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neil
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Hello, I was sent along here by a friend. I am a motorcyclist(48) from Ireland and have toured a lot of the world by motorbike.I prefer America because of your long distance roads and obviously language helps,tho Irish is my native language. I have ridden some of your roads over the past 6 years. Route 66 from Chicago - L.A, along the Mississippi from St Louis- New Orleans, West coast road from Seattle- San Diego and Daytona Beach to Key West via Miami.

 

I am currently planning a trip along the Lincoln Highway, tho I may head north to Oregon rather than San Francisco...I hope someone here may have a recommendation, north or south ?

 

A wee bit of me... I'm 48..married with two kids, KIDS! daughter is 24 and son is 22 !! I am trying to convince my wife that if she stops feeding them they will go away :D

I work construction oil/gas...i keep tropical fish and ride my bike a lot (30,000mls a year) live for my native sport of hurling, i hate..ignorance..arrogance and careless drivers.

 

Thats about it...lots more but I'm sure you will ask. I hope to glean a wee bit of information from you folks and if I can return the favour, i will gladly do so, but a road trip in Ireland is short, we are 350 miles by 170 miles,so you never get lost.

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Hi Neil,

 

Let me add my welcome. I live in Memphis, TN, and have been hanging around American Road pretty much since the beginning. I'm hear to tell you this is a great bunch of road travelers and when you have questions, you'll get answers.

 

So safe travels and keep in touch with us when you do travel. There are numerous web sites about the Lincoln - a google search will give you a bunch.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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Welcome, Neil. As far as I know, you are the forum's first hurler. Good luck with weaning the kids.

 

You've certainly covered some of our more interesting roads and your next US ride is promising to the extreme. You've got a tough decision ahead of you. I'm guessing, since you talk of Oregon, that you're considering leaving the Lincoln along with US-30 in western Wyoming. I know absolutely nothing about most of that route but do know that it ultimately connects with the incredible Historic Columbia River Highway and the really nice town of Astoria, OR. I bet Dave Paul can tell us a lot about the road between Wyoming and the HCRH. However, if you do pick US-30 over the LH, you'll be missing the Bonneville Salt Flats, Ely, NV, "The Lonliest Road in America", the Shoe Tree, and a bunch of other stuff. You'll also be missing the terminus marker in San Francisco. If your trip is starting in New York City, that might be rather meaningful since doing the LH end to end in one go would be pretty cool. I'm sure there are some great sections on the northern route but I think I ought to mention that I thought the LH (US-50) between Lake Tahoe and Placerville was a fantastic drive in a car and I bet it's even better on two wheels.

 

Incidentally, there are those who think that US-30 heads north where it does just to keep the Lincoln Highway (or any other named auto trail) from having a single number over its entire length. Seems possible.

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Neil.

 

First, Denny, thanks for the promo! :) And your comments are right on target.

 

I have enjoyed traveling a bit in Ireland on bicycle, train, and by auto, on three different trips. And I have done a good deal of the Lincoln Highway, so maybe I can help. And by the way, in what area of Ireland do you live?

 

I have never driven all of the Lincoln, but I have enjoyed most of it from Nebraska west. BTW, there are several useful books you can buy at the American Road store on line. I have used Dick (see next post by Denny) Brian Butka's "Greetings from the Lincoln Highway" to my great satisfaction.

 

The Lincoln is not Route 66, and by that I mean the Lincoln is not as "self conscious." That is changing a bit as bridges are restored or painted, and more businesses see a benefit to identify with the Lincoln. The Lincoln is a gentleman, while Route 66 is more the rowdy.

 

You can enjoy the Lincoln as a "gentleman" biker, or as an off roader. I will assume here that you have a bit of the adventure bug in you, and that countryside unlike Ireland (despite its great beauty) is more to your taste, than reflections of home.

 

So let me give you the overview. Through Nebraska you will be following roughly along the old Oregon Trail, and for that matter several trails west, including the Mormon Trail, the California Trail, and others. I would suggest in all cases you "detour" to Scotts Bluff, Chimney Rock, and Ft Laramie, but return to the Lincoln in Wyoming.

