America - Where have you been and what do you think?

medtran49 said:
The way I understood the article was that The Biltmore Estate is still privately owned and the chain basically used the name Biltmore to imply luxury, richness, etc.

I'm pretty sure The Biltmore in Coral Gables is still independently owned as well.
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That’s what I got from it too 👍
 
medtran49 said:
The way I understood the article was that The Biltmore Estate is still privately owned and the chain basically used the name Biltmore to imply luxury, richness, etc.

I'm pretty sure The Biltmore in Coral Gables is still independently owned as well.
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IIRC, the hotel I stayed in on the Biltmore Estate grounds in Asheville had a different name than Biltmore. It was a very fine hotel, but the name was something else.

CD
 
kaneohegirlinaz said:
DH & I were out and about today and were discussing this topic; he had more useful ideas:
Have y'all thought about renting bikes and save on some costs? (I thought that maybe you'd already looked into that and found that shipping yours over more economical 🤷‍♀️)
I said, they might want to seek out the "better" markets for heat 'n eat meals for the times you don't feel like sitting in a restaurant or want more than cold food... most hotel/motels in the US have both a `fridge and micro in the rooms. I really like Wegman's (love love love), Publix (love), Trader Joe's (love love-cheap wine aka Charles Shaw), Harris Teeter, Whole Foods (aka Whole Pay Check), Sprouts Farmers Market, and Aldi.
In addition to that thought, local Farmer's Markets offer some lovely reginal goods that you can whip up into a very nice, healthful meal in you hotel room.
Again, along this vein, maybe bring or buy some instant coffee. Coffee provided in hotel/motel rooms to us anyways, is horrid!
And speaking of coffee ... we so love Love's Truck Stops for a quick to-go cup while on the road. AND if you are wild camping, just about all Truck Stops, no matter the brand, have showers for hire! The most infamous Truck Stop is Buc-ees. I have yet to get DH to stop at one, but we'll get there some day. :happy:
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Certainly have looked into it and for the length of time we want to go shipping is much cheaper. Six weeks hire would cost between £6000-£10,000 and the bikes you can hire are not what I’d want to ride. BMW GS’s are too tall for me and Harleys are a very heavy bike. The few smaller bikes on offer don’t come with panniers.
It takes a while to find and set up a bike to suit you, seats lowered or raised, raised bars, pegs adjusted, luggage systems that don’t see you outside forever trying to lash down extra lumpy bags everyday. The idea of mammoth miles on an uncomfortable bike having left all our tried and tested kit at home doesn’t appeal much.
As we would be doing it in a couple of hits 12 weeks rental would be crazily expensive.

The cheapest option is to buy a bike and sell it at the end but my relative who lived in California has just moved to Costa Rica. No address makes the buying and insuring of bikes impossible.
Yesterday I overheard Mr SSOAP saying “Well we don’t know how long for, who knows it could become a long term thing” (a great thing to overhear 👏) so hiring bikes is a definite no.

You’re absolutely spot on with the not wanting to sit in a restaurant all the time, having to seek food and interact three times a day, day in day out, is very time consuming and wearing.
You know you’re talking to someone who has done long road trips when you start talking about having to eat out all the time and they appreciate you just don't want to and have found ways around it 😍
Fridges are common in UK hotel rooms but not a given, microwaves though are unusual here.
That’s what the ‘kettle cooking’ thread is about. The kettle can hold its temp at up to 99 degrees and I cook in that, sous vide style 👍 Although I'm not sure about American electrics, UK kettles are a lot more powerful than American equivalents and so I have to look into whether my kettle would work or everyone would be plunged into darkness as I shorted the electrics 😂

As for the coffee, have you tried an Aeropress? They make good coffee and IMO are worth carrying. I’ve put the travel version they’ve brought out on my Christmas list 🙂

You're also spot on with the need for truck stops/service stations. Motorbikes have small fuel tanks, routes are plotted using petrol stops and supermarkets as destination markers so you don’t get stranded, can get food en route and there's somewhere to pee that doesn't involve indecent exposure 😆

Looking forward to Buc-ees!

Have noted the shops you mention, a big thankyou.
 
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caseydog said:
Buc-ee's is NOT a truck stop. In fact, they don't even allow big trucks in all the ones I've seen. They are known most for their large CLEAN restrooms. Good food, too... and they pay their workers better than competing businesses.

In comparison, I only stop at Love's if I absolutely have to, and don't eat any food from there.

Up until a few years ago, they were only in Texas, but now they are also in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with new locations planned for North Carolina, Colorado, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin and Louisiana.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbV4XWpfMyE


Definitely worth a "pit stop" along the road.

CD
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By jove could we do with Buc-ees here. Our services whilst a bit better than they used to be with Waitrose and Marks and Spencers opening concessions in them are mostly still AWFUL! I'd say the worse in Europe by a country mile!
 
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TastyReuben said:
If I had to send someone to one single place in the US, it’d be the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, but it’s a highly-restrictive area and they may not even allow motorcycles there, and the internet isn’t helping me much on that.

