Ride after Nationals

[Ninja Woman]

Has anyone from Region 4 been on any of these roads.

We have too many miles and days planned into our trip.  I need to become selective now, hoepfully with the help of others.  

After Nationals we are talking about doing the following:

Custer to Devil's tower
Devil's Tower to Sheridan via 14
Sheridan to Cody via 14A
Cody to Red Lodge via Beartooth Hwy
Red Lodge to Big Timber via rt 78 to I-90
Big Timder to Great Falls via rt 89
Great Falls to St Mary's via rt 89
Glacier Nat'l Park going to sun road and loop around south end of park via rt 2
St Mary's to Waterton Park, ALB via rt 2 to rt 5 (in canada)

Canada (Ineed help here, are these paved roads?):

Waterton Park, ALB to Bannf, ALB via 6 to 22 to 517 to 940 to 40 to Canada 1
Banff to Lake Louise via CA-1 to 93 to 95 to CA-1 to Revelstoke than CA-1 to Lake Louise
Lake Lousie to Jasper via 93

Here is where I need addtional info, we are thinking of coming back through B.C., any thoughts?

Jasper to Tete Jaune Cache via CA-16
Tete Jaune Cache to Kamloops via 5
Kamloops to Vernon via CA-1 to 97
Vernon to Osoyoos via 97
Osoyoos to Yahk via 3

Back to U.S.
Yahk to Moyie Springs via 95
Moyie Springs to Kalispell via 2
Kalispell to Missoula via 93 (is this the best route?)
Missoula to Bozeman via 200 to 141 to 12 to 287 to I-90
Bozeman to Cody via 89 to Yellowstone Grandloop to 14
Cody to Sheridan via rt 14
Sheridan to Lusk via I-90 to 59 to 450 (thunder basin) to 18
Lusk to Dubuque via rt 20
Dubuque to Chicago

If you could let us know if we are msiing a great road or have planned in a waste of our time please let us know.

Any comments will help us.

Thanks, see you at natioanls.

[Avigar]

Aren't you going to need passports to return if you venture outside the border? You might want to check into it before you go.

[mxvet57]

won't need pasports till 2008

[samal]

one road I can comment on - When riding from dubuque to Chicago, take rt 20 to Galena IL, then take Stagecoach trail instead of Rt 20 to Lena, IL StageCoach trail and then back to rt 20

[Ninja Woman]

I got my passport.  So I am good to go!

[bluemax]

Has anyone from Region 4 been on any of these roads.

We have too many miles and days planned into our trip.  I need to become selective now, hopefully with the help of others.  

After Nationals we are talking about doing the following:

Custer to Devil's tower
Devil's Tower to Sheridan via 14
Sheridan to Cody via 14A
Cody to Red Lodge via Beartooth Hwy
Red Lodge to Big Timber via rt 78 to I-90
Big Timder to Great Falls via rt 89
Great Falls to St Mary's via rt 89
Glacier Nat'l Park going to sun road and loop around south end of park via rt 2
St Mary's to Waterton Park, ALB via rt 2 to rt 5 (in canada)

Canada (Ineed help here, are these paved roads?)


Back to U.S.
Yahk to Moyie Springs via 95
Moyie Springs to Kalispell via 2
Kalispell to Missoula via 93 (is this the best route?)
Missoula to Bozeman via 200 to 141 to 12 to 287 to I-90
Bozeman to Cody via 89 to Yellowstone Grandloop to 14
Cody to Sheridan via rt 14


If you could let us know if we are msiing a great road or have planned in a waste of our time please let us know.

Any comments will help us.

Thanks, see you at natioanls.

Can't help you with Canada, but you're doing real well with the others. There are so many great roads out tjat way. In Custer SD ride the Iron Mountain and Needles highways, and Custer state park wild life loop. Heading up to Devils Tower 385 north and check out Spearfish Canyon.

