Road trip of a lifetime Ft Bragg - Chicago - Santa Monica - Portland OR

Hi fellow road trippers! I'm planning a motorcycle trip of a lifetime! My goal is, in 30 days, to go from Ft Bragg, NC to Chicago via the Tale of the dragon and the skyway. Once I get to Chicago, I'm travelling Route 66 to Santa Monica. If I can do it without hurrying myself, I would like to finish off in Portland OR (originally home) for a week and then back to Bragg. If I have time I'm going to take a scenic route back as well. My question, fellow travellers, is there anyone wanting to join this trip for a day or two. I'm simply looking for another bike (or car!) I'm looking to do this trip in April/May of 2013 timeframe, when it's still not hot in the south but not cold in the north. It's not my intent to get anywhere in particular, I want to find some great roads, great people, and travel route 66. I don't have a bike currently. I sold mine before I deployed. I'm looking to buy a HD Road King (or something similair) for this trip. I've wanted to take this trip for a long time and I am dropping 30 days of leave for it, so I'm not hurried. Any advice on nice roads, rides, mom and pop b&b's/restaurants or anything else that comes to mind, please reply. I'm not looking for "best of" stuff, just what you've found interesting along these areas. I'm not set on a hard course yet, I'm really open for suggestions. Thank you for your time!

I don't ride, but just wanted to take the opportunity to say "Welcome to RTA". Also, Rt 66 has been decommissioned for years. To follow it, you'll have to take I-55, I-44 and I-40 through IL, MO, OK, TX, NM, AZ and CA. You'll find bits and pieces of the old road along the way, usually designated as "Busn. 66", "Old Rt 66", or by the state and the number 66. The longest stretch still in existence is AZ-66 around Seligman.


Donna

Thank you for the invite. I know the Route 66 of old has been decommisioned, I was hoping to get on a guided tour, or fall in with someone who has travelled the route before. I also plan on plotting all the waypoints into my gps. I'm planning on the trip in APR 2013, so I have time to plot ;) I have a friend riding most of the way to Chicago, and an Army buddy plans to meet me in Chicago and ride with me for a day or two on 66, but I'v always found good people on the road, and look forward to the unpredictability of it.

You will find a lot of info throughout the forums and road trip planning pages in the tool bars above to help with your planning, including this RTA page dedicated to Route 66 planning. Right at the bottom of that page is this informative site.

As you continue with your planning and questions crop up, don't hesitate to ask ! Have fun.

Hello from Raleigh, PVT,

I have a nephew who is a CAPT at Bragg and he's deployed as I type this. My younger son is a Navy Seabee E-6 (PO 2nd Cl) on orders to deploy soon. On their behalf, and for all of the rest of us, thank you for your service.

For your return trip, I offer the following suggestions:

Leaving Portland, ramp up north to I-90 via Kennewick/I-82/US 395. Take I-90 to Missoula, MT. Be sure to overnight there (the good old Thunderbird Motel on East Broadway is a cool place). Missoula is a fun and rocking college town (University of Montana) with lots of bars and restaurants within a few blocks walk of the T-bird. Snag a breakfast at The Oxford, where there are no locks on the doors since they never close. Montanans tend to go to breakfast when the bars close, so The Oxford between 0300 and 0500 is pretty entertaining. Regular breakfast hours are cool, too.

From Missoula go down US 93 south to the MT-ID line at Lost Trail Pass. Take MT 43 east towards Wisdom into the Big Hole Valley. At Wisdom, take MT 278 to Dillon, MT. The Big Hole is literally breathtaking and is a must-see. From Dillon, MT 41 and 55 bring you back up to I-90 east of Butte. East on I-90 are Bozeman and Livingston, each being fun overnight stops, particularly Bozeman, home of Montana State U and having a fairly rowdy reputation.

Keep on I-90 past Billings and down into Wyoming. Below Sheridan, take I-25 south to Douglas, WY, and there grab US 20 east to Crawford, NE, in the far northwest corner of Nebraska. Take NE 71 south from Crawford to Alliance on US 385/NE-2. For about 200-250 miles east on NE-2 from Alliance, you're on the "Sandhills Scenic Tour", with NE 2 being a sometimes a bit curvy, sometimes straight, 2-lane highway w/ 65-70 mph speed limits following a major railroad line and free-flowing rivers through a landscape of giant sand dunes covered with grasses and virtually no trees. There are little railroad/ranch towns every 10 miles or so, and Broken Bow, NE looks is a great place for an overnight, with an old hotel and restaurants, bars, bakeries, and other shops on a nice town square which NE 2 forms one side of. You can stay on NE 2 to all the way to Grand Island or drop down to I-80 a little west of there at Cairo, NE, through Wood River on NE 11 to avoid urban/suburban congestion in the town of Grand Island.

