US Highway 62: The Road Less Traveled
Motorcyclists are always pining for new and interesting roads. We build our “bucket lists” of the best places to ride and and slowly check them off one at a time.
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I can’t recall exactly when I came across this interesting tidbit of trivia about the US Highway system: While there are plenty of roads that span the US from the Canadian to Mexican borders, there is only one that does so in an east-west orientation – US-62. The 62 runs just shy of 2,250 miles from the border at Niagara Falls, New York to the border at El Paso, Texas. Over its length, this secondary highway traverses 10 states: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas.
The highway traverses over some of the great American rivers: Niagara, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and finally the Rio Grande. And, it also passes through scenic and exceptionally varied landscapes – from the relatively urbanized northeast to the rural southwest, and lush forest to empty desert. The US-62 represents, perfectly, “the road less travelled”.
The Ride
I scheduled four days to navigate the 2,200+ miles from Canada to Mexico aboard my 2005 Harley-Davidson Road King. Traveling 1,000 miles in a day is not uncommon for me, but riding on secondary roads with lower speed limits and lots of small towns to pass through, I decided to lower the distance and pace to savor the landscape.
The route began on the southern side of the Rainbow Bridge, just upstream of Niagara Falls. As you thread your way out of the city of Niagara, you very quickly realize just how difficult it can be to follow the US-62 without an exactingly crafted GPS route. The road weaves through the various residential neighbourhoods, in a generally southwestern direction. Once clear of the city, the road became significantly easier to follow – with fewer, better marked turns along the way.
That same pattern repeats itself numerous times as you pass through villages and cities along the way. Once you grow accustomed to it, you realize you can relax and enjoy the rural roads, saving energy and attention for the more frenzied route following through the cityscapes all the way to El Paso.
Finding my way through Columbus turned into one of the biggest challenges of the trip – as the combination of constructions and poorly placed (or non-existent?) signposts meant I had to pay particular attention to the instructions on my GPS to ensure I was not “cheating myself” by straying from the 62-proper. Closing out the first day of the ride, I arrived in Maysville, Kentucky on the western bank of the Ohio River where I found a hotel, tavern patio, and a cold beer.
Day 2
The morning of Day Two was one of the many highlights of the trip. Rural Kentucky is glorious. The road flowed through the rolling landscape like a river. The green hills were wrapped in a blanket of early morning fog – not yet burnt off by the rising sun. My only concern was the potential for wildlife to wander onto the empty roads, which thankfully never came to pass.
By midday I was approaching the Mighty Mississippi. As an avid reader of history, I found myself transfixed by the Mississippi from the very first time I had the opportunity to stand on its banks and gaze at the massive volume of water flowing south to the Gulf of Mexico. The 62 crosses the Mississippi at the point where it consumes the Ohio river, a tiny corner of land where the states of Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri come together. The route first passes over the Ohio river into Illinois, then across the Mississippi into Missouri less than a mile later.
West of the Mississippi, the 62 zigzags across the southeastern corner of Missouri before entering Arkansas where the landscape transforms again – from flat river valleys to the mountainous terrain of the Ozarks. By dinner time I had managed another 500 miles to arrive in Mountain Home – welcoming a burger and a soft motel bed.
Day 3
The third day started well before sunrise. It was the longest day of the itinerary, clocking in at about 800 miles. Riding before dawn is a common practice for me on long days, as I would rather ride in the dark while well-rested, rather than at the end of an otherwise long day.
Looking back, I wish I hadn’t shortchanged my ride through the western Ozarks by riding in the dark, causing me to temper my enthusiasm and speed through the plentiful curves and elevation changes from Mountain Home to Eureka Springs.
Leaving the hills and turns behind me, the transition from the Ozarks to the endless plains of Oklahoma was jarring. For the next seven hours, the road wound uneventfully southwest, with the only interlude being the brief urban frenzy through Oklahoma City. I finished the day in the college town of Lubbock, Texas (Editor’s Note: Also the home and final resting place of Buddy Holly).
Day 4
As my final day started, it was clear I was in the southwest. Despite the time of year, the heat was already intense. Within an hour I’d left Texas and crossed into New Mexico. Traversing the Guadalupe Mountain range was the only break from the monotony of the high plains.
After passing back into Texas, the ride to the border was uneventful. Again, the route was less than straightforward as I entered El Paso. Being careful to follow my GPS, I was successful in reaching the border with Mexico at the northern terminus of the Santa Fe bridge leading out of Ciudad Juarez.
Reflections
As I sat waiting for my bike to be serviced at Barnett Harley Davidson – a short ride east from the border crossing to Juarez, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was perhaps the first (and maybe still!) only rider to have ever ridden a motorcycle from Canada to Mexico end-to-end on the US-62. While the road is unique in the US, it attracts no attention. But what it lacks in fame, it more than makes up for in charm. As I quietly revelled in my accomplishment, I was already wondering where my next adventure would lead me.
Mark Keating
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