I’m betting that right about now you’ve decided that you’ve had enough of winter and really want nothing more than to be on your bike headed somewhere…anywhere…that the roads are bare, and the weather is warm. But, like most others I’m going to have to make it through the winter some other way. One of those ways is to work on planning trips for later this year. To do that I use a lot of resources that I’d like to share with you.
Step 1 is to examine your own interests. What are you interested in? History? Art? Nature? Sports? Mountains? Beaches? Cities? Forests? Whatever it is, you can use that as way to find a theme and/or choice of destination. For me, often the hardest part is deciding WHERE I want to go and what I want to SEE. Once I’ve got those things down, it becomes simply a matter of deciding when I can go and what routes I want to use to see the things I want to see. I look for inspiration from various sources, but the internet is my main go to.
Let’s say that I want to do a short trip. That will mean that I have to keep the mileage and time to a minimum, so I’ll begin by just looking at what I can find in my own state and a couple of boarding states. A great site for information along that line is onlyinyourstate.com. This is a great site to find that little hole in the wall restaurant, that little known historical spot, or something unique to your area. I’ve set up many “Ride to Eat” one day excursions using this site.
If I want to visit a national park and maybe do an overnight camping trip a good place to start is with the National Park Service website.
Or if I want to do a longer multiday trip, with several destinations in mind I might look at other websites like these…
Attractions of America.com
Travel and Leisure.com
TravelPulse.com
…just for general information and ideas. Checking them out might help me to pick a general direction or destination.
When I’m looking for things to check out along the way, I’ve found this website to be a big help…
Road Trip USA.com
…and if you want someone to do all the planning for you, you can use an app/website like this one
Roadtrippers.com
I tend to use hotels when I travel anymore because I like a comfortable bed, a nice shower, and A/C at the end of the day. But there are still times when I like to camp. A couple of nice websites to use to find camping are…recreation.gov and hipcamp.com
Of course you’ve got to eat along the way too, and if you’re like most motorcycle riders I know, you look for the mom-and-pop places and stay away from the chains. There are plenty of sites that will help you out with this, but my favorite is…Roadfood.com. Trip Advisor and Yelp are also apps that you can use on your phone to find food almost wherever you are.
What roads you take along your way, and how you find them, is your own personal choice when you’re the one that sets the itinerary. Unlike when you use a tour company to plan and organize everything for you, you get to choose the roads and the stops. If you’re like most “sport-tourers” that i know, you want to ride twisty roads as much as possible. But if you’re heading into areas you’re not familiar with, how do you find them? My go-to sites for this part of the equaton are Motorcycleroads.com and Greatmotorcycleroads.com. I use these sites to find roads that fellow riders recommend and then turn to maps and my GPS mapping software (basecamp) to fill in the gaps. 
Some people just use their GPS and put it on automatic with a setting for curvy roads, and that’s fine for anyone that might go that route. But I prefer to set my own route and not rely on my equipment to do the job for me. Just a personal preference. There really is no wrong way to do.
All of these sites are really just tools for you to use. For me, part of the fun of touring is researching and planning prior to the trip. Part of that research is to stay up to date on what others are saying on some of my favorite motorcycle travel related websites. I invite and encourage all readers to continue to follow me here on our website and on our MSTA Facebook Groups for information and input from our thousands of members spread all over the US and beyond. I also encourage you to check out other websites such as AmericanSportTouring.com, ADVrider.com, BacKroadsUSA.com, and TheRidingObsession.com. Also, for great articles on touring, sport touring, and adventure riding in the US and around the world, do yourself a favor and pick up a subscription to Road Runner Magazine. You can visit their website at RoadRunner.travel. I’ve been a subscriber since they started and have never stopped. I keep all the old copies and use them in my planning for rides in different areas of the country. it’s a great resource tool and a fun magazine to read too. The photography is outstanding as well!
How much planning you do before taking off on a trip is certainly your choice. Some days I just pick a direction and see where the roads lead me. Other times I have a destination in mind. But no matter how much, or how little, planning you put into your trips, just GO!
“Most of the cats that you meet on the streets speak of true love
Most of the time they’re sittin’ and cryin’ at home
One of these days they know they gotta get goin’
Out of the door and down to the street all alone”
Truckin’ By The Grateful Dead