Tours

Nov/Dec '19 Premium Content

Portugal: Stone Age

Few corners of Europe are as remote as northern Portugal, a fact that makes a journey to this region particularly worthwhile. The fisherman’s pub in Viana do Castelo looks like the place to go. It was even recommended to my wife, Danica, and me. But our timing is wrong:

Nov/Dec '19 Premium Content

West Virginia: Ride the High 5

Northeast West Virginia is a treasure for motorcyclists, with mountains, vistas, and curves galore. Hardy, Grant, Pendleton, and Hampshire counties banded together to create a map called Ride the High 5 that shows all of the best roads, accommodations, and area attractions. I knew the most famous stretches of scenic

Nov/Dec '19 Premium Content

Nebraska: Hiding in Plain Sight

The most interesting stories can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places. Writing about a state whose slogan is “Honestly, it’s not for everyone” presents certain challenges. Almost entirely lacking obvious picture-postcard scenes or renowned destinations, Nebraska forces the traveler to look deeper at wherever they are. The

Nov/Dec '19 Premium Content

Natchitoches, LA Shamrock Tour®: The Heart of Creole Country

Founded in 1714 on the banks of what was then the Red River, Natchitoches, LA, is named after a Native American tribe that lived in the area. It is the oldest European settlement of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase territory. People flocked to the area, but eventually the river changed course,

Nov/Dec '19

City Escape: Sparta, Wisconsin

Nov/Dec '19

City Escape: Kahului, Maui, Hawaii

This entertaining, challenging, and supremely beautiful ride has Kahului, Maui’s largest city, as its axis. It features a short out-and-back on the island’s famed Road to Hana as well as a full loop around the beautiful West Maui region. Variety is the spice of life, and this mini-tour

Sep/Oct '19

City Escape: San Francisco, California

This route unfolds just south of the bustle of San Francisco. The ride includes a coastal stretch as well as a beautiful and twisty route through the mountains. To top it off you can eat lunch at one of the Central Coast’s most iconic motorcycle stops before your return

Sep/Oct '19

City Escape: Phoenix, Arizona

This figure-eight ride northwest of the Valley of the Sun links a series of significant roadside attractions on a truly enjoyable route. A wide array of road types, including view-filled straights, ultratight hairpins, and long, sweeping corners, keep the ride lively and interesting. To cap it off, one of the

Sep/Oct '19 Premium Content

Maryland and Virginia: Old Bay

More than 150 rivers and streams wind their way from New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, and empty into the Chesapeake Bay. At 200 miles long and 30 miles wide at its widest point, this estuary’s shallow waters (average depth is just 21 feet) and countless bays,

Sep/Oct '19 Premium Content

French Fancy: Roadbook Trail Riding in the Cantal

The concentration is intense. My entire world has shrunk to a roll of stick drawings, a trip meter, and the single track ahead. Behind me there are six other riders relying on my navigation skills to keep the group moving at pace through the achingly beautiful French countryside. But I’

Sep/Oct '19 Premium Content

New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Quebec: Upper East Side

We’re passing through Bloomfield, VT, when we stop at the country store for a cold drink. A clearly exasperated farmer named Bob is at the counter, prattling on about the “Moose Fest,” a fair and classic car gathering in the town of Canaan, 20 miles north. (It also happens

Sep/Oct '19 Premium Content

Fredericksburg, Texas Shamrock Tour®: The Hill Country Flood!

“Idon’t think we should try it,” my wife suggests as she cautiously wades through the rapids. We are communicating through our Sena 30K headsets over the incessant rush of a river overflowing its banks. I am sitting astraddle my 2018 BMW R 1200 GS Rallye. Susan is scoping out

Sep/Oct '19 Premium Content

Brazil: Monstrous Metropolis to Waterfall Wonder Photo Story

Touring Brazil by motorcycle for nearly three months was an unforgettable experience. After visiting a variety of towns along the coast, it was time for a break in beach town Arraial do Cabo. Next on the agenda: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Curitiba. My riding partner, Lia, and I

