James T. Parks

Destinations

Stop Along The Oregon Trail in The Dalles, OR

Yesterday & Today Although indigenous people inhabited the Columbia River area for millennia and the Lewis and Clark expedition camped here, The Dalles owes its beginning and name to French-speaking Hudson Bay Company fur traders. The word dalle roughly translates to English as a “large tile” or “flagstone,” and dalles

Travel Guide

Americana: Round Barns

Riding cross-country in rural America, you may have happened upon round barns with conical roofs and wondered, “Why?” Several scientific theories suggest that round shapes are more calming and pleasing to the observer’s eyes than shapes with corners, which may explain why you noticed and remembered those barns in

Jan/Feb '23

City Escape: Marietta, Georgia

Destinations

Destination: Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico

The picturesque desert landscape some 60 miles west of Albuquerque, NM, is home to one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in America—Acoma Pueblo. The pueblo, founded in 1100, is a component of the Acoma Indian Reservation and is perched atop a 357-foot-tall shear-walled sandstone mesa. Before modern times,

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway

Destinations

Destination: Old Fort Niagara, New York

The flags of three different nations have flown over Old Fort Niagara—France, England, and the U.S. over more than 300 years. Located at the mouth of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, Fort Conti was a preliminary fortification established here by the French in 1679. A permanent French

Tips

Be a Safer Night Rider

A rider’s risk factors increase once the sun goes down. To avoid an accident, it’s important to see and be seen. Here are some tips for avoiding road hazards at night: Keep a Clear View In low light conditions, wearing sunglasses or having a tinted shield on your

Destinations

Black Canyon of The Gunnison National Park

Motoring east on US-50 from Montrose, I’m enjoying the expansive Rocky Mountain landscape of western Colorado. A left on SR-347 has me quickly gaining altitude until finally arriving at the Visitor Center on the South Rim of the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park. At an overlook, I peer

Tips

Touring Tip: Get Suspended!

No, I’m not encouraging inappropriate behavior that might get your license suspended. I want to talk to you about your motorcycle’s suspension. This is an area that OEMs often shortchange in order to keep the MSRP of their products in a lower price range. They know that a

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Trail Ridge Road National Scenic Byway

This 64-mile Classic Roads adventure begins in the historic mountain resort town of Estes Park, Colorado, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, and rolls along a stretch of US 34, which is the highest continuous paved road in the U.S. It has been a popular destination for motorists

Nov/Dec '22 Premium Content

Washington, Pennsylvania Shamrock Tour®: Forgotten Corners

Jeff Arpin and I have been eagerly anticipating our Pennsylvania Shamrock Tour®, but historically high August heat promised sweltering rides. A more recent weather forecast, however, now predicts cooler temperatures. But there’s a meteorological catch-22—the remnants of a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico are set to

Nov/Dec '22

City Escape: Texarkana, Texas

The city of Texarkana straddles the border of Texas and Arkansas. It’s a thriving community in the 21st century, but many of the region’s historic sites are off the beaten path and largely unknown. This City Escape route takes riders back to the 18th century, when this area

Destinations

The Legendary Navajo Code Talkers’ Memorial in Window Rock, Arizona

“Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.” —Major Howard Connor, USMC 5th Marine Division Signal Officer In the South Pacific Theater of World War II, U.S. military forces had a significant problem. The Japanese were highly proficient at deciphering coded American communications.

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Utah's Scenic Byway 12

Utah’s State Route 12 is a “National Scenic Byway” recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It also has the designation of being an All-American Road,  one of just 120 so named nationwide, which means it possesses unique features and  intrinsic qualities not found elsewhere. All American Roads

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: US 12 Through Montana and Idaho

Destinations

Destination: Coffeyville, Kansas

The Dalton Gang’s Last Bank Robbery Although Coffeyville, KS, was the hometown of famous Major League Baseball pitcher Walter Johnson, it is more famous for being where the Dalton Gang attempted a double bank robbery. On the quiet Wednesday morning of Oct. 5, 1892, the three disguised Dalton Brothers

Jul/Aug '19

Classic Roads: Missouri Route 94

Spanning more than 2,000 miles, from southwestern Montana to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers just north of St. Louis, the Missouri River Valley is notable for its rolling topography, forested landscape, and collection of pastoral farms. The area is also home to several wineries and appealing

Sep/Oct '22

Classic Roads: Back of the Dragon

The appellation “Whatever of the Dragon” has come to denote a challenging road that motorcyclists particularly cherish. These are destination roads, which usually include switchbacks and steep elevation changes, and are usually laid out in a scenic landscape. While the Tail of the Dragon (aka US 129) in Tennessee may

Tips

Traveling Solo: The Benefits and Risks of Riding by Yourself

I like sharing long-distance motorcycle travel with one or two other riders, but no more than three; more than that and group management becomes burdensome and potentially contentious. Two of the benefits of traveling with fellow riders are the conversations at mealtimes and the help when there is a mechanical

Roundtrip Tour

The Hudson River Valley: New York Roundtrip

The Hudson River Valley is a place of natural beauty, which was the scenic inspiration for the first American landscape painters. The valley also contains the historic presidential homes, a Vanderbilt mansion from America’s Gilded Age, Revolutionary War battlefields, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, stunning mountain

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Cherohala Skyway and Tail of the Dragon

These two classic roads, taken together, offer motorcyclists one of the most challenging days of mountain riding available anywhere. The full 138-mile route starts and ends in Tellico Plains, TN, at the Cherohala Skyway Visitor Center. From there the road rapidly gains altitude on SR 165. At around the halfway

Destinations

Destination: Beaumont, Kansas

A Stay With Ghosts Although it’s considered a ghost town today, Beaumont, located in the rolling grasslands of southeastern Kansas, was a thriving railroad and cattle town in the 19th century. The indigenous prairie bluestem grass was the nutritious fodder used to fatten up cattle before their transport by

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Following The Cherokee Trail of Tears

Missionary Daniel Butrick kept a journal of his travels with the Cherokee People as they were force marched to Indian Territory during the winter of 1838-39. It is one of the saddest episodes in American history, with the depths of despair grippingly described by him in this entry: “… the government

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Appalachian Byway of Ohio

This 105-mile scenic byway was added to Ohio’s roster of 27 state-designated scenic byways in September 2019. The Appalachian Byway of Ohio follows SR 78 from Clarington to Nelsonville, OH. The region’s natural and cultural heritage are on abundant display throughout the route, and some of its rich

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Kansas’s Flint Hills National Scenic Byway