Six Week Epic Trip Planned!

This summer I am planning a major solo motorcycling camping trip across Canada and the United States.  The current plan is six weeks on the road, starting off in Canada, and looping back through the States.

A basic idea of route is below, however Google Maps does not work well with a detailed trip (very limited on the number of discrete points that can be embedded).  This is NOT an actual route map, just a visual representation of my plans.  My route does not include interstates or main highways, and does include a lot of side trips.  For example, I plan to visit friends in the Atlanta, GA area, and revisit some of the roads I discovered there last October; I will be visiting more friends in Telluride, CO for our yearly meetup, and more!

My trip will be starting late May, and I will be posting here on a regular basis sharing where I am and my plans for the next leg of the trip.  Hoping that people on the board will be kind enough to share good roads and must-see places with me as they pertain to my route as I travel.  As with previous trips I don't have set distance goals or stopping places for each day, nor exact routing planned out.  It's more of an adventure if I just follow my nose and ride according to how I feel and conditions.

I probably can be arm-twisted into posting a detailed ride report with photos after I get back... I seem to be known for that.

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[image: View Post]Olive, on 18 May 2011 - 10:58 PM, said:

This summer I am planning a major solo motorcycling camping trip across Canada and the United States.  The current plan is six weeks on the road, starting off in Canada, and looping back through the States.

A basic idea of route is below, however Google Maps does not work well with a detailed trip (very limited on the number of discrete points that can be embedded).  This is NOT an actual route map, just a visual representation of my plans.  My route does not include interstates or main highways, and does include a lot of side trips.  For example, I plan to visit friends in the Atlanta, GA area, and revisit some of the roads I discovered there last October; I will be visiting more friends in Telluride, CO for our yearly meetup, and more!

My trip will be starting late May, and I will be posting here on a regular basis sharing where I am and my plans for the next leg of the trip.  Hoping that people on the board will be kind enough to share good roads and must-see places with me as they pertain to my route as I travel.  As with previous trips I don't have set distance goals or stopping places for each day, nor exact routing planned out.  It's more of an adventure if I just follow my nose and ride according to how I feel and conditions.

I probably can be arm-twisted into posting a detailed ride report with photos after I get back... I seem to be known for that.

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Olive,

Whatever you do, I'm sure it will be a great adventure and I look forward to your posts.  You are living my life.

BTW, there is no 'A' on your map.




LookingHard

[image: View Post]LookingHard, on 18 May 2011 - 11:11 PM, said:

Olive,

Whatever you do, I'm sure it will be a great adventure and I look forward to your posts.  You are living my life.

BTW, there is no 'A' on your map.

LookingHard

That's another "feature" of Google Maps.  The "A" is cleverly hidden underneath the "H".

Olive - you never cease to amaze . . .

Are you most interested in backroads or does time constraints mean more traveled roads where you can make better time?  Either way, glad to help with routing in the Portland OR area.    If you can work it out to have a section down the Columbia River Gorge and around Mt Hood then up to Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood, is a don't miss if you have time (spectacular views).   Your route along the Cal. and Oregon Coast will be great - beautiful ride.  A detour from the coast in Southern Oregon is Crater Lake.  It's about 35 miles around the rim of the lake and well worth it.  It is a ways off your coastal route though.  Looks like fun!

I'll join many others and say I'm green with envy.  I'm guessing you set St. John's, Newfoundland as a waypoint "just to say you did it".  I say this because from a 'twisty biking road' point of view you would be better off skipping that short hop into NFLD and looping around Nova Scotia instead.  If you plan to drive around St. John's more than shown, I'll take that back.  I did the west coast of NFLD, camping all the way, right up to the northern tip.  Not the twistiest of roads but a great adventure, one I'll never forget.

Also, consider staying on the north shore of the St. Lawrence river as you go east of Montreal, right up to Baie Comeau.  From Baie Comeau take ride up to Manic 5 hyrdo dam, do a guided tour of the facilities and back down to Baie Comeau.  A full day day to remember.  Hop the ferry down to Matane, Qc, and cut down through the Matapedia valley (very scenic).  The whole section you show (Montreal, Riviere du Loup, Moncton) is brutally boring.

Of course there are couple of interesting loops close to my place, but I'm pretty sure you will have see more than enough ashphalt to want to do too many side trips.

I'll close by saying I can offer you another 'safe harbour' in Montreal area when/if you pass through (your path shown puts you 10 minutes from my place).

Keep us posted when your schedule is firmed up.

