Traveling Woodpecker

United States / 2021

May 21 – June 26, 2021 · Five-week motorcycle tour

Western USA

Five weeks across the West: the Black Hills and Devils Tower, the Beartooth country around Red Lodge, Yellowstone, Glacier, Idaho’s Sawtooths, Jackson Hole, the Colorado Rockies, and the canyon country of Utah on the way to Las Vegas.

miles planned
5,523
weeks
5
states
8
Route map of the ride
The whole loop as ridden, from Rapid City around the West to Las Vegas.

States

South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada

Before the ride · May 21–24

Las Vegas

The Palazzo, Las Vegas
The Palazzo, Las Vegas
Dinner in Las Vegas
Dinner in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Shooting Center
Las Vegas Shooting Center
On target
On target

Part 1 · May 24–26

Black Hills loop

206 mi

By way of

  • Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch, Hill City, SD
  • Wind Cave National Park, SD
  • Nemo, SD
  • Sturgis, SD
Landing in Rapid City
Landing in Rapid City
Hotel Alex Johnson, Rapid City
Hotel Alex Johnson, Rapid City
Breakfast in Rapid City
Breakfast in Rapid City
Downtown Rapid City
Downtown Rapid City
Picking up the Kawasaki Concours at Black Hills Powersports
Picking up the Kawasaki Concours at Black Hills Powersports
First look at Mount Rushmore
First look at Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch
Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch
Camp at Palmer Gulch
Camp at Palmer Gulch
Coffee at camp
Coffee at camp
Camp provisions
Camp provisions
The Needles Eye Tunnel on the Needles Highway
The Needles Eye Tunnel on the Needles Highway
Sturgis Harley-Davidson
Sturgis Harley-Davidson
The Knuckle Saloon, Sturgis
The Knuckle Saloon, Sturgis

Overnight

The Lodge at Deadwood, SD

Part 2 · May 27

Deadwood, SD Sheridan, WY

247 mi

By way of

  • Devils Tower, WY
Deadwood
Deadwood
Devils Tower
Devils Tower
Cool retro gauges
Cool retro gauges
The cabin at the Sheridan KOA
The cabin at the Sheridan KOA
The porch swing
The porch swing
Inside the cabin
Inside the cabin

Overnight

Sheridan / Big Horn Mountains KOA, WY

Part 3 · May 28

Sheridan, WY Red Lodge, MT

169 mi

The Red Box Car, Red Lodge
The Red Box Car, Red Lodge
Red Lodge Inn
Red Lodge Inn
Coffee at Cafe Regis, Red Lodge
Coffee at Cafe Regis, Red Lodge
Inside Cafe Regis
Inside Cafe Regis
Breakfast at Cafe Regis
Breakfast at Cafe Regis

Overnight

Red Lodge, MT

Part 4 · May 29 – Jun 1

Red Lodge, MT Missoula, MT

591 mi

By way of

  • Cody, WY
  • West Yellowstone, MT
  • Bozeman, MT
  • Hyalite Reservoir, MT
  • Staybridge Suites Missoula, MT
Open range toward Cody
Open range toward Cody
A cowboy-boot lamp in Cody
A cowboy-boot lamp in Cody
A German gasthaus in Cody
A German gasthaus in Cody
A home-cooked Korean dinner with a friend
A home-cooked Korean dinner with a friend
A friend fly fishing on the river
A friend fly fishing on the river
Breakfast in Helena
Breakfast in Helena
Staybridge Suites, Missoula
Staybridge Suites, Missoula
A Missoula taproom
A Missoula taproom
A beer by the river in Missoula
A beer by the river in Missoula

