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Cruiser
Posts: 251
| Hey All My Wife (750 Shadow), I ( 09 ViVi Prem Tour), a buddy (V-Star) and another couple (Goldwing) are heading out on a trip from Vancouver Island down to San Diego, across to Vegas (Jul 4 weekend), Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and then migrating north back into Washington and return home. As we have never been to this part of the world, just wondering if anyone has any words of advice/warning, must see, places to avoid and whatever else you think might be useful info? Thx | |
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Tourer
Posts: 520
Simi Valley, CA | My wife and son and I did a border to border ride last Summer, we actually were in Vancouver Island. My advice, take the coast.
My son wrote a blog about each day, check it out and it will give you an idea of the roads and experiences we had..
http://dirtbagramblings.blogspot.com/2009/07/border-to-border-intro...
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Cruiser
Posts: 233
flagstaff, AZ | Definitely see the "North Rim" of Grand Canyon, Monument Valley is ok, but if you need to skip something Monument Valley would be it. The roads can be a little rough, but being attentive will get your thru without problems. Have a blast! | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 152
Litchfield Park, AZ | well if you are going to go from San Diego to Las Vegas then you will be heading right through the heart of the Mohave and Sonoran deserts....in the heart of summer. Make sure you are prepared. Ride As EARLY as possible and cover up your skin from the sun. Also take the monsoons VERY seriously. Do not try to ride through any low spots with water on the road if you value your bike or your body and if you see a dust storm coming you have about 30 seconds to get hunkered down before you get sandblasted. If you try and ride through one of those storms it could be the last thing you ever do. Just take the weather very seriously out there. You may never see anything but blue skies but best to be prepared and know what "could" come your way. That is going to be a great trip...I'm jealous. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | roundtwig - 2010-06-16 10:44 PM
Definitely see the "North Rim" of Grand Canyon, Monument Valley is ok, but if you need to skip something Monument Valley would be it. The roads can be a little rough, but being attentive will get your thru without problems. Have a blast!
Roundtwig - in little over a week I'll be riding through them parts and expected to see the "South Rim". What would I be missing as opposed to the North Rim? | |
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Tourer
Posts: 576
, IA | half a million people | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 160
Lennox, SD | The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is prettier in my opnion and a lot fewer people.
I would have to recommend Zion National Park although there is construction within the park, Escalante(The Grand Staircase) Hwy 12 in Utah, Bryce Canyon and the eastern side of The Falming Gorge from Vernal Utah to Wyoming. I also have to recommend The Capitol Reef National Park between Torrey, UT and Hanksville, UT.
If you find yourselves in Green River, UT stop by Ray's Tavern for a great burger or steak. Just a little neighborhood place that I found and it was great. | |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 742
North Orange County CA | Phoenix9 has some very good safety advice; I'm going to add a warning that is specific to SoCal to Vegas travel on holiday weekends (since your plan is to be in Vegas for 4th of July)
The run up the I-15 to Las Vegas on any Friday before a long holiday weekend can be deadly. Saturday will be even worse.
This route is crammed to overflowing with gamblers, Vegas bound tour/party buses, and the boaters headed to the Colorado River and the lakes for the long weekend. This means that until you get to Barstow where a most of the boat traffic bleeds off onto I-40 you will be running a gauntlet of people who are driving like idiots.
California seems to breed more than its fair share of drivers who think that common courtesy and road safety rules do not apply to them. The drive from the 57/91 intersection to Vegas under ideal conditions is 4-4.5 hours. When faced with a 6-8 hour drive in heavy traffic many of them shut off their brains entirely and operate on adrenaline and rage.
They leave no following space, when the traffic is moving at 70 mph there will often be somebody 10 ft off your rear tire.
They routinely pass on the right (even when the highway is only two lanes).
They weave in and out of traffic without signaling.
Most of the boat traffic is made up of people who tow a trailer two to three times a year, and who have no idea how long their rig is and often forget its back there.
There is always some idiot pulling a large trailer who decides to pass a truck on a grade causing the flow of traffic to be very erratic. One minute you're doing 65-70 then its nothing but break-lights and panic stops as traffic slows to 20 -30 mph then speeds up again for no discernible reason.
Finally there are the gamblers who drive like, yup you guessed it , gamblers! They take a lot of risks (often at other peoples expense) and ignore the fact that the house (in this case physics) always wins in the end.
If you feel that you must travel this route on that Friday get a lot of rest the day before and leave very very very early. Rush hour starts at 6:30 AM in the LA / Orange County area and you will want to be long gone before that begins.
Even if you leave early you will still experience traffic that people who are used to rural travel will find very heavy. | |
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Tourer
Posts: 506
Woodland Hills, CA | Gerica - 2010-06-16 5:22 PM
Hey All ?My Wife (750 Shadow), I ( 09 ViVi Prem Tour), a buddy (V-Star) and another couple (Goldwing) are heading out on a trip from Vancouver Island down to San Diego, across to Vegas (Jul 4 weekend), Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and then migrating north back into Washington and return home. As we have never been to this part of the world, just wondering if anyone has any words of advice/warning, must see,?places to avoid and whatever else you think might be useful info? Thx
Hey Gerry,
We are planning a trip from LA to Victoria the fist 2 weeks in August, so I will be interested to hear how your trip goes, and if you have any advice for us. We plan on heading up the east part of California, then through Oregon and Washington, across the Cascades to Port Angeles, then to Victoria (where my girlfriend is from). Some riding on Vancouver Island, then back home down the coast. Any help or guidance you can give to me would be appreciated as well.
