2024 MOA RALLY , redmond, OR. - Routing from MASS.

[chachi1008]

Happy, healthy & prosperous New Year!!!!

I'm looking to go to Redmond, OR., from Cambridge MA.,
What's the best route?.
Thanks for your replies!

 

[MADDOG]

hi !
Have gone west many times over 50 years from NE CT.. here are my thoughts;
First you have to get out of this overpopulated mess that we live in. Take I-90 all the way to Gary Indiana. Then drop south on I-65 to avoid the worst of Chicago. The head west on SR 24. Then pick up I-74West at Peoria. After that it's your choice based on your time allotment. Many state roads are parallel to interstates , so you can make good time without the semis and RVs looking to kill you. If you go Northward you will be rewarded with beautiful views of mountain ranges as they come into view. If you stay westerly, get yourself a good atlas that shows all the scenic roads. Have done it both/all ways. Just remember that up "top" not all towns have gas stations. Learned that the hard way. Love all the SRs in Oregon and Idaho. Steer CLEAR of Yellowstone at that time of year ! I know an atlas seems archaic , but a GPS cannot show you the bigger picture. We did a 13,000 mile to alaska and back, and my advice to you is take small bites and plan the next day, depending on all pertinent factors. Meander about if you have the time.
Look me up when you get in. Im working receiving this year, and will be wandering around in my trademark engineer hat

Bon voyage
MAD DOG

 

[Visian]

Check out the reverse of this route

Happy, healthy & prosperous New Year!!!!

I'm looking to go to Redmond, OR., from Cambridge MA.,
What's the best route?.
Thanks for your replies!

Written a long time ago for my good friend the Kiltmeister, when our rally was in Trenton, Ontario in 2002. Well, actually, other members wrote these articles, I edited them and posted on our rally web site.

Through the Soo and The North Shore of Lake Superior..

In brief:

1) go into Canada
2) Take the ferry from the Tobermory Peninsula
3) At the Soo Locks go either north across the top of Lake Superior, or…
4) Across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

From there, I’d ride across North Dakota (Medora is a good stopping place), US12 west of Lolo, MT and through the US highways of northern Oregon. Baker, Oregon is another good stopping place. Sorry for small and/or missing pics, this work was done before the days of widely accessible broadband Internet access.

Look for names like The Rattlesnake and the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway.

This is not your usual ride…

Ian

 

[Paul_F]

Written a long time ago for my good friend the Kiltmeister.

Through the Soo and The North Shore of Lake Superior..

In brief:

1) go into Canada
2) Take the ferry from the Tobermory Peninsula
3) At the Soo Locks go either north across the top of Lake Superior[/URL].

This is not your usual ride…

Ian

Miss the Keiltmeister.

When the Rally was first announced, this was my immediate plan, taking this route north of Superior as the first leg of the trip. Done the ferry a couple of times but not always and not this year. Taking the ferry cuts off the trip through the Sudbury (Big Nickel) area of the Canadian Shield.Although I’ve ridden and driven this route many times, the scenery never bores me (at least until I arrive at Thunder Bay.)

 

[chachi1008]

hi !
Have gone west many times over 50 years from NE CT.. here are my thoughts;
First you have to get out of this overpopulated mess that we live in. Take I-90 all the way to Gary Indiana. Then drop south on I-65 to avoid the worst of Chicago. The head west on SR 24. Then pick up I-74West at Peoria. After that it's your choice based on your time allotment. Many state roads are parallel to interstates , so you can make good time without the semis and RVs looking to kill you. If you go Northward you will be rewarded with beautiful views of mountain ranges as they come into view. If you stay westerly, get yourself a good atlas that shows all the scenic roads. Have done it both/all ways. Just remember that up "top" not all towns have gas stations. Learned that the hard way. Love all the SRs in Oregon and Idaho. Steer CLEAR of Yellowstone at that time of year ! I know an atlas seems archaic , but a GPS cannot show you the bigger picture. We did a 13,000 mile to alaska and back, and my advice to you is take small bites and plan the next day, depending on all pertinent factors. Meander about if you have the time.
Look me up when you get in. Im working receiving this year, and will be wandering around in my trademark engineer hat

Bon voyage
MAD DOG

Thanks for the tips, good idea to go Gary, and then South, probably i'll take the northward route.
I'll look you up!

 

[MADDOG]

north route

I have also gone the north route over the Ste Saint Marie to the upper peninsula of michigan. Wonderful ride. If you find yourself in Paradise Michigan, ask for directions to one of the smallest museums ever. An abandoned USCG station with a diorama of shipwrecks on lake michigan including the Edmund Fitzgerald. All to scale and including how divers cut off the bell, inscribed the names of all crew members and reattached it. Very moving movie. And a very impressive museum. Also a motel 5 miles away.MAD DOG

 

[lee]

An abandoned USCG station with a diorama of shipwrecks on lake michigan including the Edmund Fitzgerald. All to scale and including how divers cut off the bell, inscribed the names of all crew members and reattached it.

