Cross Country 8-9k Mile Road Trip in July on my FJ

[vinnie]

Hey Everyone,
 
I am going on a cross country road trip on my FJ in July. 3 weeks and by myself, unless others want to join me..anyone is welcome to join, if they have the time and desire. If you're interested in hearing about it, feel free to follow me on Instagram. I made an account just to be able to share pictures from the road using my phone and DSLR. The map below is not the most accurate, but just a visual. I am riding without using a highway and going down the entire HW 1 in California. 
 
IG: ADVPhotocycle (Click Here)
 

[crd]

Sounds like an awesome few weeks you've got planned! I hope I can take that kind of time to do something similar one day. I am, however confused about your mentioning of avoiding highways but also mentioning doing the entirety of highway one in California while you maps appears to stick to the eastern boarder of the state  O_o .
 
As a resident of this beautiful state and having spent a fair bit of time along the coastline, I am willing to provide some unsolicited feedback . There have certainly been times when I have been riding along the coast in awe, although there have been at least as many times when I have been very frustrated being stuck behind a seemingly endless parade of caravans. Even safely making extra-legal double yellow passes just to end up behind yet another slow moving Prius/SUV/Rental RV gets old pretty quick.
 
I would suggest choosing strategic stretches of the coastline that would be bearable in such a situation while focusing on exploring the numerous routes. You could spend days just zig zagging sierra passes without being bored. I'm happy to provide some suggestions and GPS tracks if you are interested.
 
Anyway, enjoy your trip. I am looking forward to following your adventure and living vicariously through this thread.

[fddriver2]

By Highway 1 I assume you are talking the Pacific Coast Highway. It is closed until further notice near Big Sur..... And a few other places in North California
 
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/display.php?page=sr1
 
http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html
 
Sorry about the bad news. The rest of the trip looks awesome... Have a blast and do a Ride report for those of us living vicariously through others....

[cricket1]

Sounds like a great trip!
 
I'd say to heed CRd's advice about the PCH. It is a great road when there is no traffic. But making time on it.... not going to happen.
 
Are you planning to ride every single day, or take some days off the bike here and there? So many cool things to see on that trip, that you might want to spend a bit of time at alot of the diversions.
 
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but with the route you have planned, spread across 21 days is 400 miles per day. If you are not going to be using any interstate freeways, I would think you will be riding 9-10 hours a day, every day, for 21 days straight. If you take one day off the bike a week, then need to average 470 mi per day for those 18 days. Way more than I would want to ride, no matter what the bike. But that is just me, I am not an IBA type of rider. This ride over 4 weeks would be perfect. Allows time to enjoy the sights, allows time for bad weather, etc. With one day off per week, 24 days of riding would be 350 miles per riding day.
 
Might be no big deal to you, and could be a great trip!
 
Have fun

[vinnie]

Sounds like an awesome few weeks you've got planned! I hope I can take that kind of time to do something similar one day. I am, however confused about your mentioning of avoiding highways but also mentioning doing the entirety of highway one in California while you maps appears to stick to the eastern boarder of the state  O_o .  
As a resident of this beautiful state and having spent a fair bit of time along the coastline, I am willing to provide some unsolicited feedback . There have certainly been times when I have been riding along the coast in awe, although there have been at least as many times when I have been very frustrated being stuck behind a seemingly endless parade of caravans. Even safely making extra-legal double yellow passes just to end up behind yet another slow moving Prius/SUV/Rental RV gets old pretty quick.
 
I would suggest choosing strategic stretches of the coastline that would be bearable in such a situation while focusing on exploring the numerous routes. You could spend days just zig zagging sierra passes without being bored. I'm happy to provide some suggestions and GPS tracks if you are interested.
 
Anyway, enjoy your trip. I am looking forward to following your adventure and living vicariously through this thread.

Thanks for the advice and offer. I bought a garmin motorcycle gps specifically for this trip, so I will definitely take you up on some gps tracks before I head out and some advice on stretches worth traveling on the PCH. The map itself in the image wasn't very accurate because google maps no longer allows for more that ~8 stops and has a max number of changes to the route. I wanted to show a visual, but it was being a pain. I did, though, mean PCH. I've never been out to CA, so I carelessly confused the name of the road. 

