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Usa!

Chaos

Well-known member
Here we go...

I am planning a long trip around the USA, with my 09 Ducati Monster, so paved roads will be the way for me to go - no adventuring.

The very rough route is to first travel north from Toronto to Seattle. From there I will go south to Los Angeles. From there, I will travel back to the east coast (Tennessee, Carolinas) and then back home.

I am allocating 6 weeks for the trip in August and September (I could also move it to 8 weeks). This will allow me to have some time in cities, and venture off the major roadways. I admit to want to ride the popular roads - pacific coast highway, tail of the dragon, and blue ridge parkway. I want to average about 500 kms a day. That gives me enough time to ride and stop to take pictures of interesting things when I come across them.

I am using this site as a resource for looking at specific roads to travel:

http://www.motorcycleroads.com/best/?s=75

I am planning my route in phases. At the moment, I am currently working on the Toronto to Seattle phase.

So far, I have the following:

https://goo.gl/maps/qGNU5iVpXVM2

The highlights are:

1. http://www.motorcycleroads.com/75/676/Wyoming/Chief-Joseph-Scenic-Highway-Bighorn-Mountains.html

2. http://www.motorcycleroads.com/75/356/Wyoming/Beartooth-Pass.html

3. http://www.motorcycleroads.com/75/634/Washington/Highway-20-Washington-Pass.html

Any advice/suggestions on my trip and/or my first phase in particular? Once that is finalized, I will start to focus on phase 2 - Seattle to LA (via San Francisco)
 
We came back east along 90 from Spokane WA in 08 with our travel trailer. I remember much of Wisconsin, South Dakota and Minnesota being pretty boring for the most part, we expressed through. Going westbound, When you get to Wyoming it gets interesting.

I was going to suggest 14 or 14A between Sheridan and Yellowstone, I see you've already mapped that. We took 14 and it was an adventure - I'd have taken 14A however it was "strongly discouraged" for those towing RV's, particularly people like us with about 20K gross weight. 14 turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip, the pass through the Bighorn mountain range was awesome and I hear 14A is more adventurous. Definitely do your homework and make sure you're ready for the day before heading off on this stretch - there is NOTHING for many, many hours and miles of twisties, and don't rush, you could do a Thelma and Louise very easily. I would 110% not do this stretch at night - we ended up spending the night at the scenic outlook overlooking Sheridan WY simply because it was too hairy dodging all the deer and wildlife on the highway after dark and the stretch took us way longer than anticipated between stops to let the truck (and trailer brakes) cool down, but also sightseeing. We were in no rush.

My suggestion would be to drop down to 14 from 14A once you get to Clark (assuming you want the more adventurous 14 vs 14A to begin with), head down to Cody, and take 14 through Yellowstone and then 191 & 90 back up to I90 - the trip through Yellowstone, even if only it's a day trip for you (although you really need a few days to take it all in) is worth it, even if you just do Old Faithful and some of the other more popular tourist spots.
 
I did something like that in 1990, except we went across Canada on the way out, down the west coast, then back through Arizona, Utah, Colorado. Same August-September timeframe. There was no internet back then for route planning and there was no such thing as a digital camera.

500 km per day should be good; that's about what we did.

On the west coast, take the coast highway all the way down - US 1. Avenue of the Giants. Alice's Restaurant. Skyline Drive. When you get to the LA area - Latigo Canyon Road, from Ojai along CA 33 to Lockwood Valley Road, Angeles Crest Highway, Ortega Highway to Lake Elsinore, Mount Palomar. Lots of places to explore.
 
Sounds like fun. It doesn't seem like you'll need to to get over the wall on your way back, since the Presidential election there, isn't until November 8th.
 
Wave if you see a blue Honda VTX1800R. I will be doing the same trip, but in the opposite direction during the same timeframe. Cheers...
 
If you are riding to Seattle one of my favorite roads is Going to the Sun Road that cuts through Glacier National Park in Montana. It's stunning.

I'm a huge Kubrick fan and it was the road used the opening scenes of The Shining. Here is a good link http://youtu.be/W8jruo-iYZk

You can also stay at the Timberline lodge that was used for all the exterior shots. That's a little further east near Mount Hood.

Another road I like is Hwy 1 in California from Eureka down to just north of the golden gate. I just did it yesterday and all the crappy sections south of Stinson Beach have been repaved.

You will be going in the right direction for both.

I would also recommend Hwy33 down into Ventura.
 
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Did a similar run 3 years ago.
From San Fran we ran through Sacramento to Lake Tahoe. The view of the lake from the top of the hill is inspiring.
Through the High Sierra part of California and to Vegas via Death Valley.
While in Vegas, over to Hoover Dam, then north to Utah to Bryce's Canyon and Zion National Park. These are two areas that must be seen to be believed.
Alternate route from Vegas is Route 66 in Arizona.
Through Colorado to Yellowstone, then to Sturgis SD. Do not go during the festival, its a zoo.
Mt. Rushmore is near Sturgis. The back road from Mt. Rushmore to Deadwood SD is a great ride.

Enjoy.
 
