This year, as in past years, I’m riding with a couple of Larry’s. If my old Air Force buddy Larry C. would have made this ride it would have been 3 Larry’s. I’ve started telling everyone I will only ride with them if their name is Larry. Maybe I should change my name to Larry. On the bright side, we will be meeting up with Larry C. and his friend… wait for it… Larry! They are on a car trip with their wives and will be in Jackson, Wyoming the same day as us. More on that later…
We tried to come up with a catchy name for this year’s ride. In the past it has always been a theme or destination. Nothing we came up with seemed to fit. Larry T. suggested “Goldie, Elroy and Water Hog’s Great Adventure” named for the bikes we ride. I ride a Titanium Goldwing I call Goldie. Larry T’s bike is named Elroy for the cartoon character Elroy Jetson because everyone tells him the Victory Vision looks more like a spaceship. Larry A’s. bike is named the Water Hog because he rides a water-cooled HD Limited. But as you can see I didn’t succeed…
This year we are riding some of the roads that are on my ride bucket list. Janet and I have driven these roads and I knew I needed to ride them. On the top of the list is the ride up US 89-A from Prescott, AZ to Jerome, AZ… 127 curves in 12 miles; a very exhilarating, yet peaceful scenic ride.
On this trip I got to make good use of my GOPRO and the handlebar tripod I made. I got some good shots but I still am working out the kinks and learning. I have taken hundreds of pictures and Larry A. took hundreds of really great pictures too.
Larry T. and Larry A. met me in Canyon, Texas. They were riding in from Georgia. Here is a thumb nail sketch of our route. From Canyon we rode US 60 across New Mexico and Arizona. Just outside Prescott, AZ we pick up US 89 (US 89-A) and ride it on and off to Great Falls, Montana. Outside Yellowstone National Park we picked up US 212 to ride Beartooth Pass and on to Devils Tower National Monument. For the final leg of our ride we rode the area around Mount Rushmore before heading south. At Oakley, Kansas we split up. Larry T and Larry A headed back home to Georgia and I headed home to Texas…
Some of the highlights along the way are…
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas
- Pietown, NM for some good pie.
- Eagar, AZ only high school domed stadium in America
- Salt River Canyon on US 60 in Arizona
- US 89-A from Prescott, AZ to Jerome, AZ (127 curves in 12 miles)
- Ft. Apache, AZ
- Kinishiba Ruins, AZ
- Jerome, AZ
- Sedona, AZ
- Cameron Trading Post, AZ (a must place to stay)
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Marble Canyon Bridge
- Temple Square in Salt Lake City
- Most photographed barn in America
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- The Great Falls in Great Falls, MT
- Beartooth Pass
- Devils Tower National Monument
- Mount Rushmore National Monument
- Needles Highway
- Crazy Horse Monument
- Last but not least, miles and miles of the most scenic highways
Below is a video/slide show of the 17 days 5000+ miles ride day by day.
Come follow along on each days ride…
If you liked this ride post, you may checkout the other post from this ride below…
- Day 1 of 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Georgetown, TX to Canyon, TX 458 Miles)
- Day 2 of 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Canyon, TX to Ft. Sumner, NM 173 Miles)
- Day 3 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Ft. Sumner to Eagar, NM 343 Miles)
- Day 4 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Eagar to Payson 231 Miles)
- Day 5 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Payson to Cameron 222 Miles)
- Day 6 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Cameron to Grand Canyon to Cameron 130 Miles)
- Day 7 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Cameron to Panguitch 287 Miles)
- Day 8 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Panguitch to Ogden 287 Miles)
- Day 9 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Ogden to Jackson 235 Miles)
- Day 10 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Jackson to Gardiner 203 Miles)
- Day 11 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Gardiner to Great Falls 226 Miles)
- Day 12 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride
- Day 13 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Great Falls to Billings 402 miles)
- Day 14 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Billings to Spearfish 332 miles)
- Day 15 of My 5000+ Mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Spearfish to Alliance)
- Days 16 & 17 of My 5000+ mile, 17 Day Motorcycle Ride (Alliance to Home)
Hera are other rides you may like too…
- National Park Motorcycle Ride – 5542 Miles in 16 Days 2013
- Blue Ridge Parkway Motorcycle Ride June 2014
- Big Bend & Carlsbad Caverns National Parks Motorcycle Trip September 09
- Our First Big Bend Motorcycle Ride
- Big Bend National Park Motorcycle Ride April 2007
I hope we see you down the road somewhere… Ride safe…