USA Coast to Coast 07.05.2024 - 08.06.2024
 

Hey,

I have booked a trip to the USA/Canada and there on a motorbike trip from Coast to Coast.

I'm from Finland and I've never been to the USA before.
I thought that when everything is already booked, the outbound and return trip to the USA and the hotels there (with a small amount of adjustment funds), then on the road I can only focus on driving and sightseeing.

I'm traveling alone and it would be very nice if I could find someone in advance who would drive one of those partial trips with me.

Of course, it would be especially great if someone could drive through that entire route with me. See my route plan.

Feel free to contact me if any part of the journey and time would also fit your plans!

7.5.2024 New York - 8.5.2024 Niagara
9.5.2024 Niagara - Toronto - Mackinav City - 12.5.2024 Thunder Bay
14.5.2024 Thunder Bay - Winona - Milwaukee - 17.5.2024 Chicago
18.5.2024 Chicago - 20.5.2024 Dracontail Road
21.5.2024 RockWood TN -Clarksville - 22.5.2024 Saint Louis
23.5.2024 Saint Louis - Oklahoma - Albuquerque - 28.5.2024 Flagstaff
30.5.2024 Flagstaff -Grand Canyon- Kanab - 31.5.2024 Las Vegas
3.6.2024 Las Vegas - Death Valley - 5.6.2024 Yosemite Valley
6.6.2024 Sonora - Napa Valley - San Fransisco
7.6.2024 San Fransisco -Highway 1 - 8.6.2024 Los Angeles

Hi Jone and welcome to the forum, :welcome:
I cannot help with driving but looking at your route will recommend if you are not already going that way to head from Death Valley to Yosemite up the 395 to the east of the Sierras rather than up the Central Valley that Google maps sends you, it is a very scenic route with some interesting towns along the way.

Welcome! Sounds like a fun tour.

You're not asking for routing or destination suggestions, so I'm trying to refrain. I'll say only that IMHO (emphasis on "humble") there are better routes as well as better destinations for parts of your planned trip. Of course that all depends on what kind of riding you like to do and the sorts of places you'd like to see, and of course opinions are infinitely varied. If interested in this sort of input, ask away.

Most people would not book all their lodging in advance for a trip of this magnitude, because most find adjustments necessary along the way. If that's what you're doing, be sure to make everything cancelable without penalty, and be sure to track it well--each adjustment requires other adjustments, and that can require a lot of time and energy. I travel quite a bit in the US and Canada, and seldom reserve anything more than a day or two in advance--while this might not work for you, there's probably a happy medium.

Note that some places, like Yosemite Valley, really do require reserving long in advance. Entry to the Valley will be by reservation only on many days, even if you're not staying there. I'm not clear whether this applies to the rest of the park--for example, the Tioga Road from the Death Valley (east) side to the Valley (west) side. Arches National Park, which is not to be missed if you're in the neighborhood, has a different reservation system for its one point of entry.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Hi,
Thank you for the information!
Currently, routes 120 and 108 that diverge from route 395 seem to be closed for the winter now.
Where could I get information on when the driving bans on those roads end. Or is there historical information available from somewhere about what time in the spring those roads have been opened to the public in previous years?

USA, Coast to Coast
 

Thanks "Markharf"

That is probably true, but i have an exact departure date of New York 7/5/2024 and an end date of Las Vegas 8/6/2024 which cannot be changed without additional costs.
The next most important is Thunder Bay, where i will visit my uncle's grave.
Other destinations:
- Chicago (route 66 departure place)
- Dragon Tail
- Saint Louis
-Grand Canyon & Zion National Park
-yosemite
-San Francisco & Golden Gate
Yes, i would like to take hints if there is something interesting to see within those frames.

You are right, i have reserved all hotels and motels with the possibility of change and cancellation.

Ok, thanks for the tip, i should find out in more detail the entrance to yosemite.

Jone

Most of the passes open in April or June in the Sierras. In California the company responsible for the roads is called CalTrans. It is actually a government entity but the contract out so much work it feels more like a private company.

They do have a website for checking road closures, the address is here:

https://roads.dot.ca.gov/roadscell.php

There is also an enthusiast website for all of the paved roads in the Sierra Nevadas, with enough information to waste a few days. It has information aimed at motorcyclists wanting to explore the different mountain passes, including road closure for most of the passes.

