Welcome to Part 4/4 of our 18-day cross-country motorcycle trip on a Honda Goldwing from Annapolis, Maryland, to Seattle, Washington. We did a one-way rental through EagleRider. The trip took place at the end of August. If you want to start at the beginning, see Part 1.
Cross Country Motorcycle Trip Google Map
Day 13: Billings, MT to Pony, MT
Miles: 210
Ride Time (Not including stops): 5 hours
We left Billings and took Old US-10 to Bozeman, MT. Most of the route followed close to the highway, but it brought us into small towns that we otherwise would have driven right by. We stopped to get a treat at the Sweet Grass Pharmacy and Old Fashioned Soda Fountain in Big Timber, MT, talked to the friendly owner for a few minutes, and then continued to Livingston, MT, for lunch at Neptune’s. I highly recommend Neptune’s. If we had extra time, I would have liked to stay in Livingston, but I was more excited to get to Pony, MT, for the night.
Where is Pony, MT? We got that question a lot in Montana. I read a blog about the best small-town bars in America, and that’s how I found the Pony Bar. We had to go a little off-route to get there, but isn’t that what road trips are about? Finding the hidden gems.
I found a unique Airbnb in town called the Pony Jail. It was the only accommodation in the small town of just over 100 people. We walked over to the Pony Bar and spent the evening talking to locals and playing pool. They also had great food, which they proved by being a hotspot for side-by-side.
Where to Eat/Sleep/Stop:
Maple Moose Coffee and Pop Shop (Billing, MT)
Neptunes Tap House (Livingston, MT)
Sweet Grass Pharmacy and Old Fashioned Soda Fountain (Formerly Cole Drug) (Big Timber, MT)
Pony Bar (Pony, MT)
Pony Jail Airbnb (Pony, MT)
Day 14: Pony, MT to Missoula, MT
Miles: 232
Ride Time (Not including stops): 4.5 Hours
We were officially out of the plains. Today was one of the prettiest rides through several national forests. We took M-1 to M-271 into Missoula, MT, stopping at the Big Bull and getting a Huckleberry shake at Stoney’s Qwik Stop. Cliff was excited that he could park the motorcycle on the curb in front of the hotel. We walked by the river, rode the carousel, checked out a local brewery, and ate dinner. We also did much-needed laundry at the hotel.
Where to Eat/Sleep/Stop:
Mountain View Coffee (Butte, MT)
Tamarack Brewery (Missoula, MT)
Top Hat Restaurant (Missoula, MT)
Big Bull and Milk Shakes – Stoney’s Qwik Stop (Clearwater, MT)
A Carousel for Missoula (Missoula, MT)
Residence Inn Missoula (Missoula, MT)
Day 15: Missoula, MT to Coeur D’Alene, ID
Miles 233
Ride Time (Not including stops) 4.5 Hours
First, get breakfast at Market on Front in Missoula. So good and worth the wait.
Another beautiful ride today. We took the MT-200 through the mountains and along the Clark Fork River into Sandpoint, ID. We stopped in Paradise, MT, to see the only surviving metal fire escape slide. The children would slide from the second floor to the ground in a fire. Sandpoint was the quintessential beach town. If you have extra time, it would be worth staying a night. From there, we continued into Coeur d’Alene, ID. Our hotel was a little ways away from the downtown area, a renovated old motel. There was a brewery and an ice cream shop across the street. It was perfect after a long day.
Where to Eat/Sleep/Stop:
Market on Front (Missoula, MT)
Big Eddy’s (and Tacos) (Thompson Falls, MT)
CDA Cider Company (Coeur d’Alene, ID)
Metal Fire Escape Tube (Paradise, MT)
North Idaho Inn (Coeur d’Alene)
Day 16: Coeur D’Alene, ID to Methow, WA
Miles: 210
Ride Time (Not including stops): 5 hours
We originally planned to stay in Leavenworth, WA, but received a last-minute invite to stay with a friend we hadn’t seen in a while. Home cooking and a fantastic view—yes, please. We did stop to take a picture with Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web.
Where to Eat/Sleep/Stop:
Wilbur the Pig (Wilbur, WA)
Day 17: Methow, WA to Seattle, WA
Miles: 201
Ride Time (Not including stops): 4.5 Hours
Today was our last official day of riding. We left our friend’s early in the morning. We stopped in Leavenworth, WA, for lunch. It is a Dutch town, and I recommend stopping or even staying the night. We continued on WA-2 over Steven’s Pass for one last scenic ride before Seattle. When we hit the pass, the temperature plummeted 20 degrees with light rain and we pulled over to put on our rain gear, mainly for the cold. We were fortunate as this was only the second time I wore my rain gear the whole trip.
Our waiter at lunch suggested getting off at Skykomish, WA and riding up W Old Cascade Highway. It’s 4 miles out and back but scenic and ends at an old bridge. It is the original WA-2. I love following old roads, so I wish we had time, but we were already rushing to Seattle to meet family.
Where to Eat/Sleep/Stop:
Larch Brunch Company (Leavenworth, WA)
EagleRider Seattle (Seattle, WA)
Day 18: Seattle, WA
Sadly, we had to return our motorcycle this morning. We dropped it off at EagleRider in Seattle. The drop-off was seamless.
I hope we inspired you to do a ride you have been thinking about. Most people don’t realize you can rent a motorcycle. We met many people who talked about wanting to do a ride but didn’t know how to get their bike there. Please check out Parts 1-3 and follow along for more information coming soon. And please reach out if you have any questions. Check out our Google map, our route and every stop we made.
Total Miles: 3451
Start from the beginning of the trip here. Looking for Tips and Tricks? Check out Ten Tips for a Cross-Country Motorcycle Trip.
