Greetings from Vienna (Austria, Europe)

[Luckies]

Hi all!

My name is Dave and i live in Vienna (Austria). You may wondering why i've registered. With the next year i want to start collecting money for a journey thru north america. Meanwhile i would be pleased if you could help me planing this trip. Stuff like which places should and which one shouldn't be discovered (because they are boring, dangerous etc).

But more important to me are the people. How do they live, which job do they have, what do they think ... getting to know them by a beer or something like that (i hope this was the right translation).

Since 2006 i drive a BMW GS. And it's the best i've ever had. Except my Ducati, but she wasn't the right thing for touring. But with the GS i was more on the streets then in the years before. The early years i visited the countries near to Austria. Then i saw "Long Way Round" and get infected with the virus of long-distance journeys. And here i am.

And hopefully in the near future on your side of the planet. ;)

Have a nice day (night?) a best regards from cloudy Vienna!
Dave

I hope my english is understandable, please correct me if it's not

[copandengr]

Dave...I am a recent member of the BMWMOA and do not currently own a BMW, a situation I hope to rectify in a few weeks. While I am new here, I am pleased to be the first to welcome you to this forum. You will find everyone friendly and many have expert knowledge they will freely share. BMW owners here in America (and all over the world I imagine) are the most forthcoming and honest people you will meet. My first experience with that fact was in 1980. I bought and began to restore a 75/5. I called a dealer in Shelbyville, Tennessee (near Nashville) and was astonished at the advice I was given. I ordered several parts at the same time. I asked the owner for the exact amount of money the shipment would cost, since UPS would not take personal checks, and I assumed the parts were being sent cash on delivery. The old man who was the owner replied "I will send them with an invoice and you can send me a check". I was surprised to hear this and told him I had never had a motorcycle dealer trust a stranger like me. The owner replied he had never had a BMW rider cheat him. That is typical of the type of people you will meet on a BMW.

America is a beautiful country and I'm sure others will tell you of the good places in their particular part of the U.S.A. I live in Marion, Arkansas (20KM from Memphis, Tennessee). I can tell you from personal experience that Eastern Tennessee and Western Arkansas have many beautiful areas and places to visit.

Contact me via the private message function if you wish at any time. I will gladly assist you with any trip planning or other advice I am qualified to give.

When you do plan your visit, should you find your route bringing you near Memphis, please let me know. I would welcome a chance to meet you and visit.

Don't worry about your command of the English language. It is excellent.
Robin Coleman

[Holly]

Welcome, Dave. Funny, I am busy trying to find the money to go to Vienna next year. The FIM rally will be held near there in July and I will be attending it. I was at my first FIM rally in Belgium this year.

Please remember that Canada is part of North America and we have lots of wonderful places to see, things to do and people to welcome you. I would be happy to show you Niagara Falls, and help you meet lots of people between there and Montreal. It is hot here in the summer.

Your English is much, much better than my German so no apologies needed from you, only from me.

Holly

[k75s]

Hi all!

My name is Dave and i live in Vienna (Austria). You may wondering why i've registered. With the next year i want to start collecting money for a journey thru north america. Meanwhile i would be pleased if you could help me planing this trip. Stuff like which places should and which one shouldn't be discovered (because they are boring, dangerous etc).

But more important to me are the people. How do they live, which job do they have, what do they think ... getting to know them by a beer or something like that (i hope this was the right translation).

Since 2006 i drive a BMW GS. And it's the best i've ever had. Except my Ducati, but she wasn't the right thing for touring. But with the GS i was more on the streets then in the years before. The early years i visited the countries near to Austria. Then i saw "Long Way Round" and get infected with the virus of long-distance journeys. And here i am.

And hopefully in the near future on your side of the planet. ;)

Have a nice day (night?) a best regards from cloudy Vienna!
Dave

I hope my english is understandable, please correct me if it's not


If for some unfortunate reason you find yourself traveling across Eastern Kansas, send me a PM. You are welcome to stay with us and/or if you want someone to ride with you for some part of your trip.

