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My son and I are taking our first multi state trip.

SweetLeif

New member
I am taking my son (age 10) on our first motorcycle trip. (multi state) We are camping along the way. Has anyone else done this? And if so what suggestions do you have? We are leaving Austin TX on the 30th of may and going to Huntsville AL. (taking him to space camp). At that point I am going on a 2 1/2 day ride into the smoky mountains. Then we head home. This will also be my first multi state ride. (you can ride all day in any direction from where i am and still be in Texas) Any gear essentials suggestions and tips would be sweet.
 
Sweet,

Don't miss the camping section located on our home page.
An additional comment which I might add; though I enjoy camping at a destination, camping during the travel has seldom fit my needs. A quick overnight with shower, AC, and a bed followed by an early departure (especially during hot weather) keeps my mind and body in best form for enjoying the ride and perhaps most importantly, safely enjoying the day.
The point being made, be sure to factor in the "mind and body rejuvenating potential" of your chosen overnight selection.


Motard
 
I am taking my son (age 10) on our first motorcycle trip. (multi state) We are camping along the way. Has anyone else done this? And if so what suggestions do you have? We are leaving Austin TX on the 30th of may and going to Huntsville AL. (taking him to space camp). At that point I am going on a 2 1/2 day ride into the smoky mountains. Then we head home. This will also be my first multi state ride. (you can ride all day in any direction from where i am and still be in Texas) Any gear essentials suggestions and tips would be sweet.

If the weather in Texas stays the same, take a canoe:)
 
I try to keep in mind that my kids might not enjoy a long days ride as much I do. And while I might like a more remote campground experience it is a good idea to look for a campground that has amenities such as a swimming pool and mini golf. Frequent breaks for a cool drink or ice cream are essential to keep my young passenger enjoying the ride.

I have a couple of dry-bag duffel bags that I use in conjunction with my bike saddlebags. We use the saddlebags for our clothes, I get one saddlebag and they get the other. The dry bags are used for camping gear: 1 tent, 2 therma-rest mattresses and 2 sleeping bags that compress into a very small size. Dont forget to pack a couple of camping pillows too. I strap a dry bag to the top of each saddlebag. I keep our rain gear handy in the tail trunk and other frequently used items in a tank bag.

You will have to decide if you are going to cook your own meals or eat out along the way. I found that I dont really have enough room for cooking equipment and food unless I am traveling solo.

If your son needs extra clothes for his time at space camp you might consider shipping those items each way. The camp might be able to help you with those arrangements.

Good luck and enjoy the ride with your son.

Mark
 
great smoky mountain park tip

The Smokies are one of the most visited national parks in the US. Once you drive from Cherokee to Gatlinburg and enjoy Cades Cove you will be ready to get out of the park and it's crowds. Here is an article from todays Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on a lesser traveled part of the park. I have been to the Smoky Mtn park many times and never looked hard enough to find this area.

Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina


"This little-known cousin to Great Smoky's famous Cades Cove was one of the region's most thriving communities a century ago, counting 1,200 residents in 1910. Today, though, it draws no crowds to its historic buildings, rolling orchards, meadows or forests. It does, however, attract elk, wild turkeys and black bear.

You must negotiate a winding, 11-mile gravel road near Dellwood, N.C., to reach Cataloochee, nestled near the park's eastern border. Make the journey, though, and this road will carry you back into a 19th- and early-20th-century landscape rimmed by 6,000-foot mountains and enclosing some of the park's best examples of historic frame buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Palmer House, a vintage "dog trot" construction, features two log cabins (that later were planked over) tied together by a covered porch popular with dogs on long, hot summer days. Today, the house doubles as a museum of the valley and offers a video that provides an interesting oral history recorded by descendants of the valley's settlers.

Elsewhere in the valley you can find the Palmer Chapel, the Caldwell House that is sandwiched by two covered porches and the Beech Grove Schoolhouse, a two-room structure built in 1901.

