MD to NV on US 50: Advice, please!

Gorgeous, but...

...these photos do not encourage me to cross this way in late April!

mdcruiser said:

...these photos do not encourage me to cross this way in late April!

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Don't be discouraged. The passes are kept open, during that time of year the only barrier would be a weather pattern dropping precip.

But dress warmly in the morning.

And remember you can turn south at Pueblo, CO.

Backroad ADV

Michael...here are a few pics through Arkansas...


Eureka Springs, AR


Eureka Springs is a cool town to visit.


Highway 23...the Pig Trail Scenic Byway.


Highway 23...the Pig Trail Scenic Byway.


Ozark Mountains


Talimena Scenic Parkway


Talimena Scenic Parkway

There is a great restaurant on top of Rich Mountain at the State Park to eat lunch or Dinner at... http://www.queenwilhelmina.com/

John, thank you for these pix. Gorgeous, and as close to a sure thing climatically as I'm likely to get that time of year! I'm sold.

I hope you have a great & safe ride! I gotta ask:why, with your obvious ability to travel a really long ways on your own, what caused you to pay $$$ for the Grand Canyon part of the trip that couldn't be done on your own? The Canyon and the roads around it belong to the people, right?
BTW, US50 is neat in spots but there are other 2 lanes in my native Kansas, that offer nice scenery & riding, so check the map out a bit-maybe google scenic roads in each state you'll hiy and then put it all together where it makes some sense as a continuous route-enjoy!!!

kantuckid said:

I hope you have a great & safe ride! I gotta ask:why, with your obvious ability to travel a really long ways on your own, what caused you to pay $$$ for the Grand Canyon part of the trip that couldn't be done on your own? The Canyon and the roads around it belong to the people, right?
BTW, US50 is neat in spots but there are other 2 lanes in my native Kansas, that offer nice scenery & riding, so check the map out a bit-maybe google scenic roads in each state you'll hiy and then put it all together where it makes some sense as a continuous route-enjoy!!!

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I'm with Kantuckid on choosing a different road across Kansas. 50, at least from here West to the mountains, is pretty full of trucks and there isn't much to see. If I was coming out of AR around Fayetteville, I'd probably stay South of 50 over to NM. OK and southern KS have some great two-lane roads, and you can avoid all the larger towns if you want. Pick up 50 somewhere in CO or not.

When taking a long ride, I like using maps to plot out the next couple of hundred miles rather than planning the entire ride before leaving home. Sometimes 50 miles north or south can make a big difference in the riding conditions. All roads lead to the Grand Canyon........eventually.

Tom

kantuckid said:

I hope you have a great & safe ride! I gotta ask:why, with your obvious ability to travel a really long ways on your own, what caused you to pay $$$ for the Grand Canyon part of the trip that couldn't be done on your own? The Canyon and the roads around it belong to the people, right?
BTW, US50 is neat in spots but there are other 2 lanes in my native Kansas, that offer nice scenery & riding, so check the map out a bit-maybe google scenic roads in each state you'll hiy and then put it all together where it makes some sense as a continuous route-enjoy!!!

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Kantuckid,

I have experience with Edelweiss, and like them a lot. Plus, as I indicated, my wife will be flying in, and she really likes the Edelweiss quality as well. And the price isn't that high if one provides one's own bike!

Yeah, I'm now pretty much decided on abandoning 50 at St. Louis, going down the Mississip, crossing Arkansas through Eureka Springs then across North Texas. More interesting and likely safer for climate, too.

Last year I purchased a K75S that was located in California. My wife and I flew out to Ca and rode it back to Ohio during June. In the western US we traveled US 50. I thought that the road was fantastic and highly recommend that you take this route (to the extent possible).

Here are links to various wiki pages on US 50 -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50_in_Colorado
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50_in_Utah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50_in_Nevada

robsmoto said:

Last year I purchased a K75S that was located in California. My wife and I flew out to Ca and rode it back to Ohio during June. In the western US we traveled US 50. I thought that the road was fantastic and highly recommend that you take this route (to the extent possible).

Here are links to various wiki pages on US 50 -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50_in_Colorado
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50_in_Utah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50_in_Nevada

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Oh believe me, if I was riding out in June I would be on route 50 all the way from maryland. But I've been told by more than a few people that going through the mountains in late April is dicey. Maybe I'll look at the weather forecasts a week before departing!

Hwy 50

As several have suggested, you can come west on Hwy 50 all the way to Pueblo, CO and then see how it's looking across the Rockies. If it's looking dicey, head south down I-25 to Walsenburg (about 45 miles on the interstate), turn west on Hwy 160 over La Veta Pass (the Sangre de Cristo range is very narrow, you can be up and over in 20 minutes). Turn south at Fort Garland, CO (visit the fort), head south through San Luis, CO (oldest town in CO) to Taos. Visit Taos and Santa Fe. Ride the Enchanted Circle that circles Taos ski area. If the mountains are having bad weather, head west on Hwy 64 across northern NM, (Farmington and Shiprock), then Cortez CO (Mesa Verde Nat'l Park), and work you way back up to Hwy 50.