We were in Northern Italy (Lake Como) in early June. I did not have any motorcycle riding planned, but the owner of the hotel we were staying at happened to have a BMW K1100LT which he let me ride for free 1 day. I feel like I need to return some hospitality. :D

copandengr is correct. Northern Arkansas has some very good riding, both road and offroad. The Black Hills of South Dakota are very good also. But those are just a start.

I also recommend this magazine: www.roadrunner.travel
The publishers are fellow Austrians.

[Luckies]

Good Morning!

Thank you very much for your friendly welcome!!

I've created a first plan how the journey could looks like. This helps me to find out how many kilometers/miles i would ride and how much time and money it would cost. But i'm sure it will change several times. Google Maps shows me a distance of 10,000 mi (16,200 km). With a daily amount of 300 mi i'll spend more than a month on the bike. With a few days here and there i'll rather calculate 2 month.

Yesterday i contacted two transportation companies and i'm waiting for their offers. But it looks like that it will cost 1,000 US$ for one way. So the first 2,000 are gone.

About the next part of the journey, i've absolutly no plan how it works in the USA. All i know is, that there are Motels and Hotels. And of course Camping. What i not know is, if there is also a chance to get a private room. For example, in Croatia you can drive without a plan because you will find everywhere a family which offers a place to sleep or a guesthouse. Maybe you know the signs in front of the houses with "Rooms" or something like that.

It would be very helpful if you could tell me whats normal in the USA.
How much do you pay for a night if you're on tour (bed and breakfast i think)?
And of course how much for a day on the bike (including lunch, drinks and gasoline).

About eating and drinking, i heared it should be quite the same like in Vienna. I think there are also special prices for a menue at lunchtime. Fine restaurants are not really planned. Only if i get the chance to eat with Bruce Willis, but i don't think this will happen. :)

Robin, the area around Memphis sounds really good! As i've seen on the map, there's the Mississippi ahead leading to New Orleans (which i allready wanted to visit). I promise to let you know when i'm near to you.

Hi Holly!
Do you mean this FIM-Rally (http://www.fim-rallye.at/rally.php?nummer=66) in 2011?? If you do, please let me know if you need information about the area or accommodations.
The first time i wanted to cross USA from east to west and back through canada from west to east. After i've seen the dimensions i think it's better to explore Canada on another time. But i've planned the east for the way back.

Hi k75s!
Thanks for the link! I've already saved it to my favorites and will investigate it later on.
Northern Italy is one of the best locations for a motorcycle riding! I made this short video near of the Lake Garda (Roveretto (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z65LtX1FEJA)). It's one of the most highly frequented streets there but all looks like same, the hole day long. *rrrrrrrrrrrrr*
Eastern Kansas .. i've noticed that. ;)

I think i've wrote enough for now.

Tour Map (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Memorial+Dr&daddr=King+St+to:US-250+W+to:US-64+W%2FUS-74+W+to:Summer+Ave+to:MS-1+S+to:N+Broad+St+to:W+2nd+St+to:AZ-64+W%2FDesert+View%2FE+Rim+Dr+to:I-15+N+to:I-10+W+to:Minaret+Rd+to:I-80+W+to:US-26+E+to:I-90+E+to:US-191+N%2FUS-20+W%2FUS-287+N%2FUS-89+N%2FGrand+Loop+Rd+to:US-40+E+to:Fall+River+Rd+to:I-90+E+to:Piedmont+Ave+to:Trans-Canada+Hwy%2FON-17+E+to:Rue+Saint-Denis%2FQC-335+S+to:I-90+E&hl=en&geocode=FWRKhgIdxB3D-w%3BFbTShQIdTrWr-w%3BFUYYSgIdkMlB-w%3BFd6GFgIduqj8-g%3BFbxbGAIdTAej-g%3BFTaq_wEdWD6S-g%3BFaxvyQEdKIyh-g%3BFUqO_QEdMg_F-Q%3BFQl1JQIdU_pV-Q%3BFTCxJgIdBHwi-Q%3BFUhUBwIdJGPz-A%3BFZ6WPgId9E_o-A%3BFXB1QAIdlk60-A%3BFUhotgIdJiiv-A%3BFe6YywIdkko0-Q%3BFQrapQId7C9o-Q%3BFRDbZwIdsHyJ-Q%3BFURqaAIdfi21-Q%3BFcZ1mQIdRqw7-g%3BFRaqyQIdiEaC-g%3BFRgLwQIdNCgN-w%3BFfLltgIdHpqc-w%3BFTIshgId1lHD-w&mra=mrv&mrcr=14&via=3,5,8,9,16,21&dirflg=ht&sll=42.536892,-80.529785&sspn=11.797864,19.665527&ie=UTF8&ll=39.571822,-98.129883&spn=24.624942,56.074219&z=5) I hope it works. Please feel free to edit or add places which you think that should visited and send me the link to it.

