After a long career, this spring, I'm calling it quits. Wife and I are planning on hitting the road for a couple of months with our goal to get lost somewhere West of the Mississippi/East of the Pacific to visit friends and family. To generalize we plan to leave the mid-west following the Mississippi River to the Gulf, West to the Pacific, North to the Canadian border and East back toward home. Your opinions of must see and do areas, sites and roads along the way would be most appreciated.

 

I can't really help you with any info on what and where in the east or north, but I will tell you congratulations and I hope its a trip of a lifetime.


I can tell you that there is lots of info here on this site and many others. Just start looking around.

 

Great, i look forward to your reports, pics, videos.

 

Although I have not made the trip, I have had friends visit Clarksdale, MS and they had a blast. Visit Ground Zero Blues Club, Morgan Freeman co-owner. Stay at the Shack Up Inn, old sharecropper houses turned into overnight cabins. My friends told me one of the best trips they have ever made.


The battlefield at Vicksburg is a nice visit. Natchez is a nice town to visit with a lot of antebellum homes there.


I did ten national parks this year from Grand Canyon to Glacier. Utah has some nice parks. I did Yellowstone last year, my favorite.

 

Thanks Guys! Clarksdale sound like a Great stop after Memphis, I appreciate the input Grandslam. Planning on the Million Dollar Hwy on the way west and Tetons and Beartooth Pass on the northern return. If timing is right we will probably swing through Sturgis.

 

The main reason to stop in Clarksdale, MS. is to see the Delta Blues Museum. Muddy Waters cabin is inside on display. The Natchez Trace is a nice ride too.


Anyway I would suggest you buy a good atlas, then go over it on cold winter nights. Highlight every place or road you find interesting. Since you can't see them all on any single trip, you have a long list of places that you would like to see should you be in the area.


Then just head out with a very basic plan. You already have one, so start off heading south. Then if weather or a road turns bad, change direction and avoid the crap. If you meet someone on the road (you will) that tells you about a great twisty road, try it. I call it whim. It leads to serendipity. Be open to change and let the trip flow.


If you have the whole trip planned out, you have to stop here, you have to turn there, it will only be a road trip. Boring.


Make it an adventure.

 

You may want to consider going south via Arkansas. Spent a week there earlier this year. We home-based out of Eureka Springs and rode out each morning and back to Eureka each night. There ain't a straight road to be seen. On the way to Arkansas, go through southern Missouri across Table Rock Lake (beautiful area). If you want detailed info, send me a private message and I'll give the low down. Have fun on your dream trip.

 

Congrats on getting out of the rat race, and planning a long road trip to celebrate. My wife and I spent four months on a loop around the country after I retired, had a blast. The best part was not being on a schedule and not having a firm time we had to be home.

There's so many great roads to ride in this big country that even with 3-4 months to travel you still can't see it all, but here's a few that I consider "must see",

The obvious big attractions: National parks, (get a "senior Golden Age" pass from the park service, free entry to all the parks, discounts on other stuff), Yellowstone and Grand Teton, Zion, Brice and Arches, Yosemite, (be sure to ride to Glacier Point in Yosemite), Lassen and Redwood. The PCH from Santa Barbara CA. up into Oregon. Don't miss "the Avenue of the Giants" which parallels 101 in Northern CA.

Some lesser known great rides:

Route 36 from Ferndale to Lake Almanor in northern CA., 150 miles of sweepers through pine forests to the CA. central valley then back up into the mountains. If you like seriously twisty roads, you can zig-zag back and forth over the Sierra mountain passes on 108, 104, 4, 88 and 89 to Lake Tahoe. The "Tail of the Dragon" got nothin' on these roads!

I'd also avoid the interstates as much as possible, the two lane country roads are much more interesting, and the mom + pop restaurants in small towns have (usually) better food than the fast food crap along the main roads.

Be prepared for all kinds of weather. Even in the middle of summer the mountain passes can be cold while the valleys are hot, and the PCH can be foggy.

Good luck!

 

I appreciate the input Dead, Ave of the Giants sounds like a sight to see and it's right on our way. I have Family in Medford, OR so we'll probably us that as a home base for a while and run day rides out of that area.