There are 27 sites at the Cataloochee Campground, where you can find respectable trout fishing in Cataloohchee Creek. For a roof overhead at night, check out the Abbey Inn (www.abbeyinn.com, 1-800-545-5853) in nearby Maggie Valley, N.C., or head over to Cherokee, N.C. (www.cherokeesmokies.com. 1-877-433-6700) with its many options."

You can find more about the camping on the park service website. Look for the Cataloochee campground in the "frontcountry" campground listings at www.nps.gov/grsm . It looks like this is in the Maggie Valley area of western NC which is also a great place to ride and camp.

Enjoy,

Mark
 
Wow! Its amazing how much stuff you need. 7 days worth of stuff 2 people. Hotels are not really an option. We love to camp. Clothes, food, water, fishing gear, sleep gear, tent, light, stove, tarps, first aid kit, cooking gear, extra propane etc. Plan on shopping for food every 2 days. Now I guess we find out what we really need. My boy and I are so giddy. Can't sleep. Going over and over in my head trying to think if i need anything else. 2 more days till we leave. Hope the weather gets better.
 
My boy started on th back of my Honda at age 6. After getting a BMW 3 year later, the trips got longer. Made our first rally in VT last summer, and the 800 miles to Wisconsin will be the longest trek yet.

Getting a Autocom, and a XM radio really helped pile up the miles.
Kids will get ansty some, so being able to talk about the ride while riding is a great experience. The stories that can be told over a few hundred miles.

Here we are the day after Ernesto soaked the Finger Lakes rally. 24 hours of rain, and not a complaint.

Motorcycles do that. Good luck, and remember it's the journey, not just the destination.

98887298-M.jpg
 
I am taking my son (age 10) on our first motorcycle trip. (multi state) We are camping along the way. Has anyone else done this? And if so what suggestions do you have? We are leaving Austin TX on the 30th of may and going to Huntsville AL. (taking him to space camp). At that point I am going on a 2 1/2 day ride into the smoky mountains. Then we head home. This will also be my first multi state ride. (you can ride all day in any direction from where i am and still be in Texas) Any gear essentials suggestions and tips would be sweet.

My suggestion is to just have a great time.

Your enthusiasm is obvious. He is going to have a great time and you will have a lifetime of memories.

Congrats and let us know how it went. Pics appreciated.

RIDE SAFE
 
Here is a picture of my daughter and I heading out to a rally a couple of years ago.
This camping arrangement shows a big duffel bag across the back of the bike.
 

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So it one day before we take off on our trip, and the wife is freaking out. Does anyone have any suggestions for that?
 
Teach her to ride!

Seriously, respect the fact that a mother's imagination goes into overdrive when her kid is going away on his own for a while. The space camp you are taking him to is an absolutely fabulous experience. Please post about that experience as well. Anyone who has kids eligible for that should make sure they do it.

Holly

PS: Is your name Leif or Leifur? I'm a vesterislendingur.
 
I can't wait to hear about your trip. Ive been thinking of doing a trip with my kids, and it's exciting to hear that someone is really doing it. Post some pictures!
Good luck :thumb
-Marty
 
Name is Leif. Now we are packed, biked washed and full of fuel. All we need now is the dawn of a new day and the lack of rain. (wifes freaked out about the weather)
 
My son has never gone multi state, but I used to take him to the Great River Road Run at 9 and 10 years old. The last time we went together, 2 days in the rain was enough for him, we went to a hotel on Saturday.

Official campgrounds (with other kids and pools and stuff) are a big plus, and I found he isn't much for "Historical" things. You will learn what he likes (as may he) and some will surprise you. Enjoy your trip.
 
Well the wife nixed the bike trip at the last min. Gotta truck the bike to Alabama then ride alone from there. Anyone know a safe place in Huntsville AL to leave a truck for 2 1/2 days?
 
I would check the Anonymous book for someone who lives in the Huntsville area. Maybe they can recommend a place to leave your vehicle. You might also look for a dealer in the area who could give you ideas too.
 
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