[Ken F]

Hey Lucky,

I'm envious of your adventure! Four suggestions right off on your route:

1. Going through New Mexico, the northern half of the state is by far the best riding, and much more to see. Santa Fe & Taos are must do destinations. The northern part of the state is mountians, and the southern part is flat desert with not a lot to see.

2. From los Angles to San Francisco, I would suggest to stay along the coast!
This is one of the 10 best roads in the U.S. and not to be missed!

3. If you were to alter your route to Springfield MO. I would offer you a good meal and some sleep, along with a complete garage & assistance if you should need repairs. Also, Northern Arkansas and Southern Missouri (Ozark Mountians) are really great riding too!

4. In Colorado, from Grand Junction, route yourself through Denver. The mountian passes on this route are splendid!


Now, on to some of your questions:

Bed & Breakfast hotels are usually from $60-$120/night. Many Motels offer a "Continental" breakfast which usually includes pancakes, breakfast cerial, milk, coffee (the weak American kind), fruit, toasted bread, sweet rolls, ect.

There are not many Gusthauses in the U.S. and here they are usually called hostels. Not many people have rooms in their homes for rent anymore.
Most state campgrounds have bathing facilities and restrooms.

Fuel is nationally averaging about 2.70/gal right now, so if you are planning 300 miles/day
I would budget $20.00/day for fuel. It will be slightly different in each state because of individaul state taxes imposed.

Lunch is going to be $5-7.00 if you stay with sandwiches/hamburgers or the "lunch specials" you mention. these are usually found in smaller restraunts which are owned by individuals, not corperations. Most small towns have several
privatly owned restraunts which are easy to find (usually in the downtown area)

People in the U.S. are generally very friendly and happy to help with questions or directions. The exception to this would be in large citys, the same as Europe, however you will still have no trouble finding someone to help. I would suggest that if you find yourself driving into a very poor, impoverished loooking area, leave as soon as possible and don't stop in that area. Crime and roberies are very common in these areas, your common sense will tell you to leave!

If you have any further questions, please feel free to respond here, or PM.

460Jetboat

[Holly]

Dave, check out Motorcycle Travel Network (http://www.motorcycle-travel.net/). It is a great way to good accomodation with fellow motorcyclists.

Agreed, the distances are a bit overwhelming in North America and you will certainly be welcome in Canada another time. I have a son in the Denver area if you do go through there. I will send you his contact information closer to the date you will need it.

Yes, that is the FIM rally and I will definitely be contacting you for local information before I go. Know where I can rent a small bike? I am too small for a modern BMW.

Holly

[Ted]

How much do you pay for a night if you're on tour (bed and breakfast i think)?
And of course how much for a day on the bike (including lunch, drinks and gasoline).

Welcome Aboard - if you come to Washington DC I would be happy to give you an insider tour of the city and guide you through some of our great roads in the surrounding area. One thing to remember about the States, I can get on my bike in McLean, Virginia and ride 6 hours at 70mph and still be in Virginia (then again, I could also be in New York City :))

On tour I always pick up the hotel coupon books at rest stops and gas stations, the discounts are better than you will find anywhere. For example, last week I stayed in a $149 a night Holiday Inn with a $49 coupon - same class room, same everything (much to the ire of the fellow behind me at the counter who was paying full price.) The better of the companies who produce these books is online here (http://www.roomsaver.com/) with downloadable coupons - in the rare instance I am without a book I tend to look up the roomsaver hotels on my Blackberry then use the Hotel's free computer to download the coupon.