If you are riding to Seattle one of my favorite roads is Going to the Sun Road that cuts through Glacier National Park in Montana.

^^^ +1.

The Shining. LOL. "Hi Lloyd, A little slow tonight, isn't it?"

If you are riding from Toronto to Seattle its a must. I like riding it west to east though. I suggest that you ride it one way, then turn around and ride it the other. You have to have a head for heights :)

Also bring some hiking shoes/boots. There are some great trails a few hundred feet above the road.

When I was living in Vancouver this was always one of our long weekend trips.

As you head further west from Whitefish make sure you take the Tally Lake, Start Meadows and Griffin Creek loop, and then 36, 763 and 37 over to Montana 2.
 
Absolutely do the PCH + Yosemite and area. Check out this web page http://www.pashnit.com/ and his ride section http://www.pashnit.com/motoroads.htm + http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/MosquitoRidge.htm (sample) for a wealth of info and good curvy roads.

I'm slightly biased as I admit I love California and I'd be inclined to spend more time there than elsewhere. The Dragon and the BRP are several days away from TO and you can do these anytime. If I had 6 - 8 weeks ( you lucky devil) I'd be heading for the west coast ASAP and then spending 4 - 6 weeks cruising back roads in BC, Washington, Oregon and then California in particular.
 
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You've got enough time, why not ride the Canadian Rockies for a week - hit Chief Joseph, Beartooth Yellowstone after going across S Dakota, then up to Glacier National Park then swing north on any number of routes through Banff and Jasper, take the Yellowhead to the Cassiar and catch Hyder/Steward

Then over to the coast and take the inside passage ferry to Vancouver Island...ride it for a few days ...across to the Pacific then to Seattle

Catch Rainier ( so huge !!! )

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and Mount St Helens and then switch over to the PCH ( can be very foggy on the PCH - you can see the fog bank off shore ...if it comes in you do NOT want to be on that highway on a bike)

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down as far as St Luis Obispo. Make sure you hit the Science Centre in San Fran and do the coast just north of San Fran as well....superb twists,

You should be able to get Yosemite in there as well
 
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Going to the Sun Road that cuts through Glacier National Park in Montana. It's stunning.

Couldn't agree more. Its probably the most beautiful spot I've been to in North America.

The thing I found amazing is the sky, I guess there is a reason they call it Big Sky Country. When you look straight up its almost black, its like staring into space.

I had to go to Malmstrom AFB in Montana in the summer of 2014 for training and I took the GS. That road starts at St. Mary which is about 2 hours North of Malmstrom so I would ride up cut through Glacier National Park and come back along 2. Great times.

Its worth going out of your way just to say you did it. Do search on ADVrider.

EDIT: As mentioned West to East is best. You are right at the edge. Great views :)
 
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I couldn't get the Google maps link to work, so apologies if you have this already covered.

If you're heading West, go through SD. Hit the Badlands. Hit Wall Drug (you will have seen signs for it for 500 miles). Hit 16A on your way to Mount Rushmore - trust me on this, it can be crowded, but it's an amazing road. Hit Crazy Horse National Monument - stay for the interpretive film that explains exactly what they are doing, how they have refused any public funding because they want to stay true to their vision.

Spend the night in Cody, and go to the rodeo. They are the self-proclaimed rodeo capital of the world, and you haven't lived until you've seen 50 young country children set loose chasing after a couple of startled calves with ribbons tied to their tails. It's a spectacle.

Beartooth is on your list - good.

Personally, I'd skip Yellowstone. The traffic through the park is unreal, and once you get into it, you can't really get out of it. I got trapped in there and Old Faithful wasn't really worth all the sweating I did as I waited in traffic. And the park is spectacular, it's just that the best parts can't be seen from the road. And what you see from the road is ok - but it'll be a bit meh if you're used to Northern Ontario and Algonquin and the like. Maybe it's just me, but the hoardes of stupid tourists towing trailers and stopping every time they see a frickin animal on the side of the road just ruins that area for me.
 
I've done alot of trips going out west and back and east and south ...

Perhaps I missed it in your post but I didn't see a time frame you were going ? It is worth checking out is to check the national park road closures to ensure they are open... someone mentioned going to the sun road ... while cool, it doesn't usually open until June or possibly July ... link here :

http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gttsrfaq.htm

just check to make the area's you are going to will be open. pack some gear in case it gets cold as you cross the rockies. no word of a lie, I went with some friends in 2012 and at Rocky Mountain N.P. near Denver we went up it and it was SNOWING in late July. I had to contend with about 3 inches of snow towards the top. It was either push on through the next 12 miles to get out of the storm or take a 300 mile detour around.
 
I concur on Yellowstone but it's still worth while....just stay away from the weekends and mind your fuel level. It is not a riding area....it IS a tourist area that leads to a couple of very nice riding areas......Beartooth and Chief Joseph

Old Faithful is not a necessity either unless you are due for a break.....there are lots of other amazing areas in the park.
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you decide
https://picasaweb.google.com/113408714888195024530/Yellowstone#

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Also layering for sure ....we were snowed/freezing rain in Glacier National Park in mid June out of a blue sky - it was suddenly a horrid snow squall.
 
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