Motorcycle Misadventures

RoadRUNNER's Touring Weekend - July 11th-15th – Maggie Valley, NC

I would LOVE to go to this event in the Smoky Mountains, if I were not on the opposite coast! Sigh. But report back... Here's what Christa has to say about it so far, but stay tuned for more developments:

This year will be the biggest Touring Weekend yet, with more tours, the addition of an off-road guided tour, select vendors, seminars by RoadRUNNER editors and vendors, outdoor live music, door prizes, great food, and even vintage motorcycles!

Tues April 24 on SideStandUp - Jenny Lefferts of MAD MAPS

Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Sidestand Up Motorcycle Radio
8:00 - 9:30 ET / 6:00 - 7:30 PT 

Catch my interview with Jenny Lefferts of San Francisco-based MAD MAPS, who makes maps in paper and eletronic formats that are wildly popular with motorcyclists and adventurous motorists alike. Details on the show and more info on Jenny, below.

What's the Best Riding in New England?

New England riders! If I were to spend a few days riding in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine - what would the best route be? What's the best motorcycling road(s).

Top 10 Motorcycle Touring Routes in the USA

I'm compiling a list of the top 10 motorcycle touring routes in the USA and I wonder if you would help me? I can't decide, and I don't know ALL of the USA, so thought I would try crowdsourcing! That is, you -- many of you are amazingly well-traveled motorcyclists in all parts of the USA and overseas.

So... besides the following obvious (?) contenders, what are your recommendations?

• California to Vancouver, Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1)
• Smoky Mountains Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherohala Skyway,  Deals Gap Tail of the Dragon 
• Vermillion Cliffs Scenic Hwy,/Grand Canyon
• Key West Highway, Florida

I'm looking for decently long stretches of interesting/beautiful riding with interesting stops. Something you would take the trouble to go on vacation to ride... I hope to find something in each general region of the USA, but realize that some areas are just straight, hot, dry, and boring. The Glenn Highway in Alaska, for example, seems to me to be just one long hellish stretch between gas stations, dumpy motels, and mosquito-ridden campsites, for example. 

Some ideas I had were to catch some great roads that are pretty close to each other, like: 

• Rocky Mountains, Glacier, Zion, Yellowstone Highway

Other ideas:

• New England must have some amazing rides, but I missed that - maybe from Maine to Newfoundland?
• East Oregon, Washington - I have played around there a lot, but can't think of one "great" stretch worth making a special journey for.

So hard to decide. Help!

May 4th Women Ride to celebrate the 6th Intnl Female Ride Day

It's a party! With prizes! And music and dancing and motorcycles! Okay, maybe not the dancing, but that's up to you. Join me in South San Francisco at Moto Shop - a non-denominational motorcycle gathering and DIY fix-it place that opened not too long ago that is rapidly becoming very popular with everyone here in the SF Bay Area. Women, and the men who love us, whether you ride motorcycles (pillion, okay!), scooters, trikes, or sidecar rigs. 4pm to 7pm at Moto Shop. And if you can, join the daytime ride. Click the pic to see updated info on our Facebook page. (More prizes! More fun!) And there's even more info below.

And Then Came Bronsen 1969: The Quintessential RoadTrip on DVD

How's this for the quintessential roadtrip? It begins in 1969 San Francisco, when you apparently could motorcycle on Ocean Beach. Don't we wish! But that diner on the cliff? It's still there. And the epic road trip? Yep. We do it all the time. San Francisco to Highway 1 south through San Mateo, Santa Cruz, to Monterey County with its famous towns of Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur. And in this story, far beyond. And his gear? Well, though it's not AGATT, maybe it can remind us that we really don't need all that stuff we think we need to get away.