Brian

also in terms of enjoying the ride instead of doing a 'full loop', i'd recommend cutting out the southern florida loop and coming up from texas into arkansas instead... cross from there over tennessee/south carolina to the east... good stuff.

i also tend to think that motorcycle touring and cities don't go well together, so I'd likely stay off the north-east coast as much as possible, stick to the hilly, curvy bits further inland.

let's see... what other useless advice do i have... manitoba/saskatchewan/alberta is a long/flat way across.  beautiful in its own right, but, on a bike, i chose minnesota/south dakota/wyoming/idaho/montana instead... some real good riding through there.  plus taking the diagonal from wyoming up into alberta gives some nice distance to be among and enjoy the rockies.

just musings for you to consider in your planning.

fact is, there's no real way to go wrong when you're talking about 6 weeks on the road and on a motorcycle.  enjoy it.

WOW!
Olive,
There are several (many), me included, that will be living vicariously through you this summer. Please do post up, your last report was fabulous.
Here is a link to a side trip perhaps ... James Bay.
http://www.jamesbayr...tour/index.html
Maybe too far out of the way, although it looks as though you are crossing into QC north of North Bay. Maybe dip a toe in the bay.

Safe travels and many memories. Looking forward to "living" this one.

Cheers, Mike

Wow, Nicole. That's an epic trip. You'll see so many cool things. Six weeks is a really long time to be living out of your luggage and away from home. Are you going clockwise or counterclockwise?

Let me know when you're leaving. Maybe our trips will match up if you are going West first.

I would also add that if you are doing eastern Quebec, do the Gaspe Peninsula, Rte 132 I believe, out to Perce Rock, then continue to Campbellton, New Brunswick to follow the coast down the Easterm side of the province. I too would suggest the southern shore of Nova Scotia and if driving back to New Brunswick, do the Advocate, NS to Amherst, NS along the Bay of Fundy. On the way back through New Brunswick, at Moncton, NB take Rte 114, nice road most of the way, to Funday National Park and on to Sussex, NB and  Saint John. I could meet you for this part of the journey if it's a weekend. There is a nice road to the west of Saint John, Rte 790, smooth, twisty that will get you close to the resort area of St. Andrews, real nice small town in the summer. Then off to Calais, Maine for the border crossing where you can catch either Rte 1 down the Maine coast or Rte 9 to Bangor and I95 south.

As alway for the riding community on here, feel free to stop in or contact me if any issues arises although I am going to be in Europe from June 10th to the 27th. I wish you safe travels.

[image: View Post]superfunkomatic, on 19 May 2011 - 11:13 AM, said:

Are you going clockwise or counterclockwise?

I'm heading east first.  Last year I took the 1/101 down the West Coast, this year will be the reverse.  

As I noted in my original post, the google map does not indicate actual roads/precise routing, it's just a basic depiction of the trip.  I appreciate all the suggestions.

What is next?  6 weeks through Europe?   :laughing6-hehe:

[image: View Post]superchode, on 19 May 2011 - 08:11 AM, said:

also in terms of enjoying the ride instead of doing a 'full loop', i'd recommend cutting out the southern florida loop and coming up from texas into arkansas instead... cross from there over tennessee/south carolina to the east... good stuff.

i also tend to think that motorcycle touring and cities don't go well together, so I'd likely stay off the north-east coast as much as possible, stick to the hilly, curvy bits further inland.

...

fact is, there's no real way to go wrong when you're talking about 6 weeks on the road and on a motorcycle.  enjoy it.

+1

[image: View Post]bmv, on 19 May 2011 - 08:16 AM, said:

WOW!
Olive,
There are several (many), me included, that will be living vicariously through you this summer. Please do post up, your last report was fabulous.

...

Safe travels and many memories. Looking forward to "living" this one.
+2

So far you are sortof aimed at the best (only) good riding roads in Texas - through Vanderpool, Leakey, etc.  You could have a lot of fun down there.  Give us a shout if/when you come through Texas; I'm sure you'll have members nearby no matter which town you end up in.

[image: View Post]Dutchy, on 19 May 2011 - 12:42 PM, said:

What is next?  6 weeks through Europe?   :laughing6-hehe:


Hmmm....  

Year 1:
In 2009 I went on my first week-long solo trip - down into the States to meet up with friends at the Grand Canyon.  (Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Nevada.  Nevada was a side trip to change the rear tire on my bike).  What was notable about this trip was that it was within the first year of getting my motorcycle license, it was the first over-night trip I had made on the bike, it was the first time I had slept in a tent in over 20 years, was the first time I had ever gone on a road trip into the States.

Year 2
In early summer 2010 I had a little more time and travelled down the west coast (Washington, Oregon, California along the #1 and #101 - fantastic scenery!), and then spent some time in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.  Once again I met up with friends for the July 4th long weekend at the Grand Canyon.

October 2010 featured a flight down to North Carolina, where I picked up my new-in-the-crate 2008 Honda VFR, and rode it home, This trip included North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, an accidental side trip into Illinois, then back through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana.

