My 2010 motorcycle vacation is taking shape. This year I plan to follow this route, starting in Salt Lake City, counter-clockwise. Stopover locations are shown as blue pins:
This year’s trip will be very different from last year’s route, when I headed out across the prairies of the Midwest. I plan to cut through the arid central regions of Oregon, through the forests of western Oregon, and all the way to the Pacific shore. Once on the coast, I’ll head south into California. No proper Pacific coast trip can avoid San Francisco, so I’ll cross the Golden Gate Bridge and make my way through the city. I’ll also ride through Greenfield, CA in the Salinas Valley where I lived for a few months in 2001. After that I’ll cross the California central valley and then the Sierras near Yosemite on a winding mountain road. The following day I’ll travel on US Hwy 6 through central Nevada, which is an extremely isolated road traversing the great basin desert. I’ll bring extra gas! Then after a night in Delta, UT I’ll return home to Salt Lake City.
Last year I did everything I could to avoid cities and I’ll try to do that again, with some exceptions. Boise can’t easily be avoided, and neither can San Francisco. The California coast has many smaller cities and I’m going to ride through those as well. The vast majority of the route will avoid interstates and cities, and the last leg of the ride will naturally avoid humanity altogether.
This will be a solo ride. Well, that is unless I can find any volunteers to come along! Anyone is invited. All that is required is a motorcycle and the nerves and insanity to make the trip. The route will be about 2,500 miles over six days of travel, starting Sunday, July 18th.
I’ll make updates and post a finalized itinerary before leaving. During the trip I’ll make daily updates and post pictures. Stay tuned!