One thing - Bed & Breakfasts are a completely different animal in the US than in Canada and Europe. In the US they tend to be historic houses with generally $100+ rates centered around romantic getaways than moto-touring. I stay away from them in the US on moto-tours - then again in Canada I use them quite frequently as they are often literally bedrooms in people's houses with a huge breakfast included.

Gas generally runs about $3 a gallon - less in rural areas and often a little more in urban areas. On a 200 mile day that will run about $15 a day depending on your bike and riding style. Food, again depends :) Generally figure on $10 for meals at diners and similar independent restaurants, maybe $15 for dinner (without beers/alcohol, generally $3 to $4 each.) If you want a tour or real America stay away from chain restaurants and hit the diners - usually good, wholesome Americana often highlighting local popular dishes at very reasonable cost. Here are some great Diner websites:
Diner City (http://web.archive.org/web/20080713085124/http://www.dinercity.com/) (one of the best, now down so you must use the archive version)
Roadside Online (http://www.roadsideonline.com/index.php)
Roadside Fans (http://www.roadsidefans.com/)
AgilityNut's Collection of Americana (http://www.agilitynut.com/diners/1.html) (all sorts of cool stuff!)
Diner Hotline Blog (http://dinerhotline.wordpress.com/)
DinerMan Blog (http://dinerman.wordpress.com/)
As you can guess, I LOVE diners :)

If you have a GPS I have a GPX file of all the diners I have been able to collect over the years, most are in New England though.

You'll also want to budget for things to do and see - I would heartily recommend buying the $80 National Parks pass (http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html) - it covers the entry fees at all the National Parks as well as National Forests and BLM land. The entry into some parks alone runs $40 or more so it is a great investment - if you visit Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon it will almost pay for itself right there (and you should visit both, it is a truly awe-inspiring experience.)

Here are some additional excellent trip planning tools if you are interested in seeing the "True America."
American Byways (http://www.byways.org/)
US National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov/index.htm)
and my favorite...
Roadside America (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/)

Please let us know more as the planning gets underway :)

Ted

[Luckies]

Good morning everyone!

The information you gave me is really a lot and very helpful. Thank you for this!

Everytime i look on the map, the journey is getting bigger and bigger. For a week ago i thaught about a trip through hungary and romania to the black sea in October. Against this project it looks like a walk through a park. :)

At the moment this project will cost more then i've ever done before.
Maybe that's the point why my wife thinks i'm crazy. But otherwise it would wasting lifetime to be not crazy.

The next step will be to talk to my boss and take a look on my finances.

Jetboat, Springfield is already noted. ;)

Holly, what kind of motorcycle would you prefer?

Ted, D.C. could be possible and i've noted that. ;)

[Holly]

It has to be light with a low seat and a low center of gravity. I really like the Yamaha Virago 250cc but it doesn't do mountains very well. What speeds and elevation changes should I expect? My current bike is a Yamaha V-Star 650, which has the low seat and low center of gravity but is a bit heavy for me.

BTW, here is my ride report for the Belgian FIM rally (http://www.yearroundriders.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6603).

Holly

[GlobalRider]

I want to start collecting money for a journey thru north america. Meanwhile i would be pleased if you could help me planing this trip.

Hi Dave,

I'm sorry I can't help you with the planning part. I ride far more over in Europe than I do over here.

But I can tell you that distances are far more vast and a month would be too short unless you want to race through it all.

Best regards from cloudy Vienna!

If you think it rains a lot in Wien, go to Salzburg.