Part 5 · Jun 2–7

Missoula, MT Stanley, ID

1,038 mi

By way of

  • Whitefish, MT
  • West Glacier, MT
  • Essex, MT
  • Browning, MT
  • Great Falls, MT
  • Kamiah, ID
  • Homewood Suites Eagle–Boise, ID
Ice cream in the Mission Valley
Ice cream in the Mission Valley
Abruzzo, Whitefish
Abruzzo, Whitefish
The lodge in Whitefish
The lodge in Whitefish
Glacier Raft Co., West Glacier
Glacier Raft Co., West Glacier
Whitewater rafting near Glacier
Whitewater rafting near Glacier
Dinner in Missoula
Dinner in Missoula
The Lochsa River along US-12, over Lolo Pass
The Lochsa River along US-12, over Lolo Pass
Kamiah, Idaho
Kamiah, Idaho
Hearthstone Lodge, Kamiah
Hearthstone Lodge, Kamiah
Main street, Kamiah
Main street, Kamiah
Breakfast in Kamiah
Breakfast in Kamiah
Roadhouse Java, New Meadows
Roadhouse Java, New Meadows
Homewood Suites, Eagle
Homewood Suites, Eagle
Dinner near Boise
Dinner near Boise
Redfish Riverside Inn, Stanley
Redfish Riverside Inn, Stanley
The cabin at Redfish
The cabin at Redfish
The Salmon River
The Salmon River
The Sawtooths
The Sawtooths
Feet up on the deck
Feet up on the deck
On the deck in Stanley
On the deck in Stanley
My riding companion
My riding companion

Overnight

Redfish Riverside Inn, Stanley, ID

Part 6 · Jun 8–16

Stanley, ID Durango, CO

2,211 mi

By way of

  • Ketchum, ID
  • Salmon, ID
  • Wyoming Inn of Jackson Hole, WY
  • Red Bear Inn, Ennis, MT
  • Greek Creek Campground, Gallatin Canyon, MT
  • Cooke City-Silver Gate, MT
  • Rawlins, WY
  • Vail, CO
Horseback ride above Stanley
Horseback ride above Stanley
On horseback
On horseback
The Salmon River at Salmon
The Salmon River at Salmon
The motel in Salmon
The motel in Salmon
The Tetons
The Tetons
Wyoming Inn of Jackson Hole
Wyoming Inn of Jackson Hole
A morning boat ride on Jackson Lake
A morning boat ride on Jackson Lake
Main street, Ennis
Main street, Ennis
Ennis, Montana
Ennis, Montana
A local beer in Ennis
A local beer in Ennis
Burnt Tree Brewing
Burnt Tree Brewing
Burnt Tree Brewing crowlers to go
Burnt Tree Brewing crowlers to go
Lunch in Bozeman
Lunch in Bozeman
The Gallatin River
The Gallatin River
Greek Creek Campground, Gallatin National Forest
Greek Creek Campground, Gallatin National Forest
Camp by the Gallatin
Camp by the Gallatin
Cooking at camp
Cooking at camp
Around the campfire
Around the campfire
Soda Butte Lodge, Cooke City
Soda Butte Lodge, Cooke City
Cooke City Store
Cooke City Store
Vail
Vail

Part 7 · Jun 17–20

Durango, CO Las Vegas, NV

898 mi

By way of

  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, CO
  • Grand Junction, CO
  • Arches National Park, UT
  • Goulding's Lodge, Monument Valley, UT
  • St. George, UT
Ouray
Ouray
Main street, Ouray
Main street, Ouray
Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock
In Arches
In Arches
The road through Arches
The road through Arches
Monument Valley from Goulding’s
Monument Valley from Goulding’s
Goulding’s Lodge, Monument Valley
Goulding’s Lodge, Monument Valley
A cold beer in St. George
A cold beer in St. George
Indian dinner in St. George
Indian dinner in St. George
St. George
St. George
Cafe Sabor, St. George
Cafe Sabor, St. George

Overnight

Wynn Las Vegas

After the ride · Jun 20–26

Las Vegas

Parked at the Wynn
Parked at the Wynn
Encore, Las Vegas
Encore, Las Vegas
The suite at the Wynn
The suite at the Wynn
The bedroom
The bedroom
Resorts World, Las Vegas
Resorts World, Las Vegas
The sports book
The sports book
An old fashioned in Las Vegas
An old fashioned in Las Vegas
Cheers with friends
Cheers with friends
A cigar at Casa Fuente
A cigar at Casa Fuente
At the Venetian
At the Venetian
Resorts World at dusk
Resorts World at dusk

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