By Highway 1 I assume you are talking the Pacific Coast Highway. It is closed until further notice near Big Sur..... And a few other places in North California 
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/display.php?page=sr1
 
http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/highway_conditions.html
 
Sorry about the bad news. The rest of the trip looks awesome... Have a blast and do a Ride report for those of us living vicariously through others....

I had no idea, so thanks for sharing! You assumed correct...I just didn't know it was spefically called that 

Sounds like a great trip! 
I'd say to heed CRd's advice about the PCH. It is a great road when there is no traffic. But making time on it.... not going to happen.
 
Are you planning to ride every single day, or take some days off the bike here and there? So many cool things to see on that trip, that you might want to spend a bit of time at alot of the diversions.
 
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but with the route you have planned, spread across 21 days is 400 miles per day. If you are not going to be using any interstate freeways, I would think you will be riding 9-10 hours a day, every day, for 21 days straight. If you take one day off the bike a week, then need to average 470 mi per day for those 18 days. Way more than I would want to ride, no matter what the bike. But that is just me, I am not an IBA type of rider. This ride over 4 weeks would be perfect. Allows time to enjoy the sights, allows time for bad weather, etc. With one day off per week, 24 days of riding would be 350 miles per riding day.
 
Might be no big deal to you, and could be a great trip!
 
Have fun

I will definitely have to do some more research on the PCH for good sections to ride. I have heard of the bad traffic along it, but I was under the impression it's mostly down by LA. You are correct about the schedule. While it may seem like a lot, and may be a lot, I do enjoy extended rides and do 12-14 hour days on the bike; I managed to put 22k miles on my FJ within a year of ownership doing a lot of long days in the saddle! You are also right about taking more time, but, unfortunately, I won't be able to take any more time off from work. I had to try really hard to get 3 weeks off at my job and they're awesome for letting me do it.  
 
I have 2 actual sections of interstate highway that I'm considering taking, in order to reduce some time on the trip. That would be 2.5 days on the highway (not in a row) in areas that I have ridden locally before or the places I am least interested in seeing. It would save me about 18 hours of road time, if I needed it. If I had an abundant amount of time, I would take a few months and take my time.

[fanowater]

Looks like a great trip. Enjoy!!!!!
I live in Northern California and highly recommend the coast north of San Francisco. I would also suggest adding more of southern Utah. It is stunning. I leave in a week for my third trip there in 2 years.
I rode to BC and Glacier last fall - just magnificent!

[jgalloway]

What are the dates on this trip? I'm riding from IN to my brother's house in CO, and will be in CO on the 14th. Then I'll be riding to CA specifically to ride the PCH. I drove it in a car 5 years ago, and have been wanting to hit it on a bike since. I don't have to be home until the 23rd, so I'm flexible on when I can head to CA. If we can work it out, I'll meet you and ride it with you.
 
I'm locked in on my route/date on the way to CO, because I'm making it a Saddle Sore ride. But I could possibly ride back East with you from CA as far as IN.
 

[fddriver2]

 Then I'll be riding to CA specifically to ride the PCH. I drove it in a car 5 years ago, and have been wanting to hit it on a bike since. 

I'm posting this one more time. The following is a copy and paste from the California Department of Transportation as of this am.  
This highway information is the latest reported as of Friday, April 28, 2017 at 04:56.
 
http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi?roadnumber=SR+1&submit=Search
 
Current State Route 1 Conditions
 
Before driving, check with the Caltrans Highway Information Network (CHIN) 800.427.7623
 
 
 
SR 1
 
[iN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
 
NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA.
 
 
 
[iN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
 
IS CLOSED FROM RAGGED POINT (SAN LUIS OBISPO CO) TO GORDA (MONTEREY CO)
 
- DUE TO MUDSLIDE REMOVAL - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE
 
- MOTORISTS CAN ACCESS SR 1 FROM GORDA TO LIMEKILN STATE PARK BY USING
 
NACIMIENTO-FERGUSON RD
 
 
 
IS CLOSED FROM LIMEKILN CREEK BRIDGE TO 0.5 MI SOUTH OF BIG SUR STATE PARK
 
/IN BIG SUR/ (MONTEREY CO) - DUE TO MUDSLIDE REMOVAL & BRIDGE REPLACEMENT
 
- MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE
 
 
 
