need input, from everybody! about the US of A

[mattness]

so over the last couple years since i started riding, ive kind of had this fantasy. well its more of a dream but its the same thing. i want to ride all around the US and see everything ive only heard about my whole life. famous roads, towns, buildings, historic areas, the whole deal.

ive made up my mind that im going next summer. rain or shine.

ill be starting in indiana and most likely heading northeast and seeing NY, NY then heading down the east coast to florida, then heading west hopefully to dodge kansas completely cuz that was some boring **** when i went to pick up my gen 1 lol!

im gonna ride through texas and las vegas and death valley and new mexico and cali and hollywood and at least 1 part of route 66 and all that. and then im gonna go to wyoming and see a rodeo and hang out with cowboys and indians and go to colorado and ride in the mountains and see the black hills of the dakotas and im gona hang out with people from the interwebs.

im gonna take a crapload of pictures and most likely make kind of a personal documentary with the pictures and do a commentary over the video. so someday my grandkids can see what america was like before the population really exploded and there was no open land left.

basically im gonna knock over my entire bucket list at once. i plan on this taking more than a month lol.

so i need your help, no matter where you live, tell me something you think i just have to see.

p.s. i already have maps up in my room marking spots i think look cool lol

 

[WIKDMAX]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

Wow, that's my dream ride when I retire. I guess I'll add a couple. Plymouth Rock, Ground Zero although Manhattan can be a bit harried on a bike, Atlantic City, Washington DC, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Clingmans Dome, Brasstown Bald, Cherohala Skyway, Stone Mountain, St. Augustine and in dead center Fl - Solomans Castle. Most of these are an hour or so stop and just off the top of my head on the east coast.

 

[hubeerjw]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

I wish Iowa had more to offer, but it is going to be a lot of the same as Indiania.... what would also be cool is to get a map of people here on the forum that would host you for a night (or maybe ride with you for a leg or two). I wish I could take the time off and do something like this, and maybe I'd be able to ride a while with you. Anyway, if you make it through Iowa, you have a dry place to stay, a warm meal, and a cold beer waiting for you!

Jeff

 

[mattness]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

soloman's castle is totally on the list. just too weird to not at least ride past it. ground zero also.

- hubeerjw - be careful i might just take you up on that! lol

i make minimum wage so my plan is to get a credit card behind my dad's back and take off! only live once.

 

[EvilD]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

You need to see Niagara Falls and have wings at the Anchor bar (Duffs are better, but the Anchor Bar are the original) in Buffalo, the Falls is a 20 minute ride.

 

[mattness]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

You need to see Niagara Falls and have wings at the Anchor bar (Duffs are better, but the Anchor Bar are the original) in Buffalo, the Falls is a 20 minute ride.

i dont plan on getting a passport but i heard niagara falls is better on the canadian side? if im gonna miss out by not border jumping ill go ahead and get one. ya ill stop by the anchor bar while im there. itll probably be day 2 or 3 of my trip

ill eat someplace thats recommended to me but when im out on my own my food budget is gonna be 1 dollar. so itll be granola bars and mcdonalds drinking small waters the whole way heh. ill prolly lose a few pounds but hey, im ballin on a budget

i plan on skipping interstates and sticking to state roads, back roads, no roads, and county roads. i actually want to SEE america and not just ride through it and miss it. im pretty sure im gonna be in for some culture shock on the east coast. i cant even imagine how many people there are.

im going with a couple changes of clothes, rain gear, helmet, gloves, a sleeping bag, and a tire plug kit, and a couple survival tools my gfs mom bought me for christmas haha. oh and my cam and laptop. a couple bottles of water and a week supply of dry food in case i get lost somewhere. im gonna be ill prepared and really make a kick *** adventure out of it. my hotel budget is gonna be $0.00. just gas and food and the occasional laundromat

 

[SpecOps13]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

Florida, No Speakada Englase.. You no coma heer... :confused2:

Daytona Beach can be a trip... The Space Coast, then leave for a better destination.... :rofl_200:

The most memorable things here are Tech Days and Rides...

