Where to go? Mr. & Mrs. ChinaV do the USA

Howdy,

The Missus and I are headed to America for a little tour. We arrive in San Francisco and then have 4 weeks to make our way to Wisconsin. After Wisconsin, we have two weeks to make it to New Hampshire. We intend to visit quite a few National parks and do a lot of camping. It's been 20 years since my last crossing of the USA, what places do you think are "must see" for my Chinese wife, and where would you go?

Here is our chariot, 2004 Kawasaki Concours. Bought it used last month and have never seen it, she's sitting in California waiting our arrival. This is a gentle sport touring trip, not my usual "China adventure ride", so let me know if there are any favorite stretches of asphalt you think we should hit.

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/summer/zg0001.jpg

Will probably be hooking up with CrazyCarl at some point and would look forward to a cold beer with any other members hanging out in the states.

Cheers
Mr. & Mrs. ChinaV

All motorcycle stores and buy as much gear as you can fit in your bags to take home.Hopefully they will revalue the rmb before you go.:thumbsup:

MTB gear and ski gear is also on my list.

USA the shopping mecca.

No suggestions for you, wrong bit of the planet, but want to wish you both well, take it easy and DON'T hit the asphalt, cruise along it ...

At first, congrats for touring your home country. I enjoyed greatly touring mine and meeting Finnish people. The grass isn't greener on the other side of the sea, they say in Finland. Of course it isn't, but what makes the grass greener in this side of the sea is that I have grown a "special connection" to my home country and people living here by the language, nature, and culture we share. Touring Finland was like meeting old friends. I am sure people can feel the same of their home countries, which makes it well worth to tour home countries instead of travelling to the other side of the planet.

If I were you I would take her to Disneyland xD Seriously. It can be interesting to do something crazy.

I met a doctor yesterday who was fresh back from a fellowship in los angeles, and did a big car tour around California. Though I've heard this before from Chinese friends, what surprised me was that he was much more impressed with Tahoe than Yosemite. Absolutely loved driving around Lake Tahoe. Guess you have to grow up backpacking the Sierra and revering John Muir and Ansel Adams to fully "get" Yosemite. In any case, I'd try to have both of those on my itinerary.

What's your jumping off point in California? Southland or Bay Area? Makes a big difference!

A ride over the Golden Gate Bridge would be awesome, and some stretch of the central/northern California coast like Big Sur or Sonoma County, which gets you into the wine country....

Maybe just spend the whole 6 weeks in California?

This is purely vicarious...(which I will enjoy).

After the first few years of living in China and not having a motorcycle (used to ride a VFR500 in the US during my early 20s), I thought I’d wait until I move back to the US before owning a bike again. Now realizing that I don’t know when or if that time will come again - I’m sitting here waiting for my JH600 do be delivered to me in Shanghai :mwink:

With that said, sounds like a dream to ride across the US - so here are some of my thoughts. I share this knowing that your awesome ride report will give me the vicarious high from across the Pacific. Here are some of suggestions from West to East (with help from National Geographic). If you want any additional info on any of these, just give me a shout.


Pacific Coast Highway Through Big Sur
California (Monterey - Big Sur - Carmel - San Simeon)
One of my favorite roads ever! Stunning - but I’ve only done it by car. Not a bad way to start your journey if you choose the southern route across the US to Wisconsin.

Route66 Through Arizona
Arizona
Main streets of Holbrook, Flagstaff and Williams still feature Route 66-style motels and diners.

Route 12 From Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef
Utah
Journey through Utah’s canyon lands past eerie rock formations, breathtaking mountain ridges, pine forests, and mountain meadows.

The San Juan Skyway
Colorado
Unforgettable Rocky Mountain adventure offering sky-high peaks, Butch Cassidy’s hometown, and the haunting ruins of Mesa Verde. This is a 223-mile loop that you can do in one day (but allow 3 for sight seeing in the major towns and exploring Mesa Verde National Park - where the ancestors of the modern Pueblo people once lived).

The Golden Highway
Colorado - Kansas - Missouri
Quirky route though the heart of the Midwest.