IS CLOSED FROM 3.3 MI NORTH OF THE JCT OF US 101 /AT PANORAMIC HIGHWAY/ TO
 
5.7 MI NORTH OF THE JCT OF US 101 /AT PACIFIC WAY/ (MARIN CO) - DUE TO A
 
SLIP-OUT - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE - LOCAL RESIDENTS
 
WITH PROPER IDENTIFICATION WILL BE ALLOWED ACCESS
 
 
 
IS CLOSED FROM 1 MI NORTH OF MUIR BEACH /AT SLIDE RANCH/ TO 0.2 MI SOUTH
 
OF STINSON BEACH (MARIN CO) - DUE TO MUDSLIDE REMOVAL - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED
 
TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE - LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH PROPER IDENTIFICATION WILL BE
 
ALLOWED ACCESS
 
 
 
1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC 4.9 MI NORTH OF BIG SUR (MONTEREY CO) 24 HRS A DAY
 
7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 1700 HRS ON 5/19/17 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
 
 
 
1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FROM 1.2 MI NORTH TO 1.5 MI NORTH OF CARMET
 
(SONOMA CO) 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU 1800 HRS ON 5/31/17 - DUE TO
 
CONSTRUCTION
 
 
 
1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS FROM 4.4 MI NORTH OF THE
 
JCT OF SR 116 /AT RUSSIAN GULCH/ TO 6.3 MI SOUTH OF FORT ROSS
 
/AT MEYERS GRADE RD/ (SONOMA CO) - DUE TO FLOOD DAMAGE REPAIR - MOTORISTS ARE
 
SUBJECT TO DELAYS OF UP TO 30 MINUTES
 
 
 
1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS FROM 11.1 MI NORTH TO
 
12.4 MI NORTH OF THE JCT OF SR 116 (SONOMA CO) 24 HRS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK THRU
 
2359 HRS ON 5/31/17 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION
 
 
 
[iN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA]
 
1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC 2.5 MI SOUTH OF ROCKPORT (MENDOCINO CO) - DUE TO
 
MUDSLIDE REMOVAL
 
 
 
1-WAY CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FROM 2.3 MI SOUTH TO 0.7 MI SOUTH OF
 
THE JCT OF US 101 (MENDOCINO CO) - DUE TO MUDSLIDE REMOVAL
 
 
 

[oldfart]

Okay, write this down. Take I-5 out of LA at a non-busy time of day (mid-day or late night) to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield take CA Hwy 58 west until it intersects with 101. Take 101 North to Atascadero then Hwy 41 west to Morro Bay where you join Hwy 1 for the best part of the trip. Hwy 1 through Big Sur will be open by July. I'm not sure why anybody is bothering you with current traffic updates, your trip isn't until July! I've lived in that area all my life and you'll love the roads. Sure, it's slow on Hwy 1 for many stretches so try to avoid weekends. But the Big Sur coastline is the most magnificent in the world and you don't want to miss it.

[fddriver2]

The only reason I commented on this is because I will be in LA for work in June and my wife is going to join me so we could drive up the PCH.  x_x A friend in LA said that the repairs to the PCH would not be completed until the end of the year. At the earliest... Which started my search.
 
While I don't doubt oldfart's information. He is a local and local info rules. This is what you find when you search it.
 
http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2017/03/big_sur_highway_will_be_closed.html
 
"Big Sur highway will be closed for a year, as crews demolish damaged bridge"
 
By Jamie Hale | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on March 13, 2017 at 1:47 PM
 
 
"California transportation officials condemned the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on Feb. 21 when it buckled to the point of near-collapse after taking a beating from winter storms. Crews began demolition Monday, and officials announced it will take nine months to a year to complete construction on a replacement."
 
 
 
 

[fddriver2]

A report.
 
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/28/big-sur-bridge-set-to-open-jan-1-connecting-broken-link-along-highway-1/
 
"Mark your calendars for Big Sur’s grand re-opening for business from the north: Saturday night, Sept. 30, according to CalTrans’ latest projection"
 
 
"That means it’ll be six months before Big Sur’s broken link — the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, damaged by winter storms — is ready for tourists to make the classic coastal Highway 1 drive between Northern and Southern California.
 
