Jan/Feb '18 City Escape: El Paso, Texas Wineries, missiles, and views—this loop north of El Paso is a great mix for a short getaway. This city escape begins with a ride through a peaceful wine and agricultural region. It then tracks through a small portion of the fascinating White Sands Missile Range (ID and appropriate vehicle
May/Jun '17 Premium Content Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma: Riding the Cherokee Trail of Tears Part III We pick up the Cherokee removal journey in central Missouri: “We travelled about 12 miles to a settlement called Port Royal (believed to be Waynesville by researchers), on the banks of a beautiful stream, named Rubedoo. Here we had a delightful place, on the bank of the river, convenient to
Mar/Apr '17 Premium Content New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route: The Desert Crucible The purest art of creating Damascus steel, that extraordinary blade with the wavy design seen in antique knives and swords from the Middle East, is lost to mankind. Speculation suggests multiple layers of metals were forged, folded, and welded together to form a single blade of exceptional quality. Certain aspects
Jan/Feb '17 Premium Content Kanab, Utah Shamrock Tour: The Greatest Earth on Show® It’s a beautiful late spring morning as Kris and I prepare for the first of four days exploring southwestern Utah. It’s no secret the state has some of the most fantastic scenery and roads this side of anywhere, and we are more than eager to get underway. Jurassic
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 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.
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 San Francisco, CA to Denver, CO: Over the Barriers To travel from San Francisco to Denver you have to cross several major ranges, endure blistering heat and frosty cold, and carve a path for yourselfup some steep and twisty inclines. There’s plenty of excitement to be had. The great traveler Marco Polo would be jealous. It took him
Nov/Dec '15 Premium Content Jefferson, Texas Shamrock Tour®: Bayou Chiefs It is 1901. Dirt roads are evolving from indian trails and wagon routes to connect a country in the midst of a technological revolution. George M. Hendee and Carl Hedstrom have just completed their first 1.75-horsepower prototype of the Indian Motorcycle in Springfield, MA. More than 114 years later,
Sep/Oct '15 City Escape: Tucson, Arizona > This southern Arizona loop ride includes varied road types, picturesque scenery, and well-placed historic towns. Riders will get a taste of the Old West, peruse eclectic art, and enjoy rich desert flora and fauna. It’s a fall, winter, and spring ride since the summer temperatures in the southwest
Sep/Oct '15 Premium Content The Oklahoma Adventure Trail: Mission Impossible “We’re taking the bypass,” a wise James Pratt belts out from aboard his faded yellow Suzuki DR-Z400. “I’m out of gas and there is no way these guys will get those pigs through the woods in this muck.” The “woods” we are about to enter are a segment
Classic Roads Premium Content Route 66 West: Riding the Mother Road Today, when people think about Route 66, they see visions of dramatic expanses of southwestern desert and the adventure of exploring the wide-open country. At its peak, the stretch of 66 through New Mexico, Arizona, and California was a bustling highway as Americans moved west to seek their fortunes. Then
Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content Trans-America Trail, Colorado to Oregon: Detours, Broken Bones, and New Friendships As if on cue, my new riding partner, Luke Swab, rolls into Fairplay, CO, on a Yamaha WR250R, where I am waiting to meet him by the side of the road. I’m relieved, yet I’m apprehensive to have a riding partner. The first half of the journey had
Classic Roads Premium Content Route 66 East: America’s Main Street More than any other stretch of pavement, Route 66 imprinted the open road into the American psyche and helped shape the cultural fabric of the nation as the automobile came of age. The historic route can trace its origins back to 1857 when the Army Corps of Engineers began work
Jul/Aug '15 City Escape: Austin, Texas > More sweepers than tight curves—explore the countryside southwest of Austin, which will appeal to every type of motorcyclist. From President LBJ’s ranch to German culinary delights, this route has it all. To include all stops along the way, plan ahead and hit the road early in the
May/Jun '15 Premium Content Sedona, Arizona Shamrock Tour®: Mountains High and Valleys Low I wake to a beautiful fall morning, and standing on the terrace of my room at the Matterhorn Inn, I am afforded a spectacular panoramic view of the red rock formations that characterize this city. I wanted to explore Sedona and the surrounding area by motorbike since I first passed
May/Jun '15 Premium Content Trans-America Trail, Tennessee to Southern Colorado: Banjos, Tears, & Corn Nubbins I have arrived in Tellico Plains, TN, and the official starting point of the Trans-America Trail (TAT). It took thousands of miles just to get here, but as I prepare to make my first turn onto the trail, I feel a weight and a reality of what I am about
May/Jun '15 City Escape: Oklahoma City > This mixed terrain ride takes you by The Round Barn, through an old ghost town, and returns via Route 66, where a restored WPA-era armory and the Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum make history of your rowdy scramble down Oklahoma's backroads. Spring and fall are the best riding
Jan/Feb '15 Premium Content Arizona and New Mexico: Southwestern Diversity “To those devoid of imagination a blank place on the map is a useless waste; to others, the most valuable part.” Author, Aldo Leopold As motorcyclists, we are by nature attracted to the lines and dots on a map. However, those blank places that Leopold referenced are what make a
Nov/Dec '14 City Escape: Albuquerque, New Mexico > This loop ride north of Albuquerque, with its rugged natural beauty, pre-historic Native American ruins, and the “Atomic City,” will not disappoint. It features curvy ribbons of asphalt, expansive vistas, and numerous reasons to drop the kickstand. The moderate southwestern climate makes this route ride-able virtually year-round with the
May/Jun '14 Premium Content Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route: American Walkabout What am I doing with my life? Where am I headed? We all reach a point when we question ourselves and the meaning of life. Maybe you’re stuck in a dead-end job, maybe you’re not getting along with your spouse, or maybe the ever-increasing demand for your attention
Mar/Apr '14 Premium Content Big Bend, Texas: Into the Great Wide Open We wake to sunny skies, a forecast in the mid-70s, and our bikes are ready to go. As I pull on my boots, my pulse quickens. I sense that this is going to be a great day for riding. Stepping outside, I find it hard to believe that it’s
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, TX. Lunch
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 Café, 999
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 waiting
