Tours

Nov/Dec '16

City Escape: Austin, Texas

Our second largest state (behind Alaska) isn’t well known for its motorcycling roads, but small areas like the Hill Country are hidden gems to explore. As the most liberal and artsy city in Texas, Austin also offers a lively community and some of the best barbeque in the country.

Nov/Dec '16

City Escape: Columbia, South Carolina

Not far west of Columbia, SC, riders encounter the outdoor recreational offerings and scenic vistas of Lake Murray. Venturing deeper into the state’s hilly Upcountry, bucolic backroads lead to historic sites recounting the state’s pivotal role in winning the American Revolutionary War. Riders also will see the plantation

Nov/Dec '16 Premium Content

Arkansas: A State of Mind, Body, and Soul

My ears ring from the blast. Acrid smoke fills my nostrils and burns my eyes. That shot was the last of my powder and the Yankees are coming fast. My mind screams “Run,” but I draw my sword. It is March 8, 1862, and I may die today at the

Nov/Dec '16 Premium Content

Lexington, Kentucky Shamrock Tour®: Four Roads Through Horse Country

Cool, moist air seeps from the acres of perfectly manicured greenery as the sun tiptoes closer to the horizon. The sky is already a clear blue and a few mists still linger in the hollow places of the hills. Kentucky waits with open arms. Chasing Daniel Boone The rising sun

Nov/Dec '16 Premium Content

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: Northern Exposure

I’ve been curious about Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (aka the U.P.) for a number of years. This northern exposure has plummeting wintertime temperatures and lake-effect snow piling high. The U.P. constitutes 29 percent of Michigan’s total landmass, but the unforgiving winter weather explains why only three

Nov/Dec '16 Premium Content

Continental Divide, Part 2: Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico

Our route out of Rawlins, WY, takes us through the city’s center before turning south and heading out of town. It is a great day for riding, with mostly clear skies and cool temperatures, as we enter the Medicine Bow National Forest. Not far from the Colorado border we

Nov/Dec '16 Premium Content

The Riding Reporters: Chile and Argentina - Capturing the Story of the Wichí

Irene and I are ready to ride to places only two wheels can reach, to tell the stories of those we meet. Our rugged KTM 690 Enduros have landed in Valparaíso, Chile. Finally, after eight months of serious preparation, we start the first miles of our journey. From the Chilean

Sep/Oct '16 Premium Content

Pawleys Island, South Carolina: Riding to James Dickey’s Grave

My favorite day trips usually involve food, not the deceased. But All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, SC, offers too much to ignore: the grave of poet and novelist James Dickey, a famous ghost, and other Southern historical gems. And to make this destination even more desirable, it is close

Sep/Oct '16 Premium Content

Southwest Virginia: The Heart of Appalachia

What do two Canadians, a German, and an Austro-American have in common? They have all made the journey to the westernmost corner of Virginia in the middle of July to experience the Heart of Appalachia—a corner so tightly wedged between Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and with so much

Sep/Oct '16 Premium Content

Revelstoke, BC Shamrock Tour®: The Unexpected Motorcycling Mecca

To many drivers, Revelstoke is just a stopover between Vancouver and Calgary. But for motorcyclists, the Kootenay-Columbia region around the city contains some of British Columbia’s best highways and byways, from sublime cruising to cuss-word challenging. Salmon River Raid It’s a brisk June morning when my buddy Bevin

Sep/Oct '16 Premium Content

Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming: Continental Divide, Part 1

A rugged adventure awaits those who seek it. Remote mountain passes, picturesque views, and diverse, often challenging, terrain—where every mile is a feast for the senses—can all be found on a cross-country journey along the Continental Divide. Our tour starts on a sunny July morning just a couple

Sep/Oct '16 Premium Content

Albania: Carving a Country of Contrast

There’s a man taking his bear for a walk. Traffic is a bit heavy and quite chaotic, but he doesn’t appear concerned. Drivers yield as if there is a codified rule of the road providing bears the right-of-way. This scene might seem unusual in Los Angeles or Munich,

