Need help (and if you know me, well......

[cmptrmn.1]

Planning on taking three months off work in about 3 years and need to plan my around the U.S. ride. Please let me know what parts of your state I should ride through and where I should avoid. Places I should stop at. I love historic sites and museums. Oh, I will be planning leaving Washington state the middle/end of June.Thanks for your help.

[W-P Bill]

Get a passport so that you can ride the Icefields Parkway in Alberta.

[ozyran440]

Originally Posted by cmptrmn.1

Planning on taking three months off work in about 3 years and need to plan my around the U.S. ride. Please let me know what parts of your state I should ride through and where I should avoid. Places I should stop at. I love historic sites and museums. Oh, I will be planning leaving Washington state the middle/end of June.Thanks for your help.

If you happen to travel the shoreline of the New England states, I'd like to recommend riding through Groton, Connecticut and stopping at the Sub Force museum. Then continue northward to Boston and the USS Constitution, and then on to Battleship Cove, where you can take a tour of a Russian missile corvette:



Also, riding through Vermont is beautiful in the summer.

[cjp91068]

Wow. Alabama must be real bad if you are promoting Massachusetts.
LOL

But in all seriousness, try to avoid Boston traffic if you can. Park the your car or bikes a few miles out of town (at a hotel or motel you may be staying at) and take the local commuter rail line or the "T" into Boston to do the tourist thing.

Central and western Ma has many scenic areas to visit if you get a chance to visit. PM if you plan to visit and I will try to get a list of places to check out.

P.S. I am SOOO jealous of your plans.

[ozyran440]

Originally Posted by cjp91068

Wow. Alabama must be real bad if you are promoting Massachusetts.
LOL

But in all seriousness, try to avoid Boston traffic if you can. Park the your car or bikes a few miles out of town (at a hotel or motel you may be staying at) and take the local commuter rail line or the "T" into Boston to do the tourist thing.

Central and western Ma has many scenic areas to visit if you get a chance to visit. PM if you plan to visit and I will try to get a list of places to check out.

P.S. I am SOOO jealous of your plans.

Nah, I've only been in Alabama for about a year and 6 months, mostly in school, so I haven't had much time to explore the state. There's really not much in this state though, except to Barber motorsports museum up in Talladega. That place is the only place in the state I know of that's a good place to visit on your way through.

There's also Callaway Gardens in Georgia, just inside of the state line as you're leaving Alabama via I-85 North.

[coach51]

If you do come to Bama try to check out the USS Alabama in Mobile. I have been there several times as a kid, and have take my kids as well. Not only do they have the USS Alabama, but they also have the USS Drum, a Tuskegee Airman P-51 Mustang, several tanks and aircraft. You might also like the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fl (very cool place and just a short ride from Mobile).
USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP
National Naval Aviation Museum - Welcome Main Page

[Bubba68CS]

I've been out to the DC area a couple times over the past two years...on our way out this last time, we stopped at Gettysburg. I thought that was pretty cool. Also been to the air and space museum in DC...very cool as well.

If you find yourself near one...I'd highly recommend eating at a Dogfish Head Alehouse...there are four in the northeast...one in Gaithersburg, MD. Actually, if you end up in Gaithersburg, I can recommend quite a few good restaurants (the food is the best part of our research trips out there ).

For Missouri? Stay south of I70. If you're north of it, you'll have flat land and no scenery (unless you find corn and soybeans scenic). If you're really into Mark Twain, Hannibal has everything you could ever ask for relating to him (Sam Clemens) and his work...even a cave tour. If you aren't really into that kind of stuff...stay away...boring town. Columbia has a few restaurants worth stopping in at if you're taking I70 across Missouri...and its much less congested than St Louis (making it an easy get in/get out for lunch).

If I think of more, I'll add it. Sounds like an awesome trip though.

[CTRider]

I would keep in mind that a lot can change in 3 years...

[cmptrmn.1]

Do understand much can change. But, for the most, it always remains the same. It will take me a bit to pick my routes (roads you guys will suggest to ride) and places to visit. My first stop will be Glacier then down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Then to S. Dakota to Mt. Rushmore, the badlands, and that big rock from Third Encounters (I think it's there). After that, I am lost.

[Jake '53]

Get one of these. It will be the best $85 you ever spent.

America the Beautiful - The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass

[Stormdragon]

Look into a few Mad Maps as well. The NorCal rides are awsome.