These locations should look familiar...
http://edelweiss.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Motorcycle-Tours/2008-Alps-Motorcycle-Tour/P6140060/381239309_CRgDr-L.jpg

http://edelweiss.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Motorcycle-Tours/2008-Alps-Motorcycle-Tour/CIMG0036/381294260_JULTh-L.jpg

[Visian]

hi Dave - I agree with Alex above, a month is not enough time.

i bet you will get enough offers to stay at people's homes to make it possible for you to stay longer.

looking at your map, you're going to be riding right past our house in North Carolina. your map shows you staying on the expressway and US highways.... so you'll miss a LOT of what the area has to offer. i will fiddle with your map a little and send you a link.

of course, you are invited to stay at our house, the only trick is that you must ride up a mountainside on a gravel road. if that's an issue, i can ride your bike up for you.

good luck with your planning... hope i get to meet you on your trip.

ian

[Luckies]

Holly, i may know what you mean and will have an eye on it. ;)

Alex, of course i know the place you show on the pictures. I was there the last 10 years because it's the most visited area for a motorcycle ride. And of course i know Salzburg (the lakes and mountains). A friend of mine has a flat in St. Johann and we go there often for a week.

Sorry it was my fault with the month on bike. For me it looks like that it will need a month on the bike (just driving) and another for doing anything else (visiting places and/or relaxing). I really dont have a plan when i will take a break on tour but normaly i stop every 3rd or 4th day (f.e. washing clothes).

The part about the highways is simple. Google Maps has no option to not use highways. Normaly i prefer nameless streets because they're more interesting then (or to?) others.

Thanks to remind me on that. There's another thing that would interest me. Is there a software which is helpfull for planning tours in USA? If possible it should also transfer the route to the GPS.

Visian, thank you very much. ;)

Have a nice day!

[copandengr]

Dave, I looked at my previous post and discovered I did not extend to you the use of my home for lodging. You are, of course, quite welcome here. As I said, I live about 15 minutes from Memphis, Tennessee. I also have a very well equipped shop if needed. I am retired so I am here almost all the time.

Robin Coleman

[GlobalRider]

Is there a software which is helpfull for planning tours in USA? If possible it should also transfer the route to the GPS.

There is Microsoft Streets & Trips which is the same as Microsoft Autoroute (Europe). Then of course Garmin MapSource.

But you can't plan anything on software. The software enables one to be guided by a GPS after you enter great routes. To me, planning means looking at a very good map which will help me find the good roads. No GPS would have shown me where all the great back roads are in the Alps (maps did that)...and it won't in the US either...unless someone has already programmed it with great routes.

Don't get too wrapped up in stuff like Route 66. In my opinion, that would be a waste of time.

[Luckies]

Robin, thank you very much! ;)

Alex, yes and no. I'm using programs to find a direction depending on the information about the area (motels, camping grounds etc.). Most of the people (i know) navigate from town to town. The trick is to navigate from road to road. Of course maps will get part of the planning. ;)

I know the tour isn't very detailed. But at the moment i'm just trying to find directions and places to visit. For now the trip is only an idea, wish, dream ... but i really hope it gets real - and still working on it.

[Ted]

In general, if you want to "see America" you will want to stay off the Interstates (I-xxx) and stay on US Highways. Though these often pass through lots of small towns with the accompanying traffic lights, the small towns are the ones worth seeing. Note that this rule does not apply to Rt. 1 anywhere on the eastern seaboard unless you really like first and second gear :) It also does not apply around large cities.

Personally I would plan it with Interstates in and around large cities you want to visit, and US Highways in the rural sections where towns of moderate size have some distance between them. For instance, US Rt. 250 from east of Toledo, Ohio all the way to the Interstate an hour west of Washington DC is simply an amazing road. You will only make a bit between half and two-thirds the miles in the same given time as taking the Interstate but the scenery is amazing and small towns truly "real America." The same is true of US 50 (outside of the big cities) and countless other US Highways that 100 years ago served as "the only way" to get from point A to point B and have now largely been eclipsed by the Interstates. Some other interesting US Highways are US 6 - the Grand Army of the Republic highway, US 30 - the Lincoln Highway, US 40 - the National Pike, and many more.