Sep/Oct '16

City Escape: Palm Springs, California

With the suburbs of the Coachella Valley expanding in every direction, there’s one place they can’t grow: Joshua Tree National Park. The Mojave Desert’s endless sand, crimson rocks, and indigo skies combine to create an eerie solitude. Joshua trees, cholla, and desert flowers erupt from the barren

Sep/Oct '16

City Escape: New York, New York

Escape the city’s hustle and bustle into New Jersey’s backcountry. It’s not nicknamed the Garden State for nothing! Ride through beautiful farmland, forests, and past too many lakes to count. Crossing the Delaware River, this route pokes into Pennsylvania and New York countryside. Length Approximately 160 miles

Jul/Aug '16

City Escape: Nashville, Tennessee

While there’s plenty to see and do in Music City, exploring the tranquil farmland around Tennessee’s capital will satisfy the motorcyclist’s soul. The laid-back atmosphere invites a slower pace. Edgar Evins State Park serves up curves and beautiful views. Many distilleries call the surrounding area home, and

Jul/Aug '16

City Escape: Rapid City, South Dakota

The Black Hills of South Dakota are one of the most impressive and interesting riding venues in the U.S. Dramatic scenery, iconic national sites, a plethora of roadside attractions, and beguiling byways are big draws. The best time to go is early or late summer. Length Approximately 227 miles

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

South America: The Trans-Amazonian Challenge

The first Trans-Amazonian Challenge joint venture tour by MotoDiscovery and Motolombia is a daunting undertaking for participants and guides alike. A huge loop of northern South America is planned, more than 8,700 miles in 45 days, through eight countries. The route starts in Cartagena, Colombia, near the northernmost portion

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Bristol, Vermont Shamrock Tour®: Base Heart of the Green Mountains

Northern Vermont offers a variety of riding, from twisty mountain passes and remote winding roads to scenic farmland. New York’s Adirondacks are nearby, offering even more to explore. Bristol It’s early September and the morning fog clings to the still, lush trees in Bristol, VT, a blink-and-you’ve-missed-it

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Reader Ride: California–The Road to Mono Lake

When exploring a new road, there is no good time to lose the light. We’re riding west through northern California toward Yosemite National Park, and highway has given way to a sidewinder, cliffside stretch of Route 120. As we negotiate the twisted ascent, each new turn is a mystery,

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Classic Roads: Carving California's Highway 74

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Florida, Alabama, Mississippi: Shadowing the Gulf

America’s Gulf Coast is lined with miles of pristine, white sandy beaches lapped by the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico’s shallow continental shelf. The persistently warm weather and beautiful beaches attract tourists in droves, but we haven’t come for a tan. A Tale of Two

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Oklahoma and Texas: The Comanche Trail

A single dust plume trails behind us like an earthbound jet stream. Narrow leaving the rear tire, it eventually fills our mirrors as I glance back at Susan, riding pillion on our BMW R 1200 GS Adventure. We’ve covered hundreds of miles of dirt here in this vast emptiness,

May/Jun '16 Premium Content

Ecuador: Journey to Middle Earth

Ecuador is a small country on the northwestern side of South America, sandwiched between Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. Earth’s dividing line runs through the northern part of Ecuador, which is Spanish for “equator.” The Galapagos Islands lay about 560 miles to the west. But

May/Jun '16 Premium Content

North Carolina: A Triple Dose of the Coast

When most motorcyclists think about North Carolina, their minds instantly turn to the misty peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, the undulating twists of the Tail of the Dragon, or the sweeping beauty of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Understandably so. But while the roads in the western part of the

May/Jun '16 Premium Content

St. Robert, Missouri Shamrock Tour®: Ozark Odyssey

A ruggedly elegant karst landscape, replete with caves, crystal clear springs, sheer-walled high bluffs, and verdant valleys greets us in central Missouri’s Ozarks. Inviting two-lane tarmac winds through much of the picturesque topography. Bob Brown, my wingman, is astride a 2016 Indian Chief Vintage and I’m piloting the