Allow extra time to check out whatever you find along the way. Don't be afraid of getting lost. In general roads around mountains, rivers, forests or other features are more interesting than flat land roads. On maps the roads are often labeled as "scenic".
Fortunately cities and interstates are usually sited on flat areas.
BTW: I like the DeLorme atlas, they have all the back roads.

 

I've found motorcycleroads.com to be very useful. You tried "a couple of the routes", and claim to know all about it? I've found many great suggestions on it.

 

Time restraints can affect trip planning more than anything. The only planning I ever do is determining the ultimate destination. The routes I take are mostly by chance. Some not so great but I've found some great riding and watering holes on the way.

 

This is definitely the most enjoyable way to ride. My wife and I have our favorite times on the bike and usually see the best scenery when we have no idea where we're going.

I also vote for throwing out the GPS. I've thought about buying one many times before but I've decided that it would just cheapen the experience of getting somewhere. Even when we have a destination to reach I don't like to rush getting there. I've got a pretty good memory and just study the maps before I leave and have a paper copy with me just in case.

As I said earlier, I think Google Maps has to be the easiest way to plan a route somewhere if you don't want to hit any interstates. We rode to Pensacola using the "avoid highways" function on Google Maps last year, and that's how I'm planning my route from Tennessee to Daytona this year. Sometimes Google doesn't make the most efficient route choices but it's easy to go in there, study the suggested route, and change it to follow the roads that you want to be on.

 

Never said I knew "all about it"...just that I've found a lot of crappy rides on there. In my area guys will post really basic routes on there, small town to small town for example...or they will get on there and post about a 3 mile section of curvy road and call it the "mini dragon" or something ridiculous. My point is that it's not regulated in any way so you should not expect too much out of the posted rides.

Maybe it's a good resource for city boys looking to get out in the country.

 

I will go to google maps and pick out a route, zoom in to about 3 miles and see if the curves and twisties stand out. That being said, some of the best roads I've found have been purely by accident, just picking a direction and taking any road that looks interesting.

 

You say above that you never said you knew all about it. But then you again write like you know all about it. The guy wants information on how to find rides. I gave him a resource and you tell him it is bad and to just go with no idea where he is going. That may work in the Smoky Mountains, but it doesn't work in other parts of the country. The resource I suggested has made me aware of many roads in southern Indiana that are great bike roads that I had no idea about.

 

Get the state map and tourist guide where you want to go and then look for scenic hwy's. The HOG Atlas doesn't show all the scienic roads. Wally world sell US Atlas cheap.

 

Paper map, look for the scenic road, point the front tire and go. Stop at a local watering hole, or place of business and ask if there are any less know roads and you'll be surprised at what you will hear....

 

It's about the journey not the destination - just get on your bike and ride. Wherever you end up is where you are at - when you jump on the bike to head out and worry about what's the destination you miss the point of why you jumped on the bike. There have been many times I have had a place in mind, jumped on the bike, headed out and never got to where I thought I was headed but enjoyed the ride all the same.

Hey - I am just saying.

Both of these seem to work pretty good:
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/
http://www.motorcycleroads.com/