After much debate and re-routing, we have come up with a plan. The route we chose takes us to or through at least 12 different National Parks, a convenient happenstance, since Dennis and I are working toward our Iron Butt badges for National Parks.
Most of you reading this blog (yes, you!), are not motorcyclists and probably have no idea what the Iron Butt Association is, so, if you would like to know, click here. No, there are no prizes for completing the task. All you get is a certificate, a badge... and braggin' rights!
A consideration for our route planning was,
of course, weather. I wanted to head north as fast as possible to avoid the lovely humidity and heat that has the south in a death grip. I also wanted to be in the south when the weather started cooling off.
of course, weather. I wanted to head north as fast as possible to avoid the lovely humidity and heat that has the south in a death grip. I also wanted to be in the south when the weather started cooling off.
Another consideration was the fact that we might not be able to pull this off. It is a particularly long distance (about 6,500 miles). If it was just a car/van trip, no problem. But on motorcycles, we may be writing a check our butts can't cash - literally. Several hundred miles on the saddle will cramp anyone's gait.
More important than the condition of our posterior padding is our "chase" driver, who is fairly new and may not enjoy so many long, empty miles. We want this to be a fun trip for everyone, even the dog. So, if we do find it too taxing - and our stubborness doesn't kick in - then we plan to make a loop encompassing roughly half the proposed route.
Here's the lists of both the full and the half routes' points of interest:
Full Route
- Mesa Verde National Park, CO, to visit the cliff dwellings
- Arches National Park, UT, because we've never seen them
- Grand Teton National Park, WY, cause of the funny name
- Yellowstone National Park, WY, to see Ol' Faithful
- Mt Rainier National Park, WA, the highest point in the U.S.
- Crater Lake National Park, OR, because it's on our way to...
- Golden Gate Bridge, CA, we might skip it, since it's man-made
- Sequoia National Forest, CA, to revisit General Sherman
- Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, because it truly is grand!
- Chiricahua National Monument, AZ, wait for photos, then you'll see
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM, for the bat flight... and the cave
- San Antonio Missions, TX, to top off the trip before heading home
Short Route
- Mesa Verde National Park, CO
- Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
- Chiricahua National Monument, AZ
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
- San Antonio Missions, TX
OK, we need to take the tech up a notch. If you have not already thought of this, you need to make a google map with your route and add points to it as you go so we can track you. I am not sure if google maps is the best choice for this but we need something. There may be an app just for this kind of thing. I added your blog to my RSS feed reader to keep a breast of the trip. MMMMMMMM, a Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit sound good right about now... BTW, can you pick me up an Iron Butt for me to? It just sounds cool! Every time I site I would hear an awesome clunk sound. If I farted, would it sound like I shot a tin can off a fence with a sling shot? Hm, I wander... That would also be nice! Very nice!
ReplyDeleteI think Google Latitude might work, but you're welcome to find something for me. And, no, I'm not getting you an Iron Butt. You're dangerous enough!
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