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

Now there's a thought for you ... we base our road trips on a goal, or what have you.
Some folks want to just travel to different places to see NPS in say on or two states, some travel from College Football (American Football) Games and on, some is for a certain type of food ... One theme trip we've done is the Pacific Coast Highway, which changes from highway 1 to 101 and back again, simply gorgeous! We've done it only from outside of San Diego, CA up to Astoria, OR with loads of stops along the way.
Just stunning!
 
If I were to try to do a tour of the US, I would do it in two phases.

Phase one, I would go from NY to California on a Northern route from East to West. That gets you through the Northeast, Midwest, the Mountain West, over to the West coast, and hug the coast down to Los Angeles. Leave the bikes there.

Phase two, from Los Angeles Eastward to the Southeast coast on a Southern route, then back up to NY. That gets you through Nevada (quick stop in Vegas), Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (of course), Cajun country (NOLA), the Deep South, then up the Eastern Seaboard (lots of American history there). Your primary road for LA to the East coast would be I-10, with deviations onto the smaller highways whenever something calls to you -- there are lots of opportunities for that in Texas.

I can certainly help you plan a route across Texas. There's only a handful of places I'd recommend you go in Texas. Tasty can probably help you map out a route through Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Oh, don't bother with Dallas. If you stop in the Hill Country, I'll drive down and meet up with you.

CD
 
I would suggest you pick a relatively small area and concentrate your efforts there. As others have noted, the U.S. covers a lot of area. From Miami, it takes about 8 hours driving more or less the speed limit to get out of Florida. It takes about 12 hours to get to New Orleans if you push the speed limit pretty hard. I know. Our DD used to live just outside of NOLA and I made that drive many times. Key West adds about 4 hours, if there's not an accident, to get anywhere north of Miami.

You have to be careful in large cities, even more so than a lot of European cities. For example, in NOLA, you could wander just a block or so off a main street in downtown and get mugged, especially since the hurricanes.
 
kaneohegirlinaz said:
SandwichShortOfAPicnic as I have no idea what your ages are, us, well, let's just say we collect Social Security :D we have all the time in the world to just meander.

As the World has changed so much and violence is running rampant, in particular in the large Cities, as I made mention earlier, DH & I stay away from the majority of them, with a few exceptions.

We've done not only the parts of the original Route 66, but also the "new" aka I-40.
FUN FUN FUN!!!

As I recall, there's a travel guide of Road Side Oddities that I would encourage you to research as well.
I would suggest that you "follow the 70 degree weather" especially on bikes.

Do you plan on any "wild camping"? You can use your NPS pass for some of that as well.
Us, we aren't campers (I would have liked to have gotten an RV way back when, but...) we try to stick with one, maybe 2 hotel chains and earn reward points for free nights.
Our personal favorites are Best Western Motor Court type hotels and then Hampton.
BW (not the plus or premier) for the nice, firmer mattresses-no frills kinda place and also we can back right up to our motel room door, unload and reload with ease (ask for a first floor room).
Next is Hampton by Marriott. These are bit of a step up, nice room, great lobby area to hang out in, but for us, the mattresses are a bit too soft and we have a soar back the next morning. Yea, but the free hot breakfast is usually better at the Hamptons :okay::laugh:.

As you say, going from North to South along a coast and then East to West and back again across a country is what we've done, numerous times.
The USA has some very interesting history and gorgeous scenic byways, just depends on what you want to do. One of our most memorable road trips was our "Great Western Adventure" and "Florida Here We Come" both trips were over 6000 miles round trip, taking us about 30 days-give or take. Oh, did I say that we name our trips now to remember, "Oh yea, that's when we ..."

Can I also say, I (we) just LOVE to plan our road trips!
I wish I could sit down with you guys and point at this and that, no don't bother with that, this place has some of the best seafood, go to this diner over there, etc.
To me, that's part of the trip too.
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Thankyou so much, lots of useful stuff there!
We are 51 and 52 so not near retirement yet but have spent the last few years reducing commitments and putting things and people in place so we can enjoy some freedom while we’re fit enough to enjoy it. We’ve both watched people delay things they want to do until they retire only to be robbed of that by waning energy, changing finances or poor health.

Racing through everything to achieve a goal in a certain time limit is great fun but also not the way to enjoy a country. Waking up not really sure where you are to pack up and race to the next place where you wake up and still don’t know where you are without having seen a thing is not the aim of this trip. I always have an itinerary (usually multiple variations) but willingly abandon it for the unexpected or just for the hell of it.

The hotel info is so helpful thankyou. One of the most difficult elements of touring on a motorcycle is the choice of accommodation is always focused on the bike parking/security. You stay in places you might not normally consider simply because you’re fairly sure the bike will still be there in the morning, it’s very difficult to sleep well otherwise.
Spain is the place I first experienced these one level park outside your door (or even in a garage connected to your bedroom) motel style places and we love them. Although nothing beats being invited to bring your bike inside the hotel for safe keeping. As you know lugging kit on and off every day or two becomes very wearing so being able to park safely near your door is a godsend.

Yes we do camp.. a bit. It’s essential to be able to if you‘re motorcycling because the best way to travel is to rest when you’re weary and move when you’re ready and in the UK it is entirely possible for the place you’re heading to have no available accommodation, some event happening you’re not aware of filling every room.
Plus as lovely and well meaning as the “where are you from, where are you going” conversation is, having to have that conversation on repeat means the etiquette of camping where people leave you alone if you want to be left alone is golden. Getting Mr SSOAP who was always more a 5 star traveller into a tent has been hilarious. That NPS pass will be put to good use!

