I'm planning several long rides to take over the next several years before I hang up the gloves and bike. I usually try and develop a "theme" or purpose to these rides. I know a lot of the really popular ones like the "four corners," Route 66, Tail of the Dragon and the surrounding area, Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, Natchez Trail, Bad Lands, and etc. Some of those are on the list and some I've already done. I've created a couple of my own, a Civil War Battlefield tour through the Southeast, the Outer Banks and Wright Brothers, and Lewis and Clark. Anybody out there have any other thoughts or done any rides that have some specific historical, or regional significance they can share? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Key West (most southern point in US) to Deadhorse Alaska ( most northern point in US) you can make on a Harley

 

We pick a main destination, open the atlas and look for scenic routes then search for other activities, museums or areas about every 100 miles along the route. We ride on a fairly loose schedule (plans change along the way) and try and do a variety of different things.
Some of the stops we have made could have been part of a theme trip.
Lighthouses (the east coast, Great Lakes, Gulf or West Coast).
County Fairs, Casinos, Breweries, ball fields, national parks, Railroad Depots.
Maybe visit town with banks robbed by Jesse James, Dillinger or Bonnie and Clyde.
Somewhere there was a post about the route from the movie Easy rider. You could do similar with several movies.

 

I like the Civil War battlefields theme! Not so great for that out here though.

National Parks? That has pretty much been our theme for destinations since moving to Arizona. That and ghost towns when we can find paved roads.

 

spend a week riding around every state and province , collect flag patch for vest as you head off to the next state/province

oh for the time and money to do that

 

WTF, you plan on dying in a couple of years?

Never had a 'theme' just got on the bike and kinda went south, then east then north and back west. Never thought about it before but an interesting idea.

 

http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/201...adventure.html
Here is an awesome story for you to read. It will inspire you! Good luck with all your adventures!
Hatch.

 

In this past March I rode down through the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. In Florida We rode all over the state and down to the keys. I went with another buddy of mine. I guess you could call it the "visiting old friends" theme. Alot of guys I grew up with moved from Jersey down to the Carolinas and various places in Florida. I mapped out a two week trip to visit a whole bunch of guys I haven't seen in years. I planned it for 2 days at each house. Seeing how I haven't seen some of those guys in years (but kept in touch through e-mail), I didn't want to overstay my welcome. I figured two days each was enough time to catch up, hang out a little. It was a great trip.

 

One of my planned theme rides is a air and space ride. Plan on going through Huntsville Alabama, Pensacola Florida up to Wright Museum and then to the Air and Space Museum at the Smithstonian.

 

There's some cool ideas there guys thanks. No, I'm not dying or anything as Draconian as that. I've been riding for a long time, and after I retire I'd like to make these rides I create. After they're complete I'm probably going to start cruising the sailboat around the Caribbean and other places. I like riding, I really do, but it's not the only thing in my life and I'd like to get to them too before I'm too old and decrepit to do them. I've been blessed with a good life and a good woman to share it with. We've raced/restored sports cars, I still hold my instrument pilot's license that I use just enough to keep, I have a very comfortable cruising sloop that right now doesn't get used enough, except for little local cruises, and, my job has taken me to various parts of the globe I'd never have gotten to if they hadn't sent me there. So, at some point there's a chalk mark on the wall when I'll walk away from biking with tons of memories of my lady and me on various rides. That's all that meant.