Sometimes it takes a push to overcome inertia. I was lucky in that a member of my local BMW club became Rides Chairman and came up with annual "competitions". One year it was collecting elevation signs. That one got me out to Colorado. Every year we have a Great States ride, won by whoever rides in the most states. That motivated me to ride in all 50 states in 2010 and, so far, I'm the only one in the club to do that. A visit to Hyder netted me Alaska, but we all know that's not really riding to Alaska, so I had to do a ride to Anchor Point, the westernmost place you can get to on the continuous road system. The year before, I'd been to Cape Spear, Newfoundland, the easternmost place you can ride to in North America. I've seen lots of ride reports of trips to Alaska, but not many of rides to Yellowknife, so I went there on the way back from Alaska. One year, I was called by the Southwest and swung up through the Canyonlands park. Looking down a thousand feet at the White Rim Trail from the Grandview Point Overlook was inspiration to go back to ride the trail. Last May, I towed my dirtbike out to Moab and did it. I've ridden pieces of Rt 16 in West Virginia and decided to see the whole thing. The ride from St Marys at the north end down to Marion, Va was wonderful.
The point of all this is that I need some motivation to get on the bike and go. Setting a goal is the way I do it. Karl, you have a goal. Start planning now, while the weather is uncooperative, and you'll get your juices up to the point that you'll just roll out when the time comes. Read some ride reports. Start collecting maps. Find some things to see along the way. Figure out what you want to take with you. Do a few weekend rides when the weather improves to work out the kinks.
www.adventurerider.com is a good place to find ride reports.
www.roadsideamerica.com is a good place to find quirky stuff to see on the road. You never know what the future holds, so you'd better do what you want to do now, while you can.
You'll have a fantastic ride to Washington.