elkins20 said:
Hey Brian, sounds like a fun trip. I still am planing on a bike trip leaving Kansas City and up to Sturgis N.D. then thru Wyoming and Montana, Utah and then back thru New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and back home. Mostly just doing mountains and back roads. But, want to do around this time of the year. Just not sure of doing the desert in the summer as frigin hot.
I did one on my GS, a few years ago in June, best time to see the waterfalls in full flow and not nearly as bad with bugs like September. Left from Knoxville, slabbed it to Amarillo, got on side roads and highways up to Colorado, did Pikes Peak over to San Juan Mountains and million dollar highway. Mesa Verde over to 4 corners (bleh!) Monument Valley into North Rim of the Grand Canyon. From there up to Zion and over to Las Vegas for a few days rest. Did Death Valley, it was nice temp of 80 on the floor, was actually pretty chill in the high elevations. Got stuck in the Sierra Nevada due to a much harsher winter than normal and couldn't go over Tioga Road (was so mad.) Had to go south around them through Seqouia, Kings, and finally into Yosemite like I planned. Luckily I got to do Glacier Point, but that didn't make up for missing Tioga, that's a bucket list road. Went into San Fran to see the Silicon Valley companies I always wanted to work for and then got an amazing burger at Alice's. Rode the amazing Pacific Coast Highway up to Oregon through the Redwoods. Crater Lake, Craters of the Moon, and into Yellowstone. Ended up doing the Grand Tetons because Beartooth Highway was also closed due to snow. Another bucket list road I missed out on... Did Devil's Tower, Sturgis, Rushmore, that money grab native american rock monument... Through the badlands and then back on slab to get back to Knoxville.
It was a good trip, everyone told me to avoid 4 corners, death valley, sturgis, rushmore area. I am glad I didn't listen to them on death valley, but I hit it on a perfect day temp wise. 4 corners I was going through anyway, but I wouldn't stop again. The whole South Dakota area was ok, but really wasn't in comparison to what else I saw. I will never go to Sturgis area again. Rushmore was very disappointing. If I could change my route now knowing what I know, the only change I would make would be skiping South Dakota and going south from Grand Teton to see the salt flats and over to the Rocky Mountains, then home.
I highly suggest ADVrider.com for route planning.
