For those interested in riding a motorcycle across the country from California to Cape Cod MA on Route 6, here's a great read from a biker who did it:
US Route 6 Road Trip by Ray Fowler (all photos also by Ray Fowler)
For
the past several summers, I have ridden my motorcycle cross country. This past summer, I decided to ride US
Route 6 from Long Beach, CA, to Cape Cod, MA. As my road trip actually started in Redwood City, CA, the
entire eastern portion of my trek totaled more than 4,050 miles. When I left Long Beach on August 9,
2015, it was dismally overcast; when I arrived at the US Route 6 eastern
terminus in Cape Cod on August 19, 2015, it was spectacularly sunny and
warm. The end to a truly epic
ride.
My
2007 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 has been my loyal companion on several solo long
distance motorcycle rides. I
usually select two-lane highway systems for my trips because the scenery is
always breathtaking and you get a chance to meet some unique and interesting
people in small town America. My
trips include rides from San Francisco Bay to Chesapeake Bay, and from Mexico
to Canada. In July 2010, I
completed an Iron Butt ride that covered 1,076 miles in one day. Those trips were great tests of
stamina, but they did not prepare me for the challenging task of solo
navigation while traveling US Route 6 on a motorcycle. I’m really old school, but riding cross
country on the Grand Army of the Republic Highway requires more than just a
sharp eye and a good road map.
Thank God for GPS and smartphones!
I
know a Route 6 road trip from Bishop to Cape Cod would be considered a legit
ride, but some purists feel you need to start in Long Beach to make the ride
truly authentic. I’m OK with that,
but where do you start in Long Beach?
The Los Alamitos traffic circle?
Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and Atlantic Avenue? I visited four different locations on
PCH before deciding to start at the Grand Army of the Republic Highway
plaque. From there, I rode north
on Long Beach Boulevard to PCH then northbound on I-110 (known locally as the
Harbor Freeway). Figueroa Street
parallels I-110 as you travel north toward downtown LA, and Figueroa Street may
be a closer match to the original US Route 6 in some parts of South Los
Angeles. The same can be said for
San Fernando Road after transitioning to Interstate 5 and passing through
Burbank. Eventually, the route
will cut toward Palmdale and the Mojave Desert on SR-14.
This
is where the fun starts. The
Sierra Highway breaks toward the desert at the I-5 and SR-14 split. You can stay on SR-14 or follow roughly
the same path toward Palmdale on the Sierra Highway. This is where a good map, some GPS, and pre-trip research
will really help. Be careful, if
you follow the Sierra Highway, don’t miss the turn back toward Palmdale. Things get simpler after you pass
through Mojave. Stay on SR-14
until it joins US Hwy 395, and eventually you will wend your way north to
Bishop and the western terminus of US Route 6 since 1964.
The
ride up US Hwy 395 is awesome. You
will see a part of eastern California that most Californians never take the
opportunity to enjoy. It is a
beautiful stark contrast to the beaches and valleys in the western and central
parts of the state. The eastern
side of the Sierra Nevada range drops sharply to the high desert floor. It is here you will find an important
part of our nation’s history. Not
quite 50 miles south of Bishop is the Manzanar War Relocation Center where
thousands of Japanese-Americans were interned during WWII. Stop and visit the interpretive center;
it is an experience you are not likely to forget.
Finally,
Bishop and the “official” beginning of US Route 6. The good news is that you will be on US Route 6 all the way
from Bishop to Cape Cod. Riding
east, you’ll soon cross the state line into Nevada. Although US Hwy 50 has been nicked-named the “Loneliest Road
in America,” there are portions of US Route 6 in Nevada that could certainly
compete for that moniker. In Ely, Nevada,
US Route 6 and US Hwy 50 come together and head east toward Utah. They split temporarily but come
together again in the southern Utah desert. US Route 6 through Nevada and Utah may be some of the best
roads for motorcycle touring in the country. Long stretches of roadway where the high desert landscape
extends to the horizon unbroken by crossroads or roadside business. I have ridden through this area no less
than a half dozen times and it never disappoints.
US
Route 6 and US Hwy 50 split for good in Grand Junction, Colorado. The ride across Grand Junction is more
like a business loop, but Route 6 will eventually join I-70 just east of
Palisade. Stay alert because Route
6 will depart and parallel I-70 as it makes its way through towns like Rifle
and New Castle. This part of the
trip was a real treat for me. I
have ridden across Colorado many times, but it was always a route across the
southern part of the state. Now, I
was taking in the mountains and enjoying a close-up look at Vail. East of Vail, US Route 6 turns south
and makes a huge loop through Loveland Pass before rejoining I-70. This is part of Colorado most travelers
pass by as they head either east or west on I-70. However, the payback will be Clear Creek Canyon Road. US Route 6 leaves I-70 and follows Clear
Creek Canyon Road east about 14 miles to Golden. It was a hot and dusty roadway clobbered with trucks. Stop-and-go riding in heavy truck
traffic is very fatiguing. I was
glad to finally be on my way to Denver, which is the first large metropolitan
area on US Route 6 after leaving SoCal.
The route circles north then east around Denver before stretching out to
eastern Colorado.
I
really enjoyed riding through Nebraska.
