Getting ready for a road trip

[06GTYUP]

We leave for SMR (Sturgis Mustang Rally) in 12 days and am in the process of deciding what does or doesn't get packed in the trunk. Change of clothes are overrated right? I mean come on, we need the five gallons of speed shine and 100 towels.

Anyway I am getting the trusty iPod ready and it made me remember a thread we had going before the 09 trip and what music would we be listening to. I loved that thread, I made an MAA 09 playlist from that and there are certain people that come to mind when different songs play. I just posted on the SMR site to see if anyone there will share what they will listen to but that board is very very very quiet (lots of views of topics, not many responses) so we will see.

Did I mention 12 days to go?:drool5:

[Iron Mike]

Sturgis was still there on July 12th as Sue and I had left Seattle heading back towards home. I envy your going to the Black Hills. That area was our absolute favorite of the whole trip. I drove from Belle Fourche around SD 24 to the Devils Tower, and we enjoyed that drive more than the Black Hills Parkway...little traffic and roads with curves. I would make sure I had rain gear and a hat. We just about didn't see Mount Rushmore because of the low clouds and rain. Had to spend an extra day to see it...the Monumental Breakfast at the main dinning facility is killer. As for music, I heard everything from Loretta Lynn to Nails. I wish I had spent more time around Deadwood. I think the locals do what they want to do in Sturgis. If you need an emergency dose of civilization, bust on down to Rapid City if you need something to eat other than beer and don't want to finance your food.

Forget the five gallons of Speed Shine, and run by and pickup some spray wash. Not many car washes that I saw.

Have a safe trip!

Below: Sue finally sees Rushmore through the clouds and the Devil's Tower.

[06GTYUP]

Thanks for the advice! Those are great pictures with a very very clear shot of Devils Tower.

[MustangSally300]

Renea, that thread was awesome - is it gone? That was before the site crash and rebuild right? I'd love to go back and make that music lineup.

[06GTYUP]

I do believe it is gone because yes, it was before the site crash. The other thread I would love to have again is the things you say to an officer when you are caught speeding and something about being the decoy. Sad Days.

[MustangSally300]

That's funny. Who was it in the convertible with the camera on the roll bar when they got pulled over on 40 in Texas?

[MustangSally300]

Renea, did you notice there are Disneyland advertisements on this site? They just encouraged me to go to the Trick-or-Treat party :driving: get in the car and drive Renea, you can do it

[Doug Gompertz]

That's funny. Who was it in the convertible with the camera on the roll bar when they got pulled over on 40 in Texas?

If you are talking about the Birmingham trip, that wasn't 40 it was 20 and it was a Roush Speedster from Walnut Creek California. He was doing over 100, but got lucky and only ticketed for 80.

[drtdncn]

Hi, Renea!! Glad to see your post. So how was the SMR?? Randy & I are kicking around doing that in 2012 to celebrate our b-days next year (the next one to end in a 0... ugh!) We've wanted to do a road trip around that area to see the same things Sue & IronMike posted pix of above, and of course, visit Deadwood. I've been looking at an SMR site, and even checked some hotel rooms for rates online for that weekend, but they said "nothing available". Do you think a majority of the rooms are already booked up and I'm too late?!

[drtdncn]

I love the pix, Mike and Sue!

[MustangSally300]

Hi, Renea!! Glad to see your post. So how was the SMR?? Randy & I are kicking around doing that in 2012 to celebrate our b-days next year (the next one to end in a 0... ugh!) We've wanted to do a road trip around that area to see the same things Sue & IronMike posted pix of above, and of course, visit Deadwood. I've been looking at an SMR site, and even checked some hotel rooms for rates online for that weekend, but they said "nothing available". Do you think a majority of the rooms are already booked up and I'm too late?!

They may not have bookings open that far in advance, I doubt they would be booked up already

[MustangSally300]

If you are talking about the Birmingham trip, that wasn't 40 it was 20 and it was a Roush Speedster from Walnut Creek California. He was doing over 100, but got lucky and only ticketed for 80.

hmmmm I could've sworn it was on 40, was there more than one car with a camera up top?

[06GTYUP]

Hi Jan!

We had a blast at SMR. It was our third time to do it and the last one for a couple of years so we can explore other parts of the country. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and didn't make our reservations until February but I would urge you to make them by January. We stayed four days at that hotel for four days and it was under $600 even with taxes.

We had stayed at Days Inn the first two years with the first year being great and the next time it was awful...one thing being the maid wanting to clean our room at 8:30am while someone was in the shower and when I asked her to come back in an hour she told me it was now or never as she was busy. And then they left notes in all rooms forbidding us to use their scratchy towels on our cars and there are other things that just made us say we wouldn't be staying there again.

Holiday Inn will bend over backwards for you and they leave the hose out for you to wash your car and a box to put the used hotel towels from washing the cars. And while it is literally across the street from Days Inn, it is a better location.

SMR starts registration in January/Febuary so after the first of the year start looking at their website daily. We have gotten low numbers every year (under 30) and wear them as badges of honor.

We took a group of 7 cars over to the rally and it was a lot of fun for Tony and I to see everything again but through other peoples eyes and they got the tour of all tours as due to family that live in the area we have visited often and know lots of backroads to get where we need to go.