The bell from the ship is in the museum and a replica with the names of the crew was placed back on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
We've been to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum 2 times and will probably go back . https://shipwreckmuseum.com/
You used to be able to rent a room in the old USCG station but when I checked last year that's no longer available but you can go inside the building.









SW from the museum at Whitefish Point is Tahquamenon Falls.
Here's the Upper Falls.




SE of Paradise is Point Iroquois Light.

 

[20774]

Adding to the title for clarity.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

Adding to the title for clarity.

OP is "running" a similarly titled thread in their Regional Northeast "The Club" section...
consider combining the two, one place or the other to avoid confusion (?)

 

[20774]

Thanks, John. Hadn't noticed the connection. The NE regional was some time ago. Will keep an eye on things!

 

[flyhi2cfar]

"Will keep an eye on things"!

... We sure don't want to lose these fantastic photo's from Lee or the quality reccomendations from Ian and the Dog not nearly-as-mad!

 

[MADDOG]

bell

Lee is correct. I had forgotten that.

MAD DOG

 

[gsinnc]

Asking a question like the OP did is kind of like asking "I want to buy a motorcycle what should I buy?" Mass to Redmond is a 2500+ mile trip across the US and good lord there is so much to see and so many options. I have crossed the US 3 times on a bike and probably another half dozen times in a car and still have only seen a fraction of what is possible.

So here is my suggestion 1) decide how much time you have for the trip 2) look at a tool like Google Maps and figure out what parts of the country you want to see 3) research the better roads to ride and explore in the parts you will be crossing and 4) research POIs based on your own personal interests be it car and car museums, presidential stuff, historic sites, factory tours, unique places like the works largest ball of twine, national parks and NP sites, etc. THEN connect the dots and get your route set. You can make reservations ahead or as you go. Google Maps is a great tool for trip planning.

Good luck and remember .... the planning is half the fun!

 

[IronBa]

Best route is one that offers as many scenic fun roads that your schedule will allow.

This is a good start to find those roads => https://www.greatmotorcycleroads.com/

See ya in Redmond!

 

[captain_hobo]

Let's see if this works. With the exception of last little bit on US-97 just north of Redmond, this is a favorite of mine.

https://goo.gl/maps/stZ1AXfJ5bib5ids7

 

[captain_hobo]

Stanley, Id


Halfway, Or

 

[glenfiddich]

I’m taking a more southerly route this time, but my fave US crossing to the Salem OR rally from Vermont took me to northern Pennsylvania where I followed US6 to Warren PA then 62 thru the gorgeous Alleghenies to the town of Mercer PA. I-80 and 76 west just far enough to get past the big cities in Ohio, picked up US24 near Mansfield OH and passed thru delightful small towns to Watseka IL From there I followed the Kankakee River NW picking up US18 near Madison. I stayed on 18/to the Badlands, enjoying a string of small towns with independent diners and hotels not yet gobbled up by chains, small parks where I could camp for free, families often inviting me to join them at their picnic

Badlands was a gem as was the Black Hills, Devils Tower, US14 &16 in the Big horns, and Beartooth Pass into Montana. Not a fan of interstates I went a few dozen miles north to US12 and followed it over Lolo Pass. I continued on US12 to the incredible Mount Rainier, then Mount St Helen’s Spirit Lake, crossed the mighty Columbia to check out Mt Hood, then meandered south thru the Cascades to the rally

Met some incredible people and - since I was traveling solo - they had no problem striking up a conversation and often offering to share what food or drink they had.

Don’t be a slave to mileage. Linger in places that appeal to you, be flexible to change direction in the face of nasty weather, listen to local suggestions. Have a blast!

 

[gsinnc]

I’m taking a more southerly route this time, but my fave US crossing to the Salem OR rally from Vermont took me to northern Pennsylvania where I followed US6 to Warren PA then 62 thru the gorgeous Alleghenies to the town of Mercer PA. I-80 and 76 west just far enough to get past the big cities in Ohio, picked up US24 near Mansfield OH and passed thru delightful small towns to Watseka IL From there I followed the Kankakee River NW picking up US18 near Madison. I stayed on 18/to the Badlands, enjoying a string of small towns with independent diners and hotels not yet gobbled up by chains, small parks where I could camp for free, families often inviting me to join them at their picnic

Badlands was a gem as was the Black Hills, Devils Tower, US14 &16 in the Big horns, and Beartooth Pass into Montana. Not a fan of interstates I went a few dozen miles north to US12 and followed it over Lolo Pass. I continued on US12 to the incredible Mount Rainier, then Mount St Helen’s Spirit Lake, crossed the mighty Columbia to check out Mt Hood, then meandered south thru the Cascades to the rally

Met some incredible people and - since I was traveling solo - they had no problem striking up a conversation and often offering to share what food or drink they had.

Don’t be a slave to mileage. Linger in places that appeal to you, be flexible to change direction in the face of nasty weather, listen to local suggestions. Have a blast!

Thanks for that Post Pete! I will be heading west from NY State (either Lake George or Rochester depending on where I hook up with my buddy) your route suggestion will give me a good start for heading out and will take a southerly route back home.