Planning 5,400+ mile trip.. I have questions
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2006
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From:
Around the MS/AL/TN area, I would consider riding part or all of the Natchez Trace Trail, which is 440 miles of National Park Service with no commericial traffic allowed. Very scenic and relaxing ride. Starts in Vicksburg, MS and ends at Nashville, TN. Several interstate crossings that you could at least ride some of it instead of the boing interstates. As another option, instead of going thru Nashville, go thru Chattanooga and Knoxville, TN instead and take in the Cherohala Skyway (one of the top 10 scenic Byways of America) or Deals Gap (311 curves in 11 miles fame). Jerry
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 318
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From: Houston area
Scary, it's one of the best rides ever and well worth the detour.
Just make sure you've got a full tank, it's a long ride and no gas.
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
Yeah, and we spent 3 days in Sturgis and wasted at least another day in there. 2 of us had to get rear tires.
Advice....there's a place in Cody, WY (Cody Custom Cycle I believe) that does a great job on getting you hooked up with tires. Jackson Hole charged my buddy about $100 more for the same tire. I got my tire in Cody and immediately hit Bear Tooth Pass. There was still snow up there even in August...
Also, there's a nice hotel in Cody called The Cody that had a great deal for us when we got there. We camped about half the trip, but was nice to hit a motel / hotel periodically. This place was plush to say the least, but wasn't really that much more than a motel. Buddy's wife was our travel agent on the road. She was stationary in Florida as we rode. Hotels.com etc are your friend.
Advice....there's a place in Cody, WY (Cody Custom Cycle I believe) that does a great job on getting you hooked up with tires. Jackson Hole charged my buddy about $100 more for the same tire. I got my tire in Cody and immediately hit Bear Tooth Pass. There was still snow up there even in August...
Also, there's a nice hotel in Cody called The Cody that had a great deal for us when we got there. We camped about half the trip, but was nice to hit a motel / hotel periodically. This place was plush to say the least, but wasn't really that much more than a motel. Buddy's wife was our travel agent on the road. She was stationary in Florida as we rode. Hotels.com etc are your friend.
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
If you head west out of Natchez, I would stay on US84 until you reach Tullos & go south on US 165 about 14 miles to LA123 & go right/west (which will become LA8) and cross US71, follow 8 west across I-49, then go north on LA119 until you reach the Longleaf trace through Kisatchie Nat'l Forest, take this west and stop at the Longleaf vista for a short walk around. Continue west on the trail to LA117 and go north to LA6 at Hagewood. You can take LA6 west over Toledo bend reservoir into Texas. Then right after you get in Texas, follow Texas 87 north back to US 84 and continue west. Around Rusk, where it crosses US69 is very nice for east Texas. I would continue west on US84 through Waco going west avoiding all of the Houston and Dallas problems. This will surely be pretty much your faster & nicest way from Mississippi to the other side of Houston/Dallas and the whole east Texas traffic problem. I've done these routes several times for the same purpose...
Thanks folks, Ralph
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
Around the MS/AL/TN area, I would consider riding part or all of the Natchez Trace Trail, which is 440 miles of National Park Service with no commericial traffic allowed. Very scenic and relaxing ride. Starts in Vicksburg, MS and ends at Nashville, TN. Several interstate crossings that you could at least ride some of it instead of the boing interstates. As another option, instead of going thru Nashville, go thru Chattanooga and Knoxville, TN instead and take in the Cherohala Skyway (one of the top 10 scenic Byways of America) or Deals Gap (311 curves in 11 miles fame). Jerry
On another note... I love your X-bones... that bike is the coolest HD ever!
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
I'm going to do what DessertClassic suggested:
"I would ride Roswell, Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Las Cruces, Hatch, Hillsboro, Silver City, Alpine Az, to Flagstaff. That way you will stay off the major slabs and will see some great country. If you have not see white sands monument, it is a nice thing to do. Enjoy the trip.
'
"I would ride Roswell, Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Las Cruces, Hatch, Hillsboro, Silver City, Alpine Az, to Flagstaff. That way you will stay off the major slabs and will see some great country. If you have not see white sands monument, it is a nice thing to do. Enjoy the trip.
'
I'm planning on starting on starting a trip next week and first night should be around Carlsbad, NM. Then through the park, on to White Sands, then to Silver City - into Arizona where I will go up US 191 from Guthrie to Eager, then west on AZ260 to Cottonwood, north on AZ89A to Flagstaff. Then up US180 to AZ64 & follow that to Grand Canyon and back east to US89 & go north.
