Tours

Mar/Apr '20 Premium Content

New Mexico: Land of the Ancients

Some of the earliest humans who migrated to North America occupied the high desert region of Northwest New Mexico. Remnants of ancient structures and other historical artifacts bear testimony to the presence of the Ancestral Puebloans, a pre–Columbian Native American civilization dating to about A.D. 100. The area

Jan/Feb '20 Premium Content

Ra’anana to Eilat, Israel: Watch Out for Camels & Tanks

I left the house at 8 a.m. and loaded my Honda CBR250R with a tankbag and a small 10-liter Kriega pack that fit nicely on the pillion seat. This was a solo trip. I wanted to escape from the city for a few days, and a ride through the

Jan/Feb '20 Premium Content

Eau Claire, Wisconsin Shamrock Tour®

Northwest Ridge Routes With a Side of Pie Creating a Shamrock Tour® around Eau Claire, WI, presents an interesting dilemma: Four loops cannot begin to cover all the challenging and scenic roads available. A double—or even a triple—Shamrock Tour is possible, considering all the interesting road and scenery

Jan/Feb '20 Premium Content

California : A Light Bike Adventure Ride

The southwestern corner of the United States is arguably both an adventure bike paradise and an ideal testing ground. Seemingly endless deserts stretch in all directions, containing virtually every type of terrain imaginable. However, the difficulty of this terrain comes in large doses at times. Where the fuel range and

Jan/Feb '20

City Escape: Louisville, Kentucky

Escape the congested urban humdrum of Kentucky’s largest city, and motor into a pleasing rural landscape west of town. Traveling through two states, you’ll discover soothing scenic vistas, meandering country lanes, back-in-time river towns, and enlightening historical sites that help tell the American story. Spring and fall are

Jan/Feb '20

City Escape: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Historic US Route 66, an ancient old-growth forest, a world-class museum, and some quirky attractions give this day loop an eclectic appeal. Ride west across Keystone Lake and south on a twisty backroad along the Cimarron River, intersecting Route 66 in Warwick and then enjoying small-town appeal and sights of

Jan/Feb '20

Ghosts of Mississippi: Exploring the Magnolia State

Many communities have their share of ghost stories, most of which are fueled by active imaginations and are not for the faint of heart. These stories are best told on a chilly night around a campfire, so bundle up and get cozy. This journey takes us through one of the

Mar/Apr '19 Premium Content

Laconia, New Hampshire Shamrock Tour®: Autumn Leaves

Long after Laconia Motorcycle Week is over, and long after the summer vacationers have left Lake Winnipesaukee and gone back to school and the humdrum of workaday life, Gary and I show up at Weirs Beach on a pair of black-as-night BMWs (me on a K 1600 Grand America, Gary

Jul/Aug '19 Premium Content

Wellsboro, Pennsylvania Shamrock Tour®: Among Penn’s Woods

Pass through any restaurant or transportation center in or near the state of Pennsylvania and you’ll find brochures for every type of tourist attraction imaginable: adventure parks, amusement parks, historical landmarks, wacky and wonderful private collections of stuff, and more. One brochure in particular is unique; instead of promoting

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

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

Nov/Dec '19

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,

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