Also don't dismiss the National Parkways like The Blue Ridge Parkway, the Foothills Parkway, The Natchez-Trace, etc. Though the speed limits are usually 45 the scenery is amazing and lack of traffic and stoplights often mean a truly pleasant transit.

Ted

PS - one word about Interstate Highways -- generally two digit highways are from point A to point B, with odd last numbers running North/South and even last numbers running East-West. For instance, I-95 runs from Maine south to Florida, and I-70 runs from Maryland all the way west to Utah (over 2,000 miles, 3,200 Kms!) You might notice 2-digit interstates divisible by "5" tend to be long roads crossing significant parts of the Country. Three digit highways beginning with an even number generally run around big cities, and three digit with an odd first number are generally spurs running into big cities. For example, I-495 runs around Washington DC, while I-395 runs into DC. Last word on Interstates, you will often have to pay tolls on Interstates - from DC to Boston these can easily top $30.

[Luckies]

Ahh.... now i know what you mean with Highways and Interstate. I still was confused about that because i still thaught that Highways are the streets with the tolls.

I never stop learning .. thanks for that!!!

[Ken F]

Thanks from me also Ted! I didn't realize the last half of the info!

460

[stkmkt1]

Hi Dave, and welcome to the BMW MOA. I live in the midwest, Central part of Illinois. Not a whole lot to see here, but you may cross through Illinois on your travels. If so, you are welcome to stay at my place. One thing that I don't remember being mentioned, is the book that you would receive as a member of the MOA. It has people listed in each town across the Country who are also members and will be willing to help you should you need any help. Or even just visit with you. You will want to bring that book with you.

There are lots of things to see in this country and you will find that for the most part, motorcycle riders are treated quite nicely here. You have got the right idea on riding through the small towns rather than just riding the interstates. You can cross all of the way across the county in less than one week if you just stay on the interstates. But traveling at 70 - 80 mph all the time will not get you much in the way of site seeing. And you would miss a lot of what our country has to offer.

I think I speak for all of us as I say we will offer any assistance you need in the planning and during your trip. This can be a trip of a lifetime for you. And we welcome you to our Country.

[Ted]

Ahh.... now i know what you mean with Highways and Interstate. I still was confused about that because i still thaught that Highways are the streets with the tolls.

I never stop learning .. thanks for that!!!

You can break it down even further :) Looking at a map, let's say Wheeling, WV in GoogleMaps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=wheeling,+wv):

Interstate Highways - always noted as the number on a Red, White & Blue shield, here we see the 3,000km+ long I-70 and the I-470 bypass around Wheeling.

US Highways - almost always denoted as the number on a white shield, here we see the awesome US 250 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_250) and the historic US 40 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_40).

State Routes - usually a single or double-digit number in a white circle/oval. These roads are almost always at least two lane double-yellows in good shape with 55mph speed limits outside of towns. These can be slow going at times as they often pass through the middle a lot of small towns in more heavily populated areas.

State/Rural Roads - usually three digits in a white circle/oval, may or may not have a center line and condition can vary greatly from a two-lane with double yellow in decent shape to a two-lane with white dashed, a narrow two-lane with no dividing line, to even a hard packed dirt road. In the map, see Rt.s 147 and 148.

My mapping preferences are to stick to US Highways if I need to make some time but want to see some things along the way, and State Routes/Rural Roads when I want to wander off the beaten path. Spend some time in GoogleMaps Street View, just drag the little yellow guy at the top left of the map to a road - once you start dragging the little yellow guy the streets with streetview will highlight in blue. That will give you a great idea of the conditions of the road and an idea of what you might see on it - I use it constantly in route planning or just coming up with a list of neat looking roads that I have not taken yet but would like to (like that Rt. 148!)

