The Route

After deciding when I wanted to take the trip, I started planning the route. In the last post I talked a bit about some of the things that I wanted to see, so it was now time to start connecting those dots. I also wanted to see all of the kitschy Americana types of attractions that I would be going by or close enough for a short detour. One of my favorite websites for planning trips is  Roadside America - you can find some really strange things there.

I hadn’t yet decided how long the trip was going to take. My thoughts were to map out the route, add in some days off the bike here and there, and then see how many days that totaled up to. While the idea of an open-ended trip sounds awesome, the reality is there is always a job that you have to get back to. I didn’t want to set the schedule such that I had to do 500+ mile days to get out and back - I wanted to make sure that I had time to see the things I wanted to see, but still be able to complete the trip in a reasonable time frame.

I made the decision that I would plan the daily stopping points and make hotel reservations in advance. I may regret that decision at some point along the trip, but the main thing that I wanted to avoid was to get somewhere after a day of riding, only to find no hotels available, and the next town 200 or so miles down the road. Because I planned on using up some hotel points along the way, I had to make those reservations in advance as well. One of the memories I have from that 1976 trip is Mom and Dad both getting a case of food poisoning, then having to drive all night because no rooms were available anywhere. No thanks.

Part one of the trip (NC to Seattle) had already been somewhat roughed out, but I went ahead and finalized that portion. I’ll leave NC, and head somewhat northwesterly through western Virginia and Kentucky, then almost straight west through southern Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and into Kansas. Once in Kansas, I’ll turn north all the way  through Nebraska and into South Dakota. I’ll then turn west again and end up in Rapid City, where I will take a few days off.

Kate will fly out and meet me in Rapid City, where I will spend some time off the bike while we explore some National Parks (our favorite vacation destinations). Within an hours drive of Rapid City, you can see Devil’s Tower National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Badlands National Park, and the Minuteman Missile Silo National Historic Site.

From Rapid City, Kate will follow me into North Dakota (me on the bike and her in the rental car), where we will drive The Enchanted Highway and visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The swing up into North Dakota wasn’t originally in the plan, but we decided that we both needed to check the “I’ve been to North Dakota” box, and there is a National Park for us to see! Say no more!

Kate will fly back home out of Bismarck, ND, and I will continue west into Montana, a quick dip into Wyoming to ride the Beartooth Highway and see Yellowstone. Then through Idaho, straight across Washington into Seattle. In Seattle, I’ll get to spend a few days with my sister and will pick up some riding companions as well. My good friends John and Erin are going to fly out from North Carolina, rent a bike, and come along with me for the next third of the trip. I am super excited about this, as after crossing the entire country by myself for the most part, it will be nice to have some friends along for the ride.

From Seattle, We knew we wanted to ride the Pacific coast; there is only 1 option for that. We’ll take US-101 south through Washington, Oregon and northern California. We’ll then move over to CA-1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and continue south. In Fort Bragg, CA, we’ll take a day off to see some sights, then keep heading south to the Bay Area. John and I will drop Erin off at that point and she’ll fly home. John and I will turn east, cut through Yosemite and continue on.

After leaving California, We’ll head straight across Nevada via the Extraterrestrial Highway into Utah (purposely skipping Las Vegas). We will turn a bit northeast here to ride UT-12, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful rides/drives in the U.S. From there  we'll head back south through 4-corners into Arizona and pick up US-64. Those of you in North Carolina – you know US-64 goes from Murphy to Manteo, but did you know it actually starts (or ends, depending on your perspective) in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona? We’ll post a picture when I get there.

We  will continue across northern New Mexico, where I will take a few days off in Taos, and John will head south to Albuquerque to return the rental bike and fly home. I have no real plans in Taos as of yet… I’ll just need a few days off the bike. There is a brewery there, so I’ll have that. After a few days off,  I’ll continue east on US-64 into Oklahoma, through  Arkansas and Tennessee, then back into North Carolina back home.

The final totals - 33 days and 7800 miles through 24 states. Sounds like a good trip to me.

24 days to launch.