2022 Experience Scavenger Hunt

2022 is all about collecting as many experiences as possible! I don’t want to limit myself to a checklist of things to do, so I figure a “bucket list” of categories would give me ideas yet still afford me enough flexibility to live in the moment. I’ll add a bullet under each category as I gain a corresponding experience during the year.

Transportation

  • Motorcycle
  • Truck/car
  • Ferry
  • Boat
  • Metro light rail

Food & Dining

  • Boiled crawfish on a bayou in Louisiana 🙂
  • Picking out live lobster, then steamed and eaten at waterside lobster pound in Maine
  • Breakfast of ploye in Madawaska, ME (Acadia)
  • Chicago style hot dog at Portillo’s and Chicago style deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s (Chicago, IL)
  • Fresh cherries in Traverse City, MI
  • White fish on Lake Superior

Iconic Sites & Activities

  • Winter seashell hunting on Sanibel Island, FL
  • Walking across bridge to Bar Island, ME at low tide
  • Riding across the longest and shortest covered bridges in the U.S. (Ashtabula County, OH)
  • Riding the tram to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO
  • Riding original sections of Route 66 (IL)
  • Boat tour of Pictured Rocks National Seashore (MI)
  • Boat tour of Voyageurs National Park (MN)
  • Walking across Mississippi River Headwaters (Lake Itasca State Park, MN)
  • Seeing bison in-person in the Badlands (ND)

Classic & Scenic Rides (descriptions are from personal experience and should not be considered exact!)

  • Delaware River & Hawks Nest Route (34 miles, NY-97 between Narrowsburg, NY and Port Jervis, NY)
    • June scenery (green hills, Delaware River Valley), no hairpin turns, mostly sweepers, no really steep grades, road mostly in good condition, heavy traffic (was a weekend day)
  • Cadillac Mountain [Acadia National Park] (3.5 miles, Cadillac Summit Road, between Acadia National Park Loop Road, ME and Cadillac Mountain Summit, ME)
    • June scenery (wildflowers, 360 degree views of coastal landscape), narrow, windy road, several scenic pull-offs, minimal traffic due to vehicle reservation requirements, road in good condition, rode it up and down
  • Aroostook Scenic Byway (106 miles, ME-11 between Fort Kent, ME and Sherman, ME)
    • June scenery (green hills & forests, lakes, Fish River Valley), multiple moose warnings (saw none during daylight travel though), no tight turns, steep grades (10% at one point), parts of road in bad condition (potholes and crumbling), minimal traffic, towed trailer north to south
  • Kancamagus Highway (34 miles, Rt. 112 between Lincoln, NH and Conway, NH)
    • June scenery (green forests of White Mountains, Swift River), only one hairpin and one tight turn, other turns are sweepers, steep grades less than approx 8%, 3000 ft of climb, road in good condition, moderate traffic (was week of Laconia), towed trailer east to west
  • Tunnel of Trees (21 miles, M-119, between Harbor Springs, MI and Cross Village, MI)
    • July scenery (lush green forests on one side, stunning views of Lake Michigan on the other), gentle sweeping curves, minimal elevation change, road in good condition, one lane, no center line, must work with oncoming traffic to pass, minimal traffic (some locals get impatient with tourists and pass aggressively), towed trailer south to north
  • Going-to-the-Sun Road [Glacier National Park] (48.7 miles, no road number, between West Glacier, MT and St. Mary, MT)
    • July scenery (green forests below ridgelines, blooming wildflowers), twisty road with only two hairpin turns, steep grades, minimal guardrails, vertigo-producing views, traverses Continental Divide at Logan Pass (elevation 6646 ft), moderate traffic due to National Park vehicle pass system, road in good condition except for 8-mile stretch of road construction (all loose gravel) near west entrance, rode west to east, then east to west
  • Northwest Passage (202 miles, US-12, between Lewiston, ID and Lolo, MT)
    • August scenery (green forests in mountain area, more arid towards ID/WA border), sweeping turns that follow the Clearwater River, ample turnouts for sightseeing, numerous historical markers and sites, road in great condition, minimal traffic on a weekday, rode east to west
  • Hurricane Ridge [Olympic National Park] (17 miles, Hurricane Ridge Road, between Olympic National Park Visitor Center, Port Angeles, WA and Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Port Angeles, WA)
    • August scenery (green trees and bushes, very few wildflowers), Butler map description says it best “tunnels, tight curves, rapid elevation changes, breathtaking scenery, and drop-offs with no guardrails – it’s exciting riding, both climbing and descending,” rode on a weekday, minimal traffic, road in good condition, road it up and down
  • Cascade Loop (440 miles, a combination of three WA Scenic Byways: Whidbey Scenic Isle Way, North Cascades Scenic Byway, and Stevens Pass Greenway)
    • August scenery (Western WA ocean, bay, and sound; Cascade Mountain peaks, forests, streams, waterfalls, and lakes; eastern WA arid valleys), just about every kind of road you can imagine with each of these landscapes, including ferry rides and mountain passes (Washington Pass on WA-20 at 5477 ft and Stevens Pass on US-2 at 4061 ft), numerous historical and scenic sites, road conditions ran the spectrum from just paved to undergoing “chip seal,” rode over four days, clockwise direction

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