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. But note that,
just because something isn't listend here, doesn't mean I don't want
to do it. I don't have Ecuador or Honduras or Costa Rica here, for
instance, but if given the chance, yeah, I'll go!
And before you write me to suggest something, please make sure I
haven't already been there.
My motorcycle travel dreams for
while we still live in the USA:
- Columbia.
- Peru.
- Chilé.
- Mainland Mexico, West Coast. In March 2020, just before
COVID-19 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).
- 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
ship our bikes to Buenos Aires, then fly into Buenos Aires, then
fly to Paraguay to visit friends, then go back to Buenos Aires
and ride our motorcycles 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 nine month trip. And it's the
longest of shots, because: I'm getting older and I'm not sure I
can physically do it and we do NOT have the money and I won't go
away from our dog for that long, 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 (two months). Maybe some of Australia.
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
- Portugal
- Turkey
- Northern India, maybe parts of Pakistan (a
month or two).
- Oman. Every motorcycle traveler that has posted
videos from Oman has made me want to go. It looks AMAZING.
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.
Why not sub Sahara Africa? I very much want to visit several
countries in sub Sahara Africa, but not by motorcycle. After
seeing Itchy Boots
and Eaglewood
Adventures go across it, and watching several videos from
the Africa part of the trip by 2KickAround,
I've realized that a motorcycle trip there is just not for me.
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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