Touring & Adventure

Travel always teaches me a lot about myself and about the world. In 2011 I loaded up my motorcycle and set out for a solo trip across 25 states and three Canadian provinces. Here are the top 25 lessons I learned from my journey.

When it comes to motorcycling, its not uncommon for riders to set personal milestones. For some, passing the MSF beginner course or making that first ride down a busy highway feels like a huge accomplishment—as it should—but there are a select few riders whove aimed their proverbial headlights in the direction of something bigger.

Ottawa, Ontario, might not be the first place you think of when planning a motorcycle trip in Canada. But I kept an open mind as I traveled with seven of my female motorcycle journalist colleagues to the Ottawa Valley as a guest of the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association. We were there to get a taste of what this part of Canada has to offer tourists who like to enjoy the view from the seat of a motorcycle.

Because I live near Yellowstone National Park in Montana, I frequently get asked by motorcyclists to share what I think are some of the best roads to ride in this area when limited time is a consideration. I recently discovered an scenic loop encompassing Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, covering 400 miles that can be ridden swiftly within four days or stretched out over a week for some breathing room.

“Dual-sport,” I wisecracked. “Isn’t that riding in the dirt where you have to wear all that safety gear?” Find out what Genevieve Schmitt, a die-hard street rider learns when riding off-road for the first time. Theres way more than the physical. Riding on dusty trails will challenge you mentally while opening up a whole new world.

If there was ever a winter to make your great escape from the snow and cold, 2010 was it. Fortunately I had plans to visit the southern most part of Arizona last February, the only state that didn’t experience unseasonably cold temps, to get a break from the white stuff. Looks like 2011 is going to be just as frigid so start planning your winter motorcycling escape now.

Ive gone on three different organized motorcycle tours over the years and many, many organized motorcycle rides. After going on my most recent tour by Twisted Trailz, I was inclined to put together this check list so those new to organized motorcycle touring can know what to expect going in. These tours cost a lot of money. You owe it to yourself to do research ahead of time. Heres a helpful list of some things to consider.

We all have motorcycle trips wed love to take someday. So whats keeping us from turning “someday” into “now”? In 2009, Alisa Clickenger pointed her motorcycle south and set out on the trip of a lifetime. The hardest part wasnt riding across two continents and 13 countries—it was mentally conquering the self-doubt that told her all the reasons she shouldnt go. Alisa tells us how she made her dream a reality, and how you can too.

“Girlfriend Getaways” are all the rage these days. Everywhere you look dude ranches to adventure sports outfitters are promoting an opportunity for a group of gal pals enjoy some stress-free downtime together. One savvy state tourism bureau is expanding that concept into motorcycling.

As we are finishing a preview of a typical Frank Lloyd Wright museum tour, our gracious guide, Kimberly Higgenbotham, tells us that when asked which of his projects was his favorite, Wright would invariably reply “the next one.” It occurs to me that this might be my own response to the question of which is my favorite road trip, but then it is becoming clear that my answer is invariably “this one.”