Anybody got some "touring ideas"?

[Semi-retired]

Wifey and I have a whole week to ride.....and don't really have any particular destination in mind......other than the possible desire to head in a "southerly direction" if the weather up here (in Ontario, Canada) stays as cool as it has been. Things MAY warm up here next week, in which case we might head for 'central' Ontario and work our way over through Bancroft to my son's place in Ottawa. (the operative words being...."MAY warm up"!

 

If we DON'T get a warm spell, we're open to ideas for heading down "toward" Deal's Gap. I say "toward" because I'm not sure riding 6 hours a day for 3 days straight, to get there....then spend 1 day there.......then ride another 6 hours a day for 3 days home is going to constitute a "VACATION". (The reason I say 18 hours, one way, is because we would NEVER want to slab a trip that was supposed to be relaxing. Interstates are great if you HAVE to get somewhere fast; otherwise NO WAY.

 

All that said, if we discard Tail of the Dragon as our destination, but still wanna head in that general direction (chasing the WARMTH, if not the Dragon) does anyone have any other interesting roads/destinations that might be of interest?

 

We've been to Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water, down southeast of Pittsburgh.....also to Lake Placid....and those were great....might even consider heading back to either of those.........UNLESS someone's got some other ideas for either a FANTASTIC road that lead's nowhere in particular......or, an OK road that leads to somewhere FANTASTIC.

 

If it were just me...I'd be happy to just hit the road and see what comes up, but my wife kinda like's to know where we're going, when we'll get there and what we'll do/see when we arrive.

 

Carl, from up my way, says a fella name JAYCEESFOLLY might have a few ideas......so, if you're listening, Jim, we're open to ideas. In terms of stats: I'm riding an '03 Midnight...she's on an '04 V-Star 1100 Classic. We like the back roads (let's call 'em secondary highways...for her sake). Like any other bikers, we love the rolling, bending countryside with lots of nice scenery.....we just never get a chance to get out and "discover" our own roads, so any guidance in the quadrant defined by Columbus Ohio in the West, Roanoke VA in the South, Boston in the East and Burlington Vermont in the North is greatly appreciated. (I'll try to attach a jpeg of what we figure is our potential "span of travel", given the time we have 'burn'. (Oh...and ignore my signature.....we're NOT heading West...where the SNOW IS!!)(edit: we're also not camping; motels or B&B are minimum creature comforts :-)

 

Thanks for any ideas, guys!

Edited September 17, 2014 by Semi-retired

[etcswjoe]

Try the Back of the Dragon in Va and you can go by the New River Bridge on your way down. Take a look at this website:

 

http://www.visitvirginiamountains.com/trails.html

[djh3]

I have rode some nice stuff in Northern Kentucky and western WV. RoadRuner Mag did a couple of rides I can get the GPS stuff that went around Mich and one that was Ohio River Valley Had some nice points of interest. Heres a Detroit to over by Toronto. Wheeling West Virginia area. I have done some of the Bonzi tours like that. Ride 12 hr a day to get there and have some much crammed into the day its not relaxing, only to know you have to ride like the dickens to get back home.

[Prairiehammer]

Ontario Parkway. Adirondacks. Vermont. Maine. Campobello Island. Return along Maine coast. etc.

http://goo.gl/maps/hLlE2

[Semi-retired]

That's a great looking Eastern run option.

 

I take it that's one you've done?

 

When Google maps came up, it showed "Avoid Highways".......is that because I had it set that way while looking at something else........or did YOU set it that way to make a more enjoyable trip?

 

It shows up as a 19.5 hour trip.....one way......from here in St. Catharines.......but I'm sure it would be a gorgeous ride. I was out to Loudon (150 years ago) and I remember New Hampshire (Live Free or Die country!) being a biker's heaven.

 

Plus, I guess we could bail out North to Quebec or Montreal if we decided we needed to get back to Canada (or my son's place in Ottawa).

 

Thanks for the tip, buddy. Trust you are all healed up by now?

 

Later,

Mike

[Semi-retired]

I have rode some nice stuff in Northern Kentucky and western WV. RoadRuner Mag did a couple of rides I can get the GPS stuff that went around Mich and one that was Ohio River Valley Had some nice points of interest. Heres a Detroit to over by Toronto. Wheeling West Virginia area. I have done some of the Bonzi tours like that. Ride 12 hr a day to get there and have some much crammed into the day its not relaxing, only to know you have to ride like the dickens to get back home.