[Bubba68CS]

Originally Posted by cmptrmn.1

Do understand much can change. But, for the most, it always remains the same. It will take me a bit to pick my routes (roads you guys will suggest to ride) and places to visit. My first stop will be Glacier then down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Then to S. Dakota to Mt. Rushmore, the badlands, and that big rock from Third Encounters (I think it's there). After that, I am lost.

You may be able to stop off in northern Minnesota in the Boundary Waters somewhere and camp...its GORGEOUS up there. Not sure about good riding roads though...

Also, depending on when you do your trip, the big air show in Oshkosh, WI is in late July, early August...thats really cool if you're into aircraft.

[Nomadthesailor]

Don't miss the Pacific Coast, at least the No. Cal Pacific coast, anyway, and be sure to do it in a southbound direction, with little side-trips over the coastal mountains into the wine country, then back to the coast. The area from Mendocino to the city of SF is spectacular.

[ALStensby]

If you venture up to Canada, get out to Vancouver Island and take 4 across it to the likes of Ucluelet and Tofino. GORGEOUS!

As for MN, June and September tend to be great for riding. August can be, but can also get to be hot and muggy. Late September/early October are great for the colors. As for places to ride, it depends on your route. Through the southern part, you can run the river valley. If you go up towards the arrowhead portion (NE), there's the Superior Trail that runs along Lake Superior. As for history, there are all sorts of different things to check out. In the metro area, Minneapolis/St Paul grew due to milling, so lots of history from that. Musical history with the likes of 1st Ave, home of Prince, etc. Charles Lindbergh. Ft Snelling. You name it. If you come up this way, let me know some windows and interest and I'll give you more specifics. You're welcome to stay at our place on your way through!

[Bubba68CS]

Originally Posted by ALStensby

If you venture up to Canada, get out to Vancouver Island and take 4 across it to the likes of Ucluelet and Tofino. GORGEOUS!

As for MN, June and September tend to be great for riding. August can be, but can also get to be hot and muggy. Late September/early October are great for the colors. As for places to ride, it depends on your route. Through the southern part, you can run the river valley. If you go up towards the arrowhead portion (NE), there's the Superior Trail that runs along Lake Superior. As for history, there are all sorts of different things to check out. In the metro area, Minneapolis/St Paul grew due to milling, so lots of history from that. Musical history with the likes of 1st Ave, home of Prince, etc. Charles Lindbergh. Ft Snelling. You name it. If you come up this way, let me know some windows and interest and I'll give you more specifics. You're welcome to stay at our place on your way through!

Frank Lloyd Wright museum is still up there isn't it? Went there about a decade ago...it was kinda cool if you're an architecture buff.

[ALStensby]

Originally Posted by cmptrmn.1

Do understand much can change. But, for the most, it always remains the same. It will take me a bit to pick my routes (roads you guys will suggest to ride) and places to visit. My first stop will be Glacier then down to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Then to S. Dakota to Mt. Rushmore, the badlands, and that big rock from Third Encounters (I think it's there). After that, I am lost.

Ah...I should have read through. lol. If you're going that way (Devil's Tower, BTW), the if you continue East, you'll run right in to MN. Take I-90 to US-169 and shoot north. It's the old route that ran north to south from one end of the country to the other (parallels I-35). You can run that up to 610 and such and likely do a short sting on I-35 which ends in Duluth. Then you can take 63 (or 61?) which is what I-35 runs right in to and just take it along the north part of the Great Lakes!

[ALStensby]

Originally Posted by Bubba68CS

Frank Lloyd Wright museum is still up there isn't it? Went there about a decade ago...it was kinda cool if you're an architecture buff.

Oddly enough, that's the field I'm in, but I've never like FLW. lol But, yes, that is up this way. In WI I believe.

[Jake '53]

Originally Posted by ALStensby

Oddly enough, that's the field I'm in, but I've never like FLW. lol But, yes, that is up this way. In WI I believe.

Don't like Wright? Isn't that blasphemy?

[Mick327]

Whatever you do, DO NOT come through Florida in August or September, the 2 hottest months of the year. July is almost just as bad. If you do Florida, springtime is the best, April or May is beautiful.

[ALStensby]

Originally Posted by Jake '53

Don't like Wright? Isn't that blasphemy?

lol. To most in my field, yes. But, just have never struck me really.