Tours

Jan/Feb '14

City Escape: New York, New York

> Curve-addicts from New York City can satisfy their cravings on the plethora of motorcycle roads around the lakes in the surrounding areas and through the rolling terrain in Harriman State Park, NY. This tour is best after the first rain in the spring washes away the salt and

Jan/Feb '14 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Nova Scotia, Canada - The Cabot Trail

The shrill announcement is loud and awakes us from a sound, gently rocking sleep to proclaim we are one hour away from docking at North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Four of us, on adventure motorcycles, are traveling on the North Sydney-Port Aux Basques ferry from Newfoundland to the northeast coast

Nov/Dec '13 Premium Content

Southern West Virginia Coal Heritage Trail: A New Black Gold

Being from West Virginia, my roots are tinged with coal dust and steel rails. It’s a noble heritage of hard work, callused hands, and long hours spent chiseling the bituminous rock from the earth and keeping the steel wheels rolling. Coal is energy; and West Virginia is coal. We’

Nov/Dec '13

City Escape: Columbus, Ohio

> Stretching east out of Ohio’s capital city and into the rising sun, the topography quickly transitions from flat to excellent rural hill country. The first warm days of April open the riding season, which extends well into October. Fall foliage can be spectacular. Length Approximately 190 miles Meet-

Nov/Dec '13

City Escape: Austin, Texas

> A romp through the eastern edge of Texas Hill Country. Tall, rugged hills with thin layers of soil on top of limestone or granite rock make for a scenic backroad excursion through a western movie-set landscape. Length Approximately 226 miles Meet-up spot Starbucks, 12400 SR 71, Austin,

Nov/Dec '13 Premium Content

Colorado: Off Road Across the Rockies

I could stay on I-70. It crosses the Rocky Mountains in a couple of hours—but this would be a waste of landscape and adventure. Here in Colorado, America’s major mountain range offers one fantastic and rare opportunity. You can cross it almost completely off-road. Not in

Nov/Dec '13 Premium Content

Lake Erie Circle Tour, Canada: Our Neighbors to the North

Crossing the Peace Bridge into Ontario is a mostly benign experience. I present my passport and answer a few questions: “Citizenship?” “How long will you be in Canada?” “Do you have any weapons?” Wait, what? Do I have any weapons? Well, I guess I am an American, and this is

Nov/Dec '13 Premium Content

Australia's Outback: The World's Longest Shortcut

I’d commented to Lisa that I wanted a ‘big’ ride. “I need some dirt, sand, raw beauty, and a little danger. Well, just enough to shake me up a little,” I’d continued naively. I should have known better. We are perched on the northeastern coast of the world’

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

Nov/Dec '13 Premium Content

Huntsville, Alabama Shamrock Tour®: Rocket City Road Trip

The Deep South is a region of rich history, agriculture, and charm. But there’s more here than you may know. One southern city has been reaching into the solar system for more than a half century. As motorcyclists go, we’re a bit of an odd couple. My good

Sep/Oct '13

City Escape: Phoenix, Arizona

> You’ll experience a diverse loop that includes a high desert lake and historic mining towns. This route is rideable virtually all year. Length Approximately 225 miles Meet-up Spot Cindy’s Arizona Café, 124 E Mckellips Rd, Mesa, AZ, (480) 655-1349. Lunch Stop Libby’s El Rey

Sep/Oct '13 Premium Content

Lake Erie, Circle Tour - U.S.: A Tale of Two Worlds

Detroit. The name alone conjures up images of cars rolling off assembly lines, factories belching smoke, Henry Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. In a word, industry. First settled in 1701, Detroit (aka: Motor City) is one of the oldest metropolitan areas in the Midwest. Along with holding responsibility for the

Sep/Oct '13 Premium Content

Europe: Corsican Caper

“Singing not allowed,” reads the German sign at the entrance to the beer garden—a rather tough and unusual rule, especially in Bavaria, where the largest fair in the world is held. But Oktoberfest was yesterday. Today is our first riding day on an organized tour with Rob and Gretchen