 

Loving the looks of that West Virginia stuff, Dion! Thanks very much for the input.

 

The Touring Site is great.....complete with the maps. Haven't seen it before.

 

If weather up here stays cool.......we just may head to "John Denver" country!

 

Thanks again for the link,

 

Michael

[Semi-retired]

I know the answer is going to be........"It depends", but I have to ask: Since wifey wants to know where we're going to be putting our heads down on any given night......what daily mileage...or "hourage" should we count on putting in.....for comfortable riding days?

 

I know.....it depends on....

 

What kinda roads you wanna be on? (Not Interstates)

 

How fast you wanna ride? (Speed limits are fine)

 

What time of day will we start and stop riding? (Probably 9 or 10AM till 3 or 4...with lunch break sometime in the middle.....duh!)

 

IS there a number that can be considered an "AVERAGE"? (survey says?????.........)

[etcswjoe]

When we are riding with no real destination in mind and traveling back roads we plan on 250 miles a day and with all the site seeing and picture taking it is usually 8 to 10 hours between stops.

[Prairiehammer]

That's a great looking Eastern run option.

 

I take it that's one you've done?

 

When Google maps came up, it showed "Avoid Highways".......is that because I had it set that way while looking at something else........or did YOU set it that way to make a more enjoyable trip?

 

It shows up as a 19.5 hour trip.....one way......from here in St. Catharines.......but I'm sure it would be a gorgeous ride. I was out to Loudon (150 years ago) and I remember New Hampshire (Live Free or Die country!) being a biker's heaven.

 

Plus, I guess we could bail out North to Quebec or Montreal if we decided we needed to get back to Canada (or my son's place in Ottawa).

 

Thanks for the tip, buddy. Trust you are all healed up by now?

 

Later,

Mike

 

Mike, attached find a pdf of our trip to New England. It is a calendar in which I recorded daily start times, time of fuel and sight seeing stops and time at which we arrived at our nightly stay. We were camping and as you can see, tried to hit the road around 0900 and I tried to be at our campsite by mid afternoon. We stopped and smelled the roses, ate lunch daily; sometimes a picnic lunch on the beach, sometimes at a sit-down restaurant; we stopped to shop occasionally, too.

I tried for about 250 mile days, except for the first day. All the rest of the days were relaxing and mostly stress free (well, there was some stress in Rochester when the a-hole rearended us, some stress in the Adirondacks when I got a flat tire, some stress in Maine when I ran out of gas), but overall, easy days.

Yes the Google map was an approximate route during part of our New England trip and yes, I set Google to 'no highways'.

Yes, we are all healed up. Thanks for asking.

[bongobobny]

Southeast Pennsylvania is another great area to explore with the Pocono mountains, Philadelphia area, and PA Dutch country to name a few. You might want to consider the New England states as well...

[Semi-retired]

Southeast Pennsylvania is another great area to explore with the Pocono mountains, Philadelphia area, and PA Dutch country to name a few. You might want to consider the New England states as well...

 

Thanks for your "2cents", Robert. Actually.....the more we look Eastward........the more the "Seaboard" beckons.

 

Something between YOUR suggestion (S.E.P.A.) and Kevin's......may very well end up being the solution..........although Dion's WV looks great, too!!

 

Wow........you guys are almost too good........now we've got more ideas than days.

 

But, heh, ideas are like guns.......Better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it!!

 

:-)

[Prairiehammer]

Here's an interesting website, in which you input your speed and hours and it generates a map of how far one can drive with those parameters. I used St. Catharines, 60kph and six hours.

http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-can-i-travel.htm?address=st.%20catharines,%20ON&speed=60&time=6&accuracy=5&u=km&hw=true&m=false&mode=DRIVING

 

Here's one at 100kph and six hours. Although I don't think you can average 100kph on secondary roads, it is still interesting.

http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-can-i-travel.htm?address=st.%20catharines,%20ON&speed=100&time=6&accuracy=5&u=km&hw=true&m=false&mode=DRIVING

Edited September 17, 2014 by Prairiehammer

[Semi-retired]

Here's an interesting website, in which you input your speed and hours and it generates a map of how far one can drive with those parameters. I used St. Catharines, 60kph and six hours.

http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-can-i-travel.htm?address=st.%20catharines,%20ON&speed=60&time=6&accuracy=5&u=km&hw=true&m=false&mode=DRIVING

 

Here's one at 100kph and six hours. Although I don't think you can average 100kph on secondary roads, it is still interesting.

http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-can-i-travel.htm?address=st.%20catharines,%20ON&speed=100&time=6&accuracy=5&u=km&hw=true&m=false&mode=DRIVING

 

Beautiful!!

