Tuesday 28 September 2010

Looking Back....

I was asked recently what were my favourite things from the tour so far, what were my highlights and where did I like the most. That is a tough question because there have been so many good things to see and do. I tried to answer the question as fairly as I could. Of course, writing any sort of favourites list has the danger of people not agreeing or saying they would have added this or that, but here is my list. I have added this to the panel on the right hand side of this blog and I will keep it up to date by adding any new favourites as I continue my journey.

I have deliberately avoided listing this with any sort of any order, so I have simply listed them in the sequence that I saw them.....
  • Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, New York City.
  • Lobsters in the New England states.
  • Provincetown in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
  • Niagara Falls. New York.
  • Chicago, Illinois.
  • The Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee.
  • The Sand Hills, in Nebraska.
  • The Badlands, South Dakota.
  • Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, South Dakota.
  • Needles Highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
  • Devils Tower, Wyoming.
  • Bighorn Canyon, as it was such a surprise!
  • Cody, Wyoming.
  • Riding Beartooth Pass, on the Montana/ Wyoming border.
  • Bison, waterfalls and geysers of Yellowstone
  • The Tetons, Wyoming.
  • Colorado and the Rocky Mountains!
  • Riding above the tree line – Mount Evans, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • Bishop Castle, near Colorado City, Colorado.
  • Skyline Drive, Canon City.
  • Million Dollar Highway
  • Antelope Canyon

  • Back roads and small towns anywhere.
  • Meeting really nice people, in just about all of the places I have been.
  • The camaraderie of bikers. Everywhere, USA.

7 comments:

FLHX_Dave said...

Screw what people think. Just put your list together and if they don't like it, well, that's their problem now isn't it.

I'm gonna' put you on the spot here. What is you #1 favorite place you have been. The one that just made your jaw drop or your soul soar.

Oz said...

I love the list. I was actually considering asking you to do a "Top Ten" list of things like restaurants, roads, sites, places for desert... It would be great to see your thoughts considering the miles you have ridden on one trip and the places you have been.

Beck said...

My favorite thing about your tour, is "YOU"! Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful adventure with all of us. Look forward to the remainder of your trip.

Canajun said...

An awesome list Gary. And I feel fortunate to have been able to experience some of them vicariously through you and your blogging. Great work. Thanks.

My Bikers World said...

Really great places. And it is really a dream of great number of bikers to visit them. And many of them are reading your blog not only with pleasure, but looking on you with admirable envy.

Eve said...

How could anyone disagree with your list Gary!! It's your list!! hahaha! My favorite...ALL of it! Thanks for bringing us along!!

Gary France said...

Dave – That is a very difficult question to answer! I will set out my top 3.... to be like the Oscars I will do this in reverse order....in 3rd place, Sturgis, because seeing so many bikes on Main Street and so many people was amazing.... in 2nd place is Beartooth Pass, because the views combined with the incredible twisty road makes it a stunning combination .... in 1st place I would put the Badlands of South Dakota, because even though they are small compared with other places, they are so unlike anything I have seen elsewhere in the world, I did say wow out loud a few times when I first rode through them. The area that I enjoyed the most would have to be along the Montana / Wyoming border, plus the west side of South Dakota. There are just so many things to see and do here that I would go back there first.

Oz – I will probably do such a list when I finish and it will be very difficult to select just 10 things, as there are just so many good things to include on the list. It may take the form of recommendations, like stay in one-off hotels and motels, avoid the big hotel chains, avoid fast-food joints, if doing such a trip on your own then sit at the bar to eat meals, don’t be shy about walking up to complete strangers and talking to them.... etc

Beck – You are very kind. It is a real pleasure not just to do the trip, but to share it with my new blogging friends! It is strange to think, until just over a year ago, I didn’t even know what a blog was!

Canajun – You are very welcome. I like it that people are able to share in what I am doing.

My Bikers World – I hope I am able to show a lot of bikers what great places there are out there to ride to. I started this blog to record all of this for myself, and it gives me great satisfaction that people enjoy reading it, even with some envy!

Eve – Good point about its my list!