Cincinnati's morning traffic pattern is no different from any other large city. Dive in headfirst or stay out of the way, the choice is yours. Luckily, we have the luxury of exercising the latter. After lingering over coffee and giving the rush-hour loonies time to find their assigned parking stalls, we deem it safe to hit the road. Heading out of town, westbound Highway 52 and Interstate 74 share the same space, but thankfully that doesn't last for long.

Even though Minnesota lies halfway between the east and west coasts, it's not one of the dry prairie states. Millions of years ago, retreating glaciers took care of that, leaving more than 15,000 lakes behind. So, there's always water around the corner. Apart from that there is the Mississippi River Valley, cradling the state's most scenic highway, its beautiful river towns, and the exciting curves in the ravines and valleys of the bluffs in the southern region of the state.

Redmond, Oregon: Early Sunday morning. I awoke to the sound of zippers. Nothing signals the end of a rally more than the swoosh of sleeping bags being stuffed into compression bags and the sound of tent flaps opening. Over 6,000 tents were spread out at the BMWMOA national rally; and with no two of them alike, they all put out a different sound.

Destination USA doesn't always have to be the much-visited Southwest. Foreign visitors, who think only of red boulders and dry desert expanses in association with the US, should think again. A vast gamut of alternatives runs everywhere. In this case, a tour of the Great Lakes region in the northern reaches was a splendid and revivifying experience.