 

I see it even sends some kind of 'ZOMBIE' out that picks off actual "towns of consequence".....so you can see what "real place" (as opposed to a farmer's field!) you could make it too by going that particular distance. GENIUS!

 

Thanks for whipping that outta the old magic sack, Kevin. (God, I LOVE dealing with guys who have as much time on their hands as I do.....but actually KNOW what they're doing!!)

 

:-)

[Tisunac]

You can't go wrong with West Virginia-Virginia area. Rt219 is nice, visit Seneca Rocks, than you can take either rt33 or rt250 towards Virginia - a lot of curves and great views. Than take Blue Ridge Parkway for some vistas. You can visit breweries on rt151 in Virginia (3-4 breweries, 5-6 wineries within 25 miles), grab a lunch at Devil's Backbone, or pizza at Blue Mountain Brewery. Visit Charlottesville, home of three US presidents.

 

Back in WV, stay at Old Clark Inn in Marlinton which caters to motorcyclists, owners ride and can suggest you rides in the area (beautiful nature, no people around). Be ready - gas stations and restaurants are few and far between in WV.

 

The whole area between WV and VA is great riding countryside...

[djh3]

Mike Road Runner is the only magazine I have kept a subscription to for over like 5 yr. Good articles, loads of different trips maps etc. for $30 a year I enjoy it. Watch for specials and you can get it a bit cheaper and I think they give us a discount anyways. Sure helps the winter months go by easier.

[cowpuc]

Man,, I dont know Semi,,,, that saying in your sig by Bob Seger sure sounds inviting to me personally:cool10:

Driftin along with the front wheel pointed in a Southwesterly direction and, as YammerDan would say,, follow it!! But thats just ol Pucs heart speakin..

Back road driftin to Gettysburg, the Curtis Museum, Barr Harbour, Bay of Fundy, finding old coal mines in the Appalacians, Holocaust Museum - Ground Zero Memorial - boat ride to Staten Island NYC - Arlington (no back roads though), camping at the Finger Lakes, tidal bore hunting in Nova Scotia, refinding that great big Moose on the eastern seaboard wherever it was :rotf:all would be a BLAST!! If you do decide to head toward the Dragon,, the Red River Gorge area in KY is an amazing back road ride too!!

As far as the how many miles question,, thats a toughy,,, I say ride your ride my friend.. What ever leaves you both smiling at the end of the day is whats important..

 

Bottom line my friend, no matter what you decide or where you folks head,, I wanna wish you both the TIME OF YOUR LIVES!! Ride safe, take some pictures for us and have fun!

[Atoolnut]

Last year did trip to gatlinburg..1 overnight stop in Findlay Ohio..next day back way down through Cumberland gap...once you are there there is lots to do with short trips....this year..Kentucky again one overnight stop in Ohio..short day trips again..lake Cumberland region....Poconos is good area..short trips around area are great..Jim Thorpe..just got back from finger lakes..4 days 1100 km..no long days could spend more time there...go to hotel coupons.com for discounts...walk in deals are better than internet booking..

[Semi-retired]

Mike, attached find a pdf of our trip to New England. It is a calendar in which I recorded daily start times, time of fuel and sight seeing stops and time at which we arrived at our nightly stay.

\Yes the Google map was an approximate route during part of our New England trip and yes, I set Google to 'no highways'.

Yes, we are all healed up. Thanks for asking.

 

Ah, interesting. Amazed that you actually have those notes in 'analog' format! (Pad and pen on tank bag? :-)

 

Hate to see the word "wrecked" at the end! And on that note, as per our phone conversation yesterday, I went to the TSC store and bought my mother-f'ing huge, HIGH-VIZ, glows-in-the-dark, ORANGE and YELLOW, Velcro-in-place, highway worker, safety vest. They only had XXL in stock........so, I get the added benefit of this thing possibly doing a little FLAPPING in the breeze.......for EXTRA ATTENTION!! (I know 'flapping' is a bad thing on a bike.....but, remember, we're going nice and slow this time......a la speed limit!)