Just hang loose....be flexible and it's going to be awesome!!!

piperjim

Sort of regret being a party pooper, but have to add to some of the concerned comments here. I picked up my 11S from a fellow in Louisville, KY the last week of April, three years ago. I intended to visit family in central Iowa, then take a nice meandering ride back to the Seattle area. I expected it would take 1 day to get to my brother's home, it took 2 1/2 days, battered by heavy rain and wind (literally blown off the highway in Illinois) the riding was very difficult.

After a day or so of rest, I departed on my "detour" route via Texas/Arizona etc to get home. The Rockies were covered by blizzards from Canada through Colorado. The two days it took just to get to New Mexico were done with very high cross winds, probably 35mph gusting to 50+. My brother-in-law (also from Iowa) is a long haul trucker, during this same period he spent 3 days parked with his big rig in Wyoming enroute to SF, even the major freeways were heavily impacted.

That being said, I do hope you're watching the weather reports VERY closely. There are some darn nice sights to see on US50. We lived near 50 in Nevada for many, many years. If you yearn for some wide open vistas, you'll definitely find them there.

Good Luck!

How could you possibly pass this up?

Or This?

sellis said:

Or This?

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Been there, done that!

Of course having grown up (sort of!) in Fallon, Nevada it was easy to do...

Nice pics! (Okay, now I'm a little homesick)

Cheers!

mdcruiser said:

Yeah, I'm now pretty much decided on abandoning 50 at St. Louis, going down the Mississip, crossing Arkansas through Eureka Springs then across North Texas. More interesting and likely safer for climate, too.

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50 through St Louis and the burbs was ultra congested when we rode it last October to Oklahoma but found great roads leading off 50 south towards 54/Lake Ozark. That part of MO is beautiful. I believe we cut southwest around Rosebud or Linn. We cut back north at Eldorado KS.

When you hit Kansas, just sit back and enjoy the ride. Trucks are something you will have to put up with.

At one month before departure, my itinerary is pretty much set. In addition to these tremendously useful comments, I want to thank Jamie Jensen, author of Road Trip USA, for his personalized advice by email.

Here's where I'm off to (take it for granted that all travel will be on 2-lane roads, interstates used only to circumvent metropolitan areas such as DFW): if anyone has advice about any of these destinations, such advice is still quite welcome!

1. Potomac MD to Athens OH
2. Athens to Madison IN (via KY, bypassing Cinci)
3. Madison to Sainte-Genevieve MO (cutting south into IL well before St. Louis, crossing into Sainte-Genevieve by the little ferry into town)
4. Sainte-Genevieve to Clarksdale MS (via TN, staying at Shack Up Inn!)
5. Clarksdale to Jefferson TX (crossing into AR at Greenville MS and going over to Texarkana)
6. Jefferson to Abilene TX
7. Abilene to Marfa TX
8. Marfa to Lordsburg NM
9. Lordsburg to Scottsdale AZ (visiting relatives in this city)
10. Scottsdale to Las Vegas NV (pick up my wife at the airport) (steps 11-13 are 2-up)
11. Las Vegas to Palm Desert CA (through via 29 Palms)
12. Palm Desert to Sedona, AZ and the Grand Canyon
13. Then back to Las Vegas where we ship the bike home (from Las Vegas BMW) and fly home.

I'll try to post pix during the route!

Michael -

Athens is a neat little college town. I was born there while my dad was in grad school and later graduated from OU myself. The place is a bit run down, but you'll find the people nice and the stay enjoyable. Most of teh hotels are kinda crappy, but there's a newer Hampton Inn on East State Street. Bit of a hike from there to downtown / Court Street though. Be sure to get a walk around the University in if you can.

Madison is close to me - let me know when you're there and I'll see if I can stop by for a beer or soemthing. If you can, stay near the downtown area along the River. Lots of cool architecture to see in that town and an evening walking around looking at the buildings and houses would be a good time.

Eric

A few shots from Madison, Indiana:

Eric, thanks for the great pix. Now I can download yours, and don't need to take any pictures while in Madison!

I will indeed be staying at the Hampton Inn in Athens. In Madison, I'll be at the Lottie Mae Inn (I think it's one of your pictures!) right downtown. Should get there by 2PM on April 28. If you PM me I'll give you my cell number. Hope to see you!

Cheers,
Michael

mdcruiser said:

Eric, thanks for the great pix. Now I can download yours, and don't need to take any pictures while in Madison!

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I don't know about that - there's a lot to see in that small town.
That yellow home in the last pic is the Lanier Mansion. I believe they have tours there, although I've never been inside. Must do that someday. Have ridden past it dozens of times. It's lcoated on the River just a block or two west of hte downtown area. Easy to walk to.

I'll mark ya down for April 28th - if I'm not outta town for work, I'll ride down in the late afternoon. Then you can tell me in poerson about your Athens, Ohio experience.

Eric

First day went well!

Gas stop in Frostburg, MD, then a lunch stop just outside Clarksburg, WV on US 50. Quintessential WV restaurant, (can't seem to post the pic I took on my iPad!) -- tiny, waitress wants to know my life story, etc. .

Terrible downpour just before riding into Athens. Worse than the rain was the buffeting wind en route. Since I can't seem to post pix from the iPad, I'll post them in a batch upon my return home.

Going into Athens for dinner (the Baymont Inn is about 1.5 miles from downtown).