Hello fellow HD riders!


I'm thinking of riding for about a week next month but I don't know which way I want to go. I'm starting from San Diego and I have two routes in mind.


North:
- Use the 5 FWY to go north and detour towards Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks then head to San Francisco.
- Use the PCH to go back south and stop at Monterrey and Santa Cruz then to San Francisco.
- I also plan to camp at good and safe campgrounds. My co-corker suggested KOA along the routes.


East:
- Head towards the Hoover Dam then to the Grand Canyon.
- I don't know anything else worth visiting over there. Suggestions please.


Also I've never been to Lake Tahoe. If there isn't much to see or visit in Arizona I might just replace that with a Tahoe ride.


Thanks for your suggestions!

 

Sounds like a nice trip! Here are a few of ideas. I've ridden most of these roads.

North route:
Head north to Victorville and take US395 north to Inyokern.
CA178 and CA155 west across the south side of Sequoia - nice roads!
Then your choice of road to Sequoia Natl Park.

At Fresno take CA41 into Yosemite - also a nice road!
Not that far to Tahoe either.
CA120 west to get to San Fran and PCH - love San Fran, neat city.

East route:
At Twentynine Palms take Amboy Road to Amboy then old US66 (CA66) to Goffs and US95
run a little of US95 and I-40 to near Topock, AZ
AZ10 (Oatman-Topock hwy - old 66) to Oatman and Kingman. Great ride through twisties near Oatman.
At Kingman, AZ66 (old 66) to near Ash Fork
I-40 to AZ89 then the area around Sedona. Haven't been there but I understand it's nice riding. Grand Canyon is not far away.

Enjoy the ride no matter where you go!

 

Normally I would say head north to SF, but the State High through Big Sur is closed off. Depending on how much riding you want to do, I would go east towards Bryce Canyon and take highway 12 east as far as you have time for. Panguitch UT is a cute little town, Torrey UT is a cute little town and Mexican Hat if you go that far is a cute little grease spot.

 

Can't advise about AZ but here are my favorite springtime rides in CA from San Diego. You may have to tailor it for the time you have.

1. San Diego to Sonora and Yosemite Valley. Spend night in Sonora. Next day in Yosemite Valley and another night in Sonora.
2. Gold Country to South Lake Tahoe. Hwy 49 north. I then take Hwy 88 at Jackson if Carson Pass is open and Hwy 89 to South Lake Tahoe. Hwy 88 may be closed due to snow pack. Otherwise take 49 to Hwy 50 at Sacramento. Spend night in Stateline.
3. Loop around Lake Tahoe and over Donner Pass and to Wine Country. Take NV side Incline Village to CA side Tahoe City. Then Hwy 80 over Donner Pass through Sacramento. Continue west to Napa for the night.
4. Wine Country to Coast. Take Hwy 29 north through wine country & Hwy 128 to Hwy 101 Geyserville. Hwy 116 along Russian River to Hwy 1 and spending night in Bodega Bay or further south to Hwy 101 stopping north of Golden Gate Bridge near San Rafael.
5. San Francisco to Monterey Peninsula. Hwy 101 south across GGB & San Francisco. After touring SF go south on PCH 1 to Santa Cruz. Or Hwy 280 & 17 to Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz Hwy 1 to Monterey Peninsula for the night.
6. Monterey Peninsula. Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row, Pacific Grove and down to Big Sur. Another night in Monterey.
7. Hwy 101 to San Simeon coast. Take 101 south to Paso Robles. Then Hwy 46 to PCH Hwy 1 Cambria, San Simeon and Ragged Point. Tour Hearst Castle if you haven’t already seen it. Spend night. You might skip this route and head straight to SD if you're pressed for time. Save for when Hwy 1 is reopened from Ragged Point to Big Sur.
8. Back to San Diego. South on Hwy 1 to Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. Then 101 south. Make a short side trip into Solvang for lunch.

 

I would usually recommend the PCH to SF, but it's currently closed north of Ragged Point due to storm damage taking a bridge out. No word on when it will be opened but you can check with caltrans road conditions when it gets close to time.

Yosemite is always a great ride in the spring, but again, check road conditions, 120 is currently closed both east and west of the park. The 140 and 41 roads into the park are open.

 

WOW! That's like asking a red meat lover which do they like best, Prime Rib or Porterhouse?

I'm thinking east.
More open road riding, less traffic and less chance of rain.

Depending on how many miles you are willing and capable of riding per day, you could take in a lot of beautiful scenery.

Southern Utah is my wife's favorite ride in cooler weather months but we've done it twice in summer months (once by bike, once in a convertible)
cause it can get very HOT (especially on us old Michigan people).

 

Last year we (6 of us) rode from Orange Co. Went to Havasu then overnighted (o/n), next to Show Low AZ o/n, Ruidoso NM o/n, Taos NM o/n, Crested Butte CO o/n, Durango CO o/n, Prescott AZ o/n and finally home.
We spent a few nights in a few of these places but would be a nice ride without the extra nights. I'd include an extra night in Durango for sure. Has a great vibe about it and the highway south from Gunnison was unbelievable.

Ride safe!

 

Just back from a trip east out to Flagstaff AZ (from CA Bay Area), via Rte66 & I40. Catch Rte 66 out of Victorville or Barstow CA. If you do Rte 66 going into AZ, you got to stop at Oatman AZ and check out the Burros & the town. Continue east to Kingman AZ, great scenic ride. Continue on to the Grand Canyon Caverns and treat yourself to the tour down the Cavern. Check out Seligman AZ and do yourself a favor stop and eat at the Roadkill Cafe. Continue east and catch Hwy 64 north up to the Grand Canyon. Fun times!

 

Me and a couple buds are heading up to Utah for a week, riding canyon country. We plan on leaving Orange County direct to Cedar City, then to Moab for a couple days, down to Mexican Hat for a night. Next day up thru Moki Dugway then up to Hanksville, turn left to Torrey for a night. Next day to Bryce Canyon for a day or two. Then south to St George or maybe head in to Las Vegas, then back to SoCal.

 

Love that Panguitch route! They used to have the best steak house there, but I think it's closed down now. Going through Knab, UT and along the Vermillion Cliffs in AZ was outstanding!