Planning for spring trip. Places to see?

[mustang28027]

Hey folks,

 Im planning a trip out West to Texas, Az, Cali, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah. Going to be about two months long.
 Are there any "must see" places or roads  that you would recommend? Obviously, the state and national parks are already on my list. How about  scenic bridges( like the one in Terminator Salvation), or other man made site of special interest? Lowell Observatory is one place to see. Have any favorites  that you come back to? Your input is very valuable.

Also, I plan to  ride through Austin to see my daughter, then head west skirting the USA/Mexican border. I did Big Bend last year and really enjoyed it. SHOULD I CARRY  A GUN? Legally, of course.

Thanks in advance,

The Donkey and Dave

[Sport-Touring]

[Mrs. DantesDame]

 


Seriously, with two months and the states that you mentioned, you're better off narrowing things down a bit. We can recommend roads 'til the cows come home, but what else tickles your fancy? And hell, at that point, what kind of roads tickle turn fancy? (I ask because one of my favorite roads that I recommended to someone else left him underwhelmed   )

[bubba zanetti]

Hey folks,


 SHOULD I CARRY  A GUN?

[mustang28027]

LOL! I know I'm asking a lot.  I do have a concern about  being safe near the  Mexican border which is why I posted about carrying a gun.  I would not usually  have one.

I did a trip last spring out west to Texas, NM, Colorado, Az and Utah( just a little), Wyoming, Montana  and SD. Rode 8300 miles and   took a month. I particularly enjoyed the scenic roads and the national parks, monuments and state parks. But still feel like I missed out on some cool architecture and construction(bridges).  For  AZ, I saw  the four corners and did monument valley.  I have the following to see:

Tombstone(history)
Pipe Organ Cactus Monument
Sonoran Desert Monument
Petrified Forest
Winslow( Eagles Statue)
Meteor Crater
Grand Canyon

I'll post my map once I figure out how to post it off Google.

[mustang28027]

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zopHF66KngQA.kUWGdc23zn08


Here is my map of places to see/visit so far. If anyone has more suggestions or must see places that are  favorites,  post up!

[Orson]

I wuz gonna recommend Big Bend first but, I see you've already done that. I love Big Bend so much that I would recommend doing it again   There's just something I find really appealing about that place.

Otherwise, southwestern Colorado has some awesome roads and I don't use the word awesome lightly   Google Unaweep Canyon  

Also, if you haven't ridden it yet, Utah Highway 12 is a must  

[DangerMoney]

AZ route 191. Runs from Clifton, AZ to Eagar, AZ.  400 turns in 120 miles.

http://www.arizonaroadadventures.com/CoronadoTrail.html








Monument Valley, UT:

[Mrs. DantesDame]

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zopHF66KngQA.kUWGdc23zn08

Ok, you asked for it. State by state, for ease of compartmentalizing.

Washington
Cape Flattery/Neah Bay - a nice spot, although a bit out of the way. If you go, take 112 west out of Port Angeles. Watch those corners - and the cops.

Hoh Rain forest - since you're all the way out there, you should stop here and take an hour to walk the trail. Well worth it.

Mt Rainier - although it is probably nice just to see from a distance. Maybe via 410/12

Mt St Helens - start on FS 25 on the east side and take FS99 up to the top. Worth the detour to be sure!!

North Cascades Hwy/Rt 20 - yes. But watch your speed, especially near Newhalem. Twisp is a nice stop on the east side

Grand Coulee Dam - take 155 here. There's a great ferry crossing the Columbia river on Rt 21

Hwy 20 - all the way across the state - worth it. Maybe take 155 down to Grand Coulee, the ferry up 21 and then 20 east from there


Montana
Glacier Nat'l Park - Going to the Sun Hwy (depending on what time day/year you go - could be congestion hell)

Kucanusa Lake (west of Glacier) - a nice ride around the lake, especially the west side


Idaho
Sawtooth Mountains - quite beautiful

Rt 12 - Lolo Pass - take it!

Craters of the Moon SP - very interesting


Oregon
Hwy 129/3 - north of Enterprise. Wheeeeee!

Mt Hood

Random Oregon - John Day Fossil Beds, Painted Hills, Summerville (camping with an awesome hot spring), Crater Lake, Grants Pass to Crescent City


California
Happy Camp - at O'Brien, on your way to Crescent City, take Indian Creek Rd to Happy Camp. The continue on nirvana on 96 down to Eureka. You can't go wrong with Hwy 3, 299 and 36.

Humbolt Redwoods SP - drive thru trees, etc. Very cool. Take your time to enjoy

....

Ok, I'll let you ruminate on this for now...  

[mustang28027]

Sweet! Thanks!

[sagerat]

OR 3 N of Enterpise is the road DD meant.  

I second 191 in AZ; it's a great road to ride as it has minimal traffic.  Other fun places to see in my homestate of AZ:  Bisbee and Jerome.  The best part of Jerome is riding US 89A to get there, although the section through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon is always a snail's crawl.  89A between Jerome and Prescott is major fun as is Yarnell Hill between Prescott and Wickenburg.  Old 66 from Kingman down to Oatman and then the Colorado River is a hoot.

OR 242 (McKenzie Pass) between Sisters and Eugene, OR is also a fun road, but better on the weekdays.  This is also closed by snow, so check ODOT's website to see if it's open or not.

