California

A collection of 137 posts

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Classic Roads: California's Highway 74

Most visitors to Palm Springs are there for the climate and the golf. But the roads around the desert hideaway are some of America’s most remarkable. If you’re in the area without one, rent or borrow a motorcycle to enjoy the sweet curves, high desert landscape, and mountain

Travel Guide

10 Best Places for a Moto Stargazing Trip in America

The night sky has always fascinated us. Our ancestors saw the constellations and signs from ancient gods in the stars, while our modern knowledge and technology lets us gaze at distant planets—or look for flying saucers. Motorcycles are excellent vehicles for accessing fantastic stargazing spots. But where should you

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Rim of the World Highway

Assigning such a grandiose title to California’s Highway 18 may smack of Hollywood hyperbole. But with its magnificent vistas and the overlooks toward San Gorgonio Mountain—the highest peak in Southern California—you could be forgiven for thinking you really were riding the rim of the world.

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: CA HWY 120 Tioga Pass Road

This California state highway navigates over the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains and, in the process, bisects Yosemite National Park from west to east. The surrounding landscape features pristine glacial lakes, alpine meadows, glacially carved valleys, granite mountain peaks, spectacular waterfalls, and an abundance of native fauna and flora. There are

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Moto Guzzi to The Quail

The plan had been on the books for a full year. Ride from Los Angeles to the 13th annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel Valley, CA, on Thursday, enjoy the Quail Ride on Friday and the show on Saturday, then ride home Sunday. The plan didn’t include bad weather,

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California: Touring the Dunsmuir-Mt. Shasta Time Portal

“When I first caught sight of Mount Shasta over the braided folds of the Sacramento Valley, my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since.” —John Muir, 1874 I met this amazing German chap while touring in Kenya. At a stop on the way to Mombasa, we

WEB Exclusive

Urban Explorer: San Diego, California

San Diego is sometimes called the birthplace of California, as it was where early explorers first landed along the West Coast. The city has been a popular destination ever since. With a bustling downtown area populated with both old and new architecture, San Diego expresses itself with art, cafes, restaurants,

Travel Guide

10 Must-See Attractions along the Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast of California remains one of the most colorful and enjoyable destinations for motorcyclists. Despite the frequent road closures due to landslides the famous SR 1, also known as the Coast or Hwy 1, never fails to entice. Although SR 1 technically starts much farther south, its real

Destinations

In Pursuit of Wildness: Zion National Park

In Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the two bank- and train-robbing bandits sought these red canyons as their hideout from the law. I was mesmerized by Paul Newman and Robert Redford in this modern-day Western, but honestly, the scenery captivated me more. I knew that one day I would

May/Jun '23

Santa Maria Valley, California Shamrock Tour®

You think you know a place, but a simple detour can miraculously reveal some genuine charms you had no idea existed. Since 2000, I’ve been riding past Santa Maria and its neighboring Orcutt on my regular jaunts to northern California, never venturing beyond the gas stations along US 101

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: California Route 299

Route 299 runs east from US 101 in Arcata, CA. Near the coast, temperatures are usually cool and fog is often present, especially in the morning hours. The route has many high-speed, sweeping curves for riders wanting more than just a “relaxing ramble.” Although 299 continues east of Redding, the

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Baja California: Life’s a Beach

Baja California is a gentle introduction to the colorful world of Mexico. Crossing at Tijuana with a vehicle is easy. Too easy, in fact—traffic only slows a little for the open barriers, the wait-go signs that immediately turn green, and the yellow topes (infamously high Mexian speed bumps) before

Travel Guide

10 Unique Summer Motorcycle Trip Destinations in the U.S.

At RoadRUNNER, we are always searching for new routes that take you to historically and socially significant destinations—and offer a fantastic riding experience. Here are 10 destinations to spark your wanderlust this summer. Cody, Wyoming Voted the Best Western Small Town by USA Today, Cody, WY, sits in the

Destinations

The Charming Village of Mendocino, CA

Perched on rugged cliffs above the Pacific Ocean’s crashing waves is the charming village of Mendocino, CA. It’s located some 170 miles north of San Francisco on California’s famously scenic Pacific Coast Highway. The village is part of Mendocino County, which lies between California’s Coastal Range

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In Pursuit of Wildness: The Carrizo Plain National Monument

A sleeping giant lies on the valley floor between the Temblor Range and the Caliente Range. That is where this story begins. In 1857, the strongest earthquake in California’s recorded history ripped through the San Andreas Fault, wrenching the western side of the Carrizo Plain National Monument 31 feet

Travel Guide

5 Great Motorcycle Rides in California

California boasts many fantastic motorcycle-friendly roads. Motorcyclists can enjoy riding year round with mild winters and limited rainfall. Here are five great rides in northern California. You can find the GPS files and map at the bottom of this article. Pacific Coast Highway (SR 1)—San Simeon to Carmel Whether

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Lost Sierra

It was the most exciting newspaper story I’d read in a long time—a group of outdoor enthusiasts had gathered sufficient capital and government support to begin carving 600 miles of multi-use, single-track trails through the Lost Sierra. To me, this was catnip. I already had a friend connected

Destinations

In Pursuit of Wildness: Cabrillo National Monument

The Pacific Ocean is jaw-droppingly beautiful as I ride my motorcycle along Highway 1 from Monterey, CA, toward San Diego. It’s easy to allow your imagination to run free along each curve on this scenic highway, envisioning sailing ships exploring new lands. Albert Einstein said that “imagination is more

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A Thousand Shifts

The strange, quiet noise of travel. When you have nothing but time to think—about the past, about all the good and the bad times, about the things that lie ahead, for now unknown but certainly there, approaching on that smooth ribbon of pavement. I was somewhere between my home

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A U.S. Bucket List on a Budget

Slurping a coffee at Burnout Cafe in Vancouver, Canada, the butterflies in my tummy were doing barrel rolls. This was it! The start of our big ride from Canada to the southern tip of Argentina. With no house to sell and no apartment to rent out while we are gone,

Travel Guide

Top 10 Winter Motorcycling Destinations in America

Winter can be a dodgy time for motorcycling. There are places where the thought of rolling out on two wheels is an absolute impossibility. That said, there are a host of routes that you can enjoy even in the winter months. It may entail some planning and even require you

Classic Roads Premium Content

Classic Roads: California’s Angeles Crest Highway

Traveling just north of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and Pasadena, you’ll enter the Angeles National Forest, a sparsely developed area that’s home to one particularly fantastic ribbon of tarmac—The Angeles Crest Highway (aka California State Route 2). Completed in 1956, this two-lane marvel climbs,

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Santa Maria Weekend Romp

In the summer of 2011, my then-girlfriend Maria and I took the then-new BMW K1600GTL for an evaluation ride to Yosemite National Park. It was her maiden voyage aboard a two-wheel tourer, as well as her first visit to the Sierra Nevada. The next year, my now-wife and I were

Nov/Dec '22 Premium Content

Riding Death Valley: Third Time Lucky

"I’m done. Get me the chuff out of here!” Engorged on the place until I was as full as a tick on a hound dog, one afternoon on the Strip was all I could handle. Like anything, we had to see it with our own eyes, although I hear

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A Brothers Ride to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is home to the oldest individual trees on Earth—bristlecone pines. Some exceed 4,000 years and appear sculpted by the wind. I’ve never seen them before and I’m looking forward to this adventure. The name alone conjures wild images about this natural