Confessions on tour planning

[BamaJohn]

In July 2023 I planned a "bucket-list" ride out west with my friend from Missouri, and in retrospect I did us both a disservice by planning to visit too many places.
We totaled 5,000+ miles thru 10 states in 19 days (not bragging, but proving my point of planning too much distance and too little time in a given place).

This is a recurring theme that I'd like to change, so would appreciate opinions on how to see more with less miles & more "smelling the roses".
Also, how do you hedge against the high cost of lodging these days?

[Bob L]

A lot depends on what you want to see and if the ride is the purpose, or reaching a specific destination. Lodging is always a challenge, especially financially! Even "camping" has become more expensive and that has challenges as well with time and comfort. Maybe you can get some ideas from these two articles. Good luck and Happy New Year! Bob

https://www.rk-mass2.org/articles/ww_planning_1.pdf https://www.rk-mass2.org/articles/ww_planning_2.pdf https://www.rk-mass2.org/articles/MC_Advlist.pdf

[Little Blue]

....Well now that I am older and somewhat wiser, I have enjoyed planning state trips. By that, I visit a state for 3 or 4 weeks. The wife and I have been doing this for four years now.

We each have a tour book and a map. First off just let your planning get crazy. Then the wife and I see what we choose.
Next we decide and do our homework. Time, travel and costs. Give it a try and see what happens.
Happy Trails and enjoy a great vacation time.

[JayBros]

At some of our ages, consecutive daily miles in the saddle can become a safety hazard; ergo, one needs to decide what is a comfortable distance, and add a fudge factor to accommodate food and lodging requirements. Next step, decide where you basically want to go and look for state and municipal tourism bureaus to get ideas about the other than obvious attractions. Butler Motorcycle Maps, https://butlermaps.com/, can be a big help. Be flexible and keep fatigue and your personal safety uppermost in planning the daily distances.

[troop]

Their are "staycations" and road trips. My motorcycle trips are always road trips as I like to take in the sights via open air. That said, 5000 miles in 19 days equates to about 263 + - miles a day. Depending on speed limits/stops, that can be 4-6 hours a day in the saddle. Relaxing way to see the sights.

[PJveetwin]

Gotta decide what the main focus of the trip is. The destination or wandering on secondary roads. Wandering will add more days to a trip, and food and more rooms. We try and do a little of both. We do 3 long trips a year, around 5000 each. Blast a day or 2, then a side trip. we like 500 mile days, sometimes it's 400, or other times it might be 600. Depends on the route and places to stay. We are both at 70, in good health and very conditioned to long days in the saddle. Our destinations usually involve staying with a friend or family member for a few days along the way. Camping gear takes up too much room, and we pack light. Polyester skivvies and shirts, smart wool socks and real riding pants. Laundry is done daily in the sink and will dry by morning. No dirty stuff to carry around. We have become Best Western fans, do the reward points and work their special offers. We also use their credit card exclusively. More points! Always use 5000 to 10,000 points each stay to knock the room down, usually below $100. Sometimes a trip might be done around one of their special offers, to max out points and free rooms. They always have a decent breakfast, we snack on trail mix and jerky during the day, and one decent meal at the end of the day. Doing a Sub Way once in a while can really save $$$. Also a deli at a good market. We grab a six pack of strong ale at our last fuel stop before checking in. 3 beers each knock the edge off and helps me sleep. Back in the mid 90's, I did a lot of organized rides with the Iron Butt Asssociation. Stupid miles each day, but learned a lot about being comfortable and conditioning. My wife is equally tough and spent her youth riding endurance events on a horse. Every trip, you'll learn a new trick or two.

[baxter]

My planning consists by determining which direction i'll be heading and a list of some sites I want to see. I will meander from that based on my time/weather along the way. If I do get to see all of the spots on my list- which usually doesn't happen, so be it. There is always another trip .

[BamaJohn]

Their are "staycations" and road trips. My motorcycle trips are always road trips as I like to take in the sights via open air. That said, 5000 miles in 19 days equates to about 263 + - miles a day. Depending on speed limits/stops, that can be 4-6 hours a day in the saddle. Relaxing way to see the sights.

