Cross Country Trip

iraklis · 06-04-2004, 07:37 AM

I know this may not be the exact forum for this topic- but i think your collective experience might be of great value.

I am planning on going cross country late this summer on my R1100S, departing from Boston and Arriving in Los Angeles. Any interesting and scenic routes i should keep in mind for this journey? I particularly don't want it to be a boring ride across interstates.

Any advice/reccomendations would be great!

Thanks
eric

Firebolter · 06-04-2004, 07:42 AM

Route 66 is always fun and very nostalgic.......Chicago to Arizona. Believe some parts are closed, but most of it is still open.

bikerfish1100 · 06-04-2004, 07:50 AM

i have become a fan of taking interstate until beyond the "congestion"- around central OK/Neb/Kan, then back road it. that way you can maximize your time in the best riding areas, and minimize it thru the eastern half. there are great roads in the eastern half- but ya can't go from here to there on 'em very easily. unless you want to take the southern route (hot!), then you can BRP it into Tenn, and backroad it from there.

Rootboy · 06-04-2004, 08:46 AM

If you do go the northern route, you can avoid the mess around the southern tip of Lake Michigan by catching the new ferry that goes from Muskegon, MI to Milwaukee, WI. It will cost about $90 for you and the bike, but it should by worth it. 94/80 superslab is aparking lot around Indiana/Illinois border. I'm told the new "high-speed" ferry makes the crossing in about 2 1/2 hours. I will be making the trip later this month and plan to report back then.

Sam

bikpaintr · 06-04-2004, 08:57 AM

U.S. 50 runs cross country from W.Va. & use to be a nice alternative to slabbing it through the mid west. It's been 4-5 years since I've taken it out but it was an enjoyable ride across southern Ohio, Indiana, ect. Once you get past the mid west most of the east/west 2 lanes are fine. I like 50 across Nevada myself but watch your gas.

Firebolter · 06-04-2004, 09:44 AM

Actually US50 goes from Ocean City Maryland to Sacremento! I have ridden it from DC to just south of Columbus Ohio and it is a very nice road. Very scenic and in great shape. The section in West Virginia is real nice as bikpaintr said.

ckcarr · ckcarr's Garage

Highway 50

"The Lonliest Road in America"

http://www.pashnit.com/roads/Nevada/Hwy50.htm

smallj · 06-04-2004, 10:29 AM

For Crossing WV 50 is pretty good but 33 is my favorite. Once in Ohio you can meander along the Ohio river on 7 till you hit Cincinatti.

US 40 is the "National Road" and runs from Baltimore to St Louis where you can catch 50 and head further west.

Last year I rode the S from DC to Indy and then from Indy to Taos NM and up to Moab. From DC to Indiana we took US 50. Heading west we rode SuperSlab from Indy to Springfield Missouri. From there we took 160 and 166 through southern kansas (a great ride compared to I-70) and then took 64 into Taos.

Looking back I think I would have taken the Interstate through Illinois (most boring state in the Union) and then hit 50 to ride through Missouri. 160/166 through Kansas was a suprisingly good ride. Not curvey but nice and infinately better than I-70 through Kansas.

This summer I am taking the RT and the wife out to Yellowstone and I think I am going to SuperSlab it though Iowa and then hit highway 2 into wyoming. 2 is reportedly one of the top ten scenic roads in the country.