Their website is:

https://sierramountainpasses.com/

Even if you follow interstate 80 into Sacramento, please note there is the original, 2-lane highway following right along next to it...the original Donner Pass, much closer to the route the Donner party originally used, that gives that area its name.

There's also a lot of information available about Tail of the Dragon, which is so full of tourists these days I would not recommend it unless you go midday on a random Wednesday. All of the roads around it are amazing and have less traffic. Some routes are getting names added to them like Moonshiner 28 and The Gambler, but any of the roads are probably better.

Definitely add in at least a half-day in Maggie Valley to see the Wheels Through Time museum. It is a must-see for motorcycle enthusiasts. Definitely let them know you came all the way from inland, because all of the exhibits run and they will pull them out and start them for people.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is absolutely worth riding, because it was built for sight seeing so all of the turns are obvious and have a constant arc or warning signs if they tighten up. That, plus a low speed limit, let you see the views better without as much risk, and there are turn-outs to stop for photos every few miles.

There is even an app for the Blue Ridge Parkway -- it is treated as a national park (I think it's called a National Heritage Area) -- because there are old buildings and houses to stop at, lakes to see, famous bridges, and the cultural center in Asheville (along with other music centers and museums). I've ridden around the US multiple times and the Parkway is my favorite area by far.

I could probably keep adding ideas but that seems like enough for one post. Oh, one last thing, is that PCH (Hwy 1 in California) is actually best to the North of San Francisco. If possible, Getting up to Redding, California (actually Red Bluff) at taking Hwy 36, "The Serpent to the Sea" over to Hwy 1, then riding down Hwy 1 into San Francisco, is some of the best riding you can find on PCH. Tiny fishing towns, cliffs and forest, wind-swept hillsides, and even a few giant Sequoias. Mount Tamalpais, then eventually you will be stuck behind a Toyota Prius going 30mph and you will know you are very close to San Francisco.

USA Coast to Coast 07.05.2024 - 08.06.2024
 

Hey JohnnyKillmore;

Many, many thanks for the many good tips! :thumbup1:
I really have to look at my route and destinations again!

You're very welcome. I could add a dozen more things so if you have any questions let me know. Depending on where you are crossing there are plenty of "do not miss" places to stop, especially if you are interested in the American Old West.

Old mines, old battlefield, natural areas like the Colorado Rockies or Yellowstone, and famous routes like the Lincoln Highway or Highway 50 through Utah, Nevada, and California. "The Loneliest Road In The West" follows the old Pony Express route and features the ruins of the old relay stations where riders would swap horses. The first telegraph line connecting the two coasts also follows that area.

There's just SO MUCH stuff out there depending on what type of things you're interested in. Some people like waterfalls, others like old houses, some like motorcycle museums, some people want to shoot a machine gun or go to a rodeo. Some people want to see the big cities, others want to camp outside a quiet town.

Hey, I just happened across that network of websites I mentioned for roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains that aren't as crowded as The Tail of the Dragon, Deal's Gap.

I personally don't like that they created a website for each route. It makes things confusing and overwhelming, when in the end you can just pick any paved road in that area and enjoy it. But here you go:

https://www.motorcycletravelnetwork.com/

Try not to get lost. Also, a bunch of the websites aren't finished and they'll take you to a dead page with no info, so it isn't as much information as you think. Some of the links send you to the wrong page too. If they had just made a map instead of 10-15 different websites it would have been a lot easier to understand, and for them to manage.

USA Coast to Coast 07.05.2024 - 08.06.2024
 

Hey,
Wow! That was a lot of information about the routes in the Blue Ridge Mountain area!
But you're absolutely right about those separate pages, all of which don't have very good maps, so it requires more careful attention to get a complete picture of the route options.
However, this post of yours was really good, so I'm trying to make my trip a little more compact before and after the Appalachian Mountains, so that I could go around there for a little longer.
Thanks a lot!
Now I just continue planning my trip and focusing on the maps of that area!

Hi

If you use Google Maps you can actually put in a date when you will arrive in that area so the roads will be open then. That's how I've planned my trip in July as working out mileage is pretty difficult when half the roads are closed in winter.
Enjoy your trip :-)

USA Coast to Coast 07.05.2024 - 08.06.2024
 

Hey Bikerdoods,
Thanks, good, I didn't even know that!
I really regretted that when I was researching under winter and many roads in the mountains are closed to driving...