 

In Wyoming you will want to stop at Ft Bridger (Jim Bridger being a famous fur trapper and guide) and read a little about the Mormon War when the US planned to invade Utah. You can readily find the old road through Echo Canyon, and spot defensive walls thrown up in anticipation of the invasion.

 

You have a big decision to make in Salt lake City. Do you take the later Lincoln across Salt Lake, or the early Lincoln that follows much of the Pony Express, but along deserted dirt roads. If it is summer it will be hot a dusty along the Pony Express roiute, but well worth it, and unlike anything at home, I promise.

 

In either event, you will get to Ely, Nevada and then "the Loneliest Road in America," westward. Some absolutely fantastic remaining Pony Express stations await you if you will walk a short distance off the road. And the towns of Auction and Eureka are so evocative of the old west, that are must sees.

 

Westward via Sacramento and into San Francisco you are headed for large population centers, with lots of traffic, and many many people. Even the old roads are busy, but not without charm (eg Lake Tahoe, Donner's Pass).

 

You mentioned Oregon. But you didn't hint at when you would consider departing the Lincoln to head that way. There are several possibilities.

 

I have left it at Rawlings and come into the Grand Tetons from the east. That is a breathtaking experience, especially when they are still snow covered. Then westward through the volcanic fields of the Craters of the Moon, and perhaps US 20 through Bend. Or up to Yellowstone, then across to Oregon

 

Or you could go via Winnemucca along what was once the California Trail of the 49ers. You could then come up through real cowboy country into Oregon.

 

Or you could turn north at Reno, which is basically your last chance to avoid the California crowds. You could go via the northern Sierra Nevada mountains and pine forests, through Lassen National Park and past magnificent Mt Shasta, and then either up the Oregon Coast or the Willamette Valley or east of the Cascade Range via Bend.

 

These are very rough and not detailed descriptions of alternatives. If you get more specific as to your plans and interests, I will try to elaborate.

 

I think I have driven every road of note in the west in my 60 years of road travel, so ask and I will try to reply. I can probably describe the routes in any area....if my memory holds! :blink:

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!!

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I believe Dave made one small error. Greetings from the Lincoln Highway is the work of Brian Butko. If Dick Butka/Butkus wrote a book, it would more likely be called Greetings from the Line of Scrimmage.

 

Denny,

 

Well, I did close that whole piece, with "if my memory holds." :rolleyes: I hope Brian will forgive me. :( I really do know his name!!

 

Thanks for the correction. I have been out of the mainstream here for awhile. We are doing a bunch of "home improvements" and my son is in town and just out of the Army.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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I'm from Cork in the South of Ireland...cast a line from my back door and it will land in the Atlantic, lovely area but very wild in winter. I hope you enjoyed my country as much as I enjoy yours...I am planning my trip over the Christmas break and will post up some details in the forum...reason I am thinking of Oregon is I have family in Portland, and maybe its time I made a visit.

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I'm from Cork in the South of Ireland...cast a line from my back door and it will land in the Atlantic, lovely area but very wild in winter. I hope you enjoyed my country as much as I enjoy yours...I am planning my trip over the Christmas break and will post up some details in the forum...reason I am thinking of Oregon is I have family in Portland, and maybe its time I made a visit.

 

Cork! Love the area! And I think one of my favorite Irish singers, Mary Hagerty, performs and lives there. What a nice rush of memories the word brings back.

 

But I have to bring up a serious question about traveling by motorcycle across the northern or mid USA at Christmas time. I would hesitate to do it in a car with studded snow tires and chains in the trunk. The odds are too great that you will hit a serious storm at some point, and ice (black or not) will always be a threat that plays on your nerves. I doubt they will even let a cycle through on some of the passes much of the time. And I can't even imagine passing or being passed by a 18 wheeler in a snow storm riding a cycle. The flying slop will blind you or leave you with a three inch coat of ice.

 

You will necessarily cross the Rockies, and the Sierra Nevada and the odds of snow are very high on any day and ice is a given. You can't just wait a day and go on. You can be stopped or stranded for days at a time. And the great plains are horrible in a blizzard, not to mention icy winds any day. Adventure is one thing, but constant misery, is no fun. To make things worst, this is an La Nina year with higher levels of snow and cold forecast.

