West Region

Jan/Feb '23

City Escape: Henderson, Nevada

This City Escape northeast of Henderson, NV, offers some of the most striking rock formations and desert landscapes in the Southwest. The loop ride includes the stunningly beautiful Valley of Fire State Park, and a great return route through Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This is a four-season ride that

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

A Thousand Shifts

The strange, quiet noise of travel. When you have nothing but time to think—about the past, about all the good and the bad times, about the things that lie ahead, for now unknown but certainly there, approaching on that smooth ribbon of pavement. I was somewhere between my home

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

A U.S. Bucket List on a Budget

Slurping a coffee at Burnout Cafe in Vancouver, Canada, the butterflies in my tummy were doing barrel rolls. This was it! The start of our big ride from Canada to the southern tip of Argentina. With no house to sell and no apartment to rent out while we are gone,

Destinations

Yellowstone National Park

Its natural magnificence inspired the United States Congress to establish Yellowstone [https://www.roadrunner.travel/tours/yellowstone-national-park/] as the world's first national park in 1872. Kathy and I were so thrilled by the area that we decided to return for an extra day after completing our tour of

Nov/Dec '22 Premium Content

Snowbiking Serenity in Kalispell, Montana

I felt the crunch of compacting snow under my boot and before I knew it, I was face down—sunk to my hip in fresh powder with a Husqvarna TE 300 towering over me. The snow around my leg instantly solidified like concrete, locking my boot into place some 33-odd

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

Travel Guide

Top 10 Winter Motorcycling Destinations in America

Winter can be a dodgy time for motorcycling. There are places where the thought of rolling out on two wheels is an absolute impossibility. That said, there are a host of routes that you can enjoy even in the winter months. It may entail some planning and even require you

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

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Giro Alpino: A Family Reunion in the Rockies

Giro Alpino was Ducati’s new tour event, centered around Breckenridge, CO. Participants were told to expect incredible roads, spectacular fall colors, and exquisite dining. I did because I live here in Colorado. What I didn’t expect was the warm welcome we received into the Ducati Multistrada family. I

Classic Roads Premium Content

Classic Roads: California’s Angeles Crest Highway

Traveling just north of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and Pasadena, you’ll enter the Angeles National Forest, a sparsely developed area that’s home to one particularly fantastic ribbon of tarmac—The Angeles Crest Highway (aka California State Route 2). Completed in 1956, this two-lane marvel climbs,

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Santa Maria Weekend Romp

In the summer of 2011, my then-girlfriend Maria and I took the then-new BMW K1600GTL for an evaluation ride to Yosemite National Park. It was her maiden voyage aboard a two-wheel tourer, as well as her first visit to the Sierra Nevada. The next year, my now-wife and I were

Nov/Dec '22 Premium Content

Riding Death Valley: Third Time Lucky

"I’m done. Get me the chuff out of here!” Engorged on the place until I was as full as a tick on a hound dog, one afternoon on the Strip was all I could handle. Like anything, we had to see it with our own eyes, although I

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

WEB Exclusive Premium Content

Riding from Mexico to Canada along US HWY 191

A little north of Tombstone, the coyote (Roadrunnerus digestus) emerges from the low scrub brush on the dusty shoulder of Arizona's SR 80. He stops mid-trot and watches with apparent nonchalance as our RoadRUNNER Gold Wing (Burn-em-upus asphaltus) breezes by. But I'm not fooled by his

Destinations

Destination: Pagosa Springs, Colorado

This picturesque community, situated 35 miles north of the New Mexico border, serves as an ideal location for looped explorations. The San Juan River flows through the city’s center, where you’ll find the Pagosa Hot Springs, touted as the “World’s Deepest Geothermal Hot Spring.” Its name originates

Destinations

In Pursuit of Wildness: Rocky Mountain National Park

Bear with me, as it’s been 1,200 miles since I left Three Rivers, CA, and the wild views before me are stunning. The Rocky Mountains in Colorado stand majestically before me. The Quaking Aspens tremble in the wind. The weather is mild. I’m on a “rocky mountain

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

A Brothers Ride to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

The Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest is home to the oldest individual trees on Earth—bristlecone pines. Some exceed 4,000 years and appear sculpted by the wind. I’ve never seen them before and I’m looking forward to this adventure. The name alone conjures wild images about this natural

Sep/Oct '22

City Escape: Portland, Oregon

This route includes a ride through some foothills of the Cascade Range, awe-inspiring waterfalls, and a cut across the Willamette Valley into Oregon’s Wine Country. There are good stopping points in some of western Oregon’s colorful small towns. From mountain views to working farmland, rolling hills and rural

Travel Guide

Top Fall Color Motorcycle Rides to Plan Right Now!

One of the best things about motorcycle touring is experiencing an area with all of your senses. You hear, see, and feel more than you would from inside a windowed vehicle. At RoadRUNNER, we always feel more connected to an area after a bike tour. Fall is one of our

Destinations

Explore West Yellowstone, Montana

For the next great ride, head for West Yellowstone, Montana, the scenic entry point to Yellowstone National Park. Not only are the views of the Montana skyline and mountain range from a bike epic, there also is plenty to do during the warm months (and year round!) when it’s

Sep/Oct '22 Premium Content

Sunset Boulevard After Sunset: Hollywood Midnight Ride

In the realm of paved American thoroughfares, there are iconic names that speak to the character of specific places. New York City has the bold and lively spectacle of Broadway, as well as the nefarious shenanigans of Wall Street. There’s the pursuit of musical fame on Beale Street in

WEB Exclusive

In Pursuit of Wildness: Manzanar National Historic Site

Once upon a time, Manzanar National Historic Site was called Manzanar War Relocation Center. It was one of 10 camps where Japanese American citizens were incarcerated during World War II. I had never been there, and I knew little about this site, though I knew that it is managed by

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

A Decade-Long Riding Tradition

Every summer we do at least one group ride. We used to spend the whole week together,  but now, three days is about the best we can manage. This year, we chose Oregon and Washington State. Most of the group flew into Portland and rented BMWs. With a fresh Ducati

Destinations

In Pursuit of Wildness: Death Valley National Park

> Death Valley National Park is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in America. It’s a summer day and I’m filling up my motorcycle gas tank in Baker, CA, when I asked the gas station attendant how hot it is. I’m a bit surprised when he