The Yamaha Road Star Warrior Forum

OK, I graduate school in 2 weeks, Ill hopefully be starting a new job soon after. I need a vacation. So heres what I was thinking. Now keep in mind im from the south subs of Chicago. Jumpin on my Warrior and crusin south to the Tenn area from there heading over to Tail of the Dragon. Then heading up the coastline until I get to NYC. I really want to see Ground Zero. After that heading back west back to Chicago. Now im planning on this trippin taking a week. I want to take my time, and rough the whole trip. Bring bare essentails with me. Sleep under the stars and just enjoy all the scenery.

 This is where I need some help. What are some good routes to take along the way ( I really dont want to take any expressways), places to stop and see along the way (like the Jack Daniels Manf Plant and Bristol Motor Speedway) and places where it would/or wouldnt be good places to stop for the night. Ive never done anything like this B4 so any input will be helpfull. Help me make this ride AWSOME!

Not sure if this will help you all that much with places to see and things to do, but whenever I go on a road trip I always map out my route at google maps.  I would pick a start and end, sayyyy Chicago to Lynchburg, then click "avoid highways" and then let it pick a route.  The nice thing about google maps is it will then let you go in and click and drag your route around.  For instance if I see one road looks straight and boring for 15 miles I will take another one that looks more interesting.  I basically try to take the curviest looking roads that I can find without making my route too difficult for me to remember between gas stops. 

Sounds like you have a pretty good trip in the works though.  Be sure to take pictures and post them up!

Pics are a definate. Thats not a bad idea. Do you have any Routes to suggest?

 More ideas welcome from all...

I am really only familiar with roads in the middle tennessee area, and I know of several that are pretty nice IMO.  My wife has family in central IL and the route I take up there through kentucky is decent but its more of a compromise between getting there quick and scenery.  If I was not concerened about the length of my trip I would probably find something different but it is a pretty decent ride.  Basically if I knew where you were planning on coming into TN/Southern KY at I could probably get you over into east TN on some nice roads.  Maybe at that point one of the east TN locals on the forum could pick it up from there...

What a blast. Wish I had time to do that. Do you have longer than a week? You may run into something you really like and want to spend more time there. Don't want it to throw off your trip.

Anyway, have fun!!

You said you are out of school in two weeks?  That would be  Labor Day weekend. If you could plan your trip for the second week of Sept. there will be a Warrior gathering at Deals Gap the weekend of the Sept. 13,14,15,16.  A couple of riders are coming to a bike night in Chattanooga on Friday the 12th and riding to NC on Sat morning to stay at the Kickstand campground.  You should try to incorporate that weekend in your trip to Tenn and NC and go north to Bristol and then up the eastern coast toward New York after that.  Or if you can't wait that long you could ride to the northeast first and get down to NC /Tenn at the end of your trip to try and get there on the 13,14.  Just a suggestion.  Although once you get here - you may not want to leave.

WarriorDog:

You said you are out of school in two weeks?  That would be  Labor Day weekend. If you could plan your trip for the second week of Sept. there will be a Warrior gathering at Deals Gap the weekend of the Sept. 13,14,15,16.  A couple of riders are coming to a bike night in Chattanooga on Friday the 12th and riding to NC on Sat morning to stay at the Kickstand campground.  You should try to incorporate that weekend in your trip to Tenn and NC and go north to Bristol and then up the eastern coast toward New York after that.  Or if you can't wait that long you could ride to the northeast first and get down to NC /Tenn at the end of your trip to try and get there on the 13,14.  Just a suggestion.  Although once you get here - you may not want to leave.

Thats sounds like a great idea. Not sure if it will work though. Im (roughly)planning on leaving chicago on friday afternoon or sat morning. Whether I went NE first or south first, I was planning on being back in town by sat night, that way I can try and catch back up to reallity on sunday,b4 i go back to work on Mon. But you never know, Imight be able to fig somthing out.......Ill def keep it in mind. 

As far as my Grad goes, im not planning on leaving immediatly....the 2nd or 3rd week in Sept is what I was aiming for....

 Here's the thread for more info

Hope to see you there.  If not you have got to come to WarriorFest next April.

http://rswarrior.com/forums/t/112421.aspx?PageIndex=3

 

 why not come dowunder 

41 is a 4 lane & a decent ride south all the way to Chattanooga. Plenty of places to stop for chow & fuel. You can pick it up in N Indiana off I 94 or if you want to stay off the interstate come across rt 30 out of IL to 41.

Enjoy!

once on your way back west from nyc, when you get into pennsyltucky...rt 30/lincoln highway is the same as the rt30 out there in the joliet area.. and beautiful ride here in the mountains of PA and east.. so if you decide that route..hit me up,,I'll buy you lunch, and name a nice couple places to sleep under the stars..wish I could go with ya...

Well down under is a bit out of the question now! If the $1-2K ticket did not stop you now you got to worry about being buried there ... only draw is the ratio of women to men... and the beaches/ surfing...

 if you are coming this way with deals gap in mind. I would either take HWY 70 from crossvile ( fall creek falls, middle of TENN) over into rockwood TN (ozone falls), then over to the gap. but if you are coming down through Kentucky. I would find HWY 27 out of somerset, only after I hit HWY 95??????? in kentucky; over to Cumberland Falls. see "cumberland falls" while you are in Kentucky, only waterfall in the western hemisphere with a "moon bow" like a rainbow, but at night. really nice twisty road too over to 27. hwy 27 is a fun road, then you can take HWY 116 (devil's triangle) back over to the interstate to make up time on your way to deal's gap. after deal's gap and cherohaula ( a must since you are down here), I'd hit the blue ridge parkway to go north.  that sounds like a dream trip man. Enjoy, and be safe. we will see you when you get here. good luck

Brother, my only suggestion (since I don't know that area all too well) is that you may want to take more than 1 week for this trip. I rode to Key West, FL, from West Palm Beach in one day and stayed there for a few and came back in one day and kept thinking to myself about how time is an essential commodity in these biker trips.

My girlfriend and I drove, in her Dodge Magnum, from Orlando to St. Louis and just the drive, not including the stops to eat and enjoy the scenery, was worth about two comfortable days. And that was in a cushy, air conditioned car that has a much longer cruise range between gas stations than the 130 mile mark on my Warrior.

I don't know if you're trying to do a faux "Iron Butt Rally" or really want to take your time and enjoy the scenery and the ride, and take some photos, but all I'm trying to say is I think you'd need more than one week.

Ive ben reading everything you guys have ben putting up and its all a great help. Much appriciated! I also am starting to see why some of you guys are saying " Thats alot for a week"...so small change in plans. I am going to leave chi-town on Sept 20 and head down to Indianapolis and then cut west to ohio to go check out ElDora Speedway (Tony Stewart is my NASCAR driver and he owns the track) there is a sprint race that night so ill crash there after I catch the race. Then im goin to head south to Louiville and then cut over to Gatlinburg and go through Great Smoky Mountain Forest Preserve and then catch the Tail on my way out. I fig I can prob be at Tail of the Dragon by mon night or tues. This should give me a day or too at the Tail and then make my way home. Still havent fig which way ill go home but it seems like so far thats the general idea......