 

[alorio1]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

If you are going to Florida and then west to Cali. you will be on I 10 west. Stop by New Orleans and Visit Bourbon Street at night......

 

[overzat]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

why ? i wish i was able to ride in iowa or indiana nyc is no good on a bike

 

[The Beekeeper]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

Niagra falls is far better seen from the Canadian side!

 

[gpzTurbo]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

I'm in southern NJ. So when you're leaving NY and headed south lunch is on me. In fact - riding your bike onto the Cape May ferry and taking it across to Lewes, DE is more fun than just crossing the bridge and connecting to I-95 so maybe that's a good idea.
I make a pretty good pitcrew / chase truck too if you have any mechanical issues within a hundred miles of here. I'm sure others can provide similar support too so make a list of tele numbers when you're ready to go.
Save up for the trip- try not to stick it on a credit card, but have one just in case. And get a passport too. And a cel phone. And a toothbrush.

And you have to do that Blueridge Pky just below DC.

 

[dmax1]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

I would like to suggest coming thru Sedona Arizona Area. You can take a very nice ride through the canyon up 89A to Flagstaff. There are so many great rides up this way. Just bring plenty of water. And You would have a place to stay for a night. Route 66 does come up thru the switchbacks to Sedona I think not sure though. If you need any information feel to PM me. I have only seen 1 other Vmax up here since iI moved here. unk:

 

[Fire-medic]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

If you decide to go south of Cape Canaveral, ( a good stop for the space museum, the rocket farm is great!) i think you need to go to Key West on A1A. The road in the Lower Keys w/the Atlantic on your left & the Gulf of Mexico on your right is a great riding experience. Yes, it's straight, yes, it can be hot in the summer, but if you hit it on a good day, the trip will be one you remember for a long time. Sunrise on the Atlantic and sunset on the Gulf side are just about religious experiences, and swimming on some reefs at someplace like John Pennekamp Park where you can rent a mask & fins will seal the deal of making it memorable. Most people who are tourists use the boats which take you out for a half-day of diving, there are plenty of operators who do it, and if you have never been, that's OK too, they have shallow reefs & provide instruction & safety divers with you in the water. Look-up on the internet and find out about how-many places there are in the USA where you can dive on a coral reef. If you do nothing else coming south of Orlando, this is the thing to do.

There are many other things to do in south FL, but since you will be restricted in your budget, if you did the above, you would have a great time at a reasonable cost. Are you planning on using places like KOA?

There is a hostel in Miami Beach you could try & spending time in places like that, passing thru Biscayne Bay on one of the causeways or using the Rickenbacker Causeway out to Key Biscayne is one of the best ways to get a feel for the area and how-influenced it is by being surrounded by water, check a map of Miami to see how the ocean & Biscayne Bay dominate the area. On Virginia Key, an island off the Rickenbacker Causeway, there is a little fishing camp where you can buy some bait & cheap, cold beer, and take-in the ambience. The street is v. rustic & has been used in dozens of movies & TV shows, low-rent but a great place to watch the people come & go. At the public marina on Key Biscayne, you can buy a fish, filleted, from the drift boats when they return to the docks later in the afternoon, and pan-fry it for one of the best meals you will ever enjoy.

If you are from the Midwest, going south in FL is like visiting an exotic location w/o leaving the country. Sure, you can go to someplace like SW 8 St. in Miami and hear Spanish being spoken by the residents, but it's the same language you would hear in someplace like Laredo TX or the AZ or CA border with Mexico, and a lot more fun.

The one thing I recommend is buying the best riding gear you can afford & a heated vest you plug-into your electrical system, and consider a windshield. Try out everything first. Take a shakedown trip, it doesn't have to be far from home, but practice using your equipment, including a tent & cooking gear, something like a MSR stove & Nalgene bottles for cooking gas you get at your local outdoor store. Granola bars as a steady diet will get old quickly, but cooking simple meals for yourself will keep costs down and make sure you are properly fueled to do the distance. Stay hydrated, drink before you are thirsty and you should be drinking a min of 2 quarts of H2O a day. A Camelback is a good way to drink on the road w/o having to stop.

