A Lonely Finn on the way to the CCR 08

[quattro]

Hi all !

It seems that I'm riding on my own to the Great American Tour. I tried to get a companion from Finland, but the duration of this trip(4weeks) has proven too long to my friends. So, now I plan this trip on my own.
Here is a travel schedule:

day 1: Calgary,AB to Revelstoke,BC day 14: Midway to Farmington, NM
day 2: Revelstoke to Newport, WA day 15: Farmington to Clayton, NM
day 3: Newport to Kalispell,MT day 16: Clayton to Oklahoma City, OK
day 4: Kalispell to Shelby ,MT day 17: Oklahoma City to Memphis, TN
day 5: Shelby to Gardiner,MT day 18: Memphis to Nashville, TN

day 6: Gardiner to Lovell, WY day 19: Nashville to Charleston, WV
day 7: Lovell to Keystone, SD day 20: Charleston to Erie, PA
day 8: Keystone to Rawlings, WY day 21: Erie to Toronto, ON
day 9: Rawlings to Midway, UT
days10-13 CCR 08

Yes, Me and my bike will arrive to Calgary, AB(16.Aug.) and the departure is from Toronto, ON three weeks later.
My travel schedule is preliminary and I'm open for new proposals of another routes too.
I'm very grateful any kind of advice and hints

Regards :bmw:
Kari

[sanjaun2]

Kari,
Thats great news. You will have a great time. 3 weeks is a good amount of time for a cruise. I will look over your route and see if it can be improved. Looks really good so far. Think about all that money you will save on our cheap GAS! Make sure you join us at the CCR booze brothers GTG. You will not be lonely here, I am sure lots of people would be honored to ride with you through parts of your journey. You will find that while you are in the NW region you will be able to travel huge distances in a day if you desire. Lots of open country with a relatively low population. I think you should consider adding the mountains of WA, OR, Utah, Colorado,central and northern California.

[Woolly]

And to think, I'll be riding through Finland (http://onroad.juvander.fi/BMWLTCF/Default.aspx?Lang=English), whilst you're riding through the States.

[Randy]

day 1: Calgary,AB to Revelstoke,BC (255 miles)
This is some of my favorite riding in North America. Banff is a nice town to visit, not a “must see” but a very picturesque town – reminds me a lot of Aspen, CO.

Lake Louise is another great stop just west of Banff. If you can make spend the time try to head north toward Jasper on the Icefields Highway. Taking you through Banff and Jasper national parks, this is a great road for motorcycle touring. It is a National Park so the speeds are slower, but you could go at least to the Saskatchewan River crossing and only add about 100 miles to the day.

Here is Bow Lake, about half way to the crossing.

http://www.prades.net/canada2004/HTML/493t1795_std.jpg

day 2: Revelstoke to Newport, WA (424 miles)

day 3: Newport to Kalispell,MT (509 miles)

day 4: Kalispell to Shelby ,MT (157 miles)
Clearly you must be going through Glacier National Park on the Going to the Sun Highway. Take your time and stop often. This is another of the best motorcycle rides in North America.

Lake McDonald, Glacier N.P.

http://www.prades.net/canada2004/HTML/gp2k1132_std.jpg

day 5: Shelby to Gardiner,MT (345 miles)

day 6: Gardiner to Lovell, WY (179 miles)
I’m guessing that you are going to ride in Yellowstone some. This is a wonderful park, with many things to see. More than you can do in a single day. Pick up a park map and pick the things you will really want to see and understand that there will be dozens of others as you make your way around the park. Keep a camera handy, there is tons of wildlife.

A bear and her cub on the North Loop of Yellowstone N.P.

http://www.prades.net/alaska2007/day22/HTML/197i3379_std.jpg

day 7: Lovell to Keystone, SD (391 miles)
Devils Tower National Monument is north of the Interstate as you head to Keystone. You will be staying right at Mt. Rushmore National Monument. This will be after the Sturgis Rally, so it should be fairly quiet. Be sure and see the Crazy Horse Memorial and ride Needles Highway if possible. Custer N.P. offers some nice rides through the Black Hills. This whole area is a classic motorcycle destination.

day 8: Keystone to Rawlings, WY (359 miles)

day 9: Rawlings to Midway, UT (281 miles)

days 10-13: CCR 08
Here you will find one of the highlights of your trip. Nate (the Chairman), the rest of the CCR BOD and some great volunteers, will make sure you have a wonderful time. This will be the ninth time we have put together one of these shindigs, and each time we strive build on the success of prior reunions. The riding in this part of the Rockies is also spectacular.

I just took some time to mention a few things, I am sure there are others here who will add their thoughts. If I think of anything else, I'll add it to this post. Michelle (my Wife) and I look forward to meeting you at CCR.

[quattro]

And to think, I'll be riding through Finland (http://onroad.juvander.fi/BMWLTCF/Default.aspx?Lang=English), whilst you're riding through the States.