[copandengr]

Dave, My experience traveling is limited, but the majority of toll roads are in the north eastern part of the U.S. There are very few down south. One minor exception you will encounter if you visit New Orleans will be the causeway (bridge) across Lake Ponchatrain (not sure if I spelled that correctly). I think the toll across it is modest, like two dollars. I have some friends in Mandeville, Louisianna (it is on the north shore of the lake) that may be able to offer you a night's lodging. When your dates are more firm let me know and I will ask them.

You will see some magnificant scenery if you ride Tennesse from the east to Memphis. I would plan on spending some time at a park called "Fall Creek Falls State Park". It has the tallest waterfall west of the Rocky Mountains. There is a web site for it that explains all the amenities there. I do not have that link to oost, but just do a search for Fall Creek Falls. There is also a spot in Georgia called "Deal's Gap" that is very popular with cycle riders. One section of the highway called "Tail of the Dragon" has 311 curves in only 11 miles.

Feel free to ask me anything. I will help or find someone who can.

Robin

[Luckies]

Guys, you are awesome!! Thank you very very much!

The first bad news i have is that i get my savings in november 2011 (not in may, as i thaught :/ ).
So my journey won't start before 2012.

There's the next thing to know ... when is the best time?
At the moment i think about may to july. What would you say is the best time??

[froggy]

Dave , U will find that we all want to help U find your way around this side of the world.One reason being we all wish we could do what U are about to do... the other is we B nice people over here.:wave
I have not traveled like some of the riders here,but I do have a LARGE warm bed,warm garage,greasy tools,lousy jokes,and I am 7 minutes away from the headquarters of this sight.
If U are able I hope U will post your trip as it happens so those of us who dream of your adventure can B a part of it:thumb
IF you R interested,I can PM you with phone # and address

[Luckies]

Froggy, thanks for your friendly words! I'll try to come and visit you. ;)

Meanwhile, i have the first of three greens. Yesterday i've spoken with my boss about the time i would need and he told me about the possibilities i have. Well, i can choose between a non-paid vacation or only vacation (5 weeks a year). First i planned to ride alone. I still had a bad feeling about leaving my wife alone, because i would love to share this with her. As we always ride together (is that english?).

So ... there's a friend near to montreal. He's an ex-austrian (*gg*) and i still wanted to visit him. Now the plan would be, to start in L.A. and ride to montreal (as a first part). There i would park (?) my bike and came back to ride the second part back to L.A. in a couple of months. This would be the only way where my wife and me could use our vacations without any consequences to our jobs.

On this, we have to find out which way is the best:
September 2011 - part one
May 2012 - part two

or

May 2012 - part one
September 2012 - part two
This would be my favorite because there are only 3 months between. Of course if the boss of my wife agree.

Today i really believe it will get real and i'm very excited.
In other words, there has to happen something badly to stop me.

It would be a pleasure to meet as most of you as possible!

[copandengr]

Dave....May and September are very fine months to tour the southern part of the US, but up north and in the higher elevations winter weather can often come early and stay late. My advice would be to go ahead and plan your trip, but do not chisel your route in granite. Leave some flexibility to allow for changes due to bad weather.

[Luckies]

Good Morning from Vienna!

What happend in the last 2 months ...

I've contacted a lot of companies about the transportation of my motorcycle. And i got a lot of bad news. Most of them won't transport for private persons. The few companies that would do it told me, that a transport to L.A. would be very difficult and expensive.

I'm a little bit sad about that fact, because i wanted to stay the last day's in L.A. (relaxing on the beach while i'm waiting for my flight home).

But on the other hand, i'm sure there's a lot to see on the eastcoast (N.Y., Washington DC). And if my plan works, my wife would join me after 2 weeks and would stay for a month. In this case we would see the natural parks in the west and will reach the westcoast together. This point sounds quite well for me.

In the next weeks i will have a lot of time to read and check the information you gave me. Thanks again for this!

@Holly: please let me know about the date you plan to visit austria. it would be a pleasure to help you finding an accommodation and a bike for rent.

[GlobalRider]

I've contacted a lot of companies about the transportation of my motorcycle. And i got a lot of bad news. Most of them won't transport for private persons. The few companies that would do it told me, that a transport to L.A. would be very difficult and expensive.

