Clippings
I’ve noticed that the more articles I have on a certain destination, the more likely I’ll actually go there. So here I am, a madman with scissors.
Tag: motorcycle touring
In Search of Pretty Marsh
Riding the interior roads of Maine is a little like one of those underground trains at the amusement park, where you go into dark and haunting interior spaces, then emerge in dazzling sunlight, the world resplendent and pure….
Two Up
It was never Meredith’s intention to ride motorcycles. In fact, she resisted, But somewhere along the way, she crumbled. And then, she decided she liked it
Short Way Round
Originally published in On the Level, the magazine of the BMW Riders Association. “I can’t believe we’re actually doing it!” The refrain rings out through the intercom as my wife, Meredith, and I get underway, echoing the famous words of Charley and Ewan as they begin their 18,000-mile odyssey in “Long Way Round”. The difference,…
White Roads and Black Roosters: A Two-Up Off-Road Tour in Tuscany…and Points North
Tuscany is a favorite destination, and we’ve been several times to the usual tourist attractions of Florence, Sienna, and the towns along the famous Chianti Road, or Strada del Vino. But as with all such beautiful places, it has become the victim of its own unerring beauty. But this part of Tuscany—to the northwest, south of Modena—is somehow different. It’s every bit as beautiful, but less beleaguered by the tourist onslaught.
One Lap of Tassie: Two-up in the Antipodes
Originally published in the October 2018 issue of Rider Magazine. I’m accustomed to giving the classic “V” sign to other motorcyclists on the road, and getting similar props in return. In California at least, it’s a thing. But as we ride around Tasmania, I’m crushed to discover I’m getting no such love. Initially I attributed…
Downtown Local: Serving Up a Potent Brew of Espresso and Motorcycles
Originally published in RoadRUNNER magazine. Halfway between the Northern California coastal towns of Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, at the nexus of some of the best motorcycle roads on the planet, lies the somnolent town of Pescadero. It just might be the coolest coastal burg that no one has heard of. So please, don’t go…
You Can’t Get There from Here: Brattleboro, Vermont Shamrock Tour
Originally published in RoadRUNNER Magazine. I’ve logged a lot of motorcycle miles with my wife, Meredith, riding pillion, but I’ve never seen this before: she’s back there snapping photos of a straight, four-lane interstate, as if we’re riding god’s own highway. “What’s up?” I ask her. “Well,” she says, “It’s the most amazing thing. I’m looking…
The United Nations of Motorcyclists
Originally published in the BMW MOA Magazine. Call me grumpy, but as the saying goes, the more people I meet, the better I like my dog. Or my motorcycle. In other words, when it comes to crowds and motorcycling, my general impulse is to go as fast as possible in the opposite direction. And so it…