Ride Across the US.

[BarBender]

I'm planning a 3 week family holiday to the US in June 07. While over there we thought we'd visit some close friends who live in New York and do a road trip. The plan is to hire an RV for the two families while I ride a Harley.

At the moment, we've got two possible routes:
1. Fly to New York and meet our friends - Start the road trip in NY, up to Boston, across to Chicago and then drive/ride across to Seattle and then down the coast to LA where we'd see Micky Mouse and then fly home...OR...
2. Fly to LA and meet our friends and Micky Mouse - drive down to the Mexican Border and then shoot straight across the South to the top of Florida and then back up to New York.

Has anyone on the site done similar routes or travelled across the States? Are the routes good or can someone suggest something better. Ideally we'd like to either start or finish in NY.

Alternatively - has anyone here done Route 66?

Ideas/experiences and suggestions appreciated.

[yungatart]

I have been LA to NY by road - a lot of it is VERY boring, but I hear that the West Coast is stunning. Haven't done Route 66 but it is on my list of "must do's". If I was you I would start in NY and head west young man!!

[Hitcher]

I can strongly recommend a book called Good Vibrations: Coast to Coast by Harley by Tom Cunliffe.

http://www.ebooks.com/ebooks/book_di...asp?IID=183957

[Blueskies]

I'm planning a 3 week family holiday to the US in June 07. While over there we thought we'd visit some close friends who live in New York and do a road trip. The plan is to hire an RV for the two families while I ride a Harley.

At the moment, we've got two possible routes:
1. Fly to New York and meet our friends - Start the road trip in NY, up to Boston, across to Chicago and then drive/ride across to Seattle and then down the coast to LA where we'd see Micky Mouse and then fly home...OR...
2. Fly to LA and meet our friends and Micky Mouse - drive down to the Mexican Border and then shoot straight across the South to the top of Florida and then back up to New York.

Has anyone on the site done similar routes or travelled across the States? Are the routes good or can someone suggest something better. Ideally we'd like to either start or finish in NY.

Alternatively - has anyone here done Route 66?

Ideas/experiences and suggestions appreciated.

I have travelled quite a lot in the States. Some of it is indeed long and boring . . . . . have done some of Route 66. was mostly great and very light traffic but where it merges with current roads can be difficult to find again. The California Coast is a fabulous ride and the redwoods in Northern CA are somethin' else

[BarBender]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Am catching up with Sarge in the next couple of weeks over a beer as well.
Will definitely pick up the book and update you as to what I end up doing.

[scumdog]

Do the L.A. - Mexico - Florida - New York thing and you'll spend the whole three weeks driving/riding, it's BIG country!!

Good idea but needs more time to do it justice.

(Well you may be able to spend a whole day here and there if you plan it right)

[BarBender]

Thanks Dog.
Looked at a map tonight. Yep - there's alot of mileage so keen to make the most of the 21 days.

[mooks]

Pacific Coast 101 from LA to Seattle is something I want to do again. North of San Fran it can get foggy in the mornings, but OMG - the views along the coast are just mind blowing.
Some really odd characters living along the 101 too. My biggest disappointment was not riding more of it. I drove about 2/3rds before managing to get myself 2 wheels.

[Waylander]

A tip, stay the hell out of Tijuana.

Also, the drive along the bottom of the south is boring as hell when you leave California. Straight roads with nothing to look at for miles on miles on miles. In fact most of the central plains is quite boring and you'll fall in love with cruise control.
Also keep in mind that it takes about 6 days to drive from LA to New York (I'm guessing on that I know it takes 2 days Dallas to San Diego and 4 days Dallas to New Jersey) And that's driving from 7am stopping only for gas and food till about 10:30ish.

[Bob]

Don't know how much help this will be, but HC Travel specialise in US bike tours - they also provide a fair bit of information:

http://www.hctravel.com/USAIndex.htm

Hope this proves useful.

[Naki Rat]

Has anyone on the site done similar routes or travelled across the States? Are the routes good or can someone suggest something better. Ideally we'd like to either start or finish in NY.

Alternatively - has anyone here done Route 66?

