Stan Brein
What do you get when you combine motorcycling, a long distance trip, good eating and motel camping? You get a memorable event that fe
w will ever experience. L.T. and Mary Bryant have taken many two-wheeled excursions, but their summer outing this year was exceptional. L.T. will take you through it.
We, the Bryant’s, L.T. and Mary, had planned a month long trip to Nova Scotia and the East Coast this summer. But when the Clines, Ken and Connie, suggested going with them to the West Coast first, we decided why not; we’re tough! On June 10 we headed to the Pacific Coast Highway with side trips through Taos, NM, Arizona and a 104 degree day in Bakersfield CA!
After touring Sequoia National Park we joined the Pacific Coast Highway heading to San Francisco, Napa Valley and continuing up Hwy 1, one of the prettiest rides one can take. The Redwood forests and Oregon then beckoned, and we started back south into CA and Mt. Shasta, en route to Reno, NV. From Lake Tahoe we rode to Yosemite where we had to take our second detour due to snow-covered roads. Past Las Vegas we started our parks’ tour including Grand Canyon and Zion, Bryce and Arches National Parks. I can’t over-emphasize the beauty of this area, but it was hard to ignore the 100 plus heat. After an excellent Italian dinner in Moab, UT on day 21, we and the Clines had to part ways the next day in Colorado, moving on to Estes Park, CO.
The next 22 days were spent crisscrossing the central states. They were pretty, but our goal was still the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. Over the next 10 days we covered these fabulous provinces. The two biggest highlights were the Cabot Trail, a 185-mile loop around much of Cape Breton Island with the highway separating the mountains from the ocean with scenic views at every turn. The second was being in Halifax for the Tall Ship Regatta and watching the Parade of Sail. After a few days in Bangor and Bar Harbor we headed down the coast on Maine’s Hwy 1, listed as one of the 10 best motorcycle rides in the country by National Geographic. After a couple of days in Rhode Island visiting the Newport area (where I served my Navy Seabees tour), we decided it was time to head home. We didn’t have any weather issues during our entire trip until we headed home, and then we were delayed three times due to rain in Maryland, Tennessee and Arkansas.
To sum up the ride it was 13,700 miles over 67 days through 26 states and three provinces of Canada, starting on June 10 and completing on August 14. I’ll just say we enjoyed the entire ride although the western half was extremely hot, but the coastlines, National Parks and mountains all made it worthwhile. That may be the longest trip we’ll complete, but there may be a bucket list item or two in the future. We’ll see.
See you on the road!
Beware of cagers and keep the rubber side down!