Road Side Oddities, I-40, Hampton (I like a soft bed 😆) and Best Western now on the ‘America’ list.

Sounds like you’ve done some pretty amazing trips, I doff my cap in your direction.

We are kinda sat down route planning together just a few miles apart 😁
 
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kaneohegirlinaz said:
Now there's a thought for you ... we base our road trips on a goal, or what have you.
Some folks want to just travel to different places to see NPS in say on or two states, some travel from College Football (American Football) Games and on, some is for a certain type of food ... One theme trip we've done is the Pacific Coast Highway, which changes from highway 1 to 101 and back again, simply gorgeous! We've done it only from outside of San Diego, CA up to Astoria, OR with loads of stops along the way.
Just stunning!
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The Pacific Coast Highway is on the list of possibilities!
I don’t tend to have themes but I like good food and do deviate for specific restaurants or foodie destinations. At the moment though it’s more looking like Mr SSOAP Children’s film oddity 😂
 
caseydog said:
If I were to try to do a tour of the US, I would do it in two phases.

Phase one, I would go from NY to California on a Northern route from East to West. That gets you through the Northeast, Midwest, the Mountain West, over to the West coast, and hug the coast down to Los Angeles. Leave the bikes there.

Phase two, from Los Angeles Eastward to the Southeast coast on a Southern route, then back up to NY. That gets you through Nevada (quick stop in Vegas), Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (of course), Cajun country (NOLA), the Deep South, then up the Eastern Seaboard (lots of American history there). Your primary road for LA to the East coast would be I-10, with deviations onto the smaller highways whenever something calls to you -- there are lots of opportunities for that in Texas.

I can certainly help you plan a route across Texas. There's only a handful of places I'd recommend you go in Texas. Tasty can probably help you map out a route through Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Oh, don't bother with Dallas. If you stop in the Hill Country, I'll drive down and meet up with you.

CD
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This is the sort of idea that’s currently ruminating. The difference being possibly going West to East for the first part which I’m aware is not the usual or recommended way round.
This is because at the moment the things Mr SSOAP would enjoy seem to be in the West. Starting there when energy, enthusiasm and the coffers are high would mean maximum enjoyment for him before the possible risk of one of us having to fly home for some reason.

More than once I’ve headed on a long trip to a specific end to find when I got there I was so worn and more than longing for my own bed I haven’t cared what I’m looking at.
By the time I got to Everest I just about mustered an “oh I made it, there it is, great.” 😂

I‘m also factoring in the clustering mentality of bikers on a trip. It is common at the start of a trip to be in the same port as other bikers doing the same thing. Route 66 is one of those trips. It is rightly expected bikers take care of other bikers and is not unusual for someone travelling alone to attach to someone going in the same direction. This is doubly true if you’re female as you appear a safe bet. The camaraderie can be fun but you don’t always want to travel with random add on’s just because you’re going in the same direction.

Shame about Dallas, that is to my gen our first introduction to Texas 😆

I-10 and southern states noted, thank-you 👍
 
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caseydog said:
The only city I'd go to is Austin, and the surrounding Texas Hill Country. Austin is a fun place, and that part of Texas has the most real Texas BBQ pits in the state. Also the best city/area for live music. The roads around the Hill Country are great for motorcycling.

CD
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If I were going to recommend a Texas city destination I would suggest the River Walk in San Antonio. What a great place that is. You can visit the Alamo while in the city. Since I recommend national parks I think Big Bend should be on the Texas visit list.
 
one major difference in "seeing Europe" vs USA.... trains.

Amsterdam to Cologne
Cologne to Bern
Bern to Rome
Rome to Venice
Venice to Munich
Munich to Salzburg
(and back - take the D-Zug/slow train - the scenery is spectacular)
Munich to Nuremberg
Nuremberg to Berlin

is doable in 14 days with plenty of time to wander around . . .
the ICE (fast) trains make big city to big city a matter of 2-3 hours
the distances and lack of trains in USA make such a "big ole' round trip" less doable.
flying required, you'll spend 2-3 hours in an airport per flight, just to get on the plane . . . and essentially the same amount of time to get to/from the airport . . .
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
The hotel info is so helpful thankyou. One of the most difficult elements of touring on a motorcycle is the choice of accommodation is always focused on the bike parking/security. You stay in places you might not normally consider simply because you’re fairly sure the bike will still be there in the morning, it’s very difficult to sleep well otherwise.
Spain is the place I first experienced these one level park outside your door (or even in a garage connected to your bedroom) motel style places and we love them. Although nothing beats being invited to bring your bike inside the hotel for safe keeping. As you know lugging kit on and off every day or two becomes very wearing so being able to park safely near your door is a godsend.
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Park outside your door hotels are still pretty common here.

Also, State and National parks often have cabins you can rent. Add ReservAmerica to your resource list. You can book campsites and cabins in public parks through them. Camping & Campground Reservations Online | ReserveAmerica

Ooooo, you can even reserve a Yurt for camping!

CD
 
caseydog said:
Park outside your door hotels are still pretty common here.

Also, State and National parks often have cabins you can rent. Add ReservAmerica to your resource list. You can book campsites and cabins in public parks through them. Camping & Campground Reservations Online | ReserveAmerica

Ooooo, you can even reserve a Yurt for camping!

CD
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I love park outside your door, motels. Don't see many if any around here.
 
don't know if its anything you would be interested in seeing but its kinda an oddity in this country , its called Bishops castle named after the man that built it over about 40 years , its all built by one man named Jim Bishop , he was a strange kinda man , its only a few miles from my house if your interested

bishops castle.jpg
 
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