Have you tried Stefan Knopf of Knopf Tours (http://www.knopftours.com/Web-Site/Welcome.html) in Heidleberg for motorcycle transport?

[Holly]

Keep planning, Dave. There has to be a way you can do this. Definitely contact Stefan Knopf as Alex suggests if you haven't already.

The FIM rally will be July 6 - 8th. Right now I'm trying to figure out if I can go to the first couple of days of the RA rally in WI (very close in N. America terms--1117km if I take the ferry across Lake Michigan) and get home in time to fly to Austria before the rally so I can get over the jet lag before I climb on a bike. Fortunately, there is lots of time to get back to Canada before the MOA rally.

[Luckies]

Yes, i've talked to Stefan and he was very helpful. At the moment he's my favorite. ;)

[Gottago]

Hi Dave,
Welcome to the board.
You're trip sounds really fun and I'm sure you'll have a great time. We live in Southern California so if you're in the area we have a spot available for you.
Our daughter-in-law is Austrian and we were lucky to visit Vienna a few years ago. Beautiful city and lovely people. You might look into purchasing a national parks pass for around $80 but it will enable you to get into all national parks and monuments for free. You would still have to pay to camp but if you just want to spend a day it's a good deal.
Someone already mentioned coast highway in California and in fact the coast highway all the way to Canadian border is spectacular. Parks pass will come in handy if you get to Utah make sure you visit Capital Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce, and Zion parks. The road between Capital Reef and Bryce should not be missed.
Depending on the time of your trip a group of us meet out near Capital Reef in May and again in September. You might also want to check out this web site. www.BMWST.com. Real nice bunch of folks from all over the country.
Best Regards,
Nancy

[Luckies]

I'll continue the informations about our trip in this thread (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showpost.php?p=703214&postcount=86). ;)

[Roxter Rider]

I'm about 45 minutes from New Orleans. If you find yourself down this way I'd be more than happy to guide you to some really great food. The riding isn't as nice as some of the eastern states but can be found up the the Mississippi river. Just let me know, I'm always ready for some good food and conversation with a fellow rider.

[Luckies]

Good Morning Roxter!!

New Orleans is one of the "must have" on the trip. Also the area of the Mississippi. It would be a great pleasure to meet and have you as our guide. ;)

[kthflieger]

Ich war gestern am Bodensee.....von Regen nichts zu sehen....nur heis. Anyway, in the southeast, one of the must see roads is the Tail of the Dragon...google that and you will get all kinds of info. Plenty of camping nearby for as little as $15 per night.
I have toured almost all the roads in northern New Mexico, Colorado, Northern Arizona and Utah, so if you have specific questions about routes out there, just send me PM or email.
If you need a place to crash in Atlanta, let me know. Good luck!

[Luckies]

Jetzt bin ich natürlich neugieirig und würde mich über ein Treffen in Atlanta freuen. Atlanta is part of the route and i will be happy to meet you there.

In the last days i worked out the route on "Microsoft Streets & Trips". You can find it here: http://www.baujahr76.at/gallery/index.php/USA-2012/Route
I'm sure there will be some changes after i get the printed maps for the US (because of scenic roads).

In the gallery you will find 41 days of riding. But there will be more, because these tracks are not included:
Miami - Key West (southest point) - Miami
one day in the area of the Smoky Mountains
the way from Washington DC to Newburgh (because I've absolute no idea how to do this)
one day in the Colorado mountains
one day in San Francisco

So I think there will be 45 days of riding (minimum).
From 70 days we're in the US i count 10 days for the first and last days.
60 days for the tour .. 15 days left for relaxing .. sounds hard

[kthflieger]

tut mir leid...ich war in Oregon unterwegs! I will study your maps - looks like you have some very interesting routes. If you have specific questions feel free to send me a private email - I'll get to those faster.
Fruehling im Sueden ist schoen....Juli ist fast unertraeglich. Colorado ist aber Juni bis September sehr angenehm. Let me know what you might need.