around there this past week.

Due to previous plans and a expressed desire on my wife's part to see the Black Hills this summer, which she never had, her and I did a 5-day trip there returning last night. This precluded my attending either the Western or Central rallies this year, which I truly do regret but made the best of it. We hooked up with Waterman in Custer Friday after he wrapped up a meeting in Rapid City.

I had some previous experiences in the region since growing up in rural Iowa it was a common family vacation area and had returned once about 25 years ago for a camping trip. But, have never been there as M/C riding destination, even though I did get to Sturgis once during bike-week but as a pedestrian.

About all I will say for now, and Waterman can fill in some gaps, but the riding there is fantastic, as some Sturgis attendees may have noticed. Plus, there are enough genuine local attractions for some engaging additional diversions over a period of several days. When I was a kid many of the advertised attractions there were just tourist traps but that has been clean up a lot.

Spent some time checking out motels and activities in and around Custer and looks like a outstanding location for the National rally. Could ramble on about more details of the possibilities there but that will come up more as next year's rally gets closer. Just a little teaser for those that haven't been there, but the 360 deg hairpins on Iron Mt road are a real kick, don't recall running into any of those even in Colorado.

Just a note to this year's Western Rally attendees, it got cool enough there one morning that we had to think about breaking out the cold weather gear.