At Lincoln, NE, around 90 miles east of Wood River, follow the signs for NE 2 to Nebraska City, crossing the Missouri there to I-29 in the southwest corner of Iowa. I-29 runs southeast to KC, where I-70 takes you to St Louis. From St Louis, you can cross the Mississippi on I-64 to I-57 at Mt Vernon, and about 50 mi south from there you pick up I-24 through Clarksville (Ft Campbell, where you can stop to see friends or just kick a few 101st tails), and Nashville, TN is only 50 miles or so past Ft Campbell. Nashville's "Lower Broad" entertainment district is said to be a barrel of fun, and I-40 runs a nice route east from there, over the Cumberland Plateau to Knoxville, and then through the Smokies to Asheville, NC, another fun overnight stop/college town (U of NC at Asheville). Choose your poison as to the best route from I-40 east of Asheville, NC back to Bragg.

At St Louis, you can alternately go south on I-55 and cross the Mississippi to Hickman, KY, and run southeast from there to Jackson, TN to pick up I-40 west of Nashville. The crossing to Hickman is a FERRY boat I am itching to ride on myself. Look them up online and make sure they're running before planning on riding it. Last Spring the floods closed the ferry for a time. Also be advised of some other ferries running from east of I-55 to Illinois, where you can take back roads over to I-57 or I-24.

Back out west, be aware you're liable to see snow in the higher elevations in late April/early May. Crux points for snow along the route I've suggested include Lookout Pass at the ID-MT line, Lost Trail Pass south of Missoula, and Bozeman Pass east of Bozeman.

Have fun planning your trip. Stay safe and keep in touch with the RTA Forums for more info.

Foy

Good Lord Foy - I think you just planned my entire return trip! Thank you for so much info in one shot. I'll be sure to spen the next few days happily researching the route you've suggested. As far as snow in the passes, from experience in the Cascades, I've seen snow on days that were in the 70's. Would the passes still be at winter temps? Or is the snow just slow in the process of melting? Snow as a road hazard I'm willing to deal with, riding in freezing temps is something I'd rather avoid. Thank you again, and please let me know if you have any other suggestions.

PVT,

Western MT gets a goodly portion of its annual snowpack in April and early May. I'd assume you'd see plowed snowbanks flanking the highways as you get above, say, 3,000 to 4,000', with the higher passes (Lost Trail and Bozeman) likely delivering a shot of winter temps, too. On average, air temps decline by 3 to 5 deg per 1,000' of elevation, so a warm-ish day in Missoula (below 3,000') can be dang cold at Lost Trail Pass (7,015') and chilly enough at Bozeman (5,700') or Lookout (4,700'). I'd also look closely for icy patches in the early morning and in shady spots on north-facing slopes later in the day.

Get back on with any followup questions. I'm happy to help any and all servicemembers.

Foy

Wow, I didn't know the temp would vary that greatly in Apr, would it be wiser to push this into MAY? Would that affect the temp in the passes enough for them to be passable without ice patches? I don't mind the snow on the side of the road, it's the ice and snow on the road that I'm sure my bike wouldn't like :) Thank you again for all the info!

PVT,

I live here in Raleigh, NC and have not been in Montana in person during April. All I have to go on are the Montana DOT webcams placed at the aforementioned passes, cams which routinely show snow falling and DOT plow crews working as weather systems pass through April into early- to mid-May.

That said, the Western states' DOT snow removal equipment and personnel are unmatched anywhere I can think of. The passes are monitored by the cams and in-pavement sensors and men and equipment move accordingly to clear the road.