 

Believe me I love road travel, but there is a reason I head south in the winter. Even if I am driving a fully equipped 4 wheel drive, the other guy may not be, and it hurts just as much to be hit by him as it does to hit something myself.

 

I have an alternate suggestion. Consider doing the Old Spanish Trail which runs from northern Florida to San Diego, Of if you are locked into a New York flight, consider following US 1 south. And there are many others in the sunbelt that are fascinating and best visited in the winter.

 

I want you to continue to enjoy the beauties of the US!! I hate to discourage you, but road travel should be fun, not an ordeal. I might mention that a little snow is falling here on the Puget Sound in Washington as I write this. And we are at about 80 feet, hardly a snow zone! The passes were closed over the Cascades yesterday, and those are 4000 foot passes, not the 5,000 to 10,000 of the Rockies.

 

 

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

PS Neil, I decided to just take a peek at the road in Wyoming today on the Wyoming DOT cameras. Here is a shot of the road at Sinclair, east of Rawlins. This is November 21. Add a month and imagine the scene. Even if the roadbed was dry and clear (that is snow and fog you see in the photo!!), the temperature would be in the low 20's F or worse. Travel south!

 

I80SinclairEast.jpg

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Mary Hegarty's home is about 4 miles from me...I know her family, nice people. Her fello soprano Cara O Sullivan is a friend of mine...tho' I'm not a fan of their genre of music.

 

You took me up wrong on my travel plans, I am planning over christmas,my road trip will probably be in August/September 2011.

 

I will post my outline plans and hopefully get some advice and tips from you guys, I would hate to miss out on anything that I should see. I had to travel Route 66 twice...just to catch some places that I missed. But...my whole reason for travel is mainly people...I enjoy getting lost, thats when you meet the most interesting folk, I love getting four different opinions from four different people, over coffee or a beer in a restraunt, thats what makes it enjoyable for me.

 

Yes Cork is a nice place, I hope you managed to understand us, our dialect can be strange to other Irish, never mind Americans !! If you or anyone else come here again...let me know,get off the tourist trail and you can see some of the best scenery in the world.

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I have the impression that your "trip along the Lincoln Highway" will be starting at or near the east coast but I don't think you've actually said that. So, just where do you plan to begin this journey and are you looking for comments on the eastern portion as well?

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Mary Hegarty's home is about 4 miles from me...I know her family, nice people. Her fello soprano Cara O Sullivan is a friend of mine...tho' I'm not a fan of their genre of music.

 

You took me up wrong on my travel plans, I am planning over christmas,my road trip will probably be in August/September 2011.

 

I will post my outline plans and hopefully get some advice and tips from you guys, I would hate to miss out on anything that I should see. I had to travel Route 66 twice...just to catch some places that I missed. But...my whole reason for travel is mainly people...I enjoy getting lost, thats when you meet the most interesting folk, I love getting four different opinions from four different people, over coffee or a beer in a restraunt, thats what makes it enjoyable for me.

 

Yes Cork is a nice place, I hope you managed to understand us, our dialect can be strange to other Irish, never mind Americans !! If you or anyone else come here again...let me know,get off the tourist trail and you can see some of the best scenery in the world.

 

Neil,

 

Just like me....jumping to conclusions! OK, we can get back to the Lincoln.

 

I suppose Mary is best known for her opera, but I enjoyed her work with Irish ballads. I was more of a Clancy Brothers guy. I am no longer "actively" collecting Irish ballads and "rebel" songs but I must have a few thousand recordings, mostly now gradually degrading on tape. I fell in love with Ireland when I was about your age......or a couple of years younger. My first visit was in 1977. It was in that period that I had a fellow in LA mix me a tape of her ballads.

 

Modern Irish music has moved beyond me now, but some of my very fondest memories are from pubs in the south of Ireland where neighbors would gather and sing and play round the table. They weren't "performing," they were just enjoying. Back in '93 I video taped a session in Waterford which was a pure delight. But I'm preaching to the choir.