I encourage you to take extra time to do more than just the rally as you won't have time to do much if you throw yourself in all their activities. We took extra days and went to Crazy Horse (add on the bus tour to see the back of Crazy horse, lots of info, you get really close and it is only $4 a person) and the badlands state park, Wall Drug, Mt. Rushmore and we also did a Chuckwagon supper which was fabulous. We did the drive that takes you through custer state park wildlife loop where mules will lick your car clean and needles highway where you go through some tunnels that you can reach out and touch the sides. In Deadwood we took a bus tour up to the cemetary that took about an hour or so. Yes, the books say you can walk it, yes, the books say it is steep. What the books don't tell you is that it is so steep you need to be in pretty good shape to do it and you will still huff and puff. The car museum inside one of the casinos is short and sweet but does have Magnum P.I's ferrari. Lots of quaint shops to go in and if you go to Reno or Vegas the casinos will seem very mini but very easy to get on a machine or in a game. They have some terrific tourist things to do and see...unfortunetely they are done by the time we get there for the rally.

I encourage you and Randy to take the road trip and have lots of fun along the way. Here are some of my http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150315760708330.366098.764403329&l=26fc06448f&type=1 pictures from the trip, that actually shows more about the trip and the grandson than the car show (sorry about that)

[06GTYUP]

I suppose if someone SPONSERED my trip it would be so super easy to get in the pony and drive. Hmmm.....I don't think that is going to happen this year.


Renea, did you notice there are Disneyland advertisements on this site? They just encouraged me to go to the Trick-or-Treat party :driving: get in the car and drive Renea, you can do it

[Iron Mike]

Wall Drug...I want more of their black walnut ice cream...

[luckyman2002]

Wall Drug...I want more of their black walnut ice cream...

It's funny we talk about Wall Drugs and people that have not been there are probably trying to figure out what the fuss is. This place sells everything and their donuts well a slive of heaven.

[06GTYUP]

I am so busy stuffing my face with their donuts that I have never tried the ice cream. Maybe next time...oh but the donuts...mmm...

[06GTYUP]

It's funny we talk about Wall Drugs and people that have not been there are probably trying to figure out what the fuss is. This place sells everything and their donuts well a slive of heaven.

I wonder if they ship? Nah, we bought extra and the next day they aren't as good.

[blueone]

MMMMMM Donuts....

[MustangSally300]

I wonder if they ship? Nah, we bought extra and the next day they aren't as good.

Unlike Fairytale Brownies which ship just fine! lol

[06GTYUP]

This is true, even if it does take them a week to get there!

[drtdncn]

Thanks for the all info, Renea. Sounds & looks like fun and things we'd like to do, too. We'd probably need to plan for at least 14days, minimum, from our front door and back again to see and do it all, I think... we did 20 days for the 45th run and this would be a shorter trip for us, mileage-wise. Maybe make a
'base camp" at a hotel and make day (long day?) trips to see some of the sites. And thanks, Everyone, for defining Wall Drug (I was thinking "huh?! something new people are doing??" lol) I think someone should call them and see if they'll make a black walnut donut for next year's SMR weekend or a "donut w/black walnut ice cream sandwich". My mouth started to water when I read about both! (and your grandson's cute! :) My 4 may have to do without some " extra goodies from Nanna" next year, so she can mail them post cards from SD!!) Talk to you soon...

[luckyman2002]

You know just looking at a map I thought I was a lot closer to Sturgis then you two but after plugging our hometowns into Mapquest I see I'm only 120 miles or about 2 hours closer....with the MCA shows being where they are next year I doubt if I will make Sturgis for a few more years...lol




Thanks for the all info, Renea. Sounds & looks like fun and things we'd like to do, too. We'd probably need to plan for at least 14days, minimum, from our front door and back again to see and do it all, I think... we did 20 days for the 45th run and this would be a shorter trip for us, mileage-wise. Maybe make a
'base camp" at a hotel and make day (long day?) trips to see some of the sites. And thanks, Everyone, for defining Wall Drug (I was thinking "huh?! something new people are doing??" lol) I think someone should call them and see if they'll make a black walnut donut for next year's SMR weekend or a "donut w/black walnut ice cream sandwich". My mouth started to water when I read about both! (and your grandson's cute! :) My 4 may have to do without some " extra goodies from Nanna" next year, so she can mail them post cards from SD!!) Talk to you soon...

[drtdncn]

@Brian: I thought you'd have been closer than that, too. And I'll have to consult our MCA Mustang Mag for dates of their gatherings next year, in case one's in our area.

@Everyone re: Wall Drug: Randy & I were enjoying our morning coffee this AM and channel surfing til it was gone. A show called "Extreme Roadside Adventures" caught our eye on the listings, and even though it was half over, we clicked it, and the man was talking about and showing jack-a-lopes and then the narrator said ".... inside Wall's you'll find...." !!!! This time yesterday, I'd never heard of the place til this thread; today, I got a peek inside of it for the remaining minute of the segment but all they showed were the stuffed animals and I kept hoping they'd show a donut or a scoop of BW ice cream!! maybe they'd already talked about them (and then i looked forward on the guide for another showing of the segment today, and wouldn't you know, today's the day they're not repeating just a handful of programs every 4-5 hours!! rats! now i'll have to google wall's.... :) )

[Mustang 3]

MMMMMM Donuts....

Obvious cop response............................

[06GTYUP]

Now all you need is to see a mini van with a bumper sticker that says "where the hell is Wall drug" and you will be one step closer on your education of Wall Drug. LOL

From my front door to downtown Sturgis it is 1,178 miles and a mere 18 hours non stop.