United States of America

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News

Big Sur Reopens to Motorcyclists After Four Years

UPDATE: On February 16, 2026, heavy rains caused a rockslide that forced a full closure of SR 1 between Ragged Point and Big Sur. According to Caltrans, much of the road has been cleared, but blockages remain at Regent's Slide. At the time of writing, crews were waiting

Destinations

Amarillo, TX—The Yellow Rose of Route 66

Amarillo is the largest city on the Texas stretch of Route 66. No motorcyclist roaring down the Mother Road should miss taking a break at the Yellow Rose of Texas. After all, Amarillo earned a place in Bobby Troup’s “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” That alone should convince

Destinations

Conoco Tower Station— Shamrock, TX

The Conoco Tower Station, also known as the U-Drop Inn, is one of Route 66’s most iconic stops. Built in 1936, this art deco structure served as a gas station on one side and a cafe on the other, immediately becoming a hub for travelers.  Its most striking feature

Destinations

Seligman, AZ—Quirky Historic Route 66

Seligman is a town of roughly 450 residents, located in the arid flats of northwestern Arizona. Despite its small size, Seligman is hugely important for motorcyclists. After all, it’s the birthplace of Historic Route 66. No, not Route 66. Just the “historic” part. Seligman and Route 66 fans (no

Destinations

Horses and Bourbon—Versailles, KY

Riding a motorcycle to Versailles isn’t something most bikers get to do. That is, unless you ride to the other Versailles that’s surrounded by the green fields of Kentucky. Unlike its counterpart, however, the name of this place is pronounced “ver-sailz.” That’s because you ain’t in

Destinations

Oatman, AZ—Donkeys and Danger on Route 66

Oatman, AZ, is a ghost town. Don’t tell that to Oatman, though. Despite having technically been abandoned, Oatman is still bustling with motorcyclists and other motorists traveling on Route 66. This small hamlet in the western Black Mountains of Arizona is known primarily for two things—danger and donkeys.

Accommodations

Review: Sands Inn & Suites—San Luis Obispo, CA

San Luis Obispo is known for its motels. In fact, the term “motel” was coined here in 1925, when architect and developer Arthur Heineman opened the Mo-Tel Inn—the world’s first “motor hotel”.  In a time when it was typical for most road-trippers to stay in tents or wooden

Destinations

The Crossroads of America—Vinita, OK

The city of Vinita is a crossroads. It’s known as the Crossroads to the Green Country, as it sits at a location where the forests of the Ozarks gradually fade into prairie.  It’s also called the Crossroads of America, as this is where three significant cross-country roads meet.

Roundtrip Tour

Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route: Through a Filmmaker’s Lens

It’s a typical August morning in Denver. Birds are chirping, and the sun is hot already. My 2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 is fueled and, with Mosko bags packed and loaded and twin cylinders purring, I’m ready to embark on my fourth Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR) documentary filming expedition.

Destinations Premium Content

How Santa Fe Became Santa Claus, IN

Ho ho ho! Riding your motorcycle through Indiana, you might find yourself doing a double take as you emerge from the Hoosier National Forest.  Motoring through the endless crisscross of flat country roads, you may suddenly find yourself in Santa Claus. Many places in the U.S. (such as North

Destinations

See American Industry on Display in Lowell National Historical Park

Lowell, MA, was founded by Boston merchants in 1821 to 1822 as a purpose-built factory city. It was situated on the Merrimack River to harness the water power produced by Pawtucket Falls, where the river plunges 32 feet in just one mile.  Lowell and other industrial towns transformed America into

Shamrock Tour®

Wichita, Kansas Shamrock Tour®

Beef. It’s not only what’s for dinner, but the fuel this country was built with. The infant U.S. was a land of wide-open, grassy prairies that could be filled with grazing cattle to feed the burgeoning urban population. Although the great cattle drives took place for a