Ideas/experiences and suggestions appreciated.[/QUOTE]

There's probably plenty of information of interest to you in Gareth Morgan's articles posted during his recent US trip. http://worldbybike.com/northamerica/trip_tales.asp
I remember there being mention of Route 66 in amongst it. Gareth's Silk Riders book about his previous trip is also a bloody good read!

Cheers,

[scumdog]

Has anyone on the site done similar routes or travelled across the States? Are the routes good or can someone suggest something better. Ideally we'd like to either start or finish in NY.

Alternatively - has anyone here done Route 66?

Ideas/experiences and suggestions appreciated.

There's probably plenty of information of interest to you in Gareth Morgan's articles posted during his recent US trip. http://worldbybike.com/northamerica/trip_tales.asp
I remember there being mention of Route 66 in amongst it. Gareth's Silk Riders book about his previous trip is also a bloody good read!

Cheers,[/QUOTE]

Go up West coast from California via coastal highway (not I-5) then across to Washington-Idaho-Montana-Wyoming-Colorado-Utah-Nevada and finish back in L.A.
Go to the small centres and towns, explore a bit, also it gives you a chance to go along Route 66 for a bit.

I've done about 2/3 of Route 66 from L.A. - Barstow - Flagstaff -Gallup - Amarillo - Oklahoma City.
First few states of Rt66 are well worth it, slow going because the Interstate by-passes Rt66 in so many place but worth it to say "I done it".

But take side roads and check out 'Small-Town USA'

But the East Coast? in the words from Blazing Saddles: "Son, you're on your own" as it's been 40 years since I was last in N.Y.

[soundbeltfarm]

done LA up to boston then up to burlington vermont.

didnt see when you going but when we left la it was bloody hot and when we got to N.Y it was bloody cold and then when we hit vermont it was snowing like a bitch all within 6 weeks.
its a big arse country.
i reccomend getting into the back blocks and seeing the real americans they are pretty cool people well thats what we found.
the people inb the main cities are cool too .
it like any place if you look for trouble you'l get it.
we got knives pulled on us in L.a lucky we were pissed up so smashed stubbies on wall and said some bullshit about in NZ this is how we fight .
If we were sober would've shit ourselves and maybe got chubbed. haha they shit themselves. cops came and we were taken away but let go after half hour the cops pull guns then ask question not like here.
nearly got pick pocketed in NY again was trollied maybe a trend happening here.
up in vermont and boston they just want you to talk and love our dundee accent ( thats what they say.)
america was my fav place on our O.E
went on a fair bit of 66.
i was on contiki tour so the roads were never boring.

Mate im bloody envious ,, have a good one

[emaN]

I'm planning a 3 week family holiday to the US in June 07.

Therein lies the problem

This time 4yrs ago the mrs & i had just finished a 3 month ride thru' the States.

We bought 3 Harleys here in NZ (there were 5 of us), took 'em over, rode for 3mths, sold 'em in North Carolina and buggered off back to the UK.

- I'd suggest avoiding interstate highways, get onto the smaller "back country" stuff.
- Drop into any/all biker friendly bars you come across; it's incredible the characters you meet inside!
- Route 66? meh... plenty other amazing routes to pick from
- My pick, if we were to go back, would be to spend more time in the Rockies and more time in the NE.
- As un-pc as it sounds, you won't likely be wearing much more than a leather vest & jeans... We rode thru' 53 C heat in leathers one day; the jackets soon came off, leather jeans stayed on, but never again in that heat! (Admittedly, this was between LA & Vegas).

Prior to the trip I got hold of the Good Vibrations book; still got it. Let me know if you'd like to borrow it - it paints a good picture of what you're likely to come across.

Here's a few pix from our trip
http://travel.webshots.com/album/412024620MALFjC
(not many as we didn't have a digi back then - my mate in Philly did & took these)

Best advice is do it!!!!

[Timber020]

I would rent bikes for a week from LA and do missions from there towards and around vegas via the old route 2, route 66 out towards peach springs etc, hoover dam, grand canyon, (death valley might be a bit hot by bike at that time of year). Hey theres also keith codes and freddy spenser school in vegas to a once in a lifetime learning experience (wish i thought about it when I was there).