crosscountry routes
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 659
Likes: 2
From: Lansing
crosscountry routes
I am in the beginning stages of planning a crosscountry tour to see a small part of this country. I want to ride from Lansing MI to the UP then west. I hoped to see the highway to the sky and the black hills then west to the redwoods. But I know there are so many things to see along the way that it is hard to really plan not knowing what all is along the way and what roads are good etc. On the way back I want to hit the north carolina area then up through west virgina southern Ohio then home. The Dragon would of course be on there along with the scenic highway through Adirondaks. I see there are a bunch of planning guides to choose from, which just adds to my confusion over which way to turn. I figured that someone other than me has compiled a crosscountry cicuit that I could cut in on and work it for my start point.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,368
Likes: 3,698
From: SE NC
if ur a member of HOG, a buddy of mine said ya can plan a route anyway ya want, rural, highway, etc, etc.
As a matter of fact, we're going from SE NC up to sturgis next year, and we are going to try and plan it through HOG.
To bad I haven't done it yet, or I'd let ya know how it is.
As a matter of fact, we're going from SE NC up to sturgis next year, and we are going to try and plan it through HOG.
To bad I haven't done it yet, or I'd let ya know how it is.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 504
From: Northern WV
Sounds like a great ride you're planning! I rode up through the UP to Copper Harbor, and over to Duluth to Rider Warehouse. From just west of Duluth I got on Rt 200 to ride all the way into Montana. I'll give Rt 200 a "two thumbs up" road for riding across that part of the country. I preferred it over 2 and 6.
Western NC has some nice roads besides 129 the Dragon, which is over rated IMO. But if you're there might as well ride it. Might as well ride the BRP from bottom to the top, then head west past Harrisonburg VA. From there, western VA and eastern WV have some nice roads. I enjoy the small 600 county roads in VA. You'll have to have something like a VA Gazetteer because most won't be on the State map. Both 250 and 33 are nice roads into WV. In fact you can just stay on 250 all the way up into Ohio.
Western NC has some nice roads besides 129 the Dragon, which is over rated IMO. But if you're there might as well ride it. Might as well ride the BRP from bottom to the top, then head west past Harrisonburg VA. From there, western VA and eastern WV have some nice roads. I enjoy the small 600 county roads in VA. You'll have to have something like a VA Gazetteer because most won't be on the State map. Both 250 and 33 are nice roads into WV. In fact you can just stay on 250 all the way up into Ohio.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 659
Likes: 2
From: Lansing
I looked at the HOG thing. They do a good job of steering you to hotels and dealers etc. I am looking to compile a route that takes in not all but many of the great sights that there are in the USA. It would of course be impossible to get it all. There are some things I need to see before I am too old to do it, and I don't really want to do it in a car anyway. I remember coming over the mountains in west Virgina and some of the sights from my youth. There are many more I have not seen. The trick with planning a route like this is that you have to balance time with sights. There really is not enough time to see 10% of the country. But there are things like coming down the other side of the rockies and crossing gourges and riding through trees as tall a buildings that need to be done. I also wanted to include a part of route 66 that Steinbeck wrote about. There may be some things left there to see. There are roads through the desert that you may not want to stop on, but the sights and smells of it are worth the ride. Of course it pays to have a gas station every 150 miles or so on a bike. I did plan on carrying a one gallon plastic gas can with me somehow. All those factors play into a good ride. The best sights in the world won't do much for you if you are stuck on the side of the road because there is 300 miles to the next gas station. I used to ride back and forth a couple times a year from Lansing to Fort Bragg, which is how I know something about that part of the country.
Last edited by gary_montague; Aug 21, 2009 at 10:13 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
From: nampa, idaho
just got back from glacier and beartooth and cheif joseph and alot of rodes in between.....in answer to your question I've been looking at taking Highway 2 all the way to the west coast from there its a toss up .......but there are so many places to go that my mind like to savor a place for awhile and then move on......it at first became a race to see it all and then I slowed way down and really took it in ....best of wishes for you and be safe and stay warm
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: South Bend Indiana
2009 FLHRC Vivid Black
Cross the bridge and turn left on US2 as far as you want to go.. Last August I rode US 2 to Havre MT and headed south to Yellow Stone and southern MT and home on I90.......Decent road lots of scenery .......Check out Ernies Diner in Glascow.. Chicken fried steak ,hash browns, eggs and toast, coffee and tip < $10.00
Enjoy
Cross the bridge and turn left on US2 as far as you want to go.. Last August I rode US 2 to Havre MT and headed south to Yellow Stone and southern MT and home on I90.......Decent road lots of scenery .......Check out Ernies Diner in Glascow.. Chicken fried steak ,hash browns, eggs and toast, coffee and tip < $10.00
Enjoy
Last edited by bob46371; Aug 21, 2009 at 12:32 PM.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,900
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From: way down upon the Suwannee River
I just finished a 7,000+ mile trip. We just took off every morning and started looking for a place to camp or a motel when we got tired. We had an atlas and took the smallest roads heading the direction we wanted to go. Never new exactly what we would see. Loved it. If time is not a problem, it's the only way to go.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2007
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From:
I am in the beginning stages of planning a crosscountry tour to see a small part of this country. I want to ride from Lansing MI to the UP then west. I hoped to see the highway to the sky and the black hills then west to the redwoods. But I know there are so many things to see along the way that it is hard to really plan not knowing what all is along the way and what roads are good etc. On the way back I want to hit the north carolina area then up through west virgina southern Ohio then home. The Dragon would of course be on there along with the scenic highway through Adirondaks. I see there are a bunch of planning guides to choose from, which just adds to my confusion over which way to turn. I figured that someone other than me has compiled a crosscountry cicuit that I could cut in on and work it for my start point.