Jul/Aug '19 Premium Content

Ireland: Land of Story and Song

Giant Steps I tiptoe out of Dublin astride a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide (a touch nervous on the left side of the road, to be honest) and into a lush countryside of narrow lanes, hedgerows, and heath. Ireland is a land of storytellers and stories, and I am here to hear

Jul/Aug '19 Premium Content

Southern Oregon: Dreams Come True

I still remember looking up one day during fourth-grade recess and seeing the motorcycle go by on the rain-slicked road. Where was this rider heading to, I wondered. The rider looked free and without a care. I had fallen in love with motorcycles, but at the age of 9 the

Jul/Aug '19 Premium Content

Colorado: A Himalayan in the Rockies

An early fall ride through the Rocky Mountains is one of those irresistible and unforgettable trips: mile after mile of stunning scenery, remote and pristine environments, high mountain passes, wildlife at any turn, interesting towns, and twisting and curving roads. I had the pleasure of taking such a ride last

Jul/Aug '19

City Escape: Woodsfield, Ohio

Southeastern Ohio is a motorcyclist’s dream playground. The topography offers countless turns, many of which are technically challenging. A bike with an appetite for lean angles and good suspension is best, but even on a big touring bike, these roads will not disappoint. The majority of the route follows

Jul/Aug '19

City Escape: Charlottesville, Virginia

In Charlottesville, iconic destinations of American history combine with bucolic Shenandoah Valley landscapes and serpentine roads that summit the Blue Ridge Mountains. Length Approximately 185 miles Meet-up Spot Starbucks, 2040 Abbey Rd, Charlottesville, VA Lunch Stop The Southern Inn offers a contemporary American menu and friendly service. Find it at

May/Jun '19

City Escape: Chattanooga, Tennessee

This route squeezes in some of the best roads that Chattanooga has to offer. It covers a variety of incredible scenery: countless overlooks, the sharpest hairpins turns, remote riverfront roads, and even open valley farmland. Length Approximately 157 miles round-trip Meet-up Spot Dunkin’, 627 Signal Mountain Rd, Chattanooga, TN Lunch

May/Jun '19

City Escape: Salem, Oregon

This loop northwest of Oregon’s state capital is a nice mix of curvy roads and great scenery. It features the conifer-rich forests that the Beaver State is known for, but also adds a coastline stretch and several interesting natural and man-made attractions along the way. The weather on much

May/Jun '19 Premium Content

Penticton, British Columbia: Discovering the Undiscovered

The teacher in The Truman Show, who stated “Oh, you’re too late. There’s really nothing left to explore,” was incorrect. There is always something new to be discovered. Exploration can be as simple as visiting a place you’ve never been—perhaps venturing across the US-Canada border, as

May/Jun '19 Premium Content

Italy: The Heart of the Dolomites

The legendary Sellaronda loop in Italy’s Dolomites mountain range is a mere 34 miles long, but in that distance, you travel around the mighty, plateau-shaped Sella rock massif, climb four passes, ascend more than 5,800 feet, and steer your motorcycle through a countless number of turns in breathtakingly

May/Jun '19 Premium Content

Missouri: The Great Branson Stampede

Misconceptions and skepticism are not the way to start anything, especially a 2,000-mile round trip to a place you’ve never been, on a bike you’ve never ridden. But that’s how this adventure for the “Lost Squadron”—consisting of John on his 2013 Harley-Davidson FXDC, and me

May/Jun '19 Premium Content

Gallup, New Mexico Shamrock Tour®: Heartland of the Ancients

Northwest New Mexico is home to several of the state’s 23 Native American tribes: the Navajo, Jicarilla Apache, Acoma, and Zuni are among those who reside in the region. Despite westward expansion in the late 1800s and the federal government’s efforts to “Americanize” the native people, Indian culture

May/Jun '19 Premium Content

New York City: More than Apples in the Big Apple

New York City is the original melting pot. Generation after generation of immigrants from all over the world have come here to settle in neighborhoods in one of the five distinctive boroughs and make this place their own. A motorcycle is one of the best ways to unlock The City’