Accommodations

Review: The Orchard Garden Hotel—San Francisco, CA

Just steps from San Francisco’s iconic Chinatown Dragon Gate, is the city’s first LEED- certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) hotel: the Orchard Garden. Influenced by Singapore’s Orchard Road Hotel, the Orchard Garden is a boutique gem that blends eco-conscious architecture with urban sophistication in a

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Southeast BDR: The Route to Recovery

Damascus, VA, was in the rearview mirror on a cool, rainy day in September 2017 as the Mid-Atlantic BDR Filming Expedition officially kicked off. This was my first documentary filming trip with Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) and my first opportunity to experience adventure riding in this region. After releasing the

Classic Roads

Virginia SR 5 and SR 10—A Nickel and a Dime

A disproportionate amount of American history occurred in Virginia between the cities of Williamsburg and Richmond. This area has seen everything from the first permanent English colony in North America to ground zero of the Civil War. For motorcyclists, these two historical locales are connected by two equally famed roads:

Destinations

Gateway to California on Route 66—Needles, CA

In the 1930s and 1940s, Dust Bowl refugees rumbled across the country on Route 66 toward a better life in California. Crossing the Colorado River marked their entry to the state of their dreams, and Needles was the first Californian city they arrived at. Ever since its founding in 1883,

Destinations

Stop by for a Barn and Pop in Arcadia, OK

Although this is a Destinations article, Arcadia, OK, isn’t a destination. It’s not a place you specifically go to because—I’ll be honest with you—there’s not much to go to. No, Arcadia is a place you stop by to grab lunch on your motorcycle tour

Classic Roads

The Twisted Sisters: Texas’ Trio of Femme Fatales

What if I told you there are three curvy sisters waiting to have some fun with you? That’s right, we’re talking about the Twisted Sisters. This trio of classic roads is about as classic as it gets. Consistently ranking toward the top in virtually every poll about the

Roundtrip Tour

Colorado and Utah: Red Rocks & Dinosaur Tracks

At the beginning of 2023, Yamaha ran a sweepstakes promotion. A few lucky winners would get to go on a trip to Gateway, CO, to experience the Wolverine RMAX, their versatile UTV (or side-by-side) and the Ténéré 700 amidst the incomparable landscapes of the La Sal Mountains and the Uncompahgre

Classic Roads

Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway

Unless you live in the upper Midwest—and even if you do—your only familiarity with “the big lake they call Gitche Gumee” is likely from the lyrics of folk singer Gordon Lightfoot’s most famous song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Gitche Gumee, which translates to “huge water,

City Escape

City Escape: Los Angeles, California

Like the Rock Store in Malibu and Newcomb’s Ranch on the Angeles Crest Hwy, the Rock Inn is a fabled motorcycle destination. With multiple different routes offering narrow twisties, high-speed sweepers, and even lengthy sections of dual sport dirt, alongside a handful of top-class dining options, it is a

City Escape

City Escape: Fort Worth, Texas

The area surrounding Fort Worth may not be the most renowned motorcycling area in the country, but you can still have a great ride in it. This City Escape route takes you on a calm, all-paved cruise around the city. You’ll start by heading south, where you’ll find

Travel Guide

6 Best Paved Rides Near Denver, CO

Colorado is a real ADV rider’s playground, with its seemingly endless off-road trails and tracks. But the state has plenty to offer for all motorcyclists, not just dirt devils. Denver, the Centennial State’s capital, is an ideal location for basing your Colorado motorcycle tour. From the Mile-High City,

Destinations

An Outdoor Enthusiast’s Paradise—Tellico Plains, TN

Tellico Plains is a small mountain town, nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Any motorcyclist who enjoys exploring the great outdoors as much as carving through technical curves will find a paradise here. The town has always derived its livelihood from the mountains. Before Europeans arrived, the Cherokee

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

LA Harbor on Can-Am's Origin and Pulse

As the busiest seaport in the entire Western Hemisphere, there’s perhaps no clearer example of an industrial megalopolis in the U.S. than the Port of Los Angeles. Covering 7,500 acres along 43 miles of Southern California waterfront, the Port of Los Angeles is a wellspring serving as