Six Months Off

[Dee]

"Planning" a 6 month road trip beginning in May 2003. We have some time frames but mostly no set schedule. Mississippi- end of May, Indiana-end of July, Sturgis S.D. August 1, Daytona Beach Mid-October. Will be hauling a motorcycle, plan on tenting or sleeping in trailer. Looking for non-interstate routes with small towns between. Landscapes and historical places are more to our liking than "stuff to do". Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Syv]

Mississippi area - Vicksburg drive past the old plantations, there is a walking/driving tour through the town showing all the antebellum homes, there is a civil war nat'l memorial cemetery. Between Baton Rouge & New Orleans there is a road that takes you past plantations, etc. In New Orleans area - lots of swamp tours that are fun & informative.

If going into Texas at all, Fort Worth Stockyards - historical walking tour (free), daily cattle drive, museum, original buildings, etc. - quite interesting.

The Smokey Mountains - Blue Ridge Parkway / Shenandoah Parkway. Good motorcycle riding highway.


Sturgis Bike Week - you'll want to go to all of the South Dakota things - Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Jewel or Wind Cave National Parks, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park (where the buffalo roam). Deadwood cemetery has some of the ol' wild west characters buried there. Will be a VERY busy time though with all the bikers there.

Devils Tower National Monument is just into Wyoming from Sturgis.

In 6 mths, you'll have time to organize your route to get to:

-Grand Canyon NP, Arizona
-Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado
-the "million dollar highway" drive from Durango to Ouray / Silverton / Telluride, Colorado
-Yellowstone NP, Wyoming
-Grand Tetons NP, Wyoming
- Beartooth highway coming out northeast entrance of Yellowstone to Red Lodge, Montana.
- Cody WY - Buffalo Bill historical centre
- Little Bighorn Battlefield National Memorial - just east of Red Lodge Montana.


You should definitely (if haven't been before) go across southern Utah if you are interested in beautiful scenery, "different" countryside --- to all of the national parks (several of them across southern Utah)...

Arches NP
Zion NP
Bryce NP
Canyonlands NP
Capital Reef NP

Zion & Bryce are two of my favourites.

Check out www.nps.gov/parks.html for info on all the national parks.

Get an idea of your route and make a trip planner on Mapquest www.mapquest.com then post your ideas/route on the more popular fodors forums www.fodors.com/forums for immediate & helpful responses.


Just remember to print your mapquest trip planner if you want to keep it - since it only keeps the "saved trips" for one month (I found out the hard way).

[Syv]

Mammoth Caves NP, Kentucky.

All of the national parks are great in the U.S. - you buy a $50 national parks pass at the first one that gets you entry into ALL of them and expires in one year.

KOA campgrounds all over the U.S. - has own website.

All of the national parks have good campgrounds ($12 - $18 range) - some you may want to book in advance on the national parks website.

Happy planning!!!

[Syv]

Also forgot to tell you to get a map of the National Scenic Byways (free)

www.byways.org/travel