[Madcow]

Skyline Drive is a bit of a haul from your place but, this is a unique ride that wont soon be forgotten. I live just a few miles from the northern entrance and have been up there LOTS of times. The many overlooks have views only rivaled by The Blue Mountains, Ontario. We just got back from a vacation on Georgian Bay so, I know the trip "can" be made in a 13hr run by car. Prolly a bit much for a bike.

 

http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/whole_park.pdf

 

I have to say too that, I truly LOVED Canada. Cleanest place I have ever been, not to mention, some of the nicest people ever. After many a trip across the US I now know I'll be headed north for vacations.

[Max]

I know the answer is going to be........"It depends", but I have to ask: Since wifey wants to know where we're going to be putting our heads down on any given night......

what daily mileage...or "hourage" should we count on putting in.....for comfortable riding days?

 

Semi, we travel 100 - 300 mp/day depending on availability and distance between hotels.

Full week (10 days) run averaging 2000 mi would comfortably take you around most of the mentioned routes.

 

 

 

What time of day will we start and stop riding? (Probably 9 or 10AM till 3 or 4...with lunch break sometime in the middle.....duh!)

IS there a number that can be considered an "AVERAGE"? (survey says?????.........)

 

I find 10-3PM is a good riding window this time of year. I like the odds in our favor (probably wishfull thinking) avoiding dawn and dusk

as those 4 legged critters seem to like wandering across ashpalt more so in the fall. (our experience)

Have fun and a great trip.

[djh3]

Semi On your vest predickament. Find a bungee cord thats not to tight to wrap around your middle and put it over the vest. Should keep it from flapping as much. Or visit a local seamstress and see if they can split up sides and put a couple eyelets in it to adjust. May have to fold over or something to get small enough. But how come you bought the king kong size? Is there only one store in town that sells them? I got mine a nice BILT from Cycle Gear on sale for around $20. Heres one from Jafrum for under $30

[Semi-retired]

Mike Road Runner is the only magazine I have kept a subscription to for over like 5 yr. Good articles, loads of different trips maps etc. for $30 a year I enjoy it. Watch for specials and you can get it a bit cheaper and I think they give us a discount anyways. Sure helps the winter months go by easier.

 

Thanks, Dion.

 

I'll keep an eye open for it!

[Semi-retired]

Semi On your vest predickament. Find a bungee cord thats not to tight to wrap around your middle and put it over the vest. Should keep it from flapping as much. Or visit a local seamstress and see if they can split up sides and put a couple eyelets in it to adjust. May have to fold over or something to get small enough. But how come you bought the king kong size? Is there only one store in town that sells them? I got mine a nice BILT from Cycle Gear on sale for around $20. Heres one from Jafrum for under $30

 

My CHEAPSKATE nature got the better of me! They had them on sale for $11 and change!

 

I'll suit up today with my leather jacket and see just how "floppy" it is....then decide from there if I'm gonna "modify" it.....or just take it back. Thanks for the tips. Later,m.

[Semi-retired]

Skyline Drive is a bit of a haul from your place but, this is a unique ride that wont soon be forgotten. I live just a few miles from the northern entrance and have been up there LOTS of times. The many overlooks have views only rivaled by The Blue Mountains, Ontario. We just got back from a vacation on Georgian Bay so, I know the trip "can" be made in a 13hr run by car. Prolly a bit much for a bike.

 

http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/whole_park.pdf

 

I have to say too that, I truly LOVED Canada. Cleanest place I have ever been, not to mention, some of the nicest people ever. After many a trip across the US I now know I'll be headed north for vacations.

 

Thanks for the info, Ken.......and your kind words about Canadians. We find the same to be true about Americans. Fact is, most of mankind seems to be on pretty good terms with each other when you're on vacation. (It's only those WARS and such that bring out the bullcrap!)

 

No denying, Ontario IS beautiful.....but, this time of year our hearts, thermometers and T-shirts are all thinking SOUTH!! :-)

[Semi-retired]

Just changed the oil in old Betsy for our upcoming trip (tomorrow!!)

 

Any harm in having that oil-check window filled completely when the bike is standing upright?

 

I thought it took just slightly MORE than a gallon......but, between US and Imperial.....maybe I got mixed up.

 

I COULD pull the drain plug, but is it worth it to offload 3 or 4 ounces?

 

(To answer the probable question.......YES, I did fire it up to fill the new filter, and I'm still at the top of the window......but, JUST.)

 

Thoughts?