Out to Cali
 

So I am planning what looks to be a solo trip out to Cali and back next year. It's going to be a little over a two week trip out and back. Looking to hit as many national parks as possible. Probably going to go through arkansas hill country and blast through the plains as fast as possible and ride a little all over Colorado and then down to Vegas and the Grand Canyon, then through Death Valley/Yosemite and up to San Fran. From there I will go up the coast to the redwoods and make my way through oregan and idaho to yellowstone. I am unsure of the route I will take back from there, may head over to rushmore/black hills/badlands and back down.

If you are on the route, let me know if you want to meet up or ride for awhile.

Thats intense.

Srsly... You'll probably spend more time wishing you made it to the next stop than enjoying your journey. I'd recommend a month if you could.

Can't get that much time off, it's the only way I can do it. I am sure it will be rushed, but until I retire, I won't be able to do a month.

Sounds like an awesome trip, Trip.

I did a mini version of the west coast part of it in 2007.

Flew into Vegas and rode through Death Valley, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite National parks.

Then west to San Fran. Then to Monterey for the Laguna Seca GP race.

2 weeks might be a little tight but you can do it for sure. You just won't have a lot of (off the bike)sight seeing time.

guess NY is a bit out of the way :lol:

Even if it wasn't, what's to see in NY? :lol

Not much but I have good beer in the fridge and a kickass beer bar to go to:rockwoot:

I should have qualified that with, while on a bike. I love Manhattan. And beer in plenty of reason to go anywhere.

Most likely going to be in NYC thanksgiving. No plans made yet, but I think we will be up there with my parents.

maybe we can catch up then depending on scheduling.

I would recommend a different route. Vegas to Death Valley to San Diego is hot and boring, and so is San Diego to San Fran.

From Vegas I'd go north instead, up to Tahoe (and maybe Mammoth in between). And then go to San Fran from there.

I am not going to san diego. I am going Vegas to Death Valley (I am sure it is going to be hot, but I want to go here.) up to Yosemite, then across to San Fran.

OK well after Yosemite, I'd recommend hitting Mammoth, Mono Lake, and Tahoe. Trust me, going west from Yosemite to Modesto to San Fran is boring as shit. Nothing but meth labs.

My buddy randy did a very similar trip last year, except he kept going north to alaska. Made it to the dalton and bent a rim, got towed to a small town and had a new wheel sent to him and bent it on the way back down.

You've got some good stops on there. The Ozarks in Arkansas make for some amazing riding. I'll be out there this weekend. :D I highly recommend Colorado. Absolutely beautiful. The Grand Canyon is amazing and should be seen by motorcycle at least once! I love Yosemite. If you go in July, forget Death Valley. I had it on my itinerary in 2005 and bypassed it due to 130 degree temps during the day.

Oregon, Idaho..definitely. Yellowstone, few places like it on earth. Mt. Rushmore, Black Hills, and the Badlands are very cool too.

Sounds to me like you'll have a great trip! I've been to all the areas you mentioned by motorcycle, and you'll enjoy it!

The route from Yosemite over to San Fran is kinda boring as Homeslice mentioned. Lots of cherry farms. Smells good anyway. LOL If you can swing it, I'd highly recommend Lake Tahoe! Amazing area!

unfortunately it's the quickest way to the coast, and I really want to go from san fran to redwoods by the coast. I am going to have to hit some boring areas to make the trip possible in the time period.

im just stuck with the consiquences from my dumb damn ideas

and damn i want to make it to the west coast this year

maybe ill catch up with ya at some point, keep me posted

I'm in Vegas, depending on when you roll in, I can meet up with you.

You should come with me, it will be fun

Planning to do it around memorial day, two weeks previous or after.

Bought a 6' laminated US highway/interstate map online that I am going to tack to a wall in the man room. I am going to start plotting a route based on destinations and must ride highways.

Got a link Trip? I would love that!

If you can get off work for that length of time, you should come with me gas.

http://www.mapsales.com/usa-wall-maps.aspx?flag=image

I got the us political map laminated so I can use dry erase markers on it.

http://www.mapsales.com/national-geo...-wall-map.aspx

bring chewy

What no Los Angeles? Weaksauce.

Nothing I really want to see there.

There's twisties from Vegas to Death Valley. You have to go through Pahrump, NV to get to 'em though.

I'll definitely have enough leave saved up by then. I know I haven't been invited (yet :lol: ) but I may seriously consider joining you, and any others, as I'd like to see the 48 Conus by bike. Alaska will have to wait a few years. :lol: I would just have to be home on May 25 for my daughter's bday, so that's about the only thing that would prevent me from making a trip around that time frame.

If you are serious captain send me a pm. we could leave after your daughters birthday or before. I want company. cheaper for as needed motel rooms and just someone to for the boring miles.

man, with that timetable you're gonna be slabing it a lot

:eek:

PM sent

Not as much as you think. It will be about 17 days. There will be a couple of long days in boring areas on slab to eat up miles and time fast, but there will also be mostly 300 mile days inbetween those. If it gets too rough, than I will slow up a bit an tell work I had mechanical issues :lol:, but the plan is 17 days.

I meant I would love the map. But the trip idea sounds good too.

17 days... WOW. I would have to burn allot of vacay... remember I work 7 days straight each shift. But I burn 7 days and get 14 off. That means that i would have to burn the next shift (nites) which requires 8 days of vacay. That's 15 days (3 weeks of my 4) of vacay time. No way I'll be willing to go back to work after doing such a trip....

So 17 days...

Budget?

What kind of miles you looking at? Fig that and divide by bike's mpg times $3.25 (min) per gal of gas.

Even cheap lodging... fig $100 a night divided by 2 if you room up.

Food is $75 a day = $1275

Yeah it will be pricy but you only live once. camping is an option to save cash. this is my only chance like this before me and my wife have kids.

See but I don't plan on having kids. LOL

I might be game

I think you're figuring a bit high per night on hotels. We don't need a Hampton, fucking budget motel works just fine. Get a first floor room and roll the bikes inside. :lol: I laugh, but I'm serious.

Agreed. It's going to be difficult being away from my daughter for that long, but I'm hoping to talk her mom into taking her vacation with her parents at that time next year. They always take a vacay down to Florida or Tennesse for about 10 days in June or July. If they take it in early June, it would work out great.

I didn't plan on it either, but sometimes it happens when you don't expect it. However, I want to do a trip like this before getting married (no, I don't have plans for that just yet, but things are going well with the g/f.)

Yeah but I won't count on you til we leave lol

That should be how I would view it

Yes I figured high. But that's better than comin in short.

I so much don't plan on havin kids that I will be snipped this year...

You don't have to come. :lol:

I am doing this regardless. The money isn't a concern for me because this is a once in a lifetime trip. I can't wait.

When you thinkin?

leaving the friday before memorial day is plan

that's when I originally wanted to go and that is when Avery can go as well.

Ok... well... I can't say 100% I could go until next year. Simply too much crazy going on at work. I'm not even sure if my sked will be the same.

But if he does before getting snipped, he may have those kids he doesn't want.

Agreed.

Got my planning and tracking map in, I like a physical map a little better than google maps. Just seems more natural. A 6' wide map is pretty damn big, that's a full size acoustic.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/...79cb05658e.jpg

Better plan two trips. With your dual-sport bike, you could spend two weeks just exploring the wilds of Utah. If you included all of Utah's National Parks and State Parks, you would need another two weeks. It really is that spectacular.

Yeah, that one would be another time. I would like to move out west for awhile to do that stuff.