;) Woolly, I'm sure you'll loved to see of those beautiful places, hundreds of clean lakes,kristalclear waters, golden fields and lots of forests. Your meetingplace is only 100km's from my home. And I'm sure that your visit do not leave the last time visit to our beautiful country. Next time you need to see the Lappland...and midnight sun, of course :sun:

Regards
Kari

[paalao]

Kari, you forgot to mention the beautiful women of finland and that they are not shy! + sauna and mosquitos!!!

the Mosquitos will not be a problem to anyone else becouse I am tagging along...and I am THE mosquito magnet numero uno :mad: :( :confused: :mad:

[quattro]

Kari,
Thats great news. You will have a great time. 3 weeks is a good amount of time for a cruise.... I think you should consider adding the mountains of WA, OR, Utah, Colorado,central and northern California.

Yes, I know there are so much to look at all Rocky Mountain areas, but I need use a priorization, which places are most important to see this time and what I leave in the next time.In California I have been a couple times before(not by bike). In my plan is that I'll drive some scenery routes from CCR and I'm very grateful if you accept me to ride together some parts of yourney.
I'll think that the first part of trip (from Calgary to CCR) seems to be better than the rest of the trip( not so much scenery routes??!) :confused:
Maybe I am wrong, I hope.
And thank's, I'll be flattered for your invitation.

Regards
Kari

[quattro]

Hey Randy!
Thank you for your beautiful photos, now I know what I can expect to see from Rocky Mountains and other areas. Is there a ferry or a bridge in Hwy-23,
in middle of that long lake(Revelstoke-Newport)?? And how the distance is so long(424mls)? I calculated it only 300 miles. If it so long (424 mls), I can't drive it on one day?? It's almost 700kms.
As you noticed from my plan, there are some historic scenes what I want to see (Indian battlefields, Indian-and old western museums and so.)

As I wrote before I am open for any proposals for the trip, and I look forward to meet You and your wife.

Regards
Kari

[Randy]

Hey Randy!
Thank you for your beautiful photos, now I know what I can expect to see from Rocky Mountains and other areas. Is there a ferry or a bridge in Hwy-23,
in middle of that long lake(Revelstoke-Newport)?? And how the distance is so long(424mls)? I calculated it only 300 miles. If it so long (424 mls), I can't drive it on one day?? It's almost 700kms.
...
Regards
KariWell, it turns out there are two Newports in Washington. I picked the wrong one, a neighborhood of Bellevue. The one on the eastern border of Washington is about 262 miles from Revelstoke. There is a ferry on highway 23 from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay, it is about 31 miles from Revelstoke.

http://www.prades.net/images/ferry.gif

I believe it runs on the hour from 5am to midnight. The ferries should be free of charge. On my trip to Alaska I had planned on taking that route, but my plans changed. This (http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/marine/ferry_schedules.htm) should be the official Inland Ferries website, but the link was dead this morning. Google cached the page on February 12, so the site will probably be up again soon.

This is probably the correct map of your route.

http://www.prades.net/images/calg-toron.gif

[quattro]

:) Yes, that is my travel plan and maybe some little chances is coming to it.
It's very good to know about that ferry and its timetable.And ferrytrip is always refreshing :cool:

[DakotaDude]

As you noticed from my plan, there are some historic scenes what I want to see (Indian battlefields, Indian-and old western museums and so.)

Regards
Kari

Kari,

On your route from Kalispell, MT to Shelby, MT you will pass through the town of Browning, MT. The Blackfeet Indian Museum is located in Browning and is a very worthwhile stop. Also, if you can work it into your schedule, the Custer Battlefield Memorial is 45 miles (72km) east of Billings, MT on Interstate 90. This is the site of General George Armstrong Custer's battle with Crow, Sioux, and Northern Cheyenne war parties; it is probably the most famous (or infamous) incident occurring during the settling of the American West. Another superb museum is the Buffalo Bill Cody/Plains Indian museum located in Cody, Wyoming (not far from Lovell, WY). This is a "must see" in my opinion.

Near Keystone, SD is the Crazy Horse Memorial dedicated to Crazy Horse, a Lakota Sioux war chief. The monument and Visitor/Information center is well worth seeing.

Send me a PM if you want more info, photos, or mapped routes to these attractions.

John

[quattro]

Hi guys, :dance:

Now, the ticket to myself and to bike has purhcased, just a hard nut shipping my bike, is 5 days drop off in Frankfurt!! I must wait in Calgary those same 5 days for my bike. Okay, I have a plenty of extra time to check out the attractions of Calgary. And I'm planning to rent a bike for couple days and will take some rides to near Rocky Mountains.
Maybe I'll ride to Revelstoke and so save two days when I'll get my own bike and will start to ride to CCR. There are so much to see in Montana and Wyoming and now I don't need drive so long distances per day. :)

Regards
Kari