Recommendation for planning trip

[Bigfoot]

Okay all. I posted a while back that I am retiring August 1 this year and am going out on a 30 day ride. I'll leave Northern Va. and my plan is to head north into Canada and stay off interstates as much as possible. Does anyone here have any favorite trip planning tool they have had good success with. Especially for someone who tends to be less than patient anf less than a net expert.

Any advice would be appreciated. I did find the Harley Davidson Trip Planner someone on here recommended and will look at it as well.

 

 

Thanks

[saddlebum]

Rand McNally trip maker. Lets you custom design your own itinery.choose type of route scenic or otherwise

[Bigfoot]

Rand McNally trip maker. Lets you custom design your own itinery.choose type of route scenic or otherwise

 

 

Damn you people are fast. Thanks

[saddlebum]

damn you people are fast. Thanks

we aim to please

[Bigfoot]

Thanks to an earlier post I now know how to subscribe to this topic so I don't lose it. Way to go Don.

[friesman]

When I went to California i just posted what my rough plans were and roughly what I wanted to do and the best places I ended up visiting were places that these guys recommended like Crater Lake , and Lake Tahoe just for a couple.

 

I would post a bit more info on what you plan to do and then be prepared to go with the flow when the recommendations come in.

 

I would defintely plan on getting a gps if you dont already have one, it makes the trip ssooooo much easier not having to drag a map out and stop.

 

If youre on the transcanada highway in western Canada, let me know, maybe we can meet up somewhere.

 

 

Brian

[Midrsv]

I use Microsoft Streets & Trips for trip planning. I've been also working with the HD website trip planner.

 

DT

[petekadish]

Another vote for Microsoft Streets & Trips - very helpful! I also agree on the recommendation of a good GPS. Find a way to mount it which works well with your bike and with which you're comfortable. I use RAM Mounts for my GPS and my satellite radio. I am very happy with them. And ... the recommendation to come-up with a general idea of where you wish to go first, and then everyone else will be able to offer you all sorts of great suggestions based on their experiences. Hummm, I haven't said anything new which hasn't already been said already.

 

Pete.

[Double D]

Okay all. I posted a while back that I am retiring August 1 this year and am going out on a 30 day ride. I'll leave Northern Va. and my plan is to head north into Canada and stay off interstates as much as possible. Does anyone here have any favorite trip planning tool they have had good success with. Especially for someone who tends to be less than patient anf less than a net expert.

Any advice would be appreciated. I did find the Harley Davidson Trip Planner someone on here recommended and will look at it as well.

 

 

Thanks

If your bike is still under warranty then Yamaha will do the trip plan for you. I have used it several times. Just call the road side assistant number and tell them where you want to go.

[Ndiaz]

Try MotoMaps, whose website is below. There isn't a Canada MotoMap, but see for yourself what choices there are. Maybe you can use one or some of their offerings. These MotoMaps are very handy to have on a trip.

 

http://greatroadsgreatrides.com/newone/guides-tz.html

 

Also, on the same website, is "Great Roads, Great Rides." This is a series of 30 or so ride routes in the Mid-Atlantic States. Go to http://greatroadsgreatrides.com/ . The authors are old friends of mine, with whom I've ridden many of these roads over many years.

[friesman]

I dont know about AAA but i do know CAA will draw up a complete route for you with recommendations of things to see and will even print off a custom map with flips so you can look at more detail without having to fold up a map. Its kinda like a tank map and gives you 300 miles or so at a page.

I would recommend you get AAA (as its good in Canada or the US ) if you dont have it before you leave home incase something goes wrong I think you might need the RV option for the distance towing option.

 

Brian

[jlh3rd]

microsoft streets and trips.................also check out www.usa-lodging.net...it'll list places to stay no matter how small the town is about 95% accurate

[Dave77459]

I use Mapsource on my Garmin. I used to use Microsoft Streets and Trips (2005?), but didn't update it and now the maps are aged. I liked how you could tell it your range, and it would show you where you needed to stop. Then you could search around and find gas stations near there, or go back to find earlier stops. I imagine the newer versions are even better.

 

My Mapsource is nice, especially how you can relay the information into Google Earth. But for pure route planning, MSST is better. Maybe I ought to spend the coin to upgrade.

[Bob Myers]

30 day ride? Plan? Why? 25% of the fun is going down( or in your case UP) roads that seem to point in the general direction of where you want to go. Another 25% of the fun is finding things you did not know you had missed, and of course 50% is just going. Take your GPS, leave it in the bag for when you really think you are lost, pull it out and turn it on to confirm, then put it back away without peeking at where you wanted to be. Simply put you are not lost if you don't care where you are.