5500 Miles Across America

sandrider · Post by **sandrider** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:29 am

My wife and I rode 5500 miles on our 2001 BMW K1200LTC. This video is set to Bob Segar's "Roll Me Away". We rode from Dallas, Texas to the Great Smokey Mountains to ride the famous Tail of the Dragon, stopping at the Shilo, Tennessee battleground along the way. On a separate leg, we rode to the Black Hills of South Dakota and went as far west as Devil's Tower, Wyoming. We took about a month for the ride. I hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM3iXZ4ofkE

Post by **DJ Downunder** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 3:48 am

Excellent, brilliant, very nice and yes..I liked it..

.. Great pictures..Great music..

Thanks for posting it...you did a great job...I wish I could do something as good as that.

DJ

Post by **Buckster** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:21 am

Nicely done! I've been to Deals Gap and I have been thinking of riding out to the Badlands for a couple of years now....maybe someday.

Post by **taosports** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:40 am

Very nice Sandrider. Looks like you and your wife saw some beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.

sandrider · Post by **sandrider** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:47 am

DJ Downunder, I'm just a little ways from you now. As soon as I get my beakster cleared through customs and registered I'm headed down the coastal highway.

Post by **duckdave** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:53 pm

That was sweet! Any idea what the big bird was...Golden? Yeah, alright, it was sweet. Thanks.

sandrider · Post by **sandrider** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:35 pm

Hehe, my wife thinks they were actually turkey vultures...I prefer to think of them as slightly ugly eagles though...

Post by **Caroanbill** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:01 pm

sandrider wrote:DJ Downunder, I'm just a little ways from you now. As soon as I get my beakster cleared through customs and registered I'm headed down the coastal highway.

Sandrider:

A few diversions from the coastal (Princes) highway .... any or all could be added to your ride south. I'm assuming you have maps.

Two short ones just south of Sydney:

Royal National Park - winding digression from the Princes Highway just as you head out of Sydney. Bumpy in parts, great views, adds 30 ins plus stops for the view.

Macquarie Pass / Kangaroo Valley - head west off the Princes Highway just after Wollongong (through Albion Park) and take either Illawarra Highway through Macquarie Pass or Jamberoo Mounatin Road up, then go south past Fitzroy Falls (worth a look) and then down through Kangaroo Valley to rejoin the Princes Highway just north of Nowra. adds about an hour with stops.

Once through Narooma, you have some great options:

Coast Road through Bermagui and Tathra to rejoin Princes Highway at Pambula. Nice views, probably qucker than the Highway.

Four simply superb mountain roads:

Brown Mountain (Snowy Mountains Highway) - easily combined with high, open run down to Bombala and then the fabulous Cann Valley Way.

Mt Darragh Road: Turn west after Pambula to Wyndam, then up through Cathcart to Bombala. A great twisty climb to 1400m, probably best done "up" rather than "dowm".

Mt Imlay Road: Turn west 25 km south of Eden. Tight lower down, open to great constant-radius curve towrds the top. At little rough in places, and watch wildlife (wallabies in particular) and logging trucks. Turn left (south) at teh top and you're right at the start of ..

Cann Valley Way (Monaro Highway): a rollicking run down from the Monaro Tableland to rejoin the Princes Highway at Cann River. The fun starts 30km south of Bombala, more or less at wher the Mt Imlay road meets the Monaro Highway.

The 'usual' combination would be to take the coast road through Bermagui to Pambula, then the Princes Highway south through Eden to take the Mt Impaly Rd / Cann Valley Way combination.

enjoy!!

Post by **tonyff** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:10 pm

Excellent slideshow. Some of brought back memories. I went through the Blackhills of SD and then the Badlands last spring.

When younger, taller and in better shape, I climbed Devils tower.

Thanks for the slide show. It looks like you had a wonderful trip.

Post by **tonyff** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:11 pm

Excellent slideshow. Some of brought back memories. I went through the Blackhills of SD and then the Badlands last spring.

When younger, taller and in better shape, I climbed Devils tower.

Thanks for the slide show. It looks like you had a wonderful trip.

mnnden · Post by **mnnden** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 10:08 pm

Very Nice!! I really enjoyed the ride, and Bob Seger was a great. Den

Post by **OU812** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:33 am

Thanks so much. Really got my PMS going. Great pics and the right song for them. Great job!

Post by **GypsyRR** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:49 am

OU812 wrote:Thanks so much. Really got my PMS going.

Sandrider - excellent slideshow. You get the Best Song Choice award, for sure!! I had to download it after hearing it, so I could add it to my riding music. I was toying with the idea of taking a mc trip from Colorado this summer, heading up to Wyoming and maybe Montana and Idaho. This slideshow convinced me to keep planning. So IF I can string together enough free days in a row - that's what I'll be doing.

What big bird are you guys talking about? I looked at the slideshow 3 times and the only bird I saw was the one in flight. I think it was a hawk. A Red Tail hawk.

Thanks Sandrider!

Bob Seger - Roll Me Away

Took a look down a westbound road,
Right away I made my choice
Headed out to my big two-wheeler,
I was tired of my own voice
Took a bead on the northern plains
And just rolled that power on

Twelve hours out of Mackinaw city
Stopped in a bar to have a brew
Met a girl and we had a few drinks
And I told her what Id decided to do
She looked out the window a long long moment
Then she looked into my eyes
She didnt have to say a thing,
I knew what she was thinkin

Roll, roll me away,
Wont you roll me away tonight
I too am lost, I feel double-crossed
And Im sick of whats wrong and whats right
We never even said a word,
We just walked out and got on that bike
And we rolled
And we rolled clean out of sight

We rolled across the high plains
Deep into the mountains
Felt so good to me
Finally feelin free

Somewhere along a high road
The air began to turn cold
She said she missed her home
I headed on alone

Stood alone on a mountain top,
Starin out at the great divide
I could go east, I could go west,
It was all up to me to decide
Just then I saw a young hawk flyin
And my soul began to rise
And pretty soon
My heart was singin

Roll, roll me away,
Im gonna roll me away tonight
Gotta keep rollin, gotta keep ridin,
Keep searchin till I find whats right
And as the sunset faded
I spoke to the faintest first starlight
And I said next time
Next time
Well get it right

Post by **tonyff** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 11:57 am

Hey GypsyRR,

I agree with you on the slideshow and in particular the song choice. Made me want to get right back out there.

Where are you in Colorado? I'm in Frederick just outside of Longmont.

Tonyff

Post by **GypsyRR** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:11 pm

tonyff wrote:Hey GypsyRR,

I agree with you on the slideshow and in particular the song choice. Made me want to get right back out there.

Where are you in Colorado? I'm in Frederick just outside of Longmont.

Tonyff

I'm not in Colorado yet. International travel this summer and fall might hijack some of my plans, but my original plan is to be in Colorado around mid June and be near the CS area.

But I don't want to hijack Sandrider's Ride Thread either, so back to his ride, his slideshow, and Bob Seger.