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Next saturday 7/11/09 I am starting my DC to Seattle to DC trip. I'll be riding through as many national parks as I can.

I've been reading these boards for months trying to learn as much as i can before I point the wheels west.
I've gotten tons of great ideas and tips from people on this forum. you could fill a library with the cumulative knowledge on these boards.
So I'm wondering if anyone has any last minute advice for my trip? best roads, gear, etc.
Here's my route. I haven't fill in the return portion of it yet.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie ... 7ba8a9&z=4

BTW:
While I'm on the road (time permitting) I will be uploading pics (http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelb1/ ... 964538141/), blog posts(http://www.brandnewinformation.com), gps positions(loopt, google latitude), etc.

I put together a we page to grab all the RSS feeds from all the different sites I upload to and put them in one spot. If you want to see where I am and what I'm up to feel free to follow along at http://www.michaelb1.com

~MB1

That's a pretty impressive trip, good luck!

Recommend you catch Mt. Rainier NP on the way south from Seattle, better yet after a quick visit to Olympic NP following ferry ride across Puget Sound.

Southbound from Mt. Rainier to I-84 and Columbia River Gorge (national scenic area). Into the Palouse and Lewiston, ID, then take US 12 to Missoula via Lolo Pass.

If you're planning to swing further south, e.g. into Northern California, then I have a few roads that you MUST ride.

Impressive trip plan. I was going to tell you to read Dr. Strangelove's trip report. (I see that you have been) Most of my recommendations to visit are covered in his report. I liked the Crazy Horse monument better than nearby Mt. Rushmore (even though it is a long way from completion). I would also take some of the smaller squiggly roads in the Black Hills instead of the big highway.

The slab ride of I-74 and I-80 across the midwest looks not-so-fun. Did you intend the detour in central Illiniois?

My only other advice is to HAVE FUN!

sweatmark wrote:Recommend you catch Mt. Rainier NP on the way south from Seattle, better yet after a quick visit to Olympic NP following ferry ride across Puget Sound.

Southbound from Mt. Rainier to I-84 and Columbia River Gorge (national scenic area). Into the Palouse and Lewiston, ID, then take US 12 to Missoula via Lolo Pass.

If you're planning to swing further south, e.g. into Northern California, then I have a few roads that you MUST ride.

I agree. I also like the ride from the Mt. Rainier ntl forest over Chinook pass down into Yakima. There are a couple of good loops around Mt Rainier if you have the time. What I don't see is how he's making a scenic trip from the east coast in five days. I think he's going to have to spend more time at it.

Take half the gear/clothing you think you "must" have and allow for more time to explore and visit along the way. A few extra $ can be handy too. Ride, enjoy, smile, repeat endlessly. Return home in one piece so you can do it again. That's all the important stuff I can suggest.


Cheers and safe travels!

Since you're going to be riding across the southwest section of SD, you really should take a little side trip down to Box Butte County Nebraska..Alliance...which is up in the northwest corner of Nebraska...and visit CarHenge! Anyone going anywhere near that area should stop in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carhenge

Carhenge! Crazy Horse! Lolo Pass!

I added my return route to the maphttp://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie ... 7ba8a9&z=4 but looks like i will be editing it tonight to include the tips from this thread.

CarHenge! How did I miss it?

Next time

just got back from the trip last week. It was great fun.
Here's a link to the thread about it:
http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18367