What you may not be aware of is the limited distances involved in clearing the 3 passes we're talking about. There is not likely more than 6-8 miles of higher elevation in traversing Lookout Pass, only 5 to 7 in clearing Lost Trail and heading east into the Big Hole, and more like 10 miles of higher elevation along Bozeman Pass. Both Lookout and Bozeman are on I-90 so they get the best and the fastest service. As you ride around elsewhere in Montana, at least along the routes we've discussed, you're mostly between 2,800 and 3,500'. While the lower elevations can get snow in late April-early May, it's far less likely, and warmer ground/road surface temps seem to prevent much from sticking.

Seems to me all a rider would need to do is to watch the weather closely and avoid hitting high elevation segments of his route as a weather system passes. Waiting out a brief snow storm at a diner with a cup of coffee and a piece of pie isn't a bad way to spend part of a day, after all.

Foy

OK, I didn't know that the passes were such short shots. Thank you again for all the great info. There's only so much of the internet I can get from here. I'll definitely look into the DOT cams in March, to start looking at what they can potentially be. Worst come to worse though, as long as there's no ice or snow on the road, I can gut through anything for 20-30 minutes to get through a pass. I'm packing a good jacket with a liner, as well as silk weight underwear. If anything more than that is required, I'll just stop for the night, grab a couple beers, and wait until lunch time when it's warmed up a little to make the pass. It's nice to see a fellow North Carolinian on here! BTW, I'm trying to figure out the best way to plot my course on this trip. I've looked at several apps for my Android. None of them seem to fit the bill as far as choosing an exact route to take, and getting navigation directions enroute. Anyone have suggestions on this? I have an old Tom Tom, and a Newer Navigon, but I'm really only trying to only take my phone. I've used the navi via my headphones (so I don't have to look at it) and it's never failed me. My direct question is, does android have an app that I can make my own route of travel on my computer, transfer it to my Android and go?

PVT,

I don't ride so I can't really offer suggestions as to what sort of gear you may need in that sense, only to say I would plan on some chilly to cold days even at low elevation in the Northern Rockies.

As to mapping/planning, I would never, as a matter of personal choice, rely solely on any form of mapping software and smartphone/tablet/laptop hardware. Old-school folding maps are available, normally for free, from each state's DOT or tourism department, and ordering a set ahead of time gives you the opportunity to stash them in your saddlebags before you set sail. Getting a folding wall-size map of the US from, for example, the National Geographic Society is a good idea, too, as it will provide the big picture for general planning and a base for you to program more specific routes into whatever app you find will work for your smartphone or other hardware. The Rand-McNally series of US Highway atlases, updated annually, might also be employed, where you may choose to cut out pages of relevant states as well as the "entire Lower 48" map which is at the front of each year's atlas. If it were me, I'd just take the whole dang Atlas, but I'm accustomed to cross-country travel via car or full-size pickup truck where space/weight isn't much of a consideration.

Foy

I'm sorry I didn't mention that in my first post. OF COURSE I'LL HAVE A MAP! I am in the Army you know :) I was referring to electronic navigation. I've learned the hard way not to trust a single source of information. I like to carry a map, even if it's just for situational awareness of what's coming up on my route. Navi's provide a pretty narrow view of where you are, and only provides the next turn. As far a as a world map, we have one on our wall that's about 5'X8' for planning and recording where we've been. The Army does move us around a bit, after all. It has major routes and cities on it, so it good for "big picture" planning. My direct issue though, is I can't find a planning tool out there that will let me make my own specific route, put that route into my navigation system(s) and have that system guide on my specific route. Nav systems are great for getting from point A to B, but it always decides how I get there. As far as the space issue on the bike is concerned, that's actually part of the appeal for me. I can only take so much crap with me, so it really defines what's important. The military in me is very used to necessities only living, organizing pack lists before departure and whatnot. In Germany we travelled via a New Honda Odyssey Van, which we sold before we came back to the states. It was really nice being able to take anything we wanted with us, but we took EVERYTHING we wanted with us. Part of the adventure is having to improvise with what you have. Travelling light also lends itself to a less comfortable, more adventurous outing. I'm not saying suffer, by any means, hell it's a vacation. I'm just saying that many things that you take with you are of little or no true importance. So many times we let things get in the way of just relaxing and enjoying where we are.

Yeah, there are quite literally dozens and dozens of custom mapping programs out there. I'm partial to the one we created, but we've not made it accessible (in any meaningful way for Droids and iPhones). That's something we're working on now.

I've used some of the other mapping programs, but I'm not a fan of any of them for one reason or another.