As far as your trip, like a couple of the others, I too recommend the north rim of the Grand Canyon, and definitely AVOID I-15 on the weekends as one poster recommended. Also, having ridden the entire coast of California, I would highly recommend it if you can make it that far west.
Good luck and have a great trip. | |
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Tourer
Posts: 506
Woodland Hills, CA | Gerica - 2010-06-16 5:22 PM
Hey All ?My Wife (750 Shadow), I ( 09 ViVi Prem Tour), a buddy (V-Star) and another couple (Goldwing) are heading out on a trip from Vancouver Island down to San Diego, across to Vegas (Jul 4 weekend), Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and then migrating north back into Washington and return home. As we have never been to this part of the world, just wondering if anyone has any words of advice/warning, must see,?places to avoid and whatever else you think might be useful info? Thx
One more thing, we have always wanted to ride Monument Valley, so I would really be interested to hear how you liked it. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 2118
Pitt Meadows, BC Canada | Wizard523 - 2010-06-17 11:28 AM Gerica - 2010-06-16 5:22 PM Hey Gerry, We are planning a trip from LA to Victoria the fist 2 weeks in August, so I will be interested to hear how your trip goes, and if you have any advice for us. We plan on heading up the east part of California, then through Oregon and Washington, across the Cascades to Port Angeles, then to Victoria (where my girlfriend is from). Some riding on Vancouver Island, then back home down the coast. Any help or guidance you can give to me would be appreciated as well. As far as your trip, like a couple of the others, I too recommend the north rim of the Grand Canyon, and definitely AVOID I-15 on the weekends as one poster recommended. Also, having ridden the entire coast of California, I would highly recommend it if you can make it that far west. Good luck and have a great trip. Mike, if you leave Vancouver Island via the Nanaimo Ferry to Horseshoe Bay - that brings you right into my turf (West Vancouver) - maybe we could link up.... Keep in touch if you are coming that way ... Don | |
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Tourer
Posts: 506
Woodland Hills, CA | donetracey - 2010-06-17 10:57 AM
Wizard523 - 2010-06-17 11:28 AM Gerica - 2010-06-16 5:22 PM Hey Gerry, We are planning a trip from LA to Victoria the fist 2 weeks in August, so I will be interested to hear how your trip goes, and if you have any advice for us. We plan on heading up the east part of California, then through Oregon and Washington, across the Cascades to Port Angeles, then to Victoria (where my girlfriend is from). Some riding on Vancouver Island, then back home down the coast. Any help or guidance you can give to me would be appreciated as well. As far as your trip, like a couple of the others, I too recommend the north rim of the Grand Canyon, and definitely AVOID I-15 on the weekends as one poster recommended. Also, having ridden the entire coast of California, I would highly recommend it if you can make it that far west. Good luck and have a great trip. ?Mike, if you leave Vancouver Island via the Nanaimo Ferry to Horseshoe Bay - that brings you right into my turf (West Vancouver) - maybe we could link up.... Keep in touch if you are coming that way ...? Don
Don,
We may in fact head over to Vancouver for a day or 2, and if we do, it would be great to hook up! I will email you with my particulars so we can stay in touch.
M. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 233
flagstaff, AZ | varyder - 2010-06-17 5:20 AM
roundtwig - 2010-06-16 10:44 PM
Definitely see the "North Rim" of Grand Canyon, Monument Valley is ok, but if you need to skip something Monument Valley would be it. The roads can be a little rough, but being attentive will get your thru without problems. Have a blast!
Roundtwig - in little over a week I'll be riding through them parts and expected to see the "South Rim". What would I be missing as opposed to the North Rim?
Your route is along I-40, south rim is closer by 200 miles. The north rim is higher elevation - 8800' and quite a few less people. Just a different view. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 251
| I just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and advice. I have emailed a link to this page for my travel companions to take a read through as well....
Thanks Again | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 172
Prescott, Az | Wizard523 - 2010-06-18 11:36 AM
Gerica - 2010-06-16 5:22 PM
Hey All ?My Wife (750 Shadow), I ( 09 ViVi Prem Tour), a buddy (V-Star) and another couple (Goldwing) are heading out on a trip from Vancouver Island down to San Diego, across to Vegas (Jul 4 weekend), Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and then migrating north back into Washington and return home. As we have never been to this part of the world, just wondering if anyone has any words of advice/warning, must see,?places to avoid and whatever else you think might be useful info? Thx
One more thing, we have always wanted to ride Monument Valley, so I would really be interested to hear how you liked it.
I liked Monument Valley. I felt like I was in a Roadrunner cartoon. Southern Utah is beautiful. | |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 38
Tucson,AZ | The Hoover Dam, while impressive is a traffic nightmare with all the security. | |
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