Even More Rides to Do Before You Die - from Forums Member Suggestions
You all took our suggestions, some you agreed with, and some you thought were lame. We listened when you suggested more of your own, so here is the third installment. Here are six more bucket list rides from your brother bikers.
Born Free Motorcycle Show in Silverado, CA
We originally had written about 11 places to ride and events to ride to, and you responded with some of your own which made it into 8 More Rides to do Before You Die.
The Born Free motorcycle show differs from other Rallies in that they include everything from detailed customized bikes, to motocross racing, to skateboarding on a half pipe. You will see some of the most beautiful custom built machines, the latest aftermarket parts, regularly ridden vintage bikes, and the latest OEM models. The bike show is very competitive, with the top bikes being from the dozen or so invited builders, plus plenty of backyard builds. Born Free also features one of the most generous raffles anywhere, with three bikes given away over the weekend, on top of the other prizes. It takes place at Oak Canyon Ranch, and is generally considered the best bike event in Southern California. Reserve ahead of time, and you can ride in and camp out right next door to the show. Flat track racing typically takes place the Thursday before the show at the Costa Mesa Speedway.
National Grass Lands in New Mexico/Arizona
If you want to do a ride "out west", but east of California, then take a ride on US Hwy 60 from Socorro, NM to Phoenix, AZ. Socorro is a small town located in the Rio Grande Valley, 74 miles south of Albuquerque and 146 miles north of Las Cruces at an elevation of 4,579. Fill up with gas (it's 150 miles to the nearest fuel once you leave Socorro) and head west to Show Low, a city in Navajo County on the Mogollon Rim in east central Arizona. The ride crosses through the Arizona’s Grasslands and is remote and peaceful. Historically, grasslands occurred across one-third of Arizona—over 24 million acres. The grasslands provide unique wildlife habitat and form the headwaters of ecologically-important rivers such as the Verde and San Pedro.
Arkansas Pig Trail
The Arkansas Pig Trail will give you an option different from the flat desert roads of the southwest or the snow-capped mountain scenery of the Dakotas. Best ridden in springtime while the wildflowers are blooming, or fall when changes in the colors of the leaves make this a great trip for beauty and scenery. The Pig Trail (good name for a HOG, eh?) is only 19 miles through the Boston Mountains area of the Ozarks, but there are plenty of other great roads to be ridden nearby and little traffic.
George Washington Trail in West Virginia
West Virginia sports some nice, long-riding roadways, perfectly suited for the type of cornering Harleys love. Not far from Washington, D.C. - if you can't stay far away from the big city - you can get all the curves you can handle on the George Washington Trail. You know you want to right? This scenic byway is laid out as a 136 mile loop through some of the places our first president frequented back when he lives in the area, from Harper's Ferry to Paw Paw, and back. You get the added benefit of natural beauty including rivers, mountains and the Monongahela National Forest.
Yosemite National Park in California
For just $25, you and your machine can get access to some of the most extraordinary views on the planet for seven glorious days. The scenery around Yosemite is hard to put into words, you simply have to see it for yourself. It is a highly recommended ride by anyone who has been there.
Pacific Coast Highway north of San Francisco to Portland, OR
Why ride PCH? You can spend the day in the sunshine (fog in some areas) while you feel the breeze off the Pacific Ocean spraying on you as you ride. It is called Hwy #1 for a reason as it is a favorite cruise of many who have taken it. The part mentioned in the first installment was from San Francisco down to Santa Barbara, and is the most often traveled, but there are tons of interesting places and scenic stops north of the bay area all the way up to Canada. The added bonus is that there is barely any traffic on the northern part of the road. Ride on!
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