Have you looked at the Iron Butt saga thread? -- Steve identifies how he tracked his trip and navigation. And as a rider, you'll probably enjoy the narrative. If you're not familiar.... Steve drove through all 50 states on his Victory motorcycle in nine days, 17 hours and 16 minutes. It's a great tale.

Mark

I'm actually a big fan of the map program you have on here! I've only been a member a short time, but the program you have on here is pretyy much exactly what I'm looking for. In my humble opinion though, the only drawback is once you've made your map with all the waypoints and routes you want, there's no way to import this into any navigation program and have it navigate the EXACT route that you have chosen. I've tried this on several kinds avenues, but even if I can import the waypoints (Google Maps) It keeps trying to think for me. If I can't get a decent system, I might be forced to have my wife navigate via map like we did before nav systems. Not a bad way to go, but since I've had navi's, the "discussions" on how to get there have all but ceased. Also, thank you for showing me to the Iron Butt Saga. I'm checking that out now. If any one else has a way to route and import onto any nave system, please post!

Here is a thread in the Google forums you may want to read.

Looks like there are a couple possibilities - the CoPilot app for Android, or the Chrome to Phone extension.

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Originally Posted by PvtBastard

In my humble opinion though, the only drawback is once you've made your map with all the waypoints and routes you want, there's no way to import this into any navigation program and have it navigate the EXACT route that you have chosen.

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We'd love to have that option too -- but none of the GPS manufacturers have approached us about licensing the application and we lack the 1/2 million $$ it would take to do it on our own... But it's a great idea!

Mark

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PvtBastard

I'm just saying that many things that you take with you are of little or no true importance. So many times we let things get in the way of just relaxing and enjoying where we are.

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I couldn't have said it better myself. (My emphasis!)

Lifey

Upon looking at the possible Temps in the North, along with travel time, I've decided to cut out the last leg of my trip. Once I get to Santa Monica, I'll go along the Southern US. I have a nice spreadsheet I would like to upload, but I can't figure out how. It's an Excel spreadsheet. I'd like to share it to see if everyone agrees with the mileage and price assumptions I've made. I have assumed 40 MPG for a Harley Road King with 130 lbs wife, 250 lbs Me, and full bags. I've assumed gas at last year's national average for spring at 3.83 a gallon, plus .07 cents a mile for wear on the bike. All Hotel prices are the top of their range for each hotel. Hopefully most of these have a military discount :) For this being a fun and spontaneous trip, I do love planning it! Yet again, this is my first real Bike trip and I know it's a big one. Go big or go home, right? Also, does anyone know if it's possible to upload an excel sheet onto here? I know there's a couple excel nerds on here like me that wouldn't mind looking at my numbers.

3 ways to upload an Excel file:

1. Convert it to a Word .doc and upload it as an attachment.
2. Zip it and upload the .zip file as an attachment.
3. Convert it to a .pdf and upload it as an attachment.

I've tried all those, I keep getting "Invalid File". Although, it might be a server restriction that I am unaware of. This is a government server. I'll try it on my buddies computer, he's got regular internet here. Thank you for the advice though! You'll know if I'm successful or not, by it being posted on here or not!

It's not your server....

The only intended files you can upload to this server are jpegs. All other files are restricted and blocked.

You can send your excel file to a specific member here via e-mail, of course.

Mark

Would it be possible to email this to someone to have it posted? It's not a big deal, I would just like to be able to bounce my itinerary off of the wonderful people here, and get some feedback from people who know a little more than me. Thank you either way!

Upload it to a file sharing service and provide a link?

The wonders of administrating this forum....

OK, yes, you can upload a PDF to this forum -- so if you convert the .xls file to a pdf you should be able to upload your trip plan here.

Mark

Let's test this -

Wouldn't take a .doc or a .zip, but it took a .pdf.

Here's a free PDF converter, it installs as a printer driver.

Try as I might, I can't get it down to the acceptible size. At first I thought it was due to the Hyperlinks I have in it. It's not an overly large spreadsheet. It's 32 by about 6 columns. Even on the .PDF with out the hyperlinks it's at 117, when the cutoff is 19 or so. Yet again, this isn't a huge deal if I can't upload it. I would just like to be able to get feedback on my plans. Thank you yet again for all your efforts!

You have a private message.

Here is your spreadsheet.