The Orgeon Train
Oregon - Idaho - Wyoming - Nebraska - Kansas - Missouri
By heading North first, you’d add some mileage (albeit beautiful mileage), but you’d get to do a reverse trek of the of the emigrants seeking farmland in Oregon and gold in California, including: Lush Grande Ronde valley, the Craters of the Moon near Arco and Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Lava Hot Springs in Southern Idaho, 470-foot Chimney Rock near Bridgport, the giant red rock of Scott’s Bluff.

Lake Michigan Shoreline
Wisconsin - Michigan
Since you’ll be stopping in Wisconsin, you may want to consider the Lake Michigan Shoreline. The loop of the lake covers 1,160 miles, which means it’s about a week to experience all the sights. To shorten the trip either side of the lake is rewarding on its own. You can take a 4-hour ferry ride on the SS Badger between Manitowoc and Ludington (Ferry take bikes, cars and RVs). South of Ludintton is Saugtuck, MI which is both an artists’ colony and beach destination known for its dune-schooners (buggies giving rides through the high dunes).

Amish Country to the Hudson Valley
Pennsylvania - New York
Step back in time riding thru Amish country around Lancaster Pennsylvania with 28 covered bridges in the county - and one is on the way to Paradise, a small village east of Lancaster City. Build in 1893, the Paradise Bridge is supported by the Theodore Burr arch and crosses over the Pequea Creek on Belmont Road. Located in the heart fo Amish country, bridge traffic includes buggies as well as cars and motorcycles. Then continue north-east to the historic and beautiful Hudson Valley River towns of New York, where you can follow the river north from Harriman State Park to West Point and further North into the Catskills.

ChinaV,

I never met a Chinese who didn't want to see Las Vegas. It seems a must for them :deal:

Have fun, ride safe and keep the rubber down :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by bigdamo

USA the shopping mecca.

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:lol8:
Yeah, no kidding, we haven't even left yet and there's already a good size pile of stuff building up at my sisters house.

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Originally Posted by euphonius

What's your jumping off point in California? Southland or Bay Area? Makes a big difference!

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We arrive in SFO and will have a couple days to relax with my sister in Alameda while getting the bike ready. Probably do a couple touristy things in the city and of course the Golden Gate Bridge.

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Originally Posted by MotoKai

With that said, sounds like a dream to ride across the US - so here are some of my thoughts. I share this knowing that your awesome ride report will give me the vicarious high from across the Pacific. Here are some of suggestions from West to East (with help from National Geographic). If you want any additional info on any of these, just give me a shout.

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I will try to post some interesting stuff along the way, thanks for the list of ideas.

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Originally Posted by chinabiker

I never met a Chinese who didn't want to see Las Vegas. It seems a must for them :deal:

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Originally Posted by moilami

If I were you I would take her to Disneyland xD Seriously. It can be interesting to do something crazy.

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I hate to say it, but you guys are probably right, should spend at least one night in Las Vegas, which is kind of like Disneyland with gambling. :icon10:

Thanks for the comments and well wishes folks :thumbsup:

Cheers!
ChinaV

Dont know too much about the US, but I definetly not recommend Atlanta at that time of the year!
Enjoy and let us know what is the ultimate route with a Chinese Passenger, sooner or later it will be on others "to do" as well. And who want to disappoint their significant other?

Good Luck and avoid the Yunnan style stunts ;-)

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

I hate to say it, but you guys are probably right, should spend at least one night in Las Vegas, which is kind of like Disneyland with gambling

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I've been there from Feb to May 1999, exited for first week or so, started to hate the sights and sounds thereafter :eekers:
If you really hit Vegas, ride the Mandalay Bay Tram and say a prayer or two ( a couple of :goodtime: would do as well) for all my blood, sweat and tears left there :lol8::lol8::lol8:

out of topic:
where do you post your photos?
I can see them without VPN? wish you a great ride with your missus! please, take care of her and post some photos with her also.
(not only motorbike standing in front of a great landscape! (I am kidding) your photography is a kind of it`s own, phantastic!!!!!!)

A visit to the States is not complete without visiting Niagara Falls. It can be an easy side trip for you while heading for New Hampshire.

Other no-brainers: New York City and Washington, DC, with the food, sights, museums, shows, street scenes, etc. The routes going through them may not be ideal though, too much traffic for my taste.