At 81, I'm leaning more to less miles/day than I used to do (and with days off for getting to Missouri and back; visiting with my friend at his house; and getting a new rear tire on his Spyder in Colorado, we averaged 384 miles/day traveling). I prefer to NOT have reservations at each day, but for the Spyder rally, Red Lodge MT, and Yellowstone in July, it was mandatory. Going forward, I'll plan trips "off-season"

[BamaJohn]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[RayBJ]

I'm 77 and I've made 2 6000+ miles loops and a few 3000+ miles across most (43) of the states and a few Canadian provs in the past 9 years. Each trip was planned to ride specific 'motorcycle attraction roads' and parks. I learned several years ago to NOT book rooms in advance. First time we booked all nights in advance we either arrived too early - wasting saddle time or had to race or ride into darkness to reach the daily goal. We aren't sightseers, we're travelers and like to ride and see the country. We map a list of the spots we want to hit and let Garmin Basecamp do the dirty work of connecting the dots. Then we tweak the results to fit our interests (minimum slab). Although lodging, meals, and gas are higher than a couple years ago, it's still far cheaper than a traditional resort vacation and we get to see more of our beautiful USA from ground level.

[old Timer]

I hate planning, mostly I have a vague idea of a desired destination. Turns out I prefer riding out west as I love the wide open spaces. Have not taken a trip on the Spyder yet, but dozens on my Beemers and HD road Kings. Coast to Coast, Border to Border and all over in between. This coming summer, have at least two in mind on the Spyder

[Jesster72]

This is what works for us. We choose "destination state" based on if we are riding or trailering. If we are riding, figure about 500 miles first day to get anywhere intersesting (read that as out of Illinois), trailering, we make 1,000 miles first day.

Next would be a dive into what that destination state has to offer, state tourism site, brochures, motorcycle roads website, etc. That would include polling the good folks on this site (I've done it for our PA trip, and have an active thread for AR/OK trip this year). You will get good suggestnions and advice.

Now the hard part, taking that huge list and whittle it down to the "must haves." We just know that we won't be able to see everything. And for a 11-12 day trip, one of those days is for sure off the bike chilling at wherever we are. (For example, on PA trip, one whole day was exploring Gettysburg).

Design your route around those "must haves" and make sure to keep a good attitude if there are bumps along the way. It is, after all, an adventure.

Some notes - we use 50-55 mph for average speed. For example, first day riding 525 miles would take us about 10 hours total - that includes fuel and rest stops. We leave at about 6, get to the stop at 4 (ish). Slow that down by about 5 mph on the 2-lanes.
Lodging -- for us, it is what it is. We save up for either decent hotels or B&B's. Makes a difference (to us) to have a decent place to rest when you're putting on the miles. Plus, we like to meet people in small setting at breakfast at B&B's. Makes it worth while (to us).

I could ramble on. I love planning our bike trip every year. I always learn something, about our destination, about how we prepare, and about what the trips mean to us. This should be a fun thread to read. I will most likely learn something new!

[Navydad]

I am retired so planning is easier without time constraints. A buddy and I planned a ten-day trip from Ohio to Texas Hill country. We were out for seven weeks. We took a round about way to Texas which included Natchez Trace and after a few days in Hill country decided we weren't ready to go home. We went east through the Gulf states and just bounced from point to point with no real objective in mind. Look at the map and decide to go see whatever it was. Best vacation ever. Wife and I did the same in Alaska in 2019. No set destination, just follow the breeze. We were there a month, and it was wonderful. I have done the same on two more vacations and loved it. I just pick a region and then wing it from that point on. Next on the list is the Pacific Northwest. Low-cost lodging and dining is getting harder to find. We have very good luck striking up conversations with the local folks. America is still a friendly place and folks are willing to share info on the best local chow halls and lodging. We prefer the small diners with good food and local mom/pop lodging and have found a lot of hidden gems just by striking up conversations. I HATE traveling on a schedule. My whole life since my first day of kindergarten has been run according to someone else's schedule. I refuse to live that way anymore. Some scheduling can't be helped, but by golly, my vacation and riding time won't be.

[ARtraveler]

In July 2023 I planned a "bucket-list" ride out west with my friend from Missouri, and in retrospect I did us both a disservice by planning to visit too many places.
We totaled 5,000+ miles thru 10 states in 19 days (not bragging, but proving my point of planning too much distance and too little time in a given place).

