Known for its great variety of country roads, hillside vineyards, valley vistas and ocean bluffs, California's central coast has long been a favorite locale for photo shoots. And for motorcyclists, the town of Paso Robles is a perfect base from which to launch a shamrock tour of this beautiful area.

"I love this state. When I was in the Marines, I couldn't wait to come back here," says the state trooper as he hands back my license. Thankfully, that's all he's handing back - no reprimands, no strings and no tickets attached. Pulling over quickly must have helped. My cold, tired face probably helped too. But maybe, just maybe, he held off because I told him this was my first visit to the state, and the lake that bears its name, and that I've been blown away by the sheer scale and beauty of it all.

In Choctaw, Oklahoma means 'land of the red people'. The recorded history of the region began when Spanish explorer Coronado traveled through in 1541, searching for Eldorado, the "Lost City of Gold." The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forcibly, and cruelly, relocated many southern Native American tribes to Indian Territory. And in the spring of 1889, all hell broke loose on these plains when the first of seven land runs opened the territory to a hardy bunch of hardscrabble homesteaders.

"Of the gladdest moments in human life is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of Habit, the leaden weight of Routine, the cloak of many Cares and the slavery of Home, man feels once more happy. The blood flows with the fast circulation of childhood. Afresh dawns the morn of life."- Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)

As fall leaves swirl, the prospect of closing out the riding season becomes all too real. Shorter days and colder temperatures effectively squelch the freedom to just ride away on a whim. But occasionally, autumn will tease out one last enticing forecast that offers just enough room to roam.

The ocean crossing from the Scottish Highlands to Norway has taken 22 hours. Waiting for the okay to progress ashore, I sit astride my BMW GS on the ferry's worn polished deck and do my best to ignore the cold, gnawing wind. My thoughts drift back to countless warm evenings over the past three years, nights that Lisa and I had spent in preparation, excitedly devouring the contents of hundreds of different maps, books and travel guides in the planning of our around-the-world motorcycle adventure.

Life is full of responsibilities, but the moment I turn the key on my motorcycle, the cares and pressures of everyday life begin to slowly subside. At the end of a 70-hour week, the open road irresistibly calls out with the promise of freedom and excitement.

Wouldn't you like to have a motorcycle that comes with a helmet compartment where the gas tank normally is, an automatic transmission and parking brake?

Despite gloomy economic news, there are some bright spots to be found. As budgets tighten and used car lots fill to overflowing with once coveted gas guzzlers, two-wheel alternatives are now beginning to appeal to a much wider cross section of folks.

I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously "Can you see anything?" it was all I could do to get out the words "Yes, wonderful things." *

When Erik Buell added the Ulysses XT, re-focused for "adventure sport touring," to the range for 2008, we signed up to find out whether he had hit a Homer.

Smack dab in the middle of the scooter-displacement range, Piaggio's BV Tourer 250 blends the traits of the smaller, lightweight machines so popular in Europe and Asia with the bigger road-burners found in the US. First introduced in 2006, the BV250 is virtually unchanged for 2009 - a solid indication that it has been a good model.