Too bad you might be a bit too early for fall foliage in Adirondacks and New England, as the autumn is the best time to visit that part of the States, with lots Maine lobsters to boot. Nevertheless it is still quite pleasant to drive through them.

Try to get to Blue Ridge Parkway if you do go south for Washington, DC. It is built as part of FDR's new deal and very well maintained even today without commercial traffic. The road surface is immaculate. I've been there twice. The riding condition was so excellent that I almost halluciated on the saddle as if being in an electronic motorcycle game world.

Have lots of fun. This really makes me home sick.

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Originally Posted by SabineHartmann

where do you post your photos?

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Hi Sabine, wish you could come along and make a movie of our trip :mwink:. I post the photos on my server in Hong Kong, the cost is 138 HKD per month, including email and 5GB of bandwidth transfer. I tried some of the free services, but they all seem to end up getting blocked.

Milton, Niagara Falls, Washington DC and NYC are all on the agenda. The next time we visit America will definitely be in September/October so my wife can see the foliage. That's the one thing I miss the most about America.

Cheers!
ChinaV

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Originally Posted by SabineHartmann

out of topic:
where do you post your photos?
I can see them without VPN? wish you a great ride with your missus! please, take care of her and post some photos with her also.
(not only motorbike standing in front of a great landscape! (I am kidding) your photography is a kind of it`s own, phantastic!!!!!!)

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Hi Sabine,
I use Smugmug - I remember 30 USD/year - looks good and nice to use for family at home.

ChinaV,
I'm in Germany now - looking forward to see your US ride pictures. Can't give you too much of ideas. My experience is California and Death Valley directions, and my favorite is defiantly Oregon and Washington state - the great North-West.

Enjoy your ride there.
Cheers, AW.

Not sure if you will go thru Texas but if you do happen to be on Interstate 10 west of San Antonio, spend the night in Junction. Best Western Hotel is cheap, clean, and pretty new. Then get a free map of the "Three Sisters Ride" from
www.garvenstore.com
and take a day or two riding thru the canyons and along the river. One of the best rides I have ever been on. (and I include the ride thru the French Alps here) Friendly people, great winding roads and scenery, little traffic to bother you, great roadside BBQ stands. Well worth the day or two detour.

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Originally Posted by TexasAggie

Not sure if you will go thru Texas but if you do happen to be on Interstate 10 west of San Antonio, spend the night in Junction. Best Western Hotel is cheap, clean, and pretty new. Then get a free map of the "Three Sisters Ride" from
www.garvenstore.com
and take a day or two riding thru the canyons and along the river. One of the best rides I have ever been on. (and I include the ride thru the French Alps here) Friendly people, great winding roads and scenery, little traffic to bother you, great roadside BBQ stands. Well worth the day or two detour.

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Thanks for the suggestion TexasAggie, unfortunately it's so damned hot that we're avoiding a lot of the southern US.

Cheers!
ChinaV

Completely understand, it is 40 degrees C there in August.

If you are in the USA between October and May, give it try. Enjoy the ride and be safe.

Howdy Folks,

Just a quick update that we've covered about 4000 miles so far and everything has been great. We've hit Redwoods NP, The Pacific Coast Hwy, Kings Canyon NP, Sequoia NP, Yosemite NP, Lake Tahoe, Lassen Volcanic NP, Crater Lake NP and we're now in Glacier NP. What a country!

Been so many years since I've done a big America journey and it's like falling in love all over again.

Couple Pics....

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/summer/sum002.jpg

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/summer/sum001.jpg

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/summer/sum003.jpg

Cheers!
Mr. & Mrs. ChinaV

ChinaV! You rode right through my ancestral turf -- California Route 1 north from San Francisco, right up through Elk and Mendocino, and Route 101 through Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties! OMG. How did you possibly decide where to eat, drink and stay??

More importantly, how's the young marriage surviving 6000km in the saddle??

Have a great rest of your ride!

cheers

You are now simply rubbing salt into the wound!

Go South, East. or West from where you are and you cannot go wrong. I am not a Harley rider but if you are any where near Sturgis August 9th thru 15th, you need to go! Enjoy.

