Advice wanted on West Coast to East riding route

Just bought a VFR and I'll be doing a trip from Virginia to California in May, and I could really use some advice and ideas on the return route back to Virginia. I'm planning on picking up old RT 66 in Tulsa, and riding that out to San Diego. For my return trip home, I'd like to take a different route and that's where I could use some advice. I considered taking rt 10/interstate 90 and following that along the texas/mexico border and eventually making my way into New Orleans, but I have heard this is a boring and sometimes dangerous route. Do you guys have any better suggestions for a return route that will take me through new orleans? Thanks for the help!

 

San Diego to L.A. to S.F. in a day, a very long day, two days if you use Hiway 1, the coast, which I recommend, plus a stop at Hooters of'course. From SF take 80 to Sacramento, 1 hour+. From Sac. take 50 to South Lake Tahoe 2hours+. (get roadside pictures) From SL Tahoe go to Reno (big twisty Mt. climb an drop), awesome town to visit walk down to the river free live music every weekend an thousands go, but keep going cross high desert Nevada into Salt lake City Utah, 1 day, from there you have a choice...Denver or Grand Tetons Wyoming and eventually into Chicago.

I also just got a 2002 VFR, 1000 miles in 3 weeks so far, its good to go now to make it all the way to my sisters in Georgia, visiting mom in Reno and G-pa in Kentucky. I look over routes every day lately, factor fuel and a timely yet enjoyable pace. Starting from 45 minutes north of SF. Bonzai

Careful passing Juarez via Tx, need a bullet proof helmet.

Good luck, ride safe, all that stuff.

 

I would highly suggest a route that will eventually bring you past the Barber Motorsports museum in Birmingham, Alabama. From there you have many many great choices of roads through Tennessee, North GA, Western Carolina, Blue Ridge Parkway, etc. In case you don't know about Barber Museum it is the mecca of all motorcycle museums and highly worth the trip from anywhere in the U.S. in my opinion. I've been 4 times and I never get sick of it.

Rollin

 

Thanks for all the replys! I was wondering if my route would take me a little to close to the mexican border, and my route went right through juarez - bad idea I suppose. I don't think that I will be heading north of San Diego though. If anyone else has suggestions, please feel free to post more ideas!

 

When are you making the return trip and how much time do you have for it?

 

Hi Mapmaster, I have a total of 24 days to make the trip in, So I'm planning to do the return trip about day 12 or 14. I would like to spend a couple of nights in New Orleans which is why I'm turning around a little early

 

Two weeks for a run across the south, there are worse fates. Make sure you have good rubber.
The route I'm most familiar with for approaching San Diego is from the west at 300 ft below sea level, so talk with the locals for the best options of leaving there on an eastbound bearing.
S22 through Borrego Springs looks promising. I haven't seen the Salton Sea (yet), if you go that way check out the National Wildlife Refuge there and report back.

Take 86 north from there or do 371/74 out of SD and you'd be set up for a run through Joshua Tree NP which I highly recommend. From there 62 E to AZ keeps you off the slab. Alternatively, drop south on CA 177 or exit Joshua Tree to the south and take I-10 to AZ.

AZ 72, I-10 and AZ 85 will get you south of Phoenix (no need to go there) and leave you set for the following options:
Say on 85 south of I-8 then take AZ 86 E to Kit Peak Nat'l Observatory. The run up to the top of that mountain is definitely an E-ticket ride (and will likely be a welcome break from the heat.
Back on 86 towards Tuscon, go through the western part of the Saguaro NP - especially beautiful at sunset.
South of Tuscon in Green Valley is a Titan Missile museum - an impressive exhibit of Cold War MAD hardware.
Southern AZ has lots of interesting places to check out (I found Tombstone to be too touristy, Chiricahua Nat'l Mnmt was good and Bisbee is supposed to be a pretty place) but from a twisty road perspective, here's the best way to wear out a set of tires:
From Tuscon, take AZ 77 north, then AZ 77/US 60 through the Salt River Canyon to Show Low (once you calm down and stop yelling exuberantly in your helmet, don't worry - it gets better).
260 or 60 to Springerville and US 191 south to Alpine sets you up for a run down the Corronado Trail (191). Make sure you gas up in Springerville or Alpine.

If time is an issue, you could slab from Tuscon to 191 and take that road north, or just turn around and go back over the 100 miles of boring mountain madness to Alpine and enter NM on US 180. (I love the BRP, but if I had a choice between the two, I'd pick the Coronado every time - good thing they're about 2000 miles apart)

If entering NM from Alpine, work your way over to US 60 and check out the Very Large Array - radio astronomy never looked so cool. From there head east on 60 and then US 380 to Carrizozo and south on US 54 to Alamgordo. US 82 southwest to White Sands Nat'l Mnmt is a must. Make sure you have a kickstand plate with a long cord attached so you can deploy and retrieve it while still on the bike if you go there. The White Sands Missile Range Museum south of there is a good stop too. The outdoor displays will provide enlightenment into the UFO craze.

Check out this post for other NM enchantments.
http://vfrworld.com/forums/trips-events/37588-planning-long-trip.html#post348082

Nothing wrong with going through El Paso, but I wouldn't venture away from the hwy around there.

A zig-zag route across Texas:
US 180 E from El Paso to Guadalupe Mtn NP - you could spur north from there to check out Carlsbad Caverns - the bats should be there at that time of year and their evening exit from the cave mouth is reportedly spectacular (my visit there was too early).

Digression - I've made 5 sorta round trips from Cali to PA. I'm in no danger of running out of new places to see, and I've repeated visits to some of the most favorable spots. Some bits are really out of the way to get to and the opportunity for a first time or repeat visit to them are likely to be rare. Bear that in mind in regard to the following about Big Bend NP. It's a beautiful place and even though it will be hot there in May, the main campground is at higher elevation and should be pleasant. But you really 'gotta wanna' to go there cause it's a long way away from anything else. February was a great time to be there, so if you think future travels will put you in the relative vicinity you can defer that on this trip. If you're not sure about that - I'd go there now and shape your other choices with that in mind.

TX 54 south from Guadalupe Mtn NP to TX 90 will get you headed in the right direction. A loop around to the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mtns is highly recommended. US 67 south to Presidio and the River Road to the park is the best approach. River Rd (170) will be rough in a few spots, but nothing the VFR can't handle - ask about road conditions before you head that way, just to be sure - a washout had it closed for a bit before I got there in 09.

After that a long blast east on US 90 (again, watch your gas - sustained running at elevated speeds has a tendency to make your tank shrink) will get you to Texas Hill Country, which is good fun though it will suffer in comparison to most of what I'm suggesting here.

Your on your own from there. Nawlins - meh, btdt.
+1 on the Barber Museum recommendation.

Have fun and keep me posted on your choices.

Greg