Year 3
Six week tour of Canada and United States planned

I don't know Dutchy... do you sense a pattern forming here?  I'm rapidly running out of new States and Provinces to ride through.   :laughing6-hehe:

[image: View Post]carlitos92, on 19 May 2011 - 01:13 PM, said:

Give us a shout if/when you come through Texas; I'm sure you'll have members nearby no matter which town you end up in.

I will be posting up my plans and try to keep the forum up to date with a daily summary.  I'm hoping that by doing so locals will be able to chime in with suggested side-routes, must sees, better roads and alerts about construction zones.

Hey Olive,

Looks like a great trip. Following up on Carlito, post up as you get close to Texas, There are few reasons for you to venture down to my and Fotomoto's neck of the woods, but I'm occasionally in the Austin/SA/Hillcountry area and if one of those visits coincides with your transit I'll buy a round.

Jim

[image: View Post]LookingHard, on 18 May 2011 - 11:11 PM, said:

Olive,
Whatever you do, I'm sure it will be a great adventure and I look forward to your posts.  You are living my life.


++++++1

And where do I go to get a job that will let me have six weeks off?.... lucky skunk!!

[image: View Post]TexOz, on 19 May 2011 - 04:10 PM, said:

And where do I go to get a job that will let me have six weeks off?.... lucky skunk!!


Let me know when you figure it out.

I don't exactly have a job that gives me that kind of time off...

I'm currently unemployed, and making the best of that situation.  When I do find employment I probably will not be able to do anything of this nature - so I'm taking advantage of that fact.  Really hoping the job market will be better when I get back.  There is nothing stopping me from job hunting while on the road - lots of places to hook up to WIFI.  I know how to travel on a shoestring budget, because I have done it often enough before.  I will be looking for the least expensive campsites and eating from grocery stores instead of restaurants to keep my costs down.

[image: View Post]Olive, on 19 May 2011 - 11:36 AM, said:

[image: View Post]superfunkomatic, on 19 May 2011 - 11:13 AM, said:

Are you going clockwise or counterclockwise?

I'm heading east first.  Last year I took the 1/101 down the West Coast, this year will be the reverse.  

As I noted in my original post, the google map does not indicate actual roads/precise routing, it's just a basic depiction of the trip.  I appreciate all the suggestions.

Going east first at your latitude surprises me. My guess would have been that you'd head south into warmer, drier environs first. I'm sure you know your weather better than I, but the weather here in Reno, NV does not seem to want to let go of its grip on winter even 2/3rds of the way thru May! Apparently we'll have no Spring weather this year.

I've read all your prior reports with great awe. Your Google maps basic depiction of your route reflects your love of ocean views.  I'm looking forward to your daily logs and for your epic journey posts to get me through next winter! Bon chance on your journey!

A buddy and me will likely be out near NYC near June 19th give or take a day and then heading down to Virginia Beach.  It would be great if we happened to cross paths and could ride together for a bit.  I'll be paying attention to your progress as my trip comes closer. Good luck...

If you make a mistake and end up passing through sw. Kansas, I'd be pleased to spend some time with you. There's not much to see here but it's on the way to many places. I have a shop in case you'd be in need of minor repairs.

[image: View Post]dr.toto, on 19 May 2011 - 08:45 PM, said:

If you make a mistake and end up passing through sw. Kansas, I'd be pleased to spend some time with you. There's not much to see here but it's on the way to many places. I have a shop in case you'd be in need of minor repairs.

:laughing6-hehe:

I rode through Kansas last October.  Kansas isn't on this trip agenda, but Albuquerque is... if I make the wrong left hand turn there who knows where I will end up.   :biggrin:

A six week trip! I can only dream at this time.   :491:

Enjoy, ride safe.   :beer:

And good luck getting a job so we can all stop being green because we can't do a similar trip.
It's not easy being green.   :biggrin:

Looks like you can make this trip a 4 corners of the USA contiguous. Looking forward to the ride report and pics. Good luck and stay safe.

[image: View Post]Olive, on 19 May 2011 - 02:41 PM, said:

I don't know Dutchy... do you sense a pattern forming here?  I'm rapidly running out of new States and Provinces to ride through.   :laughing6-hehe:



You may have this place in your future.....   :fing02:



[image: Posted Image]


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[image: View Post]Dutchy, on 20 May 2011 - 04:11 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Olive, on 19 May 2011 - 02:41 PM, said:

I don't know Dutchy... do you sense a pattern forming here?  I'm rapidly running out of new States and Provinces to ride through.   :laughing6-hehe:

You may have this place in your future.....   :fing02:

Even after this trip there will be a few places on this continent still to visit...