What is the Four Corners Tour?

As I stated previously, I waited thirty years to get my Goldwing and my bunkmate at Ft. Ord accomplished the Three Flags Classic tour. He mentioned that they had a tour of the contiguous United States called "The Four Corners Tour".

In a nutshell, the tour has four points:
1. San Ysidro, CA
2. Blaine, WA
3. Madawaska, ME
4. Key West, FL

Once proof that you visited the first location is mailed, you have 21 days to visit the other 3 locations in any order. You don't have to return to the starting point. At each location, you must mail proof that you and your bike were there. Other than the pride of finishing the tour, the SCMA does provide some awards. See the Four Corners Tour website for more information and rules.

So although there wasn't the name for it back in 1979, the things on my "bucket list" that I absolutely had to do were to get the Goldwing and then do the Four Corners Tour. One was accomplished in May of 2010 and in July of 2011, the second will happen.

As it appears now, I will be travelling from Woodbridge, VA to the Palm Springs area and then start at San Ysidro, then head north to Washington, east to Maine, then south to the finish in FL. This gives me a chance to see some of the Mother Road (historic Route 66) and have 2 or three days to spend with my family in the Los Angeles area. There are tentative plans to visit friends in Texas and Arizona along the way as I head to L.A.

Once I start the tour in San Ysidro, heading north, I'll pick up a riding partner. My father lives in the Portland area, so he's going to join me from there until we get to the Columbus, OH area where he will then head east to the Baltimore area to visit his great-grandson, grandson and granddaughter-in-law for the first time.

I'll continue to Madawaska, then turn south, most likely travelling a fair distance on I-95. I plan to stay away from the traffic in the Boston area and it also gives me an excuse to head inland and travel through the Hudson Valley. It isn't a bad thing that once I get back to Woodbridge, I'll be able to spend a night in my own bed, then continue south the next day.

Once the tour is complete, I'm planning on staying a day in Key West, then head back towards home. If the time allows, I'll visit on online friend in the Atlanta area, but I have to be back at work on August 1st, so the time will make the final route decision for me.