Ducati Monster Forum

 ;D Starting to plan a trip from Austin to L.A. to visit a friend of mine. I promised him if I bought my bike I would drive it out to visit. Seeing how this will be my first ride cross country on my monster, wanted to hear from everyone about favorite sites to see and roads to drive that could possibly be along my route. (not currently mapped out btw) I figured that many of you would have some great suggestions. I'll handle searching for threads talking about supplies to take. Anyway, would be great to hear where I should think about going, and who's floor I can crash on along the way lol, jk  [laugh] Thanks Everyone!

Go through Jerome AZ.... And a bunch of other stuff!  I took a quick look at google maps and picked out most of the squiggly-lines and tried to stay off the interstate....

MAP (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=austin+TX&daddr=29.7994,-99.25669+to:29.70834,-99.76321+to:29.98925,-100.1919+to:29.45837,-100.90904+to:30.5839,-103.88838+to:32.93974,-107.3152+to:32.78051,-108.14359+to:33.10973,-108.79108+to:33.37734,-110.74563+to:34.7496,-112.10124+to:32.97868,-115.51561+to:33.67478,-116.97117+to:Los+Angeles,+CA&hl=en&geocode=FRHXzQEdK48s-ikvA8ygmbVEhjF61WnUS0abXQ%3BFeizxgEdjnYV-imRQYScEqtehjFu2c9-U_Edug%3BFTRQxQEd9rsN-il_pGTPK9JehjEG2v3Jk3pagQ%3BFYKZyQEdZDEH-ilpH4u4YMZYhjE9a8y6xAi5Cw%3BFcJ_wQEdEED8-SmXadpAPOn1hjFyrFflJSEA8g%3BFVys0gEdBMrO-SlbZ2oCa-vvhjHdDg9slcnqAg%3BFdye9gEdAICa-SmjEEpLNnXfhjHFpEHmGIQZEA%3BFd4w9AEdGtyN-SmFfD3DIcrYhjE3eFVfaLjKTQ%3BFeI2-QEd2PqD-SktMtJIdX8nhzG6MjLYBxYecw%3BFTxM_QEd4idm-SkF5TUiD58phzE8bTDEN9WgHw%3BFaA8EgIdiHhR-Sn9nSZqqxEthzGwxF3TWN3EuA%3BFfg29wEdJl8d-Smty7Cv81rXgDEoDWpdKq_ZIQ%3BFRzWAQIdXikH-SktgwcPHXDbgDHgdF9FL-j85w%3BFYqYBwIdm77z-CkT2ifcXcfCgDH0CEYlb98v4g&mra=dpe&mrsp=12&sz=9&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12&sll=33.701493,-116.466064&sspn=1.965038,4.22699&ie=UTF8&t=p&ll=32.138409,-107.006836&spn=15.96932,33.815918&z=6)

You will love Big Bend.  Make sure you hit 335, 336 and 337 outside of Kerville and Bandera, TX.  Also, try to hit Flagstaff and ride south until you hit Silver City, NM, onto Ruidoso and down to Monahans/Pecos, TX.  Then cruise down to Big Bend. 

If you want to have a real adventure:

1.) go to walmart and stea....i mean, buy a map. They have them on a carousel. Then look at it and check out all the roads that AREN'T the interstate, and follow those. You miss EVERYTHING on the interstate. It sucks. Don't do it to yourself.

2.) Don't bring that much money

3.) Bring a tent to sleep in. Find abandoned bridges, fields, abandoned motels, a moto-shop parking lot, the back of a truck stop in Germany... etc to camp on. I.E.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/fmhipower/Canyon/DSC03468.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/fmhipower/Canyon/DSC03396.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/fmhipower/Canyon/DSC03382.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/fmhipower/CB550trip/Picture018.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/fmhipower/Germany/DSC04622.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/fmhipower/Triangle/IMG_1062.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/fmhipower/Triangle/IMG_0907.jpg)

4.)Write down all the good jokes you think about when you're riding along for hours.

6.)Drink water and eat fruit. Junk food makes you fat and sleepy.

If you come through any part of AZ there's some really neat things to see!

A few that pop to mind: Kirchner Caverns, the Aircraft Boneyard, Titan Missile Museum, Taliesin, Arcosanti, etc...  

For some weirdly cool stuff check out this site: http://www.weirdus.com/states/arizona/index.php (http://www.weirdus.com/states/arizona/index.php)

There's stuff for all states there too that you might not find anywhere else!

[thumbsup]

A friendly amendment to Punx Clever's map: instead of staying to the south you should run up through some of the prettiest parts of New Mexico and then along the Mogollon Rim in Arizona. Twisty roads, small towns, pine forests and lots of bike-friendly places. Of course, you don't mention the time of year -- the Rim & NM highlands get their share of snow in the winter. But outside of the core winter months, only a fool or a cold-blooded reptile would get any pleasure out of a motorcycle in the lowlands of Arizona during the sun-hammered months. (Sorry, Dietrich, Hoyden, IZ, MD and the rest of you crazies down in the valley!)

