Dakota Jam -- Perfect Stopover for Sturgis!

Hey, bikers! As you gear up for the big ride to the 67th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, be sure to add a stopover at Madison's Prairie Village to your travel plans. If you're coming through on Saturday, August 4, you can catch Dakota Jam, a great outdoor concert where you can boogie or unwind (or both!) after a long day's ride.

What's so great about coming to Prairie Village for Dakota Jam on the way to Sturgis?

1. $10 in advance, $15 at the gate gets you seven hours (5 p.m. to midnight) of music!
   
2. Three bands: Too Drunk to Fish, Poker Alice (no site of their own, but here's a quick synopsis of their eclectic repertoire), and Eclipse.
3. Get there early! Tour the Village, see old tractors, trains, and pioneer buildings (seen a sod house lately?)
4. Stay late... like overnight! Prairie Village has cheap camping: $10 for a spot, $13 if you want electricity. Party all evening, then just walk right back to the campsite and conk out for a good night's sleep under the stars. You can also camp at Lake Herman State Park or get a room in Madison, both just a couple miles away.
   
5. See Lake Herman! It's gorgeous! Go for a swim!
   
6. Dakota Jam is selling beer (though who needs beer to have a good time?).
   
7. Find Jesus! No, really -- get up Sunday morning and get some Good News right at Prairie Village in the old Junius church before you hit the road. Or, if you can wait a couple hours, ride over to the Lake Herman State Park Amphitheatre for a sunny outdoor service.
   
8. Ride Highway 34! Let everyone else deal with the traffic and cookie-cutter truck stops on I-90; have a wide-open adventure on a great country road. See the surprising view at Wessington Springs, roar by the Capitol, admire the majestic Cheyenne River Valley, and ride through the high country right by Bear Butte and right into Sturgis. A good day's ride (365 miles) through the heart of South Dakota -- there is no better route to the Rally!

No, I'm not working for the Chamber, and they're not paying me to blog (though they should be!). It just occurs to me that with Dakota Jam, camping, and the other pleasures and treasures of Lake County, Prairie Village is the perfect stopover for bikers looking to get away from the roads more traveled and have a fun trip. So Rally riders, stop by Madison! We'll be glad to have, and you'll be glad you came.