California / Nevada 7 days

[Jim-Adv]

Im thinking of having a week in the states next year. I want to fly in, hire a bike and take off for a week preferable West Coast / Nevada area. I've had a look on HC travel website can anyone recommend any particular routes or companies they may have used.

Probably going to do it on a harley. Well you have to over there dont you...

 

[Paul Rochdale]

Err no Jim, you don't have to ride a Harley when you're over there. I've just returned from a 3-month 15,000+mile coast-to-coast US trip on my Honda ST1100 Pan European, my second US trip on the same bike. It was a wonderful journey and whilst Harleys are still extremely plentiful, I saw many many BMWs over there. I would go for a GS if I was going to rent a bike.

As for seven days, this is an extremely short time to see anything. The US is a vast place and if you were to spend say two weeks in California alone, you'd be missing a lot.

PM if you want to chat at length about this.

 

[Jim-Adv]

Paul thanks for the reply.

My comment on Harleys was more one of that it is the right place to ride them so that's what I'll probably hire.

It is a very short time but unfortunately that all I have been granted for next year from the domestic director after I spent three weeks in Morocco this year! Looking at some of the itineries on HC travel they seem quite short (900 mile weeks) and to be honest apart from San Francisco and LA my knowledge of that part of the world is pretty light. so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Jim

 

[Paul Rochdale]

Jim

Right then. This time I rode from Tucson to Yuma (one of the hottest places in the US at this time of the year) then on to San Diego. A beautiful city and cooled down a bit by the Pacific breezes. Boat trip around the bay to see the US Pacific Fleet in harbour, visit the aircraft USS Midway and it's cokkection of historis aircraft, visit the Lamplight area in downtown SD with his many bars and jazz bars, not forgetting the excellent microbrew pub, the Flat Bottom bar. There's also a good car/motorcycle and aircraft museum on the outskirts.

Ride up the coast on R5 toward Los Angeles but avoid the city like the plague. The traffic is horrendous. Stick to the coastal route through Long Beach and Torrance. I stayed with friends near Malibu, a far grander sounding place than it actually is.

I then headed inland to Bartow and Las Vegas - my wife flew out to meet me - then headed west into Death Valley staying the night at Stovepipe Wells again - 118f at 4pm!

Then rode on to Tioga Pass and Yosemite Valley, staying in a decent tent in Curry Village. Then on to San Francisco staying with friends. We then parted company and I rode south down R1 following the coast to Big Sur and back to Santa Barbara. The Big Sur is every bit as beautiful as they say it is, although passing is difficult with the speed limits and double yellow lines.

I then headed over the top of LA towards Tucson.

By the way hotel accommodation in Las Vegas is the cheapest in the US during the week but trebles at weekends.

Find someone in the AAA to get excellent, free maps before you go.

I hope that's a help.

Please have a look at http://groups.msn.com/FROMSEATOSHININGSEAANDBACK

 

[Chisurz]

Jim, I agree with paul about the need for time... that said, my wife and I had just seven days ourselves, albeit using a car, so we headed to Phoenix, Arizona.

There is lots to do just in that one state that lends itself to travelling a few miles. We did Monument Valley (you need your own transport to get round - GS would be ideal); Petrified Forest; Chinle and Canyon de Chelly; Grand Canyon; Wigwam Hotel on Route 66; Micro-brewery in Flagstaff (remember to take ear plugs to sleep through the trains...); lots of Navajo stuff; and lots more.

We also managed (using some decent maps) to navigate unpaved roads (again, would be great on a GS) using the rental 4x4 - not realising until we were back in Phoenix that the rental agreement didn't allow it..

It all took a bit of research (by SWMBO) but very worthwhile.

Chis

 

[Schtum]

Arizona's ok but I much prefer Utah..... If you've only got 7 days, I'd fly into San Francisco, rent a GS from Dubbelju and head for Death Valley and/or Yosemite.

 

[Wolfe]

Jim,

It depends what kind of scenery you want to see. In eastern California you have Yosemite and to it's north-east is King's Canyon a 20 mile dead-end trip that is just awesome scenery and twisties one after the other and then you get to come back again. Very few cars or Americans go here becuase it is a dead end. Then south of Yosemite is the Sequoia National Forest - real big trees! Heading south-east will get to Ridgecrest (a Naval arms base town) and into Death Valley (go early in the morning) and east to Nevada and Arizona if you wish. If you end up heading to Flagstaff from norht of Arizona I'd recommend goinfg up Oak Creek Canyon to Jerome & Sedona to be in, above and surrounded by pine trees and their smell - wow! From Flagstaff you could ride west along Route 66 (few cars on this route either) to Kingman.
Arizona or Utah could take ALL your time. Zion National Park, in Utah, is great to visit and ride through - they all are!
My wife rode her Heritage Softail Harley and I rode my Softail Custom Harley on all the above routes a few times and they are always great!
For the future, one of our favourite roads is in northern Idaho. It goes from Missoula in Montana west to Lewiston, and at the Lolo Pass, in Idaho, there is a road sign that says "winding road next 77 miles" - pure heaven! We've ridden it a few times and it's always magic!
Have a great trip.
Wish I was doing it now.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Jim

If you are flying into the West Coast, you can hire from Dubbelju in San Francisco. They have GS`s, Harley`s and Trumpets...!!
There are some fantastic roads across to Nevada from there like Carmel Valley, R26 from Hollister toward Yosemite. Completely empty of cars..!!
Kings Canyon is well worth the effort if you can get there,,,awesome is not the word....!! Avoid LA like the proverbial and possibly the PCH just North. Its` very crowded and I found it uninteresting. There is a much better route up through Central California.
I`ve spent a lot of time over there on a GS and I can say it`s the best...!!
If you want more info for California, let me know and I`ll get more details to you.
Can`t work out how to attach a pic but I`ve got hundreds if you want any!

Chris

 

[Wolfe]

Chris,

It sounds like you've ridden a lot of the same roads as I have in California & Nevada.
Did you cross Death Valley?
Have you done the Lolo Pass, US12, in Northern Idaho?
What about Devil's Highway in south-east Arizona (the old US666 now the US191 {but still 666 in New Mexico})?
"Going to the sun highway" in northern Montana?
Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona in Arizona?

You are correct to avoid all cities where possible.

The days are never long enough when you're in the saddle.