Honestly it seems a little optimistic to me.
 

[koth442]

Hit me up when you come through southern MO. I'll do a day or two with you if the timing works.

[vinnie]

What are the dates on this trip? I'm riding from IN to my brother's house in CO, and will be in CO on the 14th. Then I'll be riding to CA specifically to ride the PCH. I drove it in a car 5 years ago, and have been wanting to hit it on a bike since. I don't have to be home until the 23rd, so I'm flexible on when I can head to CA. If we can work it out, I'll meet you and ride it with you. 
I'm locked in on my route/date on the way to CO, because I'm making it a Saddle Sore ride. But I could possibly ride back East with you from CA as far as IN.

Sounds awesome...When I have it in front of me, I'll shoot you a PM with my tentative schedule and locations for that time. It'd be great to ride with another rider 

Okay, write this down. Take I-5 out of LA at a non-busy time of day (mid-day or late night) to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield take CA Hwy 58 west until it intersects with 101. Take 101 North to Atascadero then Hwy 41 west to Morro Bay where you join Hwy 1 for the best part of the trip. Hwy 1 through Big Sur will be open by July. I'm not sure why anybody is bothering you with current traffic updates, your trip isn't until July! I've lived in that area all my life and you'll love the roads. Sure, it's slow on Hwy 1 for many stretches so try to avoid weekends. But the Big Sur coastline is the most magnificent in the world and you don't want to miss it.

Thanks for the route suggestion! I wrote it down! 

Hit me up when you come through southern MO. I'll do a day or two with you if the timing works.

Sounds good...I'll make note to PM you of that on my travel plan for that area

[betoney]

 
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but with the route you have planned, spread across 21 days is 400 miles per day. If you are not going to be using any interstate freeways, I would think you will be riding 9-10 hours a day, every day, for 21 days straight. If you take one day off the bike a week, then need to average 470 mi per day for those 18 days. Way more than I would want to ride, no matter what the bike. But that is just me, I am not an IBA type of rider. This ride over 4 weeks would be perfect. Allows time to enjoy the sights, allows time for bad weather, etc. With one day off per week, 24 days of riding would be 350 miles per riding day.
 
Might be no big deal to you, and could be a great trip!
 
Have fun

I have to agree with this.  Even the best planned out route is subject to unforeseen events. Last summer a few of us went on a week long road trip, one afternoon one of the bikes had an electrical issue and lost power to the headlights, we had to tear everything apart in a mini mart parking lot.  Before we knew it we were over 2.5 hours behind schedule with a long way to go for the day. 
Reservations had been made and hotels already booked and non-refundable.  We had set the schedule so tight (about 450 miles every day) that one event would cause a domino effect and impact the remaining days.  So we bit the bullet and continued on for several hours in the dark to keep the rest of the trip on schedule.  This summer we are scheduling things a little differently, less miles each day and at least one down-day with nothing on the schedule.
 

[1moreroad]

I hope you have a fantastic trip!
 
Everything is a trade off, but:
- consider riding the more eastern side of KY. 89 and roads around there are great. You could swing by the Corvette museum when you cross southern KY.
- consider riding through northern AR instead of southern MO. Both have good roads, but I like AR just a little better. Plus you can hit the Talimena Byway on the west side of AR into OK.
- definitely spend more time in western NM/eastern AZ. Best riding in the country I've ever done. It looks like you'll be going through Sedona. That's nice, but there's a lot more tourist traffic. Alternatively stay up above the Mogollan Rim or even in UT. Unless you have to be in Phoenix, you're picking a route with hundreds of miles in the desert in July. This is the one place I would suggest considering interstate if you do keep your current route. In July, just get through the Mojave desert. It's really hot.
- hydrate well when you do cross the desert. If you're going to suffer anyway, stay more north, ride through Death Valley, and climb up into the Sierras and out of the desert sooner.
 
Cricket1 has good advice. I did the US cross country thing in 2006 - 10 days, 4000 miles, < 500 miles of interstate west to east. We stopped and saw different things, but (1) we finished riding after dark every day and (2) especially toward the end of the ride we were both a little rushed and tired and could deviate from our planned route to see interesting things or ride extra roads.