5000 miles, 10 states: WA, OR, ID, NV, UT, CO, NM, TX, AR, CA
Here's the route:
https://www.google.com/maps?saddr=evere ... 12&t=m&z=9
The bikes:
My husband Brad: 2006 Buell XB12X
Our buddy Joeh: 1998 Harley Davidson Road King
Mine: 2002 R1150R
This trip was the most amazing experience of my life so far, hoping to have more trips like this to look forward to – especially as now I'll have much further to travel to get to roads I haven't seen before. We averaged around 450 miles a day on the road. We mostly stayed at cheap motels with walking-distance bars and free breakfast in the mornings.
Highlights:
Deadman's Pass, OR: a short but fun pass with a spectacular curvature-of-the-earth view. Rode through the Bonneville Salt Flats. 3rd day riding through Utah was the hottest I've ever experienced – that is one brutal desert. We were repaid for our ride through burning hell with a (still hot) jaunt through Arches National Park. Just a couple hours later rode into Durango, CO and we were welcomed with lush green hills and glorious cool air. (And beer!)
In Austin, the Rally was fun: terrible music, excellent people watching. A lot of interesting bikes (stretched Hayabusas?? I didn't even know that was a thing). Downtown Austin was shut down and filled with motorcycles for a night – the strip wreaked of oil and exhaust, it was awesome.
On the rode home:
We got some relief from the burning sun in New Mexico on the way to Farmington. Storms in New Mexico are breathtaking. Clouds were sporadic, tall, and heavy, so we'd ride between windows of burning sunlight and patches of steaming heavy rain, winding between epic southwest mesas.
Riding with wild horses: On the way to Monument Valley in Utah, we encountered a couple of wild horses on the road. We slowed down let them get out of the way, and as we passed by (with caution) one of the horses picked up pace and galloped after us for a piece. About a mile down the road a few more wild horses, same deal: slowed down, let them get off the road, watch them get a little excited as we pass. A few minutes later, we came across an entire pack of them, maybe 10 total, all different colors and ages, taking up the whole road. Brad on the XB12X (was leading), slowed to a stop and revved his engine. The pack accumulated to one side orderly enough, and as we passed again they got excited and the entire pack started running with us on the shoulder as long as they could keep up with us.
That evening we did Zion National Park (incredible, impressive, indescribable).
Nevada is amazing – desolate but beautiful, we were expecting a torturous ride through the burning desert. Instead we had 85 dry degrees through the empty high desert. Took "Extraterrestrial Highway" – 150 miles with no services, but there was a quirky little town of conspiracy theorists, and we passed the "black box": a mailbox in the middle of nowhere next to a dirt road that goes off supposedly for 50 miles which is where Area 51 may or may not be. Honestly that stretch of nothing would be a great place for a secret government facility.
Stayed overnight in Reno, the next day in Bend, OR. Some gorgeous roads through California on the way home.
PHOTOS
I am generally terrible at taking photos when I'm having a good time, but I got a few on my cell phone and some the guys shot, so here's a few worth sharing.
Dead Man's Pass, OR
Arches National Park
Utah coal country
Washed my bike in San Antonio – it poured rain about 10 minutes later and ruined everything.
Zion National Park at sunset
B. F. Nevada
It just seems at some point the heat wins...I don't care what you do 
And then there is the humidity!!!
