Michael
I've done the Alaska to Seattle/Montana round trip via two different routings and "smelled the roses" both times. I've done the Seattle to San Diego trip on a bike ten times via at least four different routings. So I'm really just doing the Deadhorse to Fairbanks, Alaska portion on the bike for continuity of the route.
I've been up and down the "Haul Road" (Dalton Hwy) many times starting back in 1974 when I first helped build it when in the trades as a young man, so I'm no virgin to transiting the road itself. I know the family that originally put in the "Cold Foot" services facilities decades ago.
I'm really doing the Deadhorse south on the R1200GS because I never tire of the "AlCan" itself, better known as the "Alaska Hwy", having driven it at least seven round trips over the years (five in car/trucks and two times on a bike)
Things such as a good soak in Liard Hot Springs or running the Cassiar Hwy, ect. will always do it for me, even if only semi-blasting through this time.
I rode Baja thirty years ago. I rode south out of Arizona along Route #15, eventually to PV and then took the ferry (that stopped that crossing years ago) from PV to Cabo San Lucas. Cabo still had mostly dirt streets back in those days and I should have bought the land offered for sale to me (;>). Took two months on that trip with an extended stay in Mazatlan.
This trip, I'll be taking my time from Mazatlan south after crossing over from La Paz (Baja) on the ferry. I plan a few days (or week) in Barra De Navidad where I went often as a kid with my family in the late 1950's when we lived in Gaudalajara. It was pretty basic back then and I remember them slaughtering a pig in the street.
I play in a blues band and I have a lot of older muscian friends that winter out down in Barra just playing music and sipping s. The stop will be a good acclaimation to being south of the border again and to bone up on my rusty Spanish
I feel better about riding the R1200GS (not GSA) knowing a number of you have used it on the trip. Thanks for your replies.