Take an epic motorcycle tour of the American Southwest
You know that scene in Easy Rider where Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda are riding their choppers up the California coast towards that Monterey biker bar and "The Weight" by The Band is playing in the background? Damn, that's a great scene... {moment of thoughtful reflection}... And, damn, if it also isn't totally possible for you to reenact thanks to LA-based motorcycle tour operators The Roadery.
You don't need a bike, but you do need to know how to ride one, and be willing to do so for a couple hundred miles per day. The Roadery literally has everything else covered, but first, you need to make a couple of decisions:
One of your two bike choices, the Triumph Bonneville Thruxton is the cafe racer-styled version of the iconic Bonneville line which debuted in 1959. Although saddle-bags and windshields are available, the cats at The Roadery like their bikes sleek and, thus, discourage their use. Luggage, etc, will follow in a support vehicle.
Your other choice is the Harley-Davidson Sportster, which was Harley's answer to the British sport bikes of the late '50s and '60s. Should you not want either the Triumph or the Harley you're a fool who knows nothing about motorcycles they're also willing to make arrangements for other bikes.
The actual tours crisscross California, Nevada, and Arizona (and range from 2 days, 1 night and 494mi, all the way to 9 days, 8 nights and 1195mi) with the goal of never surpassing 250mi and/or 5hrs in the saddle in any one day. Along with a qualified guide (with "unique knowledge of the routes and sights along the way"), each tour includes accommodations, bike rental, fuel for the whole trip, and the support vehicle which'll have your luggage and possibly a spare bike. There's also an option to take a self-guided version of most.
The shortest takes you from LA, through Topanga Canyon, into Angeles National Forest, up the San Gabriel mountains and eventually to Twentynine Palms for the night before returning to LA.
A solid example of their mid-length tours, 4 days/ 3 nights and 695mi gets you from Las Vegas to Yosemite and then on to San Francisco. You'll go via a stretch of country that includes a stint in Death Valley, a night in Mammoth Lakes, crossing the Tioga Pass into Yosemite National Park, and a seaside drive through Marin County and across the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.
At 8 days, 7 nights, and 1378mi one of their longest trips starts in LA and heads through the desert to Palm Springs, before doing a sick swing of the natural glory of the American West. That glory includes stops at the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Bryce Canyon before finally hitting Vegas (where you'll spend a celebratory night icing your crotch after riding a motorcycle for seven straight days).
That's really all you need to know about how The Roadery works; but we thought we'd throw in some shamelessly cool photos of what these trips look like with super rad-looking people on them.
Don't let that cool hit you on the way out.
They even make visiting lame tourist-y ghost towns look like an album cover.
This could be you.
Stare aimlessly off into the ocean and keep your helmet on if you're afraid its messed up your hair.
Even the bikes know how to pose effortlessly badass for photos.
They even make wearing bubble face masks looks dope.
And they even make trying to figure out directions look epic.
Seriously, what are you waiting for. Stop letting this guy have moments like this while you sit at home watching Easy Rider over and over and over.