In WY take 14 or 14A, one going out one coming back. Off of 14 is the Bighorn Canyon, with  Pryor Mountain wild mustangs.  In Cody the Buffalo Bill Museum, on your way to Red Lodge you'll take the Chief Joesph Highway it's beautiful. Chief Joseph of the Nez Pers Indians who so famously said "I will fight no more forever" . Montana is a can't miss. The further west you stay the better the roads. The roads through the Bitterroot are great, even the I system isn't bad. Kalispel and Whitefish just west of Glacier are a couple of cool  towns. Since you're so close to the Tetons you should pop down there. They're just south of Yellowstone, one ticket for two parks. The best mountains in the Rocky mountain range. They more like the Alps then the Rockies. . Just a few more tips, if you find yourself near New Castle, Wy the cops are pretty fussy there. Skip Sturgis, but Deadwood SD can be fun. You're going to have a blast!!! Hope that helps.

[JimWilliamson]

Missoula to Bozeman via 200 to 141 to 12 to 287 to I-90
Have you ever gone Southwest from Missoula on US-12 / aka Lolo Pass? A consideration...
Some Lolo Pass photos are in this page:
www.jimwilliamson.net/motorcycle/2004-09-mt-id-wy/05-tue/

Not much for fuel between White Sulphur Springs & I-90 on US-89

Bozeman to Cody via 89 to Yellowstone Grandloop to 14
Going through Yellowstone can be slow going, marching along in a line of cars and RV's such that you can't pass and, at times, can't enjoy the twisties that are there.
Consider taking I-90 to Columbus and then dropping south on Route 78 to Red Lodge. Red Lodge south to scenic Beartooth Pass (if open - should be???) on US-212, then to Cody via Route 296 / Chief Joseph Highway (fun), dropping into Cody via WY-120.

A view of Route 78 out of Red Lodge:
http://www.jimwilliamson.net/motorcycle/2004-09-mt-id-wy/03-sun/img_0112.jpg

This trip report has Cody > Cheif Joseph Hwy > Beartooth > I-90 > White Sulphur Springs (eventually to Glacier) and should give an idea of what scenery you'll get:
www.jimwilliamson.net/motorcycle/2004-09-mt-id-wy/03-sun

Cody to Sheridan via rt 14
I took 14a via Lovell - found it enjoyable in the Bighorn N.F. area.
For 14, east of Shell is nice (again, Bighorn N.F. stuff)
I don't recall which was "better" tho. 14A (on the western edge of B.N.F.) was something of a coming down the "edge" of a cliff type of route. 14A east of Shell was more of a "canyon ride" transitioning from the low area to the high area.

Lusk to Dubuque via rt 20
US-20 - did that in an MG some years back - Rockford IL to Casper WY (and LA)

Two-lane (flat, straight) through the wide open spaces. You and the cows and the trains with a city tossed in here and there. Fairly relaxing. I did it once, enjoyed it, might do it again.
Photos:
www.jimwilliamson.net/automobile/1995-07-01-drive-toms-mgb-to-ca/page1.htm

Dubuque to Chicago
Like has been posted - StageCoach Trail. From US-20 head up main street in Galena. If you have a hard time "finding" the Stage Coach Trail road sign - just stay on the west/north side of the river as close to the river as you can. It's THE road that heads out of town on the N / W side of the river. IIRC there is a rectangular, green sign at the far north end of downtown pointing a right hand turn for Stage Coach Trail.

SCT is more interesting / twisty at it's western end (Galena to Scales Mound). I have a map posted that describes SCT a bit:
www.jimwilliamson.net/motorcycle/2002-04-11-first-warm-day/

If you're trying to avoid US-20 in IL look at the east/west road through Cedarville IL - decent alternative (straight line N of Freeport on the above map).

Not sure if you're interested in Jackson Hole WY to Sheridan WY (should you do Lolo Pass and be heading towards Yellowstone / Tetons). The section out of Yellowstone is what gave me the "line of cars and RV's" memory.
www.jimwilliamson.net/motorcycle/2004-09-mt-id-wy/07-thu/

HTH,
Jim