My Motorcycle Travel Dreams
disclaimer
We have lots of dreams for motorcycle travel, more than I could ever
do. As I've now achieved AARP status, I am even more aware of the
limits of time and human biology. But I want to squeeze in as many
as possible before I have to switch to a camper van.
I've listed my motorcycle dreams here because - well, otherwise, I
sometimes forget great ideas for motorcycle travel.
My motorcycle travel dreams for
while we still live in the USA:
- Ecuador.
- Peru.
- Chilé.
- Mainland Mexico, West Coast. In March 2020, just before
the novel coronavirus became a global pandemic that shut down
borders, we did an amazing tour of Baja, California (Mexico). It
was amazing. The memories of that trip got us through the
pandemic. We think we might be able to manage a trip in 2023,
along the West Coast of Mexico, to Culiacán or maybe even to
Mazatlán. I have been making a list of towns that have been
designated as Pueblo Magico - those that we saw in Baja
were, absolutely, magical. Whether or not we do this motorcycle
trip depends on the crime situation in the country and the
pandemic, of course.
- Colorado. Our issue: it will take two days of hard
riding to get there and two days of hard riding to get back.
That's four days of fast, boring, long interstate driving - and
my husband doesn't get much vacation (this being the USA and
all).
- Oregon. Routes west of the Dalles, in Oregon, mapped by
SoundRider. We won't be going to any rallies, but we will be
enjoying the routes we learned about from attending
the 2012 event. We think this would be just a few days,
but worth it.
- Coast Cariboo in British Columbia, a 7-10 day trip,
around 1140 miles (1835 km), half of which is on the coast.
Start in Victoria (which I believe we have to reach via ferry),
stop in Duncan to see First Nations carvings and other culture,
and go North all the way across Vancouver Island to Port Hardy,
then take a ferry to Bella Coola, and drive the "Freedom
Highway" to Williams Lake. Although, I must admit, I'm quite
scared of this, because the drive includes a steep,
switch-backed section, locally known as "The Hill", that the
British Columbia tourist office calls "exhilarating." It rises
5,000 feet/1,524 metres above sea level. This road is mostly
paved, but there is also a well-maintained gravel section,
suitable for all vehicles. I'd like to stretch the trip to two
weeks and stop in little towns, ride horses at a guest ranch,
and do lots of tours of places, like Telegraph Cove and
Aboriginal sites.
- Saskatchewan (two weeks). We're not much for just
ticking off boxes, but it would be interesting to go to one more
Canadian province - I've been to four, and would love to add a
fifth. I have been mapping various routes that dip into the
province from Alberta. We would probably go to Jasper and Banff
again - this time, to do more than just drive through.
- A real Alaska trip (four weeks), including Anchorage,
Denali and Fairbanks - excluding anything North of Fairbanks
because I don't really care to do it on a motorcycle.
- Dinosaur parks in Utah and Colorado. This would have to
be 21 days, because of how long it would take just to get there.
- Kentucky. I know this trip is very unlikely, because
I'd eat up any vacation time just freakin' getting there from
Oregon, but it's a dream of mine. I want to ride over the Green
River bridge in Spottsville. I want to ride over the twin
bridges from Henderson to Evansville and back again. I want to
ride some of the beautiful roads in the interior of my tribal
homeland.
- South American Dream Trip: Instead of doing the
countries separately, as I've noted earlier, I'd really like to
fly into Buenos Aires, ride up to Uruguay for a week,
then down through Argentina, to the Southern tip of the
continent, then slowly up through Chile and Argentina, maybe a
bit of Bolivia, up to Peru, and either from there back to the
USA or go on to Ecuador and Columbia and then back to the USA.
It's a six month trip. And it's the longest of shots, because:
I'm getting older and I'm not sure I can physically do it, I
won't go away from our dog for six months, money, and the
legendarily horrible winds of Argentina. I HATE WIND. But Season
2 of Itchy Boots and season 3 of the Charlie & Ewan
show, Long Way Up,
have stars in my eyes...
- New Zealand and Australia (two months). Why
not? Same reasons as South America.
Once we move back to Europe, we would like to redo trips there. I'd
like to redo all of the trips we've done in Northern England & Scotland, Northern France, Germany and Eastern Europe when I was
on the back of Stefan's bike - but this time, on a bike of my own!
And we'd like to do:
- Spain, Morocco and Portugal (each
separately, two-three weeks each)
- Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi,
Tanzania (1 - 2 months)
A lot of dreams, I know. More than I can do in the next 20
years, I know. But if you don't make a plan to travel - if you
don't approach it as something you really are going to do, if you,
instead, wait for the time and money for it to happen somehow, it
will never happen.
What about a round-the-world (RTW) trip? I cannot be away from my
pets for an entire year. I just can't.
What about a round-the-USA trip? Only if we win the lottery and can
hire someone to drive all our camping gear and our doggy in a car,
following behind us.
What we've already done:
- North American Road & Camping Trips
- Guatemala, January 2024.
More than 1000 kilometers on rented bikes, seeing Antigua,
Lake Atitlan (Panajachel, San Pedro de Lago, San Juan de
Lago), Q'Umarkaj (Mayan ruins), Santa Cruz del Quiche, Zaculeu
(Mayan ruins), Lanquin, Nebaj and Coban and Semuc Champey,
Pachalum, Mixco Viejo San Martin Jilotepeque (Mayan ruins) and
the Pacific Coast village of Monterrico.
- Vancouver Island & parts of
British Columbia & Washington State 2500 miles
/ 4000 kilometers and our third motorcycle adventure focused
on Canada, camping almost the entire time. Another fantastic
trip oh-so-near our home. September 2023.