 

Lets get back to the western half of the Lincoln. It is a good sign that you enjoy the people on route. Any road is a great trip when you connect along the way.

 

It is tough to get inside someone's head when it comes to what they look for in road travel. I am a history and people guy, but I don't like to stand in line to enjoy a site. And I don't find cities charming. So consider my bias.

 

Let me go back to whether you include Portland in your plans.

 

You are traveling in the tourist season. There will be people six deep at tourist destinations. Makes me think of Killarney. If you like that, your first thought might be to divert from the Lincoln toward Portland to see Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Certainly spectacular country at any time. And once you are 100 miles on either side of those places, you can own the road, if you choose the right roads (we can help).

 

Next would be a diversion at Salt Lake City (actually Ogden) toward Boise and Portland. I don't see the point, given other choices.

 

Next would be a diversion via Winnemucca. This leads you into real "cowboy country, " but it is pretty deserted, with habitations 50 miles apart. But if you want a taste of the old west as close as you are likely to find it as it was, this would be the route. I'd swing into the Paradise Valley, then over to Denio, up to Frenchglen (stay at the old hotel), then into Burns and Bend, and up to the Columbia River at The Dalles, or Hood River and into Portland.

 

Assuming you chose to stay on the Lincoln at Ogden, you have to choose whether to brave the desert on the old Pony Express/ Lincoln dirt road or cross the south end of the Lake. This route will have a few vehicles a day along almost any stretch, so you are not likely to end up a skeleton, but there is no shade, and little to no water, so you could get pretty uncomfortable, and maybe even take a serious risk. There are summer squalls that can turn the surface to mud slime, and plenty of dust the rest of the time. The big advantage is bragging rights and a real taste of what it was to take the Lincoln in the old days..

 

If I took this section I would buy a Spot so in a pinch I could get help. The odds are that it won't be needed, but it would give the family some comfort that you were OK.

 

However you get to Ely, by dirt or freeway, the section between there and Fallon is gold, or silver as the case may be......real Pony Express Stations, abandoned mining towns, semi ghost towns, etc. This is the old time mining west., the "Loneliest Road in America." I think I would stay with the Lincoln at least as far as Fallon and I would go via NV 2 west of Austin. On a motorcycle, it will be a highlight of the trip.

 

It is hard to argue that Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada aren't pretty, but my bias is to avoid crowds, traffic, and all things associated. I enjoy the wide open spaces and the road less traveled, so turn off at Fallon for Oregon would be my advice. I make that recommendation recognizing that mid California has much to offer (I was born and raised there), but seeing and doing what everyone else sees and does is not my first priority. And if you want to know what to see between Reno and San Francisco, there are tons of good books to read. You won't need my advice.

 

What most will not tell you about is a score of great places and people on the road less traveled.

 

Let me sell the road north from Fallon. You have two broad choices. You can stay on the desert and range west, with wide open spaces and little towns, or you can gain some elevation and travel in the pine forests and past many lakes through the northern sierra, perhaps with a visit to Mt Lassen, and Mt Shasta. And if you plan to camp, you must go north.

 

Before I start describing alternatives between Fallon and Portland, give me more about your preferences. And I should add that it is snowing and the wind is picking up here, which means we may be without power and internet for a couple of days....or not. But I will check back in when possible.

 

Dave

 

keep the Show on the Road!

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If Dick Butka/Butkus wrote a book, it would more likely be called Greetings from the Line of Scrimmage.

 

LOL!!!!

 

 

 

my road trip will probably be in August/September 2011.

 

Very cool. Much better than Christmas-time!

 

 

But...my whole reason for travel is mainly people...I enjoy getting lost, thats when you meet the most interesting folk, I love getting four different opinions from four different people, over coffee or a beer in a restraunt, thats what makes it enjoyable for me.

 

Ahhhh....sweet. People is the main reason for my road trips, too ... life is too short to NOT meet people!

 

 

WELCOME, Neil!

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* 06/2011.RT=us66+NW USA*

MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Can you make these big wheels burn?" ... Ronnie Milsap ... 'Smokey Mountain Rain'

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