Kansas

Destination: Beaumont, Kansas

A Stay With GhostsAlthough it’s considered a ghost town today, Beaumont, located in the rolling grasslands of southeastern Kansas, was a thriving railroad and cattle town in the 19th century. The indigenous prairie bluestem grass was the nutritious fodder used to fatten up cattle before their transport by rail

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Kansas’s Flint Hills National Scenic Byway

As I looked about me I felt that the grass was the country, as the water is the sea. The red of the grass made all the great prairie the colour of wine stains, or of certain seaweeds when they are first washed up. And there was so much motion

May/Jun '21 Premium Content

Kansas & Missouri

Rolling past the Mid America Dragway near Arkansas City, KS, I felt Bill roll off the throttle of our 2001 Harley-Davidson Super Glide Dyna Sport. The venue was packed and machines were pouring in through the gates. “We should stop and race,” said Bill over the Cardo Packtalk Slim units

Mar/Apr '19

City Escape: Topeka, Kansas

For folks who have the misimpression that Kansas is just one huge flat wheat field, the Flint Hills region is in fact a landscape of subtle beauty and fascinating history. If you’re not from these parts, and even if you are, prepare to be surprised. LengthApproximately 220 miles Meet-up

Sep/Oct '17 Premium Content

Kansas: Finding the Forgotten Prairieland

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Kansas was a major transportation crossroads: immigrant trails led pioneers west, cattle routes passed through from Texas, and a network of railroads bisected the state. This land was also home to many of America’s quintessential small towns. Most of Old Kansas has

Riding Adventure Motorcycles on The Pony Express Trail: Reader Ride

Jul/Aug '17 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Pony Express Trail

“WANTED: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily.” I meet none of the prerequisites to qualify for this trip as the 1860 handbill advertised. Yet I’m intrigued by the history of the Pony Express Trail and reckon it’s as

Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content

Route 66 East: America’s Main Street

More than any other stretch of pavement, Route 66 imprinted the open road into the American psyche and helped shape the cultural fabric of the nation as the automobile came of age. The historic route can trace its origins back to 1857 when the Army Corps of Engineers began work

Sep/Oct '14

City Escape: Kansas City, Missouri

Easily negotiated, relaxing route that features interesting historical locations and rural byways across sprawling prairielands. The best time to go is late June through October to avoid potentially severe thunderstorms in spring and especially cold riding conditions in other months.LengthApproximately 200 miles Meet-up SpotStarbucks at 2107 South 4th St,

Nov/Dec '13 Premium Content

The Lewis & Clark Trail: Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota

It’s July 4, 1804, and the Corps of Discovery is celebrating Independence Day on the Missouri River near present-day Atchison, KS. Their location is close to the starting point of Part 2 of our journey. Before they can build their winter quarters in modern-day North Dakota, the expedition still

Jan/Feb '12 Premium Content

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and he taught the world a thing or two. Why then do I find myself in the middle of Kansas thinking that maybe ol' Chris got it wrong? I've ridden more than 30 miles since lunch and haven't turned or leaned the Heritage

Jan/Feb '11 Premium Content

Coast to Coast on the Cross Country Part II: Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri via Route 50

The cool, dry May, desert air carries a slight nip as it pours over the Victory Cross Country's short windshield and proves an excellent adjunct to the pick-me-up qualities of our breakfast caffeine. The early morning traffic is light, the road lonely, and in the distance, the fabled snowcapped peaks

Nov/Dec '08 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Westward Bound

For years, I had wanted a motorcycle and for one reason or another had never attained one. But after I returned from an all expenses paid trip to the other side of the world, courtesy of Uncle Sam, the motorcycle fund was sizable enough and my wanderlust was brewing. When

May/Jun '08 Premium Content

Stormin' Across Eastern Kansas

Quite a few people who haven't been to Kansas have formed their impressions of the state by watching a movie made in 1939. The Wizard of Oz, filmed in a Hollywood studio, portrays Kansas as hot, dry, tornado-ridden and tabletop flat. While this may be a somewhat apt description of

Sept/Oct '07 Premium Content

Kansas

For motorcyclists, tours on mountain roads have their obvious joys: there's beauty in the scenery and passion in the pavement. When you're riding the serpentines of twisty highways and climbing through passes, every moment on a bike is unavoidably invigorating. But having toured so many mountain roads, I came to