Your write ups here on your website are a real treat. I read your page on the USA trip. Despite the weirdness going on with our national politics (Too much social media hype for a few people that think up crazy conspiracy stuff.) I believe we are still the way you described us. I was really glad to see your advice about staying off the interstate and highways. Butler Motorcycle Maps are great for finding the best roads. By the way, they have an app coming out presently so you can have all the routes on your smart phone.
I think the states that you covered have the highest density of cool stuff. (I may be biased as I live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains about half way between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.) I have ridden my BMW R1200GS all over the US and found great back roads in the North East and the South too. That said, there is so much to explore and appreciate in the Western US that one can spend a lifetime trying to see it all. Getting out on a smaller dual sport like the DR650s you guys had easily allows access to many thousands of miles of amazing dirt tracks too.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Safe travels.