OR 34 between Corvallis and Waldport, OR is a great way to reach the Oregon coast.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

OR 3 N of Enterpise is the road DD meant.  

Technically it is Rt 3 in OR and 129 in WA, so I did some sort of weird combination  



Edited my post for accuracy  

[cruisin]

Since you are going to be in Austin then head west, you might as well plan on a few pretty cool routes & stops along the way.

1.  Ride the "twisted sisters" -- that's FM roads 335, 336 and 337.  If you didn't know better, you would think you were in Colorado doing switch-backs on a mountain pass.
2.  Visit "Stonehenge II", on FM1340 near Hunt.
3.  Have pie at the Lost Maples Café in Utopia.
4.  visit the privately owned motorcycle museum in Vanderpool.
5.  Eat pie at the Bluebonnet Café in Marble Falls. (is there a pattern of pie here?   )
6.  Stop in at the Frio Canyon Motorcycle shop in Leaky.

I wouldn't waste time on the border; once you've gotten past the twisted sisters, head on over to NM on I-10 then north at Ft. Stockton and make your first stop in NM at Carlsbad Caverns then continue west from there.

Going through New Mexico some interesting places to see and roads to ride are:

1.  Visit the VLA near Magdalena on US 60. (VLA = very large array. Parts of the Jodie Foster film "Contact" were filmed there.)  
2.  NM 152 into Silver City -- it's appropriately named the "Gila Monster" as it snakes its way through the Gila National forest.
3.  Around Silver City, visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings, the Cat Walk, and the old mining town of Mogollon, there's a café there called the Purple Onion that's supposed to be pretty good, but it was closed during my visit.

Crossing into Arizona on NM 78 is a very fun ride and takes you to:
1. Morenci, where the fun of Hwy 191 begins at the copper mines.  It runs from Morenci to Alpine.  I was told that's 534 curves in 86 miles.  Someone above had a different number though; either way, it's a must ride if you like to lean over. If the timing is right stop for a burger at the Bear Wallow Café in Alpine.  They don't like cell phones though and ask that they be turned off while inside.
2.  Somewhere near Sedona, is another cliff dwelling I think is called Montezuma's Castle; worth the effort to find and make the walk around the grounds.
3.  Drive around the red rocks of Sedona; beautiful scenery in every direction.
4.  Put some time in on US 60 through the Salt River Canyon; especially since you mentioned liking big bridges.

That's as far west as I have been so my work is done here.

[mustang28027]

Good suggestions, Cruisin.  I like finding those odd places Good for pics and conversation.

[cruisin]

Here are a few pictures from the trip in 2009.

[cruisin]

a few more  

[cruisin]

last ones to keep you dreaming until spring.  

[cruisin]

I almost forgot to mention the Texas bluebonnets.  If your trip has you in Austin mid-April, there is a chance you will get to see huge fields covered in bluebonnets. In fact, central Texas (the hill country) is over-run by them if there has been ample rain during the winter.  I'll check in with my brother in Horseshoe Bay for a report on the potential coverage in a few weeks when they begin to sprout.

One more thought; I am hoping to get my wife interested enough in cycling again this spring to at least make a trip down to get pictures of the bluebonnets.  If that happens, I'd be more than happy to serve as tour guide during the Texas part of your ride if you like, (including twisty roads through the Panhandle if you come in from the north).  However, I know some folks (especially sport-touring types) prefer to ride alone; I'll leave it up to you.

[mustang28027]

Thanks, Cruisin. I really appreciate the invite. I'd love to ride with you for a day of so. I have altered my plans a bit and will ride the Twisted Sisters after my visit with my daughter, probably on Monday, the 20th of April. I haven't  planned to get up to the panhandle of Texas, though. If you can set aside time, let's go!

Dave

[expatbrit]

I wuz gonna recommend Big Bend first but, I see you've already done that. I love Big Bend so much that I would recommend doing it again   There's just something I find really appealing about that place.

Otherwise, southwestern Colorado has some awesome roads and I don't use the word awesome lightly   Google Unaweep Canyon  

Also, if you haven't ridden it yet, Utah Highway 12 is a must 

In no particular order,  and on the phone so sans pictures.

UT12, for sure. Stop at Natural Bridges, Capitol Reef, and Cedar Breaks. Much less crowded than the 'big name' parks,  and absolutely amazing. We camped at the last two on a trip in '13.

US191. Fabulous road.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and the roads around it. (US 92? US93?)

US141 from Dove Creek to Naturita and on to Grand Junction.

Million Dollar Highway, if you haven't already.

I have nothing but bad memories of wind-hammered and straight Wyoming roads! Sure I missed something.

For complete desolation, US385 (extraterrestrial highway). Much more lonely than the loneliest toad (50),  but not vastly fun.

I have a few more in NM, but that wasn't on your list.

[cruisin]

Thanks, Cruisin. I really appreciate the invite. I'd love to ride with you for a day of so. I have altered my plans a bit and will ride the Twisted Sisters after my visit with my daughter, probably on Monday, the 20th of April. I haven't  planned to get up to the panhandle of Texas, though. If you can set aside time, let's go!

Dave

Had dinner with my brother this evening; he said they had good rainfall at the right time of year for a good bluebonnet crop in the spring.  I've got the wife thinking about a trip around the middle of April.