Extra Epic 2025 Road Trip - getting closer

We pulled the trigger on an “epic road trip” in July: Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas. Three new states to ride Blackie in (New Mexico, Utah, Idaho) and one new state for me to visit (Idaho).

Wondering if we’re stupid to do Moab (Arches) at the end of July in the dead of summer in the desert. Decided to spend two nights in Missoula, Montana, so we can do Lolo Pass (and laundry). Decided we will spend the night back from Dallas, Texas, to Raton, New Mexico (and back), so we can cross New Mexico off our ride list AND not have such long drives in the truck. I have a rough budget spreadsheet (that includes hotel, gas, food, souvenirs – and miles each day AND elevation each stay). Most of the trip is going towards lodging (which gets pricey during high season in these locations). But many of our hotels are Hiltons and we get free breakfasts at most of their properties!

On March 23 (120 days out), made a timed reservation for West Glacier and Going to the Sun Road on recreation.gov. Wow, I did it exactly at 8:00 am when the date “opened” and by the end of the day, there weren’t any available for that day! You can’t do this from West to East without reservations (we’re staying on the west side at the Belton Chalet.

I don’t have to make a timed reservation for Rim Rock, Arches or Yellowstone (because you don’t need timed reservations in mid-July for Arches).  We have an America’s Park Pass so getting into the parks is included in the pass. I am glad I scheduled Going to the Sun Road on my calendar!

I roughly mapped out the trip route wise, but Tony is now going into his motorcycle maps app to add them to the phone. That means that my maps may stay in Texas and not take up room on the bike!

This weekend, we also did most of our packing. We’re planning on tossing quite a bit along the way (socks, underwear, T-shirts, even a pair of Tony’s jeans). I also have a couple of vacuum-seal bags that we added clothes to for the second half of the trip. They really do compress the clothes into a really solid block!

Sunday, July 13

Dallas, Texas to Raton, New Mexico (drive 576 miles)

We decided to add two days to the trip on the drive there and the drive back. We’re staying in Raton, New Mexico, at the Robin Hood Motel (they have a lot behind the motel and we’ll leave the truck and trailer there – and get to cross New Mexico off the ride list!

QuikTrip in Wichita Falls, Texas

QuikTrip in Amarillo, Texas (on I 40/287)

Lunch @ AllSups (doing this to save $$ for budget purposes)

Robin Hood Motel, Raton, New Mexico

The Robin Hood Motel doesn’t look like much, but it came recommended on the Motorcycle Maps Facebook page – and Mandy was super nice when I booked the rooms and asked about leaving the truck and trailer there. Definitely want to try and get a picture of the bike parked next to their sign (very vintage).

Monday, July 14

Raton, New Mexico to Golden, Colorado (drive 240+ miles)

Looks like we’ll head north on Interstate 25 (only six miles to Colorado from the hotel) – go through Raton Pass. There really isn’t anyway not to take the Interstate about 150 miles to Colorado Springs and then bail off the Interstate. But, Interstate 25 isn’t as bad as 20 (or other Interstates). One thing being around mountains is that there aren’t many parallel roads and other roads take you a really long way (unlike in TN/NC where there are for some reason). We’re staying at the same Hampton Inn we stayed at when we did our Sturgis trip!

Tuesday, July 15

Ride: Golden, Colorado to Grand Junction, Colorado (250 miles) I-70 West. Maybe stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to break and gas up (about 150 miles) then Grand Junction, Colorado (another 85 miles). Looks like the speed limit could be 55 – 75 mph (we don’t like going 75 mph on Blackie).

Maybe jump on U.S. Highway 6, Grand Army of the Republic Highway (looks like some of it is on I-70 and some of it takes us off I-70 so that we’re not on the interstate the entire time.

Ice Cream?: https://graffdairyco.com/

I ride for ice cream!

Wednesday, July 16

Ride: Grand Junction, Colorado to Moab, Utah (less than 200 miles)

Route: Starting out by doing Colorado National Monument’s Rim Rock Drive and then over to I-70 to Exit 214 to Cisco to Scenic 128 W to 191 S (N Main Street). Scenic 128 W is supposed to be amazing with the river running alongside us some of the ride.

Per NPS website (https://www.nps.gov/colm/planyourvisit/historic-rim-rock-drive.htm ): Colorado National Monument's Rim Rock Drive is one of the most spectacular drives in the United States. Redrock canyons, crisp blue skies, and verdant green juniper highlight the fantastic views along the road. Several overlooks give you a place to stop and take in the view. There are three tunnels along Rim Rock Drive.

Fruita Canyon

The average drive, without stops, takes 45 minutes to one hour. There is one entrance at each end of Rim Rock Drive. The west entrance is located off of Highway 340 in Fruita, Colorado. The east entrance is off of Monument Road in Grand Junction Colorado. We have an America the Beautiful Pass so we won’t have to pay to get in!

The road is challenging, narrow, and steep in some sections with sheer dropoffs. If you are afraid of heights, some sections of Rim Rock Drive could be difficult to navigate. Driving from west to east may be a little easier, because your vehicle will be further away from the cliff edge on most parts of the road.

When we get into Moab, we’ll gas (Exxon almost next door to hotel) before checking in to hotel (BTW, Homewood Suites has underground garage parking!) since we need an early start in the morning to do Arches (hotel is 5 miles away from the park entrance).