Much of route was two-lane roads through Nebraska’s rich
countryside. You don’t need a GPS
in Nebraska; US Route 6 is very well marked. Here is America’s Heartland at its best. The people I met were so genuine, and locals
were eager to strike up a conversation when they noticed the California license
plate on my bike. It’s a shame
that left and right coasters look down from 35,000 feet sipping champagne as
they deride “flyover” America. The
people I met in restaurants, shops, and wherever I stopped were friendly and
much more interesting than coasters too busy to slow down and smell the roses. I enjoyed heartland hospitality across
the Midwest and all the way east into Pennsylvania. One other note about riding through Nebraska… I decided to
avoid chain restaurants and fast food on my trip. I have to say that I enjoyed one of the best burgers on the
planet in a small southeastern Nebraska town. It was so good that I expected to see Guy Fieri at the same
diner.
I
saw tons and tons (literally) of corn in Iowa. In fact, I saw summer corn in all states spanning my route
from the Midwest all the way to Massachusetts. I enjoyed riding through several all American small towns in
Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. While
there is a lot less open country in northern Illinois, Route 6 stays well south
of metropolitan Chicago. I have
been lucky to dodge severe weather on my trips, but my luck ran out one early
evening in northern Indiana. I
later learned from locals that June had been a particularly bad month for
thunderstorms and torrential rains.
Now, in August, the storms were enjoying their last hurrah. I stopped in Westville just after
sunset to put on my rain gear after a few drops started hitting my windscreen. It was only about 12 miles to
Kingsbury. Horizontal rain hit me
almost as soon as I got back on the road.
No worries; I have ridden in rain and I should reach Kingsbury in about
20 minutes. How bad could it
get? I was about to find out. The sky turned pitch black as rain hammered
my left side. I slowed down to
about 30 mph and heeled my bike into the gusting wind. There were no visual references except
the fog line on the right hand edge of the road. With no streetlights or even a farmhouse porch light to help
orientate me, it appeared as if everything outside my headlight pattern had
turned into a solid black mass.
Then, an earsplitting streak of lightning would eerily illuminate the
countryside momentarily before the blackness returned. I could make out trees and fields on
the side of the road just before a thunderous boom would resonate overhead. The water was now a couple of inches
deep on the roadway and splashing back on my boots like the wake behind a motor
boat. There were no other vehicles
on the road. The darkness and
heavy rain continued to be punctuated by lightning flashes and
thunderclaps. There was nowhere to
stop. I thought about what would
happen if I ran over a pothole or unseen railroad tracks. I would probably go down, but I should
not get hurt too badly at such a slow speed. I missed the turn toward Kingsbury but backtracked almost
immediately and got back on course.
It was the longest 12 miles of roadway I have ever ridden, but I made
it.
The
next day was gorgeous. I finished
up northern Indiana and entered Ohio.
Speed trap alert! Beautiful
Saturday morning heading east on Route 6 about a mile west of Ligonier, Indiana…
one of Ligonier’s finest is working radar well outside the city limits
line. Then, a second officer is
working radar about a half mile down the roadway. C’mon, guys.
Route 6 skirts the extreme southern edge of Ligonier, and vehicles on
the Grand Army of the Republic Highway do not materially affect traffic safety
in your town. However, I’m sure
radar tags on Route 6 are a great revenue generator for the town of
Ligonier. I continued riding
through beautiful unbroken countryside as I crossed into Ohio. I have not spent any time near the
Great Lakes, so I really enjoyed the view as I drove east along the Lake Erie
shoreline. I finally reached
Cleveland, which is only the second large metropolitan area along my
route. There was a lot to see as I
traversed Cleveland, but before I reached the historic Millionaire’s Row
district east of the city, I turned toward Pennsylvania and back into rural
America.
As
I drove across northern Pennsylvania, I felt like I was nearing my goal. In the west, it can take all day to
ride across a single state. Now, I
would be crossing through Pennsylvania and New York on my way to Connecticut. The farther east you ride, the more
time you will spend on navigation.
While Route 6 is always heading an easterly direction, it can split away
from an expressway or turn away and join a road less traveled with little or no
signage. You can easily avoid
business loops and alternates that are properly marked, but you will see “US
Highway 6,” “Old US Hwy 6,” and “Historic 6” signage that may tempt you away
from US Route 6 as it appears officially on the map. I reached Providence, Rhode Island, after riding through
more scenic New England small towns than I could count. Finally, Massachusetts and the Atlantic
coastline! There is so much
history and local flavor as you near the Cape; you will want to stop in each
small town along the way.
I
rolled through Bourne, Massachusetts, then crossed the Cape Cod Canal just west
of Sandwich on a Wednesday morning.
I thought it would be a breeze to get up to Provincetown for some
lunch. I thought wrong. Although it was a Wednesday, it looked
like everyone in southeastern Massachusetts was headed to the Cape for one last
beach trip before the start of the school year. It was hot. It
was stop-and-go for miles. Here is
one thing all California motorcycle riders learn when they ride outside the
Golden State: California is one of
the few states that permits lane sharing or “white-lining.” Local yokels will not only just nudge
their car over to narrow the lane between cars; they will actually cut off motorcycles
getting ready to pass them. I have
been tempted to whack a side view mirror on occasion, but a deep breath and a
little Zen always moved me to a better place on my journey.
The last 60 miles from Sandwich to Provincetown required about two
hours to complete. I finally arrived
at the “3,652” sign, and as I reached for my camera, a small sedan pulled ahead
of the sign in a perfect position to photobomb the last shot of my Route 6 mega
ride. I got the pictures I wanted
and rode to the beach before meandering over to Provincetown. Like I said earlier, it was a glorious
day. Reflecting on my ride, I
would have to say that it gave me a deep sense of satisfaction and
accomplishment. I have now joined
a loosely formed but proud group of bikers who have met the challenge of riding
cross country on US Route 6. My
only regret is that I didn’t have more time to spend on the Cape.
