West Region

Jul/Aug '12 Premium Content

Oregon and California: An Adventure Ride Fills the Soul

I know there is something special pulling me to this adventure besides the quiet, seductive whisper of nature and the luring temptation of being solo on the open road. The goose bumps throughout the entire journey tell me there is more to this ride than exploring new and beautiful country

Jul/Aug '12 Premium Content

Montana: Going-to-the-Sun on the Cusp of Winter

The fuel tank of my Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited is topped off, my thermal liner is zipped in, I have on two pairs of socks, and the heated grips are cranked up all the way. I’m idling at the east entrance of the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTTS) near St.

May/Jun '12 Premium Content

California: Digging Up History in San Diego County

Eighty years ago, travelers to the gold rush town of Julian in remote eastern San Diego County had a different tale to tell about getting off the beaten path. Today, paved roads and the civilized world occupy nearly every mile of the backcountry. Escape isn’t so remote anymore, but

May/Jun '12 Premium Content

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Loop: Riding the Crown of the Continent

It is closer to bedtime than it is to dinnertime when I finally park the bike. But the kitchen is open until 10 p.m. here at Vimy’s Lounge & Grill at the Waterton Lakes Resort, so I order yak meatballs (since they are fresh out of elk chili)

May/Jun '12 Premium Content

Park City, Utah to Rapid City, South Dakota: Sturgis or Bust!

Shortly after the Civil War, my great-grandfather and his younger brother headed west across this great country, following the first transcontinental railroad during its construction. They built their first gun shop in Laramie, WY, which was a territory then, and eked out a modest living from this vast and beautiful

Jan/Feb '12 Premium Content

California Coastline

Imagine the Pacific Ocean crashing against the rocky coast of California’s northern half, a ribbon of asphalt longer than a day’s ride drawing the line between the land and the sea, and you’re on your way there right now. Your flight is booked, your motorcycle rental is

Jan/Feb '12 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Wyoming

The Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming include 200 miles of the most picturesque pavement in the Cowboy State. Situated midway between the Black Hills of South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park, the Big Horns are home to towering peaks, rocky canyons, and fast-flowing mountain streams. Every bend in the

Nov/Dec '11 Premium Content

California

I’m just finishing a leisurely 100-mile cruise through California’s Joshua Tree National Park on a late afternoon in April. I head north on Highway 247, and soon after entering this massive OHV area, strong wind gusts from all directions start shoving around my laden, 712-pound Honda Interstate cruiser.

Nov/Dec '11 Premium Content

Rocky Mountains Part II: Wyoming, Idaho and Montana

The owner slowly scuffles toward the entrance of his café, unlocks the door, and lets us in. Like him, the interior is simple, original and down to earth. Breakfast is the same: a huge pot of coffee, hash browns, bacon and eggs. Eat it or leave it. But something else

Sep/Oct '11 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Death Valley, California

Sep/Oct '11 Premium Content

Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota and Nebraska

What a scary welcome. The captain warned us that there would be some turbulence as we crossed the barrier of the Rocky Mountains from the west, but the effect of the thunderstorm is still intimidating. The plane is shaking and rattling in every joint. It feels like we’re sitting

Sep/Oct '11 Premium Content

Nevada and Oregon Ghost Town Tour

As we crest Harrison Pass on the Pony Express National Historic Trail and begin our descent into Ruby Valley, the route is clearly visible, winding across the treeless lowlands and ascending the Maverick Springs Range. The sense of openness is almost overwhelming and gives pause as I wonder what went

Jul/Aug '11 Premium Content

Alaska

There's nothing like a good midlife crisis: chuck it all, curvy Porsche and a blonde at your side as you mash the throttle and hit triple-digit speeds. Then again, some time on an adventure bike and sleeping next to bears seems like a great escape, too. Maybe crisis

Jul/Aug '11 Premium Content

Frisco, Colorado Shamrock Tour®

It's all down hill from here - literally. Squatting next to the Continental Divide, Frisco, CO, is the perfect base for exploring some of the most elevated highways in America. I pull into Leadville, CO, with a dry mouth and a parched throat. I'm parked outside

May/Jun '11 Premium Content

Yellowstone National Park

I don't really need a good reason to go on a motorcycle trip, whether it be for the adventure of exploring a new area, tackling a challenging road, or just getting away from my daily routine. But this ride is something special, and I'm excited to

Mar/Apr '11 Premium Content

California

It's as much about the time - and the roads - leading up to the race, as it is about the race itself. In July 2010, my brother Jim and good friends Pete, Gary F., and Gary K., and I spent five days of motorcycle touring together, logging

Jan/Feb '11 Premium Content

Las Vegas to San Francisco

Everybody warned me not to go through Death Valley in summer, but nobody said a word about Las Vegas! So I find myself in the stop-and-go traffic on I-15, as I try to get out of the city. The thermometer on the bike shows exactly 105 degrees. Underneath my riding

Jan/Feb '11 Premium Content

Coast to Coast on the Cross Country Part II: Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri via Route 50

The cool, dry May, desert air carries a slight nip as it pours over the Victory Cross Country's short windshield and proves an excellent adjunct to the pick-me-up qualities of our breakfast caffeine. The early morning traffic is light, the road lonely, and in the distance, the fabled

Nov/Dec '10 Premium Content

Part I: California, Nevada, and Utah via Route 50

While the Interstate Highway system may be the quickest way to wheel from sea to shining sea, it certainly lacks the personality that most motorcycle travelers seek. On the other hand, the process of discovering small towns, local color, and scenic stretches can eat into those precious vacation days. Well,

Nov/Dec '10 Premium Content

Part II: Four-State Anasazi Archeology Tour: Utah, Arizona and New Mexico

The modern-day popular media has often portrayed the Anasazi people as having mysteriously vanished without a trace. Some have even implied that there is a paranormal or extraterrestrial explanation for their “sudden” disappearance. In our quest to better understand the more earthly explanation for the Anasazi’s disappearance, Steve and

Sep/Oct '10 Premium Content

New Mexico and Colorado

It's early September and the summer tourists have abandoned the 130,000- square-mile red rock landscape known by geologists as the Colorado Plateau. It contains the largest concentration of scenic wonders in America. Roughly centered where the states of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona meet, the plateau

Sep/Oct '10 Premium Content

The International Selkirk Loop

Here we are in Castlegar, Nelson can't be very far. Climbing out of Castlegar on Highway 3, the view of British Columbia below is so captivating that I pull over to fully appreciate it. The Columbia River glistens in the afternoon sun like the chrome on the 2009

Sep/Oct '10 Premium Content

Reader Ride - Shaniko, Oregon

Don't call it a ghost town; Shaniko, OR, has maintained a population of 30 people. A far cry from the turn of the 20th-century town that billed itself as "the wool capital of the world." By 1911, a competing railroad line diverted much of the town&

Jul/Aug '10 Premium Content

Shamrock Tour® - Death Valley, California and Nevada

The roads between Nevada's Amargosa Desert and California's Panamint Valley are as much about big sky and land as they are a connection to the area's historic past. It's a place where myth meets reality and the remnants of that union-abandoned mining

May/Jun '10 Premium Content

Southern California - Reader Ride

Where else could one ride less than 200 miles and experience the Pacific Ocean, the mountains, and the desert, but in Southern California? Take into account that it's virtually always sunny, rains less than 45 days a year, and temperatures generally hover between 60F - 85F. Throw in