Originally Posted by jpr8r

See Devil's Tower. It is an awesome creation and the ride to/from is nice, too.

Originally Posted by doc_cj

...For me, if you've never done Rt66 then you need to do it just to say you have. I run it pretty much every year when I ride from southern Utah to Oklahoma City to see my pop.

Actually, a good meal can make a ride that much better. A couple other things to consider as you make plans is what types of photo opportunities and sites will you see. Here's my favorite "theme" rides for making long trips:

1) Major League Baseball Parks -- I've done this twice, once through the southern half and once through the northern half. I pick cities according to their respective teams, schedule, and how much I want to see them. At last count I've hit about 23 of the parks over the years. When going across country I often plan parts of my trips based on baseball schedules; it's just part of the fun. Some of the best games I've seen were on solo cross country motorcycle trips when I went to the ballpark and waited on the scalpers to reduce the price on tickets after the game started. Go to MLB.com for more information on dates/games along the route.

2) Diners, Drive-ins and Dives USA Tour -- If you don't care about where you eat then this one probably won't be a good one. But for some of us, part of seeing a new city is eating at a unique or out of the way spot. One rule I have, no matter why I'm travelling, is to NEVER eat at any place that I can get at home. Visit the show's website for more information about places along your route.

3) Mailbox and Road Side Oddities -- Whether you want to see a double-decker outhouse (Dove, Ark.), the world's largest ball of twine (Cawker City, KS) or a huge roadside cross (Groom, TX, off Rt 66, by the way), planning a cross-country trip (no pun intended, of course) is always more fun when you find the road side oddities.

4) Music or Odd Festivals -- Summer time is prime time for all kinds of festivals, and two of my favorites are music and what I call the "odd" festival. As an example, in Sweetwater, TX, (among other places) they hold a Rattlesnake festival each year. The Redneck Summer Games is held in East Dublin, Georgia, is another fun one. Music festivals that rank among my favorite when planning a motorcycle trip are: (1) Blues Week in St Louis (May 2012) and (2) The Bukka White Blue Bluff Festival (October).

Point is, with all this, that planning a motorcycle trip should be about something besides just riding as many miles as you can. I'm sure the Iron Butt guys will disagree, somewhat, but for me if I can't eat or enjoy the trip then I'm denying myself half of the reason to go. I want to get home and have more to tell than just how many days it rained on me.



Now you're talking!

The first issue, especially if you're never ridden in the west before, is to realize how far things are apart. So planning any type of trip like this will require some careful mileage calculations along with time issues. Remember, too, that some of the places you're talking about are notorious tourist spots, so expect traffic issues when you go. Take for example the Grand Canyon, not only are the speed limits greatly reduced in the park, the ride into and out of the park will take a bit of time. Any of the national parks or major tourist spots will have built in time constraints, so plan accordingly if you want to get the most out of the experience.



As noted, ridden them both several times and I still couldn't pick one as necessarily better than the other. I don't think you'll go wrong either way, so long as you plan the trip to maximize the experience.



Big issue here ... with 50 you can drop down through Utah to see at least 3 (if not 5) of the BEST national parks in the world while en route to the Grand Canyon. You'll find lots of links and pictures for the routes on this forum.

The first problem you'll have is just how much time do you want to spend in the parks. Ideally, you should see Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park, but it would also be great to see some of the National Monuments along the way as well. As an example, if you don't mind heading north a bit you can hit the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and Dinosaur National Monument. As you head south you can come into my part of the world and see Cedar Breaks National Monument on your way to Zion NP.



In the Texas Panhandle or across Kansas ... 1 mile will seem like 100. It is so flat that you'll seem like you can ride for miles without even turning the handlebars. Reality is that there are spots where you'll ride 10 miles with barely a swerve or even a hill. So mileage is all relative to what you've got to do.

For me, a good day is 600 miles, but I'm in my mid-50s with arthritis. When I was 25 I could do 1k in a day without a problem. I'd never try it now unless there was an emergency.