Dinner: Probably will go to the Moab Trailhead Public House and Eatery (https://moabtrailhead.com/) since it is right next door to our hotel and we won’t really want to go far after a long day of riding. The menu seems good – sandwiches, burgers, a lot of buffalo/bison/wagyu, bowls, fries, maybe a bit of a SW twist.

Or: Milt’s Drive In: https://miltsstopandeat.com/

Thursday, July 17

Arches National Park (basically you ride in through the gate, ride the road until it dead ends and then come back out the way you went in), Dead Horse State Park (maybe/probably not – people say this is better than the Arches, but can’t go to Moab and NOT do the Arches) – ride to Park City, Utah (looks like we take 191 a long stretch of this ride).

If we don’t eat the free breakfast at the Homewood Suites, we could consider the Moab Diner (https://www.moabdiner.com/) down the street (opens at 6 am). In any case, wheels up and out to Arches at 7 am.

Deer Creek State Park (Highway 189) into Park City is supposed to be a great ride.

Friday, July 18

Ride: Park City, Utah to Idaho Falls, Idaho (280 miles)

Thinking of just doing mainly interstate on this day. Doesn’t look like there are any “must see” rides unless we want to add a lot more riding, since anything good looks east or west of where we are going.

Saturday, July 19

Idaho Falls to Grizzly Harley Davidson (grizzlyhd.com, 5106 East Harrier Drive, Missoula MT 59808, closes at 5 pm and is closed on Sunday) to Hilton

Sunday, July 20

“Rest day” but ride Lolo Pass! But we may only do the pass to Locsha Lodge (about 60 miles, so a 120 mile ride day). We’re spending two nights in Missoula so that we can do Lolo Pass AND get some laundry in. And, sometimes it’s nice not to have to pack up again and again like we are doing for the majority of this trip.

Breakfast at KT’s Hayloft Saloon (11885 US Highway 93 S, Lolo MT)

US 12 (Lolo Pass) to Kooskia (or just to Locsha Lodge, which is 57.8 miles from the hotel)

Lunch in Kooskia (get Gas @ Conoco)

Ride back to Missoula (maybe have Bridge City Pizza, “The Madison”)

Monday, July 21

Do laundry at Hilton (check out time is noon)

Missoula, Montana to West Glacier Park (140 miles) – this is an “easy” day taking US 93 to Montana Highway 35 to US 2 (into West Glacier). It looks like we get to skirt along the east side of Flathead Lake (and my Butler Map has it colored yellow, so good riding).

Flathead Lake is a large natural lake that was a remnant of the ancient, glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula. And, wow, it’s deep (it has a max depth of 370 feet and average depth of 164 feet – making it deeper than the average depths of the Yellow Sea of Persian Gulf!). There are also apple, pear and plum orchards around the lake.

Belton Chalet

Get gas before checking in to Chalet!

Dinner: looks like I’ll be making reservations for us for “fine dining” at the Chalet. I think West Glacier Village has some other things, but this will be easy. I know that our room doesn’t have TV, or AC, or really any amenities (and it’s our most expensive stay of the trip, mainly because we want to stay in the Park to get the Going to the Sun ride in first thing in the morning.

Tuesday, July 22

West Glacier Park to “Going to the Sun Road” to Great Falls, Montana (200 miles). Timed reservation at 7:00 am.

For all those headed towards Glacier NP, don't miss out on Two Medicine Lakes and Montana Rte. 49. The nice little twisties on 49 are a great riding bonus!

Wednesday, July 23

Great Falls, Montana to Red Lodge, Montana

Beartooth Pass Harley Davidson (retail, 105 S. Broadway, Red Lodge, MT 59068)

Get gas before checking in to the Yodeler!

Yodeler Motel

Thursday, July 24

Red Lodge to Beartooth Pass to Chief Joseph to Old Faithful to Cody, Wyoming

Buffalo Bill Harley Davidson (1137 Sheridan Ave, Cody, WY 82414)

https://travelwyoming.com/listings/chief-joseph-scenic-byway/

https://www.roadtripsforfamilies.com/wyoming-road-trip-chief-joseph-scenic-byway/

Chief Joseph Highway: The byway, also known as Wyoming Highway 296, runs nearly 46 miles between US 212 and Wyoming Highway 120 (seventeen miles north of Cody). The road follows the route Chief Joseph traveled as he led the Nez Perce Indians away from the U.S. Cavalry in 1877.

Friday, July 25

Cody, Wyoming to Riverton, Wyoming

Cody, WY to Thermopolis, WY to Wind River Canyon (US 20/WY 799) to 26 and into Riverton, WY.

Wind River Canyon: We’ll be doing this in reverse, but: The Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway begins in the town of Shoshoni and follows U.S. 20 north through Wind River Canyon and the Wind River Indian Reservation ending just south of Thermopolis. Without stopping, the total drive time is about 40 minutes. The 2,500 foot-deep canyon is a feast for the eyes with the oldest layers of rock dating back to the Precambrian era, over 2.5 billion years ago. Highlights include Boysen State Park, Owl Creek Mountains, the “Wedding of the Waters’ and the Bighorn River.

https://windriver.org/experience/driving-tours/wind-river-canyon/

Saturday, July 26

Riverton, Wyoming to Englewood, Colorado (360 miles)

Sunday, July 27

Englewood, Colorado to Raton, New Mexico – (239 miles)

Monday, July 28

Raton, New Mexico, to Dallas, Texas – HOME! (576 miles)

Robin Hood Motel

QuikTrip in Amarillo, Texas (on I40)

QuikTrip in Wichita Falls, Texas