Guys, thank you for giving me good ideas.

Some 40 yeras ago, my big dream was the route 101 on a pushbike, not a motorbike, starting in Vancouver, British Columbia and ending in Tijuana, Baja California, covering three North American countries.

Unfortunately, I've never had enough time and developed knee probs later which made things even worse:
No more pushbike riding.

So maybe on a motorbike once I've retired?

bad boy wrote:Guys, thank you for giving me good ideas.
Some 40 yeras ago, my big dream was the route 101 on a pushbike, not a motorbike, starting in Vancouver, British Columbia and ending in Tijuana, Baja California, covering three North American countries.
Unfortunately, I've never had enough time and developed knee probs later which made things even worse:
No more pushbike riding.
So maybe on a motorbike once I've retired?

The idea of travel is often just enough to satiate the desire, but the act is the goal. How do the German says it? Der Weg ist das Ziel.

Whether by pedal or combustion, best to begin in Victoria, on Vancouver Island. Victoria is quite picturesque, seat of that province's parliament, and much easier to deal with than the crush of Vancouver the city. You can take the Black Ball ferry straight across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Angeles, Washington. From there, route 101, which actually starts round the other end of the Kitsap Peninsula near the WA capitol, Olympia, heads west then south round the Olympic Peninsula, following the Washington coast and the edge of the Hoh Rainforest. Logging of the mono-culture forests scars the green, rolling hills, looking like nature's had a bad haircut. Cross the mighty Columbia River on the 3-1/2 mile-long Megler bridge which takes you into Astoria, Oregon. Ride up to the hill behind the town to the Astoria Column for a sweeping view of the Pacific, Oregon's coastal ranges, and the wide mouth of the Columbia River. Astoria has some very good brewpubs.

From there it's picturesque and not-so picturesque coastal towns and tourist traffic, but a winding road along a beautiful coast in many places. SW Oregon and Northern California see the towering redwoods, and a snaking river appears in Humboldt County, sight of many a well-hidden, weed growing operation over the years. Veer off 101 and take CA 1 south of Garberville, and again south of San Fran.The rest is simply amazing save for a few places where you have to deal with cities and suburban sprawl. But south of SF the road is truly spectacular. Big Sur comes to mind. Mind the frequent landslides.

I reckon I've talked myself into the route I'll take come Autumn to visit my daughter is SoCal, an elderly second cousin in Phoenix (once it's cooled off from the current 44 - 48C), and then back over via the Mojave desert, and Arizona, to New Mexico just as the Hatch green chilis are roasting and ready. The scent of those beauties fills the air. A bit later, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is starting up in October. Mass asencion is not to be missed. I know there are heaps of the inherently religious in New Mexico, but it should not be confused with another event, potentially some vague distance in the future.

@TWB
thanks for all these precious inputs.
Nothing beats insider information / knowledge  

'der Weg ist das Ziel' - exactly
I am amazed by your knowledge of german

With the planned trip back home not doable this year (sad to miss the 40th anniversary K event in NSW, and my Aussie mates), I'm looking round for options of stateside rides before the snow flies. The white stuff is not that far away, time-wise, in many parts of the lower 48. 

On the 27th of September I'm away on the beastly K1200R for a cross-country ride to attend the BMW Motorrad 100th Anniversary Days at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, the Alabama version! I've got a mate in northern Colorado to see, American rellies in Atlanta, Georgia and near Biloxi, Mississippi, friends in New Mexico, a recently reconnected with-elderly second cousin (92!) near Phoenix, as well as a lust for riding the American desert south west. I expect I'll be away for three and a half weeks, and 6,000+ miles. New tyres are fitted, fresh brakem pads, a dry run's done with requisite bits packed, the bike's checked over and freshly serviced, maps & Google studied, friends & fambly contacted. 

My partner enquired "Why not ride the K1300GT?"

Travelling light(er), is the only way to fly..." 
~JJ Cale

Trying for another two-lane, state highway route most of the way, as I did in June this year from New Mexico back to the Pacific North Wet. I've even added the touring version of a windscreen.

The black mule is packed and ready to depart once a useful gap opens up in the current 'atmospheric river' (remember when we simply called that sort of thing a wet spell?) for escaping over the Cascade Range. Right now, as I look out the lounge room window, and scan the interweb weather forecasts, it doesn't matter whether I drop south towards Oregon via Portland, or go straight east up over Snoqualmie Pass towards eastern Washington, it's gunna be wet for the first day's riding. The forecast is looking good, growing warmer and drier as I head in a generally south-easterly direction towards Alabama. Give that I have a choice, due to plenty of time, I'll watch and wait for a drier moment to depart in the next coupla days.

I'm factoring a bit less than one month's riding time and up to 7,000 miles/11,000+ kilometres distance to cover. I hope to get it all done on two-lane state highways rather than the (more rapid but often boring) interstate system.

As they used to say on the TV news, "Pictures at eleven."

TWB,
Hope you have (make) time to take us along. I for one will be looking forward to it. And "lets be safe out there".