Introduction

Hello fellow members! After a few years' hiatus I am glad to be back in the MOA fold. Look forward to re-engaging with old friends, meeting new ones and riding many miles with both! I am planning on flying across the country to the west coast in a few weeks to pick up a GSA and ride it back home to the north Georgia mountains. Can you point to a thread that would give me good route advice, please? I have between 7-10 days to make the trip and I'd prefer the northern route. Would be leaving the Orange County, Cali area and desire to head north/northeast, taking a more northern route back east and then dropping down toward the WVA/VA area, through NC and back to Clayton, GA. Any/all advice is appreciated. I will be both camping and hotel/motel-ing it along the way. Thanks!
Bruce Grant

Welcome back from central Florida.

First of all, welcome back!

Given your time constraints and desire to head north you won't have a lot of time for sightseeing and you really want to minimize weather delays, but that bike will serve you well and there will always be other chances to explore. Here's what I would do:

Head north along the eastern edge of the Sierras to Lake Tahoe then up to Ontario OR (side trip to Hells Canyon time permitting)
Follow the Salmon River north to Kooskia ID, then over Lolo Pass to Missoula MT
Stay on 12 as far east as you can (or slab it if pressed for time) and stop for the day in Red Lodge MT
Get an early morning start over Beartooth Pass (212) and Chief Joseph Byway to ALT 14
ALT 14 east to Burgess Junction, then 14 south through Shell Canyon to Greybull, 20 to Manderson, then a side road to Ten Sleep WY
16 east through Ten Sleep Canyon to Buffalo then either continue on 14/16 or (if pressed for time) slab east to Spearfish
Pick a route through the Black Hills starting with Spearfish Canyon meandering your way to the vicinity of Hill City, then east to Badlands NP
Badlands is an enjoyable drive through park that will only delay you an hour or two. Worth the sidetrip.
From there I'd stay on US-18. It's lightly traveled and you can make great time to NE Iowa (the hilly part of the state)
Angle southeast to avoid the nightmare of Chicago. I drop down to El Paso IL and take 24/224 east, but my endpoint is Vermont

The stretch I described from Red Lodge to Buffalo on 212/ALT14/14/16 is IMO some of the best riding in the nation.

Welcome Back, Bruce!

IMHO, never pass up the chance to ride in & around southern Utah! Take the time to visit some National Parks. Start with a visit to the north side of the Grand Canyon...

Hope to see ya sometime at TWO. >> https://twowheelsofsuches.com <<
Some of us AlaBeemers go riding & camping over that way; some excellent riding around Tellico Plains...

Happy Trails whenever U can - Ciao!
HSV-Karen & HSV-Phil
USN-Ret'd —--&-— USAF-Ret’d
'09 650GS-twin —- '14 K-GT
'82 R100CS —-—— '75 R90S
’08 CRF230L —--— ’09 KLX250S
'16 R1200RS —-— ’05 Vespa 200L

Welcome back Bruce! Godspeed on your adventure. Pics of the bike and adventure are welcome.