Sep/Oct '13 Premium Content

Maine: Moby Lobster

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago I was haunted—by a lobster. Not just any crustacean, mind you, but “Moby Lobster,” a Maine variety so tasty and succulent that it lives on in my dreams. Every other dinner decapod since then has been doomed to mediocrity. Can you imagine how

Sep/Oct '13 Premium Content

World Travelers:Indonesia - Riding the Ring of Fire

We are at the Butterworth dock on Malaysia’s west coast, and the morning’s already a scorcher. Stinging sweat drips into my eyes as I instinctively duck my head; mere feet above me, my precious motorbike is lofted high and swings like a 700-pound pendulum as it’s

Sep/Oct '13 Premium Content

Lake Tahoe, California Shamrock Tour®: Gold Rush Country

Lake Tahoe is best known for being a world-class ski area. Those rugged mountains also provide some of the best motorcycle roads in the country. Numerous passes, dense forests, and streams make this worthy of a Shamrock Tour®. Circumnavigating the Jewel of the Sierras Walking to our motorcycles, we

Sep/Oct '13 Premium Content

Illinois and Missouri: The Lewis & Clark Trail

“The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri River & such principal streams of it, as, by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river, may offer the most direct and practicable water communication across this

Sep/Oct '13

City Escape: Vancouver, British Columbia

> A winding tarmac ribbon soaring from sea to sky through BC’s Coast Range into semi-desert, then back through the spectacular Fraser Canyon. Take in four climate zones! Yes, it’s a long ride, but it’s comfortably doable in a day as long as you start early.

Jul/Aug '13

City Escape: Los Angeles, California

> This ride is very diverse with sections that include: climbing through the Cleveland National Forest, outstanding views of Lake Elsinore, and scenic roads through native oak forest. Many interesting attractions spaced out along the route allow for a full day of riding. Length Approximately 120 miles Meet-up Spot

Jul/Aug '13 Premium Content

Malaysia: Jungle Joy Ride

Under a royal blue sky, we’re hurtling south along a smooth multi-lane freeway amid a sea of rolling greens hills. Waves of lush forestation, palm farms, and tea plantations stretch into the horizon. Malaysia is a dynamic melting pot that Malays, Indians, Chinese, and a host of others

Jul/Aug '13 Premium Content

Las Vegas, NV, to Sturgis, SD: Off the Cloud in the Wild West

Modern life is grand—always on the go, always connected to the “Cloud,” always tweeting, pinning, liking, sharing, and then recharging so that we can do it all again. It is, admittedly, overwhelming sometimes—even for The Digital Rider. In the midst of these thoughts, an email arrives. It’s

Jul/Aug '13 Premium Content

Alberta, Canada: Ironhorse on the Cowboy Trail

Thousands of Canadians still head west hoping to capture some of the wealth from Canada’s richest province (per capita income) for themselves. But it’s also a favorite international tourist destination well known for its expansive blue skies and scenery as well as both winter and summer activities. Founded

Jul/Aug '13 Premium Content

Roanoke, Virginia Shamrock Tour®: Dirty Dancing Through the Curves

As summer ends and autumn approaches, the days get shorter. While we get ready for winter by cleaning out the garage and servicing our motorcycles, trees use up the last of their food supply in a way that attracts millions of tourists. And what better way to see nature’s

Jul/Aug '13 Premium Content

Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma: Chasing Dragons

It’s a long ride from my home in Oklahoma to Deals Gap, the twisty, 11-mile section of Highway 129 bordering Tennessee and North Carolina also known as the “Tail of the Dragon.” But rumor has it that eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri are infested with elusive serpents just

Jul/Aug '13

City Escape: Atlanta

> A scenic jaunt through the southern Appalachians and rural northern Georgia, this route contains an abundance of natural beauty. The best times to go are April to June and September to November. Length Approximately 226 miles Meet-up Spot Starbucks, 12330 Crabapple Rd, Alpharetta, GA. Lunch Stop Hofer’s