One question I get asked a lot is ‘how do you find interesting places to ride to?’.
If I am planning a route for a group ride I do a little homework before plotting the route. This usually begins with polling the group to see if there is anything on their must see list. If so, I do my best to include these as waypoints in either Google Maps or using a route planner like Calimoto. If no one on the ride has ideas, this is where the fun part comes in! The sky is the limit.
Internet Options
If you are sitting down and trying to plan a ride, or a day on a longer trip, there are many internet resources available to find interesting options. First thing I often do is hit up atlasobscura.com for weird ideas in the area I am heading to. They list roadsides attractions, bizarre museums, beautiful overlooks, and off-the-beaten-path locals. You can search an area and get a list of options provided by locals and other travelers. I can’t express how useful this site has been for finding the coolest stuff like a Clown Hotel, the original KFC, and PonyHenge. If nothing exciting appears there, my next go to is scenic.org for a listing of scenic byways in the area you are riding. This often has gorgeous roadways that are fun to ride and hold more than just a google map search for the most direct route. National Parks are also a great way to see protected lands that offer beautiful sights, interesting facts about history, and great spots for bike photos. If you are going to visit National Parks, I recommend investing in an annual park pass. It is good for a year and allows 2 bikes to enter as many times as you like.
No trip is complete without food! You can do the obvious Google search for best food options in your location. I tend to pick a food type that is good for riding [not too much, not too heavy, and not too junk] and plan a series of trips to focus on finding the best of that. For example the best BBQ in all 50 states, or the best ice cream in New England.
Non-Internet Options
If you still haven’t found stops to fill your day, my last course of action is to hit up folks I know in the areas for recommendations for local food hotspots or interesting places to visit. This often leads to ‘hey let’s get lunch’. This can be fun, but also tends to take up the entire day, as well as responses to posts on social media about ‘why didn’t you hit me up?’ by those you didn’t visit. You get to decide what your priorities are!
Adventure!
If you are just just out enjoying the day, don’t forget to turn down twisty roads, stop into roadside shops that look interesting, and be open to changing your route! This is my favorite method. My recent 3000 mile trip was mostly unplanned and each day was a new adventure.
Moto Kinder 