In some spots, such as when going in and out of national parks, you'll do good to cover 250 miles in the day. The Grand Canyon, as an example, is not something that you just hop the highway, take a peek, and get back on real quick. Whether you're going to the south or north rim, you'll need to account for time to traverse 30+ miles of entry/exit roads just to get there.

If she is not happy at the 50-100 mile point ... then don't plan on having her as a girlfriend when you get back. The WORST thing you can do it ask her to go on a 6500 mile trip when she has trouble just getting 100 miles.

Not really the same. The reason is that a single day trip will end at the end of that day. A 2.5 week trip only gets worse each day.

Seasoned cross-country riders know that the middle and end of a trip is always very different from the beginning. Best thing you can do is start her out as soon as possible on some overnight trips. Don't just go 7 or 8 hours and then assume it's the same for 14 days. The overall wear and tear of a day after day ride will get to the best of riders, at times.

Also consider the weather and riding conditions. After 5 hour on the back of a bike riding across central Kansas in July will get to anyone. And if you're planning on Oklahoma, Texas, NM, and Arizona for that time of year, expect some really hot days in the saddle.

Has your girlfriend ever showered at a truck stop? How does she feel about public bathrooms in rest areas?

Take toilet paper, a credit card, and rain gear. You'll probably need at least 2 out of 3 while on a trip that long.

Depends on where you plan to sleep. That Glock won't do much good against a Utah Mountain Lion or a bear. I've had them both come into the camp when in some wilderness areas along the Wasatch range or along Utah 12 between Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks. Frankly, I'd be more worried about a trunk monkey at a truck stop outside of St Louis than I would any wild animals. The hookers along I-40 outside of Albuquerque are pretty mean as well.

Originally Posted by streetglidetroy

good luck and have fun on the trip, im jealous of ya. And youre right about avoiding the cops in ohio. Im originially from there, and my mom is the clerk of courts for a city there, so i hear all about the tickets. Good luck and stay safe.

Originally Posted by jay72

There is another post on this forum entitled "12 Days, 13 States, 6000 miles" you can check out. He is quite the author and his attention to detail will captivate you. It's a GREAT read.

Originally Posted by 11Streetglide103

I have 3 MUST stops. The Grand Canyon, US 1 Coastal Highway (More of a ride than a "stop"), and Yellowstone.

Three very worthwhile stops. Good choices.

Question#1) Historic 66 or Highway 50.

My biggest regret on our trip was that we didn't pick up the stretch of 66 between the Grand Canyon and Vegas. I would add that in. The slab sucked- huge! Avoid it whenever possible. It doesn't ad as much time as you might think out west because there are far fewer towns to go through than we are used to in the midwest (and east). Sometimes the secondary highways are shorter as the crow flies and you can actually improve times.

Question#2) How many miles a day average. If I get July 3 to July 22nd I have to figure about 325 miles (about 5 hours) a day for approximately 6500 mile trip.

325 is an easy day usually, but it will take you more than 5 hours unless you are pounding away. Stop and smell the roses on the great sections. Haul *** on the boring ones. Some days you can knock off 800 miles. Other days 200. You'll know what is appropriate and where.

I'm going with my girlfriend....... basically does 5 hours/325 miles a day sound reasonable for 2 and a half weeks?

Yes. Very reasonable. Everyone is different but you both will get into a rhythm. Once you get past MO the scenery will be so amazing that hours will seem like minutes. Unless you're on a stock seat. Then minutes will seem like hours. You really need a better seat for a trip of this kind. If a detachable tour pack is an option for you, get one. She'll at least need a back rest. Bringing Cheryl with me made it the best trip I have ever done.

question #3) what to bring.

Don't over think it but make a list. It gets colder up high than you might think. We hit upper 20s in August and were sorely wishing we had warmer gloves. Maybe the best thing we brought was lightweight down vests because they take little room, weigh almost nothing, but are very warm.