Leaving Spokane you ave a list of options. Highway 20 over the North Cascades is beautiful and so is Highway 2 and 12. I90 sucks as does 5 through Tacoma. The Gorge is nice to but from Spokane to there is scab land and straight boring roads.If you were to go 20 over the North Cascades I would cross the sound to Port Townsend and ride the coast all the way down, it's a great ride.

 

Yep. You can. But I wont. Mendocino is as close as I will get to SF. Seen traffic in Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago ... Maybe I just caught a bad day, but SF was the worst I have been caught in. And it was a Saturday! Everybody (including me) trying to get out of town I guess. Never got to see the bridge. I am sure SF has some Great things to see, but in my mind it is simply not worth being surrounded by so many cages. And to come out of the tranquility of the coast and mountains into that frantic mass of humanity was too much shock to my system. I hooked it up for Kings Canyon and did not look back.

Thanks, goodbirds, for the heads up on Miller Redwood saw mill. Missed it on previous trips, will try to make a pass on it this time. Those trees are incredible. No way a picture can ever do them justice.

 

Got a well traveled friend from Seattle who tells me 20 through the North Cascades is absolutely the best ride he has made. Going to have to be Fantastic to beat Beartooth and Going to the Sun, but I hope to check it out this summer. He also tells me not to miss the boat ride at Chelan.

How long is the ferry ride at Townsend ? Salt water I assume? Might need a fresh water rinse on the other side.

 

The Butte route is a lot of 4 lane slab. Consider coming up through Boise then following the river up through McCall, Riggins, Lewiston and Coeur d' alene. Some might pretty country and outside of Boise up, its a cruising two lane highway.

 

Fireax, Here's some pics on 20 from 2 years ago. This was the first week open in May. Pics taken on the west side heading east.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...guy-to-do.html
RR

 

Great Picts! Thanks! The dam and lake - is that at Chelan? Can hardly wait. Have been planning to stop in New Mexico for some riding around Taos, but the more I see of Northern Cali, Oregon, and Washington the more tempted I am to just bust on through to the West Coast.

What about the mud slide they had on 20 last year? They get it cleared? And now I see problems on the Snohomish. Reckon 20 will be open this year?

 

Newport Oregon, Rogue Brewery. MMmmmmm Beer.

If you like that sort of thing. [beer]

 

I would leave the coast at Cambria and head west, Sequoia/Yosemite/death valley/Grand canyon.

 

When you get through LA on the 5, if you have time I suggest the Ortega hwy. The 74 runs inland through some canyons and drops your north of Temecula which is wine country. At the end of the road you have hells kitchen and the lookout that overlooks lake Elsinore. From there you have a ton of options to hit some really cool rides inland down through Julian (stop and get a pie) and eventually into San Diego. Almost all the Harley dealerships down here have a map of all the day rides in southern Cali.

Have a safe trip!

 

I think you mean head EAST? You'd better have a snorkel if you go west from Cambria.