FYI, US 27 starts in downtown Miami and runs into northern MI since you are looking at not-interstate routes. It may not suit your plans out of FL, but it's a charming way to see a more-rural part of the Sunshine State. It takes you thru Sebring, if they have any races as you are passing thru the area, another good place to take in some atmosphere. You can see some crazy stuff going on there when they host the 12 hour sports car race in the spring. One word of caution about that, for that race they do not allow mcys into the infield, a vestige of riots there many years ago, so check online first.

I am sure your trip will generate many suggestions about itinerary, so plan for stuff you might not normally get to do, and I bet your experiences will be varied, rich, and rewarding.

 

[ouchez]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

I think you should take a trip to Michigan, drive up along Lake Mi. side to Cross Village, then tour around the UP and back. That will satisfy you for the year I would bet. For sure a trip you would always remember.

O

 

[mattness]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

I think you should take a trip to Michigan, drive up along Lake Mi. side to Cross Village, then tour around the UP and back. That will satisfy you for the year I would bet. For sure a trip you would always remember.

O

you know i have heard a lot of good things about northern michigan but i'm just too worried its too much like home. I save michigan for the wintertime and rent snowmobiles only one that didnt wreck last yearunk:

gpz- if you have tools and a garage im stopping by! just make sure there's enough room in the corner so i can throw down my sleeping bag. if there's a ferry close by im taking it. that would be a sweet pic

 

[bobzdar]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

Skyline Drive in Northern VA west of D.C. is a must ride. Some of the plantations in Richmond are pretty cool to visit, but I'm betting there are better ones in Savannah.

Buttermilk falls near Ithaca, NY is a cool place to check out and would be on the way from Niagra/Buffalo to NYC. Also, Rockefeller park north of NYC is pretty cool and there's a restaurant right on it - Blue Hill stone farms - that serves food grown/raised in the park (livestock included) which is delicious, but it's expensive. If you're going to be in Manhatten, Earl's diner (on 3rd ave between 34th and 35th) is a cool place to eat and reasonably priced. Also, if you get a chance, try Dinosaur Barbeque in NY, there's one in Rochester, Syracuse and on 125th st. in NYC. They're so good I had them cater my wedding.

If you're into the beach at all, Seaside Heights, NJ and Ocean City, MD are fun places to hang out with good boardwalks.

In Cali, if you go one place, make sure it's Yosemite. San Diego is a cool place that'd be fun to ride around in but I don't know of anything in particular to see there other than the beach. In Los Angeles, make sure you go to the LeBrea tar pits and Peterson Automotive museum (awesome). If you like art at all, the Getty museum is a must see (the big ugly one up in the hills) with Picassos, Rembrandts etc. Santa Barbra is another nice place to just cruise around. Joshua tree park is cool, but I don't know if I'd venture there in the summer, it can get pretty hot.

 

[mattness]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

If you are going to Florida and then west to Cali. you will be on I 10 west. Stop by New Orleans and Visit Bourbon Street at night......

no way im goin to new orleans at night lol, way too many horror stories

- bobz >>>> im totally going to dinosaur bbq. simply because its anme is dinosaur bbq. heh

 

[mattness]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

If you decide to go south of Cape Canaveral, ( a good stop for the space museum, the rocket farm is great!) i think you need to go to Key West on A1A. The road in the Lower Keys w/the Atlantic on your left & the Gulf of Mexico on your right is a great riding experience. Yes, it's straight, yes, it can be hot in the summer, but if you hit it on a good day, the trip will be one you remember for a long time. Sunrise on the Atlantic and sunset on the Gulf side are just about religious experiences, and swimming on some reefs at someplace like John Pennekamp Park where you can rent a mask & fins will seal the deal of making it memorable. Most people who are tourists use the boats which take you out for a half-day of diving, there are plenty of operators who do it, and if you have never been, that's OK too, they have shallow reefs & provide instruction & safety divers with you in the water. Look-up on the internet and find out about how-many places there are in the USA where you can dive on a coral reef. If you do nothing else coming south of Orlando, this is the thing to do.

