Thanks man... I'm also going to depend on my GPS a lot to find me stations... I'll do what you suggest..... I'll just start looking every 100 miles or so just to be safe.

Thanks, Ralph

 

Anamosa, Iowa is the city with the Harley Museum. It is worth the trip. Also, home to JP Cycles.

 

Personally, I believe your covering to much in that short of time. I spend two weeks just riding around Colorado. I'm a cruzier ! I try never to take the freeway and stop often in small towns. But each to his own !

I can't wait to read about it when you get back.
Are you going to be blogging as you go?
Another friend of mine did a coast to coast and used Blogger.com to keep up with his notes. He set it up so he could email his entries straight into his blog.

 

Sad to hear the North rim of the Grand Canyon is closed until mid-May, was planning on leaving to go out that way in a week, then up into Utah pretty much on the routes being described in this thread. I'm crossing Texas, NM, northern AZ, swinging up into Utah using prettymuch that route - then deciding how I'm getting back depending on the Weather Channel after catching a real late blizzard in West Kansas 2 years ago. US 550 from Ouray to Durango in Colorado is amazing, but I did that in August.

I've been down almost every single paved highway in Louisiana & I definitely would not take the interstate from Houston into New Orleans - except if you like to ride over the 18 mile bridge between Lafayette & Baton Rouge & the 12 mile one between LaPlace & New Orleans. It's dead flat & straight, will put you to sleep and is nothing but traffic. Depending on what you want to see or do - I could pretty much give you 1,000 different ways of crossing that area. I live in probably the last 5 miles of rural area between B.R. & N.O., LA and by the middle or end of May will have over 100 different types of tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers,etc. that I sell at the market in N.O. & to chefs that come pick 'em in my field. I drove to Bourbon St. the first time myself when I was 13, 21 years ago.

Seriously though, tell me what you're looking to see down here and I can pretty much tell you where to pass. Sadly, since Katrina - some of the best curvy backroads between B.R. & N.O. that use to be rural has at least twice (probably 4 times) the population it had 5 years ago & is now bumper to bumper traffic alot of the time - but I could still give you probably the best route anybody could depending on what you want to see/do down here...

 

I see you are going through Nashville, you might enjoy the Natchez Trace from Franklin, TN down to Natchez, MS, it is somethnig like 440 miles long. I did that a couple of years ago and it is a very nice ride. It is slow, the speed limit is 50 most of the time and occasionaly 40 in places, and the seem to be very serious about it. Then from Natchez cut across Louisiana into Texas. That will get you off of I 10. I agree with Luzianna Wildman, avoid the interstate from New Orleans to Houston at all cost, very heavy traffic and a losey road to boot. The bridged portions in Louisiana are over swamp, if there is a traffic accident, and there usually is at sometime, you are literally stuck on the Interstate until it clears, and that could be for hours, there is no way to get off of the road. The trip through west Texas from about a 100 miles out of San Antonio to El Paso is long ( 580 miles from San Antonio to El Paso) and booooring. Might consider looping up through San Angelo and over into New Mexico, say through Artesia then into Roswell from there, not a lot better, but a few towns will break the monotny. Not much happening between El Paso and Albuquerque either. I did the same thing last year, but picked my wife up in Albuquerque and we rode through Durango, into Utah. Have a great trip, the rest of us are jealous.

 

I'm going by myself, I'm not going to hike... so I'm actually thinking that I'll be done with this trip within 3 weeks. It is all about the ride man!

I'll check into the blog site.... I'll bringing my laptop so I do plan on blogging/documenting the trip every two days or so.

Talk with you soon, Ralph

 

I want to see New Orleans.. then I was just trying to stay by the coast.. I thought it would be cool to ride next to the ocean as long as I could, but if it is wall to wall traffic I'd prefer a different route. Get me from New Orleans to Elpaso on the coolest route that you can think of, but don't make me drive another entire extra day... I'm up for maybe an extra 3 hours or so.

Looking forward to your alternate routes.

Thanks, Ralph

 

I've done about 100 miles on the Natchez last year... it was basically the blue ridge and will be a very slow ride. But maybe I'll consider that run because it was very pretty, but again I'd hate to spend 9 hours putting through the trace when I could be making up some time and get down to New Orleans.

Unless New Orleans isn't worth going to.... i'm only going there because I've never been there before. Should I not waste my time and just bypass it. I'm guessing that I'll just stop and get dinner maybe stay the night, but I'm probably just eating and passing through it... Is it worth my time to head there?

Thanks folks, Ralph

 

Looks like the "BlackBastard" and I have common likes. His description of the route from Flagstaff through southern Utah is the best I've done. Instead of running through SD try heading south from Badlands to Northern Nebraska. Rt. 20 or Rt 2 is excellent riding. Did that a few years ago through the Sand Hills and although it was a little hot, it was a good ride. Good roads and great Scenery! Made my trip in July so it was bound to be hot. Might want to see the Devils Tower while you're in the vicinity. Have a great trip. Tools are almost useless as there is very little you can do to the bike on the side of the road. Was gonna tell you to get a tire repair kit but I see you are sportin' spoked wheels! Take lots of water and use it

 

Check out JP Cycles. Had some first gear stuff for my feet that were good but a pain in the *** to put on and take off. Got some new stuff from my wife but haven't been fortunate enought to use them yet. They are step in, zip up, and are rainproof. Rubber souls and all. Think she got them in the JP Cycles Cat.