I have a question, is it nicer to take US89 west towards Zion Nat'l Park in Utah, or (alt) US89, even though North rim of Canyon is still closed?
From Hurricane, UT I am planning on taking about the same ride described in this thread - except after leaving Arches and Moab... will take UT128 northeast to I-70, then east to Grand Junction, CO passing through Colorado Nat'l Monument. Then we will go south on CO141 to Naturita, southeast on CO145 to Placeville, east on CO82 to Ridgeway, then south on US550 to Durango. Then time, money, and weather will determine the route back home.
Wondering if I'm missing anything or if I've got it pretty much worked out? Or if there are any little stops I really should not miss along this route? Since this is basically the same out west as the trip this thread is all about... In NM, I'm still wondering weather I should take US 82 from Artesia to Alamagordo - or take US70 from Roswell back towards Alamagordo, what y'all think is better & anything interesting along there?
Thanks.
And no problem, did no research to get you those LA roads, just looked for the numbers as I've been down all of 'em probably over 100 times
I have a question, is it nicer to take US89 west towards Zion Nat'l Park in Utah, or (alt) US89, even though North rim of Canyon is still closed?
From Hurricane, UT I am planning on taking about the same ride described in this thread - except after leaving Arches and Moab... will take UT128 northeast to I-70, then east to Grand Junction, CO passing through Colorado Nat'l Monument. Then we will go south on CO141 to Naturita, southeast on CO145 to Placeville, east on CO82 to Ridgeway, then south on US550 to Durango. Then time, money, and weather will determine the route back home.
Wondering if I'm missing anything or if I've got it pretty much worked out? Or if there are any little stops I really should not miss along this route? Since this is basically the same out west as the trip this thread is all about... In NM, I'm still wondering weather I should take US 82 from Artesia to Alamagordo - or take US70 from Roswell back towards Alamagordo, what y'all think is better & anything interesting along there?
Thanks.
And no problem, did no research to get you those LA roads, just looked for the numbers as I've been down all of 'em probably over 100 times
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
On another note, I just dropped my king off at the dealer for a 40K mile checkup and fluid change. I'm also having a Chrome front end put on and some floating brake rotors on the front. I had to have them put new rubber on for me so I figured that I'd just let them do my service stuff for me so I don't have to mess around with it before I leave. I'm also jazzed up about the new floating rotors.. they will be nice. I've currently already warped two front rotors in just 37K. I must have a sticking caliper piston or something.. they are going to look into that for me also.
I'm pretty excited for the chrome front end.. it is going to look awesome. I almost had 16 inch apes put on, but I don't want to put them on prior to a big trip because I'd be kicking myself if I hated them and had to ride 6K before I could change them. Plus they are damn expensive to add with internal wiring. Maybe I'll add them myself this winter.
I'm pretty excited for the chrome front end.. it is going to look awesome. I almost had 16 inch apes put on, but I don't want to put them on prior to a big trip because I'd be kicking myself if I hated them and had to ride 6K before I could change them. Plus they are damn expensive to add with internal wiring. Maybe I'll add them myself this winter.
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1st Gear
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 5
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From: Louisiana
Rode from Houston to Grand Canyon and made sure to take US 191 (used to be 666) on the return after seeing it listed in the HD Map book. I've done Tail of the Dragon and 191 puts it to shame.
Scary, it's one of the best rides ever and well worth the detour.
Just make sure you've got a full tank, it's a long ride and no gas.
Scary, it's one of the best rides ever and well worth the detour.
Just make sure you've got a full tank, it's a long ride and no gas.
Scarygt: I do believe there is a visitor center right when you cross I-49 on LA8 by Flatwoods, might want to check that right before taking that little stretch on 119, longleaf trace to 117. Easy road and not far out of the way, but a little possible to miss the right roads right there.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 202
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From: North Georgia
Where is Tail of the Dragon?
Scarygt: I do believe there is a visitor center right when you cross I-49 on LA8 by Flatwoods, might want to check that right before taking that little stretch on 119, longleaf trace to 117. Easy road and not far out of the way, but a little possible to miss the right roads right there.
Scarygt: I do believe there is a visitor center right when you cross I-49 on LA8 by Flatwoods, might want to check that right before taking that little stretch on 119, longleaf trace to 117. Easy road and not far out of the way, but a little possible to miss the right roads right there.
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/