This is a recurring theme that I'd like to change, so would appreciate opinions on how to see more with less miles & more "smelling the roses".
Also, how do you hedge against the high cost of lodging these days?

with your thinking. In my earlier days, I wanted to do as much as I could. It was like zoom, zoom, from one place to another. Never got to take in all the glories of the area. As the years went by, I got more into the stop and smell the roses types of traveling. In the long run, I found that best for me.

[BamaJohn]

You are generous to share your thoughts, and I enjoy reading the various approaches to the way we travel. There's so much to see in this great country!
For 2024 I have 3 nice trips blocked out on my calendar:
1. Late April--a BMW gathering with a base in Newport TN. I still ride with that group twice a year and they graciously allow me to join them. Right now, around 70 people are signed up.
2. July--Another BMW gathering, this time in Eureka Springs Arkansas.
3. September--a week riding the Appalachian's.

I hope to see some of you as we "go walkabout"!

[JayBros]

Going to Eureka Springs, the BMW gang is probably aware of this document, https://exploreharrison.com/, that you can order free online. Lots of good routes.

[BamaJohn]

Going to Eureka Springs, the BMW gang is probably aware of this document, https://exploreharrison.com/, that you can order free online. Lots of good routes.

Thanks JaBros....someone (perhaps you) posted that link in a different thread...I ordered the guide and have it in hand.

[JayBros]

Thanks JaBros....someone (perhaps you) posted that link in a different thread...I ordered the guide and have it in hand.

Yes, I did, John. I spent two weeks in Harrison in June; enjoyed all the rides in the Harrison Guide.

[Bfromla]

Set GOALS not “plans” (less requirement). Too easily side-tracked & distracted, every trip has a focus & large room for the unexpected, try to fill with preferable pleasure; weather & road work has interfered all too often. GPS does help get around some & unfortunately can be misleading as well. Hotel reward programs can be quite handy, & reserving weeks in advance can save some. Especially if is event in area or part of trip. Will usually find one in neighboring towns 30-60m from destination; also go where locals recommend various favorite restaurants/cafes. Flag & tag highlights (GPS locations & addresses ) & places for return trips if/whenever possible. Meet the GOAL then backtrack leaves things wide open for exploring alternate routes home.

*<* late thought - essentials: AMA Roadside coverage; available credit card; ready list of address & phone #’s for dealers along your path *>*

[canamjhb]

After many years of extended touring,. I have found that planning to do (on average) 50 miles for each hour of riding. That includes some interstate, some secondary roads, lunch and rest breaks, etc. I usually plan the days ride, next motel, and fuel stops in the motel the night before. Having a portable GPS has been very useful to plot things while enjoying an adult beverage the evening before the next day's ride. And checking into a motel at about 4PM makes sure you have a room and plenty of time to enjoy a good meal and relax for the evening. Enjoy..... Jim

[vito1943]

Saving money on lodging generally means compromising on quality and amenities. Personally I like to stop for the night at a decent motel that either has a restaurant in the building or a decent one within walking distance so that once I stop I can leave the bike untouched until the next morning. Good motels are not cheap, but one alternative can be cabins at RV campgrounds. Most KOA locations have cabins, which while more than what you would pay for an RV site, is usually less than for a motel. But staying at a cabin means leaving the area for your evening meal unless you plan on doing the cooking yourself.

[BamaJohn]

......."cabins at RV campgrounds."

Do they require bringing our own linens?

[ARtraveler]

Saving money on lodging generally means compromising on quality and amenities. Personally I like to stop for the night at a decent motel that either has a restaurant in the building or a decent one within walking distance so that once I stop I can leave the bike untouched until the next morning. Good motels are not cheap, but one alternative can be cabins at RV campgrounds. Most KOA locations have cabins, which while more than what you would pay for an RV site, is usually less than for a motel. But staying at a cabin means leaving the area for your evening meal unless you plan on doing the cooking yourself.

[Bfromla]

3F196DA5-5B92-4BFA-8A60-045E504E0271.jpg A27A6211-5D18-4133-AD4A-F55A58CBB7C0.jpeg

[2dogs]

This can help cut costs immensely. https://www.bunkabiker.com/