December in North Carolina finds me itching for a change in scenery, not just to leave the cold, wintery weather behind, but to welcome a new adventure. A short, six-hour flight from Miami takes my mom (Christa) and me to the first leg of our destination: the Machu PicchuTour in Peru, where we’ll spend […]

Attraction: If you’re traveling the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway and happen to be a rail fan, there’s a stop in Council Bluffs, IA that you may want to check out: RailsWest Railroad Museum. The Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot was constructed in 1899 and is today operated as a museum and […]

Bush-Moto Tour Bushcraft-moto [/ˈbo͝ oSH-kraaft,mo’to/] – The ability to adapt and improvise with limited resources during exploration of remote or wilderness areas by motorbike. Highlights: Professional riding instruction by Dusty Wessels of West 38 Moto Local experts specializing in wilderness survival and foraging Guided off-road routes through the lush and beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont where mud, rocks […]

“Cam, do you want to do a tour with me in September?” I ask. “Totally, I would love to.” “What’s the current state of your 1976 Honda CB400F?” “It’s currently in my living room with the carburetors on the kitchen counter,” he says. “Will it run by September?” “I think I can get it running […]

Reflecting back on my last National Park Service assignment, Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park were managed as one giant park with a huge Sierra heart.  After all, these parks have two of the largest living trees in the world.  The largest sequoia tree resides in Sequoia National Park and that is special.  […]

Selecting a location roughly 75-percent smaller than Rhode Island to test a prototype adventure motorcycle would seem to be a less-than-ideal decision. However, just as one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, never underestimate the level of excitement that can be found in a small space.

As I press my tent stakes into the mineral-rich soil of the nation’s oldest national park, I am glad that I didn’t heed the impulse to turn around before even rolling across the western boundary of Yellowstone earlier in the day. The big jugs on my BMW R 1200 GS were getting hotter than I […]

The traditional National Scenic Byway route has been extended into Wyoming to construct an inviting round trip. The byway meanders along the eastern flank of the Uinta Mountains. Riders will traverse Ashley National Forest and the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. The area is thick with Old West atmosphere and the terrain provides many stunning […]

Every summer in Montana, for a few months, a window opens. The snow melts (mostly), the sun comes out, and wildflowers push up through the dirt. It’s the perfect time to ride. Starting from the small town of Columbus, MT, perched on the banks of the Yellowstone River, this route takes you on lesser-known scenic […]

Many years before it became known as the Bucktail Trail, PA 120 was a Native American Trail called the Sinnemahoning Path. It was used by Native Americans to cross the eastern continental divide between the Susquehanna and the Allegheny Rivers. Today, State Route 120 leads riders through a progression of small towns and unspoiled natural […]

Germany is home to two famous rivers, the Rhine and the Danube. But it’s the underdog, the Main (pronounced “mine”) River, which connects some of the most beautiful motorcycling areas in the country. The Main meanders drunkenly between the most traditional and innovative beer brewing areas in Franconian Switzerland and some of the best white […]

In May 1903, George A. Wyman left San Francisco with the then-crazy idea of riding his motorcycle all the way to New York City. In the Beginning I stand at the intersection of Market and Kearny Streets in San Francisco. Tall buildings block the sun and reflect the noise of the city back onto the […]

A tawny, striped face stares at me, unblinking. The Bengal tiger must weigh almost 400 pounds, and she is only a few steps away. I didn’t know there were tigers in Arkansas. Her name is Crysta and she is a permanent resident at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, seven miles south of Eureka Springs. Thankfully, two […]

“Look for Big Al. Tell him Tall Paul sent you …” With a wave, these words end our first black cab ride in London. Who’d have thought our cabbie would know someone at the one Royal Enfield dealer in East London, where we are staying, on a trip that will have us riding two Enfields—a […]

The western end of this route out of Moab, which borders Arches National Park, quickly engulfs riders in massive canyon walls. If you can imagine what it would be like to ride through the Grand Canyon, it would be a little like this, though this canyon obviously is on a smaller scale. The eastern section […]