- Belize
(& a wee bit of Guatemala). About 1000 kilometers (600
miles) in Belize by motorcycle (& a visit to Tikal in
Guatemala sans bikes). February 2023. Riding the infamous dirt
road to the ancient Mayan site of Caracol, also visiting
Xunantunich and Cahal Pec, popping over to Tikal (in
Guatemala) sans bikes, snorkeling, zip lining, and enjoying
the diverse landscapes, cultures and food of, mostly, Belize.
- Visiting historic towns
& eating biscuits & gravy: September 2022.
16 days & almost 3000 miles / 4828 kilometers in
Washington state, Idaho, Montana & Oregon. An amazing,
beautiful country that was far better than we ever dreamed so
close to home!
- Baja, California (Mexico).
March 2020. 19 days, 3,706 miles/5964 km. March 2020. Missing
the madness of COVID19 (& then driving right back into
it). It was amazing. It was glorious. I long for it every
day.!
- Motorcycle Tour of
Northern California & Southwestern Oregon:
2019. 1 days, 10 nights, 2095 miles, September 2019.
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, McArthur Burney Falls
State Park, Salmon River Road between Somes Bar and
Cecilville, California, Shasta-Trinity National Forest,
California state road 36, Empire Mine State Historic Park and
Grass Valley, Downieville, Modoc National Forest, Bear Camp
Coastal Route in Josephine County, Oregon & my first water
crossing!
- Oregon Volcanic Rock
Huggers Motorcycle Ride: 4 days, 3 nights, 580
miles, July 2019. Deschutes National Forest, Newberry National
Volcanic Monument, Big Obsidion Flow, McKay Butte Fire, Fort
Rock
- In 2018, we went around
Steens Mountain, and toured Great Basin National Park and
Rachel, Nevada, and more. We spent 13 days, going over
2657 miles / 4276 kilometers, mostly in Nevada. It was a
terrific, but incredibly hot and smokey, trip. Nevada is an
incredibly under-rated area for motorcycle riding.
- In 2017, we traveled
for 10 days in Washington State on a Smokey Motorcycle
Adventure in August. I was ridiculously hot but still a
terrific trip. 2382 km / 1489 miles. I'd like to do it again
when it's not so hot.
- In 2016, we went to the
exotic land of Idaho for two weeks. 4280 km / 2675
miles. Included at least 120 miles of gravel. Hells Canyon,
Silver City, Idaho, Bruneau Dunes State Park, City of Rocks
National Reserve, Sawtooth Scenic Byway, Salmon River Scenic
Byway, Custer, Idaho, Ft. Missoula, Montana, historic Wallace,
Idaho, Lake Coeur d'Alene, White Pine Scenic Byway, Hell's
Canyon Overlook, Oregon, Joseph, Painted Hills, and Little
Crater Lake in Mt. Hood National Forest. It has been one of
our favorite trips to date - nothing in North America has been
more beautiful and interesting as this trip, and we had plenty
of time for sight-seeing (not just from the saddle of a
motorcycle).
- In 2015, our motorcycle trips
included two weeks mostly in British Columbia, but
including Hydar, Alaska (Stewart-Cassiar Highway and the
Alaska Highway). We went all the way up to the Yukon and back,
5954 km / 3700 miles. Lots of bears, which was awesome. But
only one day of sight-seeing - most every day was ride, ride,
ride. The wind almost ruined the trip at the end.
- For our Motorcycle Travel &
Rally Activities for 2014, we spent two weeks, 4766 km /
2979 miles, and went to Moab, Arches National Park,
Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Goblin
Valley, Farewell Bend Oregon State Park, Cleveland-Lloyd
Dinosaur Quarry, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, and Camping
in a cow pasture in the deserts of Nevada. And I had my first
motorcycle wreck!
- Our Motorcycle Travel & Rally
Activities in 2012, including camping in Antelope amid
the ghosts of the Rajneesh colony, seeing the Alvord Desert
for the first time, and a big Motorcycle
Journey in Northern California, Nevada & Southeastern
Oregon - 3914 km / 2446 miles.
- In 2011, we went to Yellowstone,
Western Montana, Wyoming & more , in June 2011. 15
days, 4091 km / 2557 miles. The trip ended at the legendary Burning
Moto Man 2011, in Westfir, Oregon. We also spent
one week in Washington state, September 2011 to
celebrate my husband's 40th birthday, visiting Mt. Rainier,
Mt. St. Helens, Ape Cave, ice cave and lava tubes, Gifford
Pinchot National Forest and a bit of Mt. Hood.
- Our Motorcycle Travel & Rally
Activities in 2010, my first long-distance motorcycle
trips! Actually, we took two! One to
the "Lost Coast" of California, and another to Canada (Alberta and
British Columbia, Jasper, Banff & Kootenay National Parks)
and Glacier National Park.
Before I started riding my own bike, and before we moved to the
USA, I went on a few trips on the back of my soon-to-be
husband's bike.
- 2008 Motorcycle Travel
(pillion): Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria,
Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia,
Montenegro, Slovenia
- 2007 Motorcycle Travel (pillion):
Northern France
- 2006 Motorcycle Travel
(pillion): Scotland
- 2005 Motorcycle Travel (pillion):
Bruges, Belgium
- 2004 Motorcycle Travel (pillion):
Norway & Sweden (my first motorcycle trip)
Also see these resources (all by me):
Photos
of me traveling by motorcycle
Where I've
been, with and without a motorcycle.
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