AMENDED MAP (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=austin+TX&daddr=29.7994,-99.25669+to:29.70834,-99.76321+to:29.98925,-100.1919+to:29.45837,-100.90904+to:30.5839,-103.88838+to:32.93974,-107.3152+to:32.78051,-108.14359+to:33.10973,-108.79108+to:34.24801,-110.07226+to:34.7496,-112.10124+to:32.97868,-115.51561+to:33.67198,-116.97098+to:Los+Angeles,+CA&geocode=FRHXzQEdK48s-ikvA8ygmbVEhjF61WnUS0abXQ%3BFeizxgEdjnYV-imRQYScEqtehjFu2c9-U_Edug%3BFTRQxQEd9rsN-il_pGTPK9JehjEG2v3Jk3pagQ%3BFYKZyQEdZDEH-ilpH4u4YMZYhjE9a8y6xAi5Cw%3BFcJ_wQEdEED8-SmXadpAPOn1hjFyrFflJSEA8g%3BFVys0gEdBMrO-SlbZ2oCa-vvhjHdDg9slcnqAg%3BFdye9gEdAICa-SmjEEpLNnXfhjHFpEHmGIQZEA%3BFd4w9AEdGtyN-SmFfD3DIcrYhjE3eFVfaLjKTQ%3BFeI2-QEd2PqD-SktMtJIdX8nhzG6MjLYBxYecw%3BFUqVCgIdPG5w-SnphxW3PzMvhzEThZtGk0sQ3g%3BFaA8EgIdiHhR-Sn9nSZqqxEthzGwxF3TWN3EuA%3BFfg29wEdJl8d-Smty7Cv81rXgDEoDWpdKq_ZIQ%3BFSzLAQIdHCoH-SktgwcPHXDbgDHgdF9FL-j85w%3BFYqYBwIdm77z-CkT2ifcXcfCgDH0CEYlb98v4g&hl=en&mra=dvme&mrsp=9&sz=9&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12&sll=33.824794,-109.706726&sspn=1.43059,3.348083&ie=UTF8&ll=31.970804,-107.830811&spn=5.841735,13.392334&t=p&z=7)

Beyond that, don't miss any of 89A in Arizona that you possibly can -- I'd even consider violating the "No Interstates" rule at Camp Verde, AZ and run North up I-17 (as Interstates go, it's actually kind of scenic and not horribly straight...) then catch 89A just before Flagstaff into Oak Creek Canyon on 89A and roll back South down through Sedona on your way to Jerome, Prescott, Yarnell  & beyond. And when you're passing through Prescott, AZ give me a holler -- I'll buy you coffee or a beer, depending on what time of day you're in town - or hang around for a bit & I'll show you some of the local twistes that don't happen to be on the route above.

Cheers,
BRAD

But wouldn't hitting 64 from Raton to Bloomfield put you too far north?  ;D

On that note, northern arizona isn't bad either... scratch northern az.... southern Utah.  A little far out of the way though.

Hmmf..I'd rather be riding back up in the northern Arizona anyday!! 

Miss those days at NAU with the dual-sport.  :'(


Hey Layne..pick me up on the way back to Austin.  I'm ready to move back now with the MotoGP announcement!!   [thumbsup]

when are you going? I'm thinking of quitting my job this summer to go riding

Is this the third summer now we've heard that tale.   ;D






Do it!!  Stop by PHX too on your way up north!!

Finish up in Monterey and I'll make sure you have a tent on my lawn!  [beer]

Million dollar highway in CO.

Devils highway (491) in AZ.

Bryce Canyon in Utah.

that road south of Prescot.


.... lots of good roads between here and there.

are you actually terminating in Los Angeles proper?

Thank you for the suggestions, will keep them all in mind as I am planning   [thumbsup]....

IZ - Will do, i'm excited myself for MotoGP being so close!

factorPlayer - not quite sure yet, this wont help but prolly in June or July, potentially August, I have a lot of things popping up that is keeping me from setting anything in stone at the moment, but will keep posted

Punx Clever - Much appreciated, if only I could... time/money/job will likely not permit lol

Privateer - Not sure to be honest, I don't now exactly where my friend lives to tell you the truth, that on the list of things to find out seeing how it would prolly be a good thing to know  [cheeky]

Come to DIMBY!!!   [evil]






[bacon]

 [thumbsup]

PLEASE bring Factor with you!  That guy needs to get out of Austin for a much needed trip!!  ;)

I only ask because most people call everything from Santa Barbara south to San Diego "LA".

Figure out where he's at and some interesting LA/OC/IE routes become available.