As 2024 begins, there is a persistent life-sucking darkness to much of the day. How to fix this has many common solutions. Perhaps buy a SAD lamp and stare at it. Or just go outside and hope for a clear day among Michigan’s ever-present cloudiness. Better yet, do the outside thing, but also start planning vacation trips for this summer.

My mode of travel is via a trusty old BMW G650GS. Ten-plus riding seasons on this bike has left me with plenty of experience of how to plan, pack and execute everything from a day trip to a 3 week multi-country adventure.

For this summer, if possible, the goal will be something of the longer variety. Perhaps even a 5000 mile round trip. The ground rules for planning are:

Route plan via state highways and scenic byways, limiting expressway travel as much as possible.
Plan for a mix of 300 mile days and occasional high mile days to bypass previously explored areas or endless prairie.
Carry camping equipment but identify rewarding areas for a mix of hotel stays.
Identify a bucket-list of destinations along the way.

Since I am just beginning to explore maps for each state, I only have a preliminary list of key sights:

The Lake Superior coastline, especially in the western UP.
Northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters area
The upper reaches of the Missouri River
The Canadian Rockies extending from the US border to Banff, Lake Louise along CAN 93 and 1.
Finding a new route from Canada into Washington State, something that I haven’t ridden before.

Time to settle into the comfy chair with a cup of coffee, my collection of Butler Maps, and a notebook, and start thinking this through.