We had been on the road for two days and stopped at dusk for gas at an Amoco 150 miles from Sturgis.
Our butts were numb and we were ready to find a place to sleep. This 20-something shaggy wire-rimmed glasses
guy who worked there cruised up and started talking to Anton about the bike and the area and where we could camp.
Those two were bros in five minutes and as it turned out, this guy named Mike Raybin, was out on work release from jail (doing time
for growing pot) and had a prairie home he needed checkin on. He asked us if we wanted to stay there and
proceeded to draw up a detailed map and gave us the key to his house in the middle of nowhere.
To tell you the truth, at first, I was super scared and creeped out and had images of hillbillys with box cutters swirling
around my head as we road over to Mike Raybin's. It was PITCH black and we were going about fifteen on a pitted
gravel road (not so great for a somewhat precariously packed rig). I even had to get off and walk the last quarter-mile
for fear we'd tip. I managed to get only a couple nighttime photos before my battery died.
I some how pulled it together and we pitched the tent along side the house but I REFUSED to look at
the house or go anywhere near the house. IT WAS WAY TOO BLAIR WITCH!!!! Anton just giggled at me.
What a relief to be in one piece and well rested in the morning. This place wasn't scary at all. In fact, it was
AWESOME and had full electrics so I could juice up the camera!
We hung out for a couple of hours. Had fancy camp coffee and took showers with a hose attached to
the well that pumped rusty water. Whatevez - it was still cleaner than we were.
I got to look after my burn. She was healin up real good!
My hair had been in a braid in a helmet in a rat's nest. I finally got to be a girl.
Before he got busted, Mike was restoring the house which had been in his family a hundred years.
View from the toilet.
Mike's room
I thought this was great because usually folks in old time photos look so serious but these guys are smiling.
That means they had to hold a smile for quite a while during the early photo taking process.
Mike's crap
We were nervous for a sec when this pickup drove down. But it was just Mike's mom coming to say hello. He had called her
from jail the night before and told her we were staying.
We finally got down to business and packed up. This routine took about an hour.
On our way out we got a good look at the mail boxes that were a featured landmark in Mike Raybin's map.