Midwest Region

Accommodations

8 Quirky Places to Stay on a Missouri Moto Tour

Missouri has gorgeous landscapes laced with history linked to our country’s early days. As a riding destination, it is ripe with farmland, country backroads, small family farms, and plenty of small lakes, rivers and forests. If your two wheels take you to Missouri, here are eight suggestions to help

A Year in Review

Top RoadRUNNER Tours of 2023

Stories from the road are what we are known for. We don't just write about places that we think might be interesting to visit, we actually ride there. When you read RoadRUNNER's tour editorial, you know our team of experienced motorcycle travel journalists have put the

A Year in Review

RoadRUNNER's Favorite Destinations of 2023

At RoadRUNNER, it's about more than just the motorcycle. It's about where you go on the motorcycle. Simply put, we are addicted to exploring new places and experiencing new things. We often share short articles highlighting specific places across the country that might be of interest

Travel Guide

Illinois Route 66

In the bustling heart of downtown Chicago begins the road that changed history—Route 66. Over the decades, the Main Street of America’s siren song of freedom has called thousands of motorists to hit the road. The 300 miles of Route 66 in Illinois are preserved like nowhere else

Travel Guide

10 Odd Roadside Attractions for a Bizarre Road Trip

Roadside oddities draw us in and have us plunking down dollars to see a mummified corpse, a teacup collection, an unidentified monster, or perhaps a flying saucer. It doesn’t matter if the thing ends up being an obvious hoax—it adds a wonderfully whimsical flair to your motorcycle trip

Destinations

Southwest Ohio, The Great Serpent Mound

In a remote section of southwest Ohio, a giant earthen sculpture of a writhing snake lies coiled on a cliff. The effigy mound, built by a pre-Columbian native culture, is the largest one of a serpent in the world. The mound’s combined three sections measure approximately 1,376 feet

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Demon’s Backbone (Ohio SR 536)

When thinking of challenging, twisty motorcycling roads, Ohio may not be the first place to pop into your mind. But that’s probably because you haven’t heard of SR 536. This stretch of asphalt has many names, including the Ohio Dragon and Ohio’s Tail of the Dragon. But

Travel Guide

6 Most Haunted Roads in the U.S.

We’re all fascinated with spirits, and roads have always been some of ghosts’ and goblins’ favorite haunts. They have their own brand of spooks, with seemingly every backwater town having its own Dead Man’s Curve. Myths and legends tell of restless spirits unable to leave these darkened roads

Sep/Oct '23 Premium Content

Along the Waterways of Ohio

As Florian and I saddle up in Zanesville for our Ohio roundtrip, it occurs to me that the Buckeye State often doesn’t get its due. Phrases like, “flyover country,” “your hometown river is flammable,” “mistake on the lake,” and “Hey, at least we’re not Michigan,” don’t exactly

WEB Exclusive

Wildwood, Missouri's Most Haunted Trail—Zombie Road

If you're a fan of the supernatural traveling anywhere near St. Louis, MO, you may want to detour to Wildwood to visit the infamous Zombie Road (aka. Al Foster Trail). This aptly named and presumably haunted destination is appropriately set in the thick of eerie forests. Zombie Road

Travel Guide

Top 10 Curviest Roads in the U.S.

Motorcycle enthusiasts are on an eternal quest to find an experience the curviest of roads. I decided to look into some choice asphalt spread out over the nation to help you satiate your desire for a compelling ride. In no particular order, and without attempting to say which is the

Accommodations

5 Unique Wisconsin Hotels for Motorcyclists

As the home of American stalwart Harley-Davidson, Wisconsin has been associated with motorcycles since 1903. The state offers a variety of roads and a host of attractions, from historical landmarks to winding roads, quaint townships to sprawling farmland. A big part of the two-wheel touring experience is finding lodging that

News

How to Find the Aliens Among Us on Two Wheels

Sometimes you want a grander objective for a motorcycle tour than simply enjoying the open road and curves. If you’re after a truly otherworldly experience, why not hit the asphalt to look for proof of alien life? After all, the Congress recently got the most compelling testimony to date

Travel Guide

Explore 8 of the Most Otherworldly Landscapes in the US

If you're a motorcycle enthusiast looking for a journey that feels like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie, you're in for a treat. Across the U.S., there are destinations that boast distinctive flora and fauna, unique geological features, and other outlandish characteristics

Destinations

Ship’s Bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald

When it was launched in 1958, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest freighter sailing the Great Lakes. But shortly after 7:10 pm on Nov. 10, 1975, disaster struck the mighty ship. The entire crew of 29 was lost when a severe storm, with waves up to 35 feet

Travel Guide

10 Towns for Viewing the 2024 Solar Eclipse

A rare marvel of nature is approaching in 2024. The sun will disappear behind the moon in a total solar eclipse on April 8. You surely don’t want to miss seeing this performance of cosmic ballet—after all, the next total solar eclipse in the U.S. won’t

Travel Guide

5 Great Riding Roads in Ohio

Do you live in or near Ohio—or are planning a two-wheel visit to the state—and are looking for some routes to stretch your mount’s legs? Here are five awesome roads that get the wanderlust simmering and let you experience the state’s magnificent scenery. Three Rivers Ride

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Minnesota's North Shore Scenic Drive

North Shore Scenic Drive, which has been designated an All-American Road by the Federal Highway Administration, charts a course from Duluth, MN, to Grand Portage, just before crossing the border into Canada. The route provides access to eight state parks and Superior National Forest. Tracing along part of Lake Superior’

May/Jun '23

City Escape: Chicago, Illinois

This City Escape route begins in northeastern Illinois and tracks northwest to rural southeastern Wisconsin, heading for Madison. Advancing and receding glaciers during the ice ages have left the topography mostly flat, but the soil is noticeably rich. Large red barns, with their grain silos, dot the verdant landscape in

Travel Guide

10 Unique Summer Motorcycle Trip Destinations in the U.S.

At RoadRUNNER, we are always searching for new routes that take you to historically and socially significant destinations—and offer a fantastic riding experience. Here are 10 destinations to spark your wanderlust this summer. Cody, Wyoming Voted the Best Western Small Town by USA Today, Cody, WY, sits in the

Destinations

Ohio River Floodwall Art

The Great Flood of 1913 wreaked havoc on many Ohio River towns. The death and destruction, while momentous at the time, have been largely forgotten in the 21st century. The concrete floodwalls in towns along the Ohio River, however, were blank canvases just begging for artists’ depictions of important historical

Mar/Apr '23 Premium Content

ZenMoto Part 1: Minnesota to Montana

It takes about an hour before I leave behind the exurbs of Minneapolis, MN. The riding is easy—lots of straight roads and not a lot of traffic or navigating. There is space in my head to scroll through the 50 million things that one thinks about on the first

Nov/Dec '22

City Escape: Southeast Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, OH, is on a roll. Just at the beginning of the year Intel announced a $20 billion initial investment for two new leading-edge chip factories. Ohio’s capital is becoming quite the tech hub. With a growing city, you’ll want to get out and smell the roses. This

Destinations

Zanesville, Ohio’s Historic Y-Bridge

A motorist who asks for directions from a Zanesville, Ohio, resident might hear something like, “Go to the middle of the Y-Bridge and turn left.” After a visibly confused motorist leaves, the local resident might be sporting a big grin because after all, turning left in the middle of a

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Michigan's River Road National Scenic Byway

The Au Sable River, which flows 138 miles through Michigan’s Huron National Forest on its way to Lake Huron, packs plenty of history. The “River of Sand” is a designated National Wild and Scenic River, and River Road, which twists along the southern banks of the Au Sable from