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Originally Posted by euphonius

ChinaV! You rode right through my ancestral turf -- California Route 1 north from San Francisco, right up through Elk and Mendocino, and Route 101 through Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties! OMG. How did you possibly decide where to eat, drink and stay??

More importantly, how's the young marriage surviving 6000km in the saddle??

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Absolutely amazing motorcycle country, my wife has already decided we should move there. She is also holding up well on the bike and loves camping every night. Lot's of great places to eat and sleep, but $40 for a camp sight and $50 for a light meal is pretty tough on the wallet. California dreaming sure does have one heck of a price tag.

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Originally Posted by TexasAggie

You are now simply rubbing salt into the wound!

Go South, East. or West from where you are and you cannot go wrong. I am not a Harley rider but if you are any where near Sturgis August 9th thru 15th, you need to go! Enjoy.

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We're heading to Beartooth pass and Yellowstone, should be fun. Sturgis….been there a few times during the rally many years ago and it's not quite my cup of tea any more. Would be fun for a day, but we decided to pass on the Black hills and hit Rocky Mountain National instead.

Cheers!
ChinaV

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

. . .we decided to pass on the Black hills and hit Rocky Mountain National instead.

Cheers!
ChinaV

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ChinaV,

I haven't been on MCM in a while and just saw your thread this evening. I live about 45 minutes south of Rocky Mountain NP. When you know when you'll be down this way, give me a shout if you'd like to hook up for a beer or a little riding, or if you need a place to do some bike service or whatever. There's some great dirt road riding in this area also. You're welcome to use my F650 or XT225 if you want to try them out.

Cheers,

Dan K.
720.295.5678

If you get a chance to take the 550 from Ouray to Silverton, you will not be disappointed. A detour off 550 to Telluride is not a bad afternoon but Telluride is box canyon unless you are on true off road dual sport as the jeep road is actually more of a single track.

Looking Good ChinaV. I've been Living in China so long, I forgot there were still blue skies in the world. Have a great trip. Ride safe. Hope to see you soon when you get back.

Euphonius is right about cali there is a lot to see here....you could not go wrong we do have a redwood state park here in guernville a few trees that are 1400 years old and hwy 1 is nice to cresset city.....and the kobel champain is here and tons of winerys !.....take it from enphonius and me VTR1000.....happy planning !!

In terms of riding within just one country with a wide range of geologic diversity, the US and China are on the tops. Russia and Canada are also damn big and beautiful but they lack the tropical climbs.

At some point in time ChinaV is supposed to be arriving here in the DC area but ah ain't heard from him in a while. Will keep everyone posted if I hear anything.

CC

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Originally Posted by CrazyCarl

At some point in time ChinaV is supposed to be arriving here in the DC area but ah ain't heard from him in a while. Will keep everyone posted if I hear anything.

CC

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CC,

I spoke on the phone with ChinaV last night. They arrived in Colorado yesterday and spent the night in Ft. Collins. They've got plans to go to Rocky Mountain NP today to snag a camp site and I gave him a number of proposed twisties up in the Rockies to ride around on. We may be able to hook up later today or tomorrow, but neither he nor I know what the schedule is at the moment. He's going to call me later today.

Cheers,

Dan K.

Much thanks for the update Dan! BTW, August issue out next week!

Paz,
CC

Howdy folks, just another brief update.

After a week of relaxing at my Mom's house in Wisconsin, we're getting ready to hit the road again. So far we've covered 8,000 miles (12,875 kilometers) and tomorrow we will head south to find the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our goal is meet The Man, Top Dog, Numero Uno, Head Honcho, The Big Cheese... aka Crazy Carl at the end of the week.

We wanted to extend a quick note of gratitude and let everyone know that our good brother Dan Kearney gave us some great intel on the roads in Colorado. Thanks Dan! sorry we didn't get a chance to ride together, but the route you planned for us was awesome :thumbsup:.

Our journey so far....

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/summer/08_23_2010.jpg

Thanks again for all the good suggestions and kind words.

Cheers!
Mr. & Mrs. ChinaV

Great trip ChinaV. Unbelievable!!!

Looking forward to see your report and more pictures... I am leaving the office now however. Can't stand looking at the screen anymore - need some air and wheels...

Live on the dream - ride safe!
Greetings from Indonesia,
AW.