A dream ride

[DanH]

I found this the other day. Its nice to dream that someday I might have the weeks this ride would take to appreciate properly.

Data geniuses have figured out what the ultimate U.S. road trip looks like

 

[Agent]

Oh wow. That is definitely a dream vacation.

 

[DanH]

I must say though that I would avoid I-5 from Portland to LA and run down the coast instead. Heading inland in Oregon and stopping at Crater Lake then touring through the mountains Northern California would also be a huge improvement over I-5 all the way.

 

[Deckyon]

Um, looks like it is a "destination only" trip. Lets get from A to B to C as quickly as possible and miss everything in between. Not saying that having waypoints to visit along the way isnt a good thing, but they should only be part of the journey, not the only reason to take the journey.

 

[Agent]

But the list! It's awesome. I know this isn't all our nation has to offer, but it's a good place to start.

Here’s the full list of landmarks in order:
1.Grand Canyon, AZ
2.Bryce Canyon National Park, UT
3.Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
4.Yellowstone National Park, WY
5.Pikes Peak, CO
6.Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
7.The Alamo, TX
8.The Platt Historic District, OK
9.Toltec Mounds, AR
10.Elvis Presley’s Graceland, TN
11.Vicksburg National Military Park, MS
12.French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
13.USS Alabama, AL
14.Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL
15.Okefenokee Swamp Park, GA
16.Fort Sumter National Monument, SC
17.Lost World Caverns, WV
18.Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center, NC
19.Mount Vernon, VA
20.White House, Washington, DC
21.Colonial Annapolis Historic District, MD
22.New Castle Historic District, Delaware
23.Cape May Historic District, NJ
24.Liberty Bell, PA
25.Statue of Liberty, NY
26.The Mark Twain House & Museum, CT
27.The Breakers, RI
28.USS Constitution, MA
29.Acadia National Park, ME
30.Mount Washington Hotel, NH
31.Shelburne Farms, VT
32.Fox Theater, Detroit, MI
33.Spring Grove Cemetery, OH
34.Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
35.West Baden Springs Hotel, IN
36.Abraham Lincoln’s Home, IL
37.Gateway Arch, MO
38.C. W. Parker Carousel Museum, KS
39.Terrace Hill Governor’s Mansion, IA
40.Taliesin, WI
41.Fort Snelling, MN
42.Ashfall Fossil Bed, NE
43.Mount Rushmore, SD
44.Fort Union Trading Post, ND
45.Glacier National Park, MT
46.Hanford Site, WA
47.Columbia River Highway, OR
48.San Francisco Cable Cars, CA
49.San Andreas Fault, CA
50.Hoover Dam, NV

 

[L.B.S.]

Wow, what a list! I couldn't do it though.

I would never have the time and money.

 

[bamamate]

They don’t have the Clinton Presidential Library Doublewide listed as a landmark

 

[davidc83]

They don’t have the Clinton Presidential Library Doublewide listed as a landmark

or Obama's trailer trash community in Chicago!!

 

[Jelly]

Wow, that'd make an amazing trip, if you didn't get shot!

I couldn't go that close to Albuquerque with visiting, not after watching Breaking Bad.

"Say my name"........

 

[drdubb]

No blue ridge parkway, million dollar highway, PCH....we could do a better job of laying out the route.

 

[itlives]

Sure, with unlimited time and resources, this would be a good thing. You could take the two lanes whenever available - now THAT would be the way! IMO

 

[Old Can Ride]

Not a planned route of a real motorcycle rider for sure.

Add the following:

1. Deals Gap
2. Blue Ridge Parkway
3. Million Dollar Highway
4. Mount Nebo
5. 3 Twisted Sisters
6. Pigs Trail
7. Scenic 7
8. California 1
9. Highway 101
10. U.S. Highway 1
11. Highway A1A
12. Key West
13. Two Wheels of Suches, Ga.
14. White Mountains, New Hampshire
15. Daytona Bike Week
16. Sturgis
17. Hollister
18. Lone Star Rally
19. Hells Canyon, Oregon
20. Oregon Dunes
21. Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
22. Canada
23. Route 66
24. The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
25. Baja
26. Copper Canyon
27. Ruta 40
28. Pikes Peak
29. Mt Evans
30. And you folks in other countries will have to help me out with the other great motorcycle roads I forgot to mention! I know the ACE Café would be on my list.

 

[itlives]

I'm following you, OCR!

 

[MZ5]

I'm with DanH on riding the coast, rather than I-5. They did say, though, that the route was designed as the most efficient way from one destination to the next.
I have to say, having lived a ways downwind of it for ~30 years, I find the WA destination of Hanford extremely confusing. The town itself was bulldozed in the '40s and simply isn't there, and of all the beautiful and interesting places in WA, the Hanford nuclear reservation ain't on that list.
Oh, well.

 

[DanH]

I'm with DanH on riding the coast, rather than I-5. They did say, though, that the route was designed as the most efficient way from one destination to the next.
I have to say, having lived a ways downwind of it for ~30 years, I find the WA destination of Hanford extremely confusing. The town itself was bulldozed in the '40s and simply isn't there, and of all the beautiful and interesting places in WA, the Hanford nuclear reservation ain't on that list.
Oh, well.

Hanford confused me too. Its not ever really on the way to anywhere.

 

[Bug Dr.]

Beartooth Pass
Pike's Peak
Mt. Evans
Going to the Sun Highway
Crater Lake

Not sure about the Alamo. It is fun to hang out on the sidewalk in front of the Alamo and listen to the tourists say "that's it?" Kinda the same at Mt. Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, etc......"I thought it was bigger than that".

My favorite motorcycle experience came west of Taos, NM when I was riding through the desert section just passed Rio Grande Gorge. It was hot and the sun was burning me through my riding gear. I could see a rain shower up ahead and nailed it. I rode just behind the shower as it crossed Highway 64. It immediately cooled to 64 degrees and the smell of the rain on the hot desert floor was something I've never experienced before.....the moist soil, juniper and sage was intoxicating. I had a school boy grin on my face all of the way to Durango.

To me, it's not the destination but the journey. Yes, it's nice to see neat things along the way but most of the gifts I've received while riding came in an unremarkable section of highway. To me, these unexpected gifts are what riding is all about.
Mike

 

[Fuzzy]

Beartooth Pass
Not sure about the Alamo. It is fun to hang out on the sidewalk in front of the Alamo and listen to the tourists say "that's it?" Kinda the same at Mt. Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, etc......"I thought it was bigger than that".

The Alamo in San Antonio is only a portion of what was there. When I was a kid we went a few times to where they filmed the movie with John Wayne. It was a reproduction but more like what the real one was in 1836. Heard from a cousin recently that the movie one is now pretty much gone not having been taken care of.

 

[Jguarfn28]

Hey Burque is cool, red or green chili is the heat. Carlsbad is way, Way south of Albuquerque. Your mileage will increase compared to sea level. The Enchanted Circle is a big go-to here. Taos, Red River, Angel Fire NM. Canada is kind of a general suggestion
Okefenokee Swamp was pretty underwhelming unless you are in a canoe with lots of insect repellant. Isn't the Natchez Trace supposed to be motorcycle friendly?

"I am the one who knocks."

Not exactly the best quote to go with a motor driven machine forum.