Classic Roads

A collection of 42 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

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Independence Pass

If you’d like to get high, you can’t do much better than Independence Pass. This stretch of road (technically SR 82) between Twin Lakes and Aspen, CO, is among the highest paved mountain passes in the U.S. at 12,095 feet. Yes, you read that correctly. The

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Route 375—The Extraterrestrial Highway

Nevada is a barren landscape—pretty, in its desert character, but barren. However, it is that barrenness that provides a relief from the congestion of the city. There’s plenty of quiet, wide open space to be found here. As a motorcycle destination, Nevada is more about the scenery, with

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Classic Roads: Alaska's Dalton Highway

The U.S. has plenty of long, lonesome motorcycling roads—US 50 or 6 through Nevada, Beartooth Highway, Going-to-the-Sun Road… But the longest, loneliest, and most challenging is Dalton Highway. A dear child has many names, and Dalton Highway is also known as the Haul Road and, ever so clinically,

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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.

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Classic Roads: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

This south-central corner of Utah offers a strikingly beautiful landscape that captures the mystique of the Southwest—specifically Bryce Canyon. The area is packed with visually stunning scenery, with SR 12 gently weaving through it all. It’s casual and easy-going motorcycle touring combined with amazing sightseeing. Starting in the

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: NC-209 The Rattler

This may not be the longest bucket road in America, but it is technically challenging and highly scenic, and who says you only have to ride The Rattler just once? The stretch is 36 miles long, and there are over 200 curves along the way. The road spans two mountain

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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

Classic Roads

The Twisted Sisters: TX routes 335, 336, & 337

If you love fun, scenic roads, then the Twisted Sisters is definitely a ride for the bucket list. Often touted as the best riding in the state of Texas, this trio, also known as “the Three Sisters” or Farm to Market (FM) roads 335, 336, and 337, will reward you

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Classic Roads: Minnesota's North Shore Scenic Drive

North Shore Scenic Drive, which has been designated an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration, charts a course from Duluth, MN, to Grand Portage, just before crossing the border into Canada. The route provides access to eight state parks and Superior National Forest. Tracing along part of Lake Superior’

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Highway Gothic: AZ SR 89

I'm waiting for Elon Musk to premier his line of cologne, moon boots, and outer-space sports drinks.  Have you noticed his face is everywhere?  My wife asked if I wanted to apply to Elon's space program and I said no.  It's not that I'm afraid of taking risks – I am,

May/Jun '23

Classic Roads: Talimena National Scenic Byway

The Talimena National Scenic Byway is a 50-odd-mile route connecting Mena, AR, and Talihina, OK. It twists and turns along Rich Mountain in Arkansas, climbing from 1,100 feet in Mena to almost 2,700 feet at the summit before plunging into Oklahoma through the Winding Stair Mountains. There is

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

Mar/Apr '23

Classic Roads: Washington SR-14

Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway Seen from high above, two-lane tarmac traces a serpentine path along the banks of a river that is both colossal and historic. The river flows into the Pacific Ocean through a deep, wide chasm of scoured volcanic rock, deposited over many millennia. Riders feel strong

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Classic Roads: Storm King NY SR 218

About 50 miles north of New York City, along the Hudson River, Storm King Mountain rises abruptly to lofty heights above the river’s west bank. Geologists tell us that this striking granite formation is several hundred million years old. The mountain’s evocative name was coined by writer Nathaniel

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Classic Roads: Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

Jan/Feb '23

Classic Roads: Kentucky's Alpine Road

Heading west out of Burkesville, KY, you’ll find Rte 2276. On the map, it’s named Hill St—but it’s better known by the locals as Alpine Road. This treacherously crooked stretch of pavement traverses Big Hill Mountain which is one of the highest points in the Cumberland

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Classic Roads: Trail Ridge Road National Scenic Byway

This 64-mile Classic Roads adventure begins in the historic mountain resort town of Estes Park, Colorado, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, and rolls along a stretch of US 34, which is the highest continuous paved road in the U.S. It has been a popular destination for motorists

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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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Classic Roads: Michigan's River Road National Scenic Byway

The Au Sable River, which flows 138 miles through Michigan’s Huron National Forest on its way to Lake Huron, packs plenty of history. The “River of Sand” is a designated National Wild and Scenic River, and River Road, which twists along the southern banks of the Au Sable from

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Classic Roads: Utah's Scenic Byway 12

Utah’s State Route 12 is a “National Scenic Byway” recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It also has the designation of being an All-American Road,  one of just 120 so named nationwide, which means it possesses unique features and  intrinsic qualities not found elsewhere. All American Roads

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Classic Roads: US 12 Through Montana and Idaho

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Classic Roads: Missouri Route 94

Spanning more than 2,000 miles, from southwestern Montana to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers just north of St. Louis, the Missouri River Valley is notable for its rolling topography, forested landscape, and collection of pastoral farms. The area is also home to several wineries and appealing

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Classic Roads: Superior National Forest Scenic Byway

Superior National Forest, located in the upper northeast corner of Minnesota, comprises over 3.9 million acres of woods and waters, including some 2,000 glacially-carved lakes and rivers. The forest is a mix of conifers and hardwoods. The larger wildlife species found in the area include deer, moose, Canadian

Sep/Oct '22

Classic Roads: Back of the Dragon

The appellation “Whatever of the Dragon” has come to denote a challenging road that motorcyclists particularly cherish. These are destination roads, which usually include switchbacks and steep elevation changes, and are usually laid out in a scenic landscape. While the Tail of the Dragon (aka US 129) in Tennessee may