PHOTOS: Sturgis Is STILL A Massive Bike Rally Like No Other

In my uncle's younger days, he was a frequent flyer at the Sturgis Bike Rally. The stories and pictures that he and my cousin had from their time in South Dakota were incredible.

I couldn't wait to visit the legendary site someday. A couple of years ago, I got my first chance, and this year I was back cruising, walking, and enjoying a fantastic August day in Sturgis.

I remember that the stories that were told when I was a kid seemed like they were full of debauchery, fights, and craziness. When you get as many people roaming the streets and riding their bikes (now there are a lot of side-by-sides on the roads), you're going to get those wild times, usually at night.

Even though there are tense moments, it's still awesome to see people from all over the world cram into the small town of Sturgis. I saw a group of bikers from Australia walking with their riding club vests on. I saw bike plates from almost every state, including Alaska.

Riding a bike for a long distance was how many of the riders did it back in the day, but now it's a little different. Sure, you have the road dogs that are traditional and ride their bike, but a significant majority will bring their $500,000 RV and trailer set up.

They almost look like what a NASCAR team would haul their racecars to the next track. It's impressive to see the amount of money people spend on their toys.

Most of them would probably be pretty shocked if they were to visit Sturgis in a month that wasn't July, August, or September. There are only about 7,000 people who live there, and it doesn't look like a combination of a state fair, a circus, a carnival midway, and a gigantic music festival all wrapped up into one.

When I took my wife there the first time, she looked at me and asked the simple question..." Is this really Sturgis?"

I laughed and answered.."Yep!"

She didn't go with me this weekend due to having a job, but when I sent her this picture, she saw the Sturgis everyone talks about.

Her response was "Oh hell no, that looks awful!"

When I got home, I had to explain the appeal, excitement, and incredible time that people have. I relayed a couple of stories that I'd heard from people while there, and then I think she understood a little more.

Until you are actually in Sturgis, at the Buffalo Chip or Full Throttle, or see with your own eyes what it's all about, you never can understand. Everywhere you look, there are massive numbers of motorcycles, tents, and people.

It's incredible.

It's also a great place to meet people from Wyoming; about every third person I talked to downtown made the trip from Wyoming. I sat at one bar, and the group to my right was from Wyoming, and the guy on my left was from Wyoming.

When I sent my uncle a couple of pictures from my time at the rally, his response was one that anyone who's been there understands.

Watch out for the Buffalo! They'd like for me to come back because of all the money I've spent there over the years.