Why Stay
surroundings are cold, I am cold. I attain warmth
from being in close proximity to warm things. He
Anywhere Else?
awoke the next morning to find me on top of him,
covered in every available piece of clothing that I
had packed in attempt to survive the outside tem-
story by Stephanie Wilcoxson perature that had fallen to somewhere in the forties.
photos by Loney and Stephanie Wilcoxson (Have I mentioned how much I hate camping?)
Although our bright spirits were somewhat
My initiation into the I’ve Been to Sturgis Club dimmed and our energy levels were somewhat
happened in 2002. As a Sturgis virgin, I wanted to lower than the day before, we set out still looking
see and experience first-hand all that I had heard forward to the week ahead of us. Within hours,
about, read about, and watched on TV. Just the however, my anticipatory positive spirit turned into
word Sturgis conjured up visions of debauchery complete and utter despair. The cool front that
with no limits or boundaries and unadulterated had moved in overnight had brought with it a cold
freedom from established rules and social expec- drizzling rain. (Have I mentioned we didn’t pack
tations. As somewhat of a voyeur, I couldn’t wait. our leather gear?) We did, fortunately, have
In addition to being procrastinators, we were cheap, flimsy rain suits that we hadn’t expected to
financially challenged (poor) that year, so, in spite need, so, in order to prevent my reptilian body
of my disdain for camping, we bought a tent and from freezing to death, we stopped at a local dis-
reserved camping sites at two campgrounds, the count store somewhere in South Dakota and
first, a KOA in Iowa, and the second, Bobby spent a portion of our somewhat limited discre-
Whitaker’s Motorcycle Campground in Belle tionary funds on a warm turtleneck, a fleece jacket,
Fourche, SD. I’m not sure if we were optimistic or and gloves for me to wear under my cheap rain
simply ignorant, but we did not bring our full suit. Remember all those really cute, sexy outfits I
leather gear on that first trip. The temperature was had packed to wear that had taken up space in our
near 100 at our house near Kansas City, MO saddle bags? Well, I lost interest in wearing them.
when we departed; storage capacity was limited If it wasn’t made of fleece and didn’t have long
in the saddlebags on our Fat Boy, and I needed the sleeves, it wasn’t of any use to me. We continued
extra space for my hair dryer and all of my really on our journey for what seemed like days. In ac-
cool, sexy summer outfits that I had planned to tuality, that first leg of the journey might have been
wear in Sunny Sturgis. We headed out after work 50 miles. We stopped for coffee and a warm-up
on a Friday night, high on the anticipation of the break every hour all day long. The rain contin-
fun that we were going to have. ued—never a soaking, blinding downpour, but a
Funny how the temperature tends to drop as continual, drizzling, chill-to-the bone rain. On the
one heads north. We finally arrived at our KOA bright side, we did become acquainted with many
campground near midnight, after having missed an convenience stores and cafes along I-90. If you
exit or two, with temperatures falling at a record ever need to know where to get a good cup of cof-
pace. (Did I mention we had not packed our fee on your way to the Rally, ask us; we know.
leather gear?) We also had not packed any warm When we finally made it to our destination,
clothing. After assembling a tent at midnight and at- Belle Fourche, we stopped to ask directions to our
tempting to find a comfortable spot on the cold campground. The store clerk somewhat hesitantly
ground, we managed to sleep a few hours. As a told us how to find it. Apparently, it was well known
side note, my husband refers to me as a reptile. Not in those parts. The clerk’s ambivalence wasn’t a
that I look like one, but my body temperature regu- good sign. We had chosen this campground based
lation mechanism resembles that of a lizard. If my on an Internet ad. Again, ignorance, or optimism?
Wide Open 49
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