YAY! It's finally on here! Big thanks to GLC for hooking it up! Now people can check out my plans and mock them! Just kidding, the people on this forum have been extremely helpful. This is very likely the most helpful forum I've seen in a long time. Do you guys fumigate with anti-troll spray or what? Anyways, if anyone wants, thay can check out my itinerary, and provide any suggestions on places to stay, ways to save time and/or money, or tips on packing. As far as space, I'll have two saddle bags and the trunk or a ruck sack on the sissy bar. My wife is heavily thinking about going now, so packing will be a little more challenging. I have family in AZ that I might mail a "travel bag" to for resupply, but I really think if I don't need it in the first week, I won't need it at all.

Now it seems to me if you survived road tripping in a minivan full of kids all over Europe, you be just fine with your little wife in tow ;) Great thread husband. I enjoyed reading all of it.

BTW, Im Pvtbastard' s amazing wife ;) What an awesome website. Our family loves to travel. In fact, Id say we are almost professional at it ;) We did 9 countries in Europe in a mini van with three kids. It was some of the best experiences we have ever had as a family. I cant wait to have more!

Am I correct in reading that you don't have any off-days? Even in a car, I think its always important to have a day here and there where you aren't obligated to do anything or be anywhere. It helps make up for the unexpected delays that always seem to happen, and keeps you from being under the constant pressure of staying on schedule.

I'll also say the end of your trip looks pretty brutal. You've got a lot of consecutive days of pretty long drives. They're drives that would be easy in a car, but it would be rather tough on a bike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PvtBastard

Do you guys fumigate with anti-troll spray or what?

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In a matter of speaking. You should see our list of banned users and blocked IPs! :)

Hi Wife! My wife is actually a large factor in my plans. If she goes, we stay in hotels the whole time. If she doesn't, then I'm taking a hammock with me and staying outside every other night or so, weather permitting. I'm sure you've weeded out a few trolls along the way. In response to your question, I'm taking 30 days leave, and I've scheduled 25 days of travel. This way I've got a couple days for breaks. Originally, I was going up to Portland OR as well. That was too much to schedule. In addition to that, there's some really easy days on 66 that I might double up. If we get tired of looking at the world's biggest ball of wax, we can cut our sightseeing short and make some time. At this point, I'm seriously debating about making reservations at hotels. This would allow me a lot more flexibility for travelling. In addition, does anyone have any favorite B&B's or places they like to stay on 66? One of them I have my serious doubts about is the Big Texan Motel. It is very stereotypical of route 66, but after looking at pictures of the inside, it looks sketchy as hell. Any thoughts?

I've stayed at the Big Texan, and the room I was in was no worse than a typical Super 8.

I don't see the need for making any reservations at all, except for special interest places (such as the Wigwam in Holbrook) and near busy attractions such as the Grand Canyon. Otherwise, go with the flow, you won't be shut out, you will always be able to find something. Even for the Grand Canyon, you can always find a room in Flagstaff.

Is the wigwam pretty cool? It looks neat on the outside, which makes me nervous about the inside. A lot of times when things are too cool to be true, they are. I'm actually intending to stay with family in Flagstaff, although it is nice to have a hotel to go to when you're tired and cranky. I guess it would depend on which relatives I visit ;) As far as reservations, if I make them, it's one less thing to worry about. A couple times in Amsterdam, We didn't make reservations and almost had to sleep in the van. I do love being able to go see a place first hand and look at the room before I commit though. Not that I'm overly picky about the place I sleep, but I've slept in enough crappy spots. Vacations are for enjoying. Whether my wife goes also plays a role on what bike I buy. If I'm solo, there's more variations of bikes. If I'm tandem, then I'm definitely getting an HD Ultra. Dunno what year yet. Depends on finances when I actually start shopping. That's not to say I haven't been drooling all over the internet looking at them!

Hi everyone! Just got some great news! All three of my kids need braces! YAY! Needless to say, this is going to hit the vacation/mid life crisis Motorcycle pretty hard. It's still too early in the development of things to work numbers though. I have to wait until my wife (cabin fever) gets the estimates from the Orthodontist. Any suggestions on how I could save money on a Road King / vacation plans?? Any thoughts would be great. For reference, please look at the excel spreadsheet that is attached in the thread. Thank you for all your help and advice!