Author Topic: Visiting a TransAm rider  (Read 6099 times)

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Offline passandr2021

Visiting a TransAm rider
« on: January 30, 2022, 12:46:59 pm »
I am riding the TransAm east to west this summer.   My wife and I would like to meet up for a couple of days.  (She is not riding and will be flying in.)  Does anybody have any suggestions for a good location?

Offline John Nettles

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Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2022, 01:10:17 pm »
You don't say if once or more often and if so, how often.  If halfway, then Pueblo.  Some scenic places are Jackson, WY, or Missoula or West Yellowstone.  You could also do Wichita (off route a little) or Springfield, MO.  But if she will need to rent a car, then almost any relatively nearby town with an scheduled flights airport is fine, i.e. Denver, St. Louis, etc. 

Just remember that if she is coming to a high tourist area, i.e., Jackson, then you may have to book your hotel early and then be stuck to that arrival date. If you do that, be SURE to have a few "buffer" days built into your riding schedule so you don't miss your wife who then becomes unhappy who then is not happy with you touring again which makes you unhappy.   ;) .
Have a great trip!

Offline staehpj1

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2022, 05:00:29 pm »
Maybe do a side trip with her.  How about renting a car and going to somewhere off route like Glacier NP?

Offline John Nelson

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2022, 08:25:45 pm »
Our advice will likely be drastically different depending on whether or not she will have a car. Without a car, options are much more limited.

If she will have a car, I’d recommend that she fly into Denver and drive up to Breckinridge to meet you. Or, if she’s never been to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, perhaps fly into Jackson.

Without a car, she could fly into Louisville or Lexington or Wichita and you could make a detour to meet her. Without you making a detour, she’d have to fly into a small airport.

Offline HikeBikeCook

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Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2022, 03:45:10 am »
Andy, which route are you riding, the traditional TransAm route or the Eastern Express? Also, how far through the trip are you expecting her to visit? If you are riding with partners do you plan to take time off the spend with your wife and does that sync up with the group plans? If you take a few days and the group goes on you may be hard pressed to catch them if they put 100+ miles on you.
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Offline passandr2021

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2022, 07:07:42 am »
Hi.

I am riding the regular TransAm.  I'm planning on going it alone and very much hoping to meet people along the way and ride with them for segments. 

I very much appreciate the feedback that I've received so far. Thank you!!

Offline HikeBikeCook

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Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2022, 07:18:57 am »
When I first started planning my trip I had a consulting engagement lined up (COVID changed that) and I mapped major airports to my route. Also, my wife had originally planned to ride with me so those we handy as bailout points for her, before she bailed entirely. :)
Surly Disc Trucker, Lightspeed Classic, Scott Scale, Klein Mantra Comp. First touring bike Peugeot U08 - 1966

Offline staehpj1

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2022, 08:35:02 am »
Our advice will likely be drastically different depending on whether or not she will have a car. Without a car, options are much more limited.

If she will have a car, I’d recommend that she fly into Denver and drive up to Breckinridge to meet you. Or, if she’s never been to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, perhaps fly into Jackson.

Without a car, she could fly into Louisville or Lexington or Wichita and you could make a detour to meet her. Without you making a detour, she’d have to fly into a small airport.
I strongly suggest her getting a car and meeting in a place where there is stuff to see and do.  That is unless you meet in an area with attractions served with public transporttation.   I know that most places where I'd have my wife meet me on the TA we'd want a car.  There are places on other tours where I can see meeting for a week without one.  The Yosemite Valley comes to mind, but off the top of my head I am not coming up with any equivalent options on the TA.  Maybe Yellowstone and Grand Teton would be.  Not sure if the transportation options are good if you don't have a car.  They might be, I just don't have experience there other than riding and driving with side hikes.

That may be influenced by the fact that my wife doesn't ride these days.  If she did maybe I'd think about her bringing or renting a bike and picking a place with lots of nice riding.  Breckenridge might be nice for that.

Offline BikeliciousBabe

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2022, 09:07:29 am »
If she/you will be renting a car, Missoula would be a nice place. Different levels of lodging, including camping, in town.  Places to eat and drink.  The airport is not distant.  Some nice day trips to scenic areas are real possibilities, especially if you rent something capable of handling dirt roads.  (E.g., Subaru Outback).

Offline Pat Lamb

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2022, 05:43:39 pm »
Without a car, she might be able to fly into West Yellowstone and the two of you could take a day or two to tour Yellowstone NP by bus.

Most other places she'd want her own ground transportation (rental car).  Jackson has spectacular views of the Tetons but without transport, you only get one view.

Tri-Cities (near Damascus) and Roanoke would be a couple alternatives in the Appalachians; Richmond or Newport News near the eastern terminus.

Offline staehpj1

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2022, 05:51:27 pm »
Without a car, she might be able to fly into West Yellowstone and the two of you could take a day or two to tour Yellowstone NP by bus.

Have you toured Yellowstone NP by bus?  I am curious how it was.  The Yosemite Valley lends itself well to that.  I wasn't sure about Yellowstone.

Offline John Nelson

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2022, 07:05:51 pm »
Have you toured Yellowstone NP by bus?  I am curious how it was.  The Yosemite Valley lends itself well to that.  I wasn't sure about Yellowstone.
Pete, when I was on the TransAm, I took a day off in Grand Teton and toured Yellowstone by bus. It was a full-day tour leaving from Jackson Lake Lodge, tracing the lower loop of the Yellowstone figure eight. It was great. I was able to catch a free shuttle from the Coulter Bay Village campground to the lodge and back again at the end of the tour.

Offline staehpj1

Re: Visiting a TransAm rider
« Reply #12 on: February 01, 2022, 08:09:43 am »
Have you toured Yellowstone NP by bus?  I am curious how it was.  The Yosemite Valley lends itself well to that.  I wasn't sure about Yellowstone.
Pete, when I was on the TransAm, I took a day off in Grand Teton and toured Yellowstone by bus. It was a full-day tour leaving from Jackson Lake Lodge, tracing the lower loop of the Yellowstone figure eight. It was great. I was able to catch a free shuttle from the Coulter Bay Village campground to the lodge and back again at the end of the tour.
Thanks.  That is good to know for future reference.

I wish we had know more about that when we were there.  Our group of three was in disagreement about doing the Teton spur and we ultimately skipped it.  We tended to be pretty stingy about riding any extra miles on an out and back basis and one of us was concerned about getting home in time for a possible job opportunity and my time wasn't completely unlimited.  Ultimately a ranger decided it when she said "you'll see all of the Tetons you need to see from here".  We did have views of the Tetons from the main Route, but when I went to Grand Teton NP in later years the view was breath taking.  A shuttle over to there would have been a good compromise for us.  I wish that we had been aware of and taken advantage of the bus option.

On a different trip with a more relaxed timetable where none of us needed to be back to jobs I could see spending a week around Yellowstone and Grand Teton.