There are many other things to do in south FL, but since you will be restricted in your budget, if you did the above, you would have a great time at a reasonable cost. Are you planning on using places like KOA?

There is a hostel in Miami Beach you could try & spending time in places like that, passing thru Biscayne Bay on one of the causeways or using the Rickenbacker Causeway out to Key Biscayne is one of the best ways to get a feel for the area and how-influenced it is by being surrounded by water, check a map of Miami to see how the ocean & Biscayne Bay dominate the area. On Virginia Key, an island off the Rickenbacker Causeway, there is a little fishing camp where you can buy some bait & cheap, cold beer, and take-in the ambience. The street is v. rustic & has been used in dozens of movies & TV shows, low-rent but a great place to watch the people come & go. At the public marina on Key Biscayne, you can buy a fish, filleted, from the drift boats when they return to the docks later in the afternoon, and pan-fry it for one of the best meals you will ever enjoy.

If you are from the Midwest, going south in FL is like visiting an exotic location w/o leaving the country. Sure, you can go to someplace like SW 8 St. in Miami and hear Spanish being spoken by the residents, but it's the same language you would hear in someplace like Laredo TX or the AZ or CA border with Mexico, and a lot more fun.

The one thing I recommend is buying the best riding gear you can afford & a heated vest you plug-into your electrical system, and consider a windshield. Try out everything first. Take a shakedown trip, it doesn't have to be far from home, but practice using your equipment, including a tent & cooking gear, something like a MSR stove & Nalgene bottles for cooking gas you get at your local outdoor store. Granola bars as a steady diet will get old quickly, but cooking simple meals for yourself will keep costs down and make sure you are properly fueled to do the distance. Stay hydrated, drink before you are thirsty and you should be drinking a min of 2 quarts of H2O a day. A Camelback is a good way to drink on the road w/o having to stop.

FYI, US 27 starts in downtown Miami and runs into northern MI since you are looking at not-interstate routes. It may not suit your plans out of FL, but it's a charming way to see a more-rural part of the Sunshine State. It takes you thru Sebring, if they have any races as you are passing thru the area, another good place to take in some atmosphere. You can see some crazy stuff going on there when they host the 12 hour sports car race in the spring. One word of caution about that, for that race they do not allow mcys into the infield, a vestige of riots there many years ago, so check online first.

I am sure your trip will generate many suggestions about itinerary, so plan for stuff you might not normally get to do, and I bet your experiences will be varied, rich, and rewarding.

about the only thing i wanna do on the beach in florida is snap a picture, take a piss, put some sand in an envelope with a postcard and mail it home lol:eusa_dance:and when i get home ill glue it into the scrapbook. like a boss. i would stay and hang out in florida, but with time ticking away id be too anxious to head out west

 

[06VMAXIMUS]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

Why?....New Orleans rocks! Just gotta be smart about what you do and where you go, that's all. Northern Ohio has the islands, wineries, Cedar point(roller coasters), and all kinds of cool stuff to do. BTW....How'd you afford a gen 2 on min. wage?

 

[mattness]

Re: need input, from evrybody! about the US of A

why ? i wish i was able to ride in iowa or indiana nyc is no good on a bike

i know it but ive lived here my whole life and im desensitized to it. i've never been to NY so i wanna go. :confused2: if it sucks, it sucks. i most likely wont like it. but im gonna give every place an equal chance.

i prefer small town people anyways, you cant treat random people like ****. theres only 1 mortician, the same guy makes your pizza every friday night, you see the same people at church, at the store, etc etc. if youre mean the whole town will know it. in a populated area finding good people is hit and miss