Up the Maine coast around Acadia NP would be nice, and riding from the northern side of Lake Champlain (NY/Vermont) down across the Adirondacks would be very nice - mountains, solitude, and little mountain hamlets sort of stuck in time.

Cities are fine, and they have their own beauty, I think - you just have to take the good with the bad. Philadelphia has some really lovely parts to it…but also a good bit you’d want to stay well away from.

You may wish to pick some major points of interest and then maybe folks who live between those areas can help you connect the dots with some attractive backroad routes.
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You're right the internet is not that helpful on the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. The only reference I saw said "Accessible by water only"
Might need a bike a bit more James Bond or Batman to do that 😂

I understand completely peoples dislike of cities, I tend to avoid them but they are all a little bit different and sometimes worth a look. The food choices and quality is always good in cities, bike security though not so hot!
But go to America and not go to New York or Washington? That's unthinkable to a Brit.
 
Thinking here - If not in the middle of winter, Maine is fabulous. I likee costal Maine, but the lower portion tends to be very touristy commercial. And, up north, you can run into Acadia National Park, which is awesome.

Interior Maine can be interesting as well, but likely not to everyone's taste.

Most people in the New England states are friendly - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, the western third of Massachusetts, and portions of Connecticut. You'd likely not want to do this region of the country in winter - we do have WINTER here!

Elsewhere:

I love visiting New York City - for its museums (top notch) and the diverse ethnic collection of foods available. If you book a hotel there, find one that valet parks your motor bike. Probably not going to be a problem, but better safe than sorry. (I really don't know how or if motor bikes get valet-parked - but if not, NYC is a reasonable state with not as much crime as certain other large cities.

New Orleans for awesome food you won't find most anywhere else, plus a vibrant music scene.

Most anything on the National Parks list you were sent - I haven't been to most but many are on my bucket list.

Will think on other ideas.
 
Mountain Cat said:
Thinking here - If not in the middle of winter, Maine is fabulous. I likee costal Maine, but the lower portion tends to be very touristy commercial. And, up north, you can run into Acadia National Park, which is awesome.

Interior Maine can be interesting as well, but likely not to everyone's taste.

Most people in the New England states are friendly - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, the western third of Massachusetts, and portions of Connecticut. You'd likely not want to do this region of the country in winter - we do have WINTER here!

Elsewhere:

I love visiting New York City - for its museums (top notch) and the diverse ethnic collection of foods available. If you book a hotel there, find one that valet parks your motor bike. Probably not going to be a problem, but better safe than sorry. (I really don't know how or if motor bikes get valet-parked - but if not, NYC is a reasonable state with not as much crime as certain other large cities.

New Orleans for awesome food you won't find most anywhere else, plus a vibrant music scene.

Most anything on the National Parks list you were sent - I haven't been to most but many are on my bucket list.

Will think on other ideas.
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The New England States sound good.

There is never valet parking for bikes because firstly everyone who works in parking would need a motorcycle licence and secondly motorcyclist do not like other people riding their bikes. City hotels often have secure underground parking and they will arrange for you to ride your own bike in and out so that works 👍
The other way I usually go for is finding dedicated secure parking outside the city and getting a taxi in. Motorcycle theft is very common because unlike cars they are very easy to steal.

Glad you rate New York City, I'm looking forward to their museums and food!
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
Certainly have looked into it and for the length of time we want to go shipping is much cheaper. Six weeks hire would cost between £6000-£10,000 and the bikes you can hire are not what I’d want to ride. BMW GS’s are too tall for me and Harleys are a very heavy bike. The few smaller bikes on offer don’t come with panniers.
It takes a while to find and set up a bike to suit you, seats lowered or raised, raised bars, pegs adjusted, luggage systems that don’t see you outside forever trying to lash down extra lumpy bags everyday. The idea of mammoth miles on an uncomfortable bike having left all our tried and tested kit at home doesn’t appeal much.
As we would be doing it in a couple of hits 12 weeks rental would be crazily expensive.

The cheapest option is to buy a bike and sell it at the end but my relative who lived in California has just moved to Costa Rica. No address makes the buying and insuring of bikes impossible.
Yesterday I overheard Mr SSOAP saying “Well we don’t know how long for, who knows it could become a long term thing” (a great thing to overhear 👏) so hiring bikes is a definite no.

You’re absolutely spot on with the not wanting to sit in a restaurant all the time, having to seek food and interact three times a day, day in day out, is very time consuming and wearing.
You know you’re talking to someone who has done long road trips when you start talking about having to eat out all the time and they appreciate you just don't want to and have found ways around it 😍
Fridges are common in UK hotel rooms but not a given, microwaves though are unusual here.
That’s what the ‘kettle cooking’ thread is about. The kettle can hold its temp at up to 99 degrees and I cook in that, sous vide style 👍 Although I'm not sure about American electrics, UK kettles are a lot more powerful than American equivalents and so I have to look into whether my kettle would work or everyone would be plunged into darkness as I shorted the electrics 😂

As for the coffee, have you tried an Aeropress? They make good coffee and IMO are worth carrying. I’ve put the travel version they’ve brought out on my Christmas list 🙂

You're also spot on with the need for truck stops/service stations. Motorbikes have small fuel tanks, routes are plotted using petrol stops and supermarkets as destination markers so you don’t get stranded, can get food en route and there's somewhere to pee that doesn't involve indecent exposure 😆

Looking forward to Buc-ees!

