L.A. to Mount Rushmore to Vancouver back to L.A.

My wife and I are are both 28 and in a year or two we want to start having kids. Before that time comes we are going to take one grand trip around the country on a motorcycle. Last week we bought a 2000 R1100RT. It is in great shape and I just rolled it over to 57,000 miles. From 2006-2010 I was a tech at a BMW motorcycle dealer, so I am very familiar with this bike.

We have the bike and we know basically where we want to go, but there are still a few things that need to get filled in.

1. What time of year should we go?
2. What should we take with us?
3. Most of all is where to go and what to see?

Our trip will start from our home just north of Los Angeles. From there we will head east to Mount Rushmore. We already know that we want to spend some time at the Grand Canyon, but where? I guess the thing is pretty big. In between the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore I'm not really sure what to see or what route would be best to take. We were thinking of taking some of Route 66. After Mount Rushmore we are going to head to Vancouver. Besides stopping for a few days in Yellowstone again not sure the route to take or sights to see. And then there is from Vancouver back home.

We want to fill our trip with as many museums, breweries, twisty roads, state and national parts as possible. We plan on taking 3 weeks. So please help us fill in our trip with as many of your favorite stops and roads as possible. Also any tips on when to go and what to take would be appreciated.

Did you get the info you were looking for? (by P.M. maybe?)

Don't want to sound mean, but you can search this section of the forum and find many of the answers to your questions; a lot is available. Or shall we encourage folks to chime in...

Can't answer all of your questions. But can offer some thoughts.
1. Traveling to Mt Rushmore through the SW via Grand Canyon and Colorado, etc. during July is monsoon season. If you visit a climate site about the Rocky Mt states you will see that their greatest rainfall is during July. Lots of thunderstorms. Once when traveling in the Mt Rushmore area we saw from a restaurant, nickel sized hail. Glad we pulled over when we saw the sky was almost black. Be very careful about thinking you can travel through a thunderstorm.
2. While Mt Rushmore is beautiful it was for me a "Wow! Ok seen that what's next?" event. The area around Mt Rushmore is heavily commercialized. Out of the way national parks and monuments such as Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado) or Natural Bridges (Utah) were incredibly beautiful. The popular parks & monuments are beautiful too but you will have to contend with masses of people and traffic.
3. When you go to visit your craft breweries - do it at the end of the day and no more riding. Especially in Colorado where the altitude, the grand scenery, lots of other drivers and alcohol don't mix. Or pick up a growler and take it back to camp and enjoy it there.
4. Camp! There are so many incredible places to camp. While motels, hotels and lodges are beautiful and comfortable for me nothing is so satisfying as a camp with incredible scenery. ReserveAmerica will let you reserve campsites so you can arrive at your leisure and not worry about not finding a spot.
5. Buy a National Park Pass. For $50 you will be able to enter all National Parks and National Monuments you care to visit. It's a deal.
6. Try to ride State Routes (especially those with triple digits) and county roads or US highways versus the Interstates. Interstates (the superslab) is so boring. Don't be afraid to go on USFS roads. One of my most memorable overnights was to Burgdorf Hotsprings outside of McCall, ID. Wow! What a nice place.
7. Buy quality motorcycle gear. Gear that will keep you warm, dry, cool, and comfortable. Sure it might cost a lot but it's worth every penny. Good gear is also well armored that will protect you in case of any misfortune.
8. Places I'd recommend to visit: (not in priority order)
a. Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Great scenery. Low traffic. Good twisties nearby.
b. CO 14 from Walden to Fort Collins.
c. Independence Pass, Colorado - approach from east. Going to Aspen from west is boring.
d. Beartooth Pass & NE entrance to Yellowstone National Park
e. Custer State Park, especially the Wildlife Road
f. ID 75, ID 21, and ID 55. Good twisties and scenic. Stop at Burgdorf Hot Springs out of McCall, ID!
g. St. Joe River Road - St. Maries, ID to St. Regis, MT
h. West side of Lake Koocanusa, MT then FS road to Yaak, MT - remote and scenic.
i. WA 20 thru North Cascades to Newport, WA
j. UT 12, UT 143 - Cedar Breaks to Torrey, UT
k. Columbia Gorge - WA 14 and Scenic Columbia Gorge Highway
l. OR 245 and Hells Canyon area and OR 3 to Clarkston, WA.
There are so many more... just a few that I can think of.

Enjoy your trip and have fun.