Have noted the shops you mention, a big thankyou.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that electricity here is 110AC, not 220 3-Phase. I wouldn't bother bringing your kettle, or any other small appliances.

All but the cheapest hotels in the US will have fridges and microwaves in the rooms.

CD
 
caseydog said:
Keep in mind that electricity here is 110AC, not 220 3-Phase. I wouldn't bother bringing your kettle, or any other small appliances.
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Yeah, and kettles are plentiful and dirt cheap, SandwichShortOfAPicnic - just buy one when you get here and donate it to Goodwill on your way back. I have this one for my travel kettle, and it’s less than $20US:

IMG_6905.jpeg
 
caseydog said:
Keep in mind that electricity here is 110AC, not 220 3-Phase. I wouldn't bother bringing your kettle, or any other small appliances.

All but the cheapest hotels in the US will have fridges and microwaves in the rooms.

CD
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I have it mind CD thats why I mention blowing American electrics with my kettle 😂
I much prefer the results of the sous vide kettle cooking to anything I've ever produced using a microwave. It wins hands down.
I'll probably buy a temperature hold kettle when I arrive 👍
 
If I were in your boots, I wouldn't bring anything but clothes, a refillable water cup/jug, a starter kit of coffee and snacks.
There are so many cool places to get different foods/snacks/coffees, etc. in The US.
Rarely have we had a motel/hotel room that DID'NT have a coffee/tea/hot water maker.
And did I miss it? How much to ship your two bikes?
 
America - Where have you been and what did you think?

Winslow, AZ – Standin' on the corner
Show Low/Pinetop, AZ
Tombstone, AZ
Bisbee, AZ
Tubac, AZ - cool artist community
Wildwood, NJ - cool boardwalk fun!
West Point, NY
Cooperstown, NY
Niagara Falls, NY
Williamsport, PA - little league hall of fame
Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Annapolis
Williams, AZ – Grand Canyon South Rim by train
Las Vegas, NV
Arches, Zion, Four Corners
San Diego, CA
Carlsbad, CA ... BEACH!!!!
Washington DC
Cape May, Philadelphia, PA
White Mountains, AZ
Presidential Library –Regan
Disneyland
Kill Devil Hill - Kitty Hawk, NC; Virginia Beach, VA; Outer Banks, NC; Ocean City, MD
Lake Havasu, AZ - I could take or leave to be honest ...
Canyon Lake, AZ
Disneyland, CA
Las Cruses, Socorro – Trinity Test Site, Albuquerque, Hatch, NM
Prescott, AZ
Greer, AZ
Durango, Mesa Verde NP, CO
Hoover Dam Tour, NV
Santa Fe, Meteor Crater, Golden, CO Denver, Pikes Peak, Co Springs, CO
Santa Barbara, Morro Bay – Hearst Castle, Solvang, Monterey, CA
Presidential Library – Nixon
Santa Cruz, SF, all the way to Ca-OR state line on Highway 1/101
Phoenix, AZ

Great Western Adventure:
Bryce Canyon NP, UT
Tremonton, UT – Golden Spike NHS
Jackson, WY – Grand Tetons NP
West Yellowstone, MT – Yellowstone NP
Helena, MT – visiting friends
Whitefish, MT – Glacier NP
Billings, MT – Little Big Horn NM
Cody, WY – Buffalo Bill Museum of the West
Sundance, WY – Devil's Tower NHS
Deadwood, SD – toured for the afternoon & moved on
Keystone, SD – Mt Rushmore National Memorial
Badlands NP – toured the afternoon & moved on
Wall, SD – Wall Drugs & Crazy Horse Memorial
Durango, CO – visit friends

Nags head, NC; Charleston, James Island, SC, Savannah, GA
Tehachapi, Reedley, Fresno, CA
Sequoia NP, CA
Del Mar, CA
New Port Beach, CA - Channel Inn Motor court style right across from THE BEACH!!!!
Telluride, Ouray, CO – Million Dollar Highway
Taos, NM
Amarillo, TX – Cadillac Ranch (roadside attraction); Independence, MO – Presidential Library/Truman; Springfield, IL – Lincoln's Boyhood home; Toledo, Ohio – Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Game 8/2015
Oklahoma City, OK – Oklahoma City NM
Tahoe, NV – Lake Tahoe
Louisville, KY – Louisville Slugger Museum; Churchill Downs
Chincoteague, VA Assateague Island National Seashore

Florida Here We Come:
Ft Stockton, TX – Ft Stockton
San Antonio, TX – River Walk
Panama City, FL
Key Largo, FL
Key West, FL
St, Augustine, FL
Americus, Ga – Sheriff Bufford Pusser Home & Museum
Natchez, MS – Natchez Trace

Grand Canyon - North Rim - we couldn't recommend the Motel there, but next time we may stay at Jacob Lake Inn

Honestly, I've enjoyed every where we've gone, there's more, but I'll stop here ... For now, until my memory kicks into overdrive :laugh:
 
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