RoadRUNNER November/December 2003
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Shamrock Tour
Shamrock Tour®: West Virginia Shamrock
Arriving in the most northern of "southern" cities – Charleston, the capital of West Virginia – we feel right at home. It's just the right size (the population is only 58,000) with more than enough entertainments to satisfy the aimless weekend visitor: great bars and restaurants, striking nineteenth-century architecture, and impressive bridges...
National Tours
Oregon
A rite of passage for aspiring long-distance hikers, the Pacific Crest Trail is a pristine wilderness path skimming the ridges of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges from Mexico to Canada. Its 2,638 miles overlook some of the continent's most spectacular scenery, from the purple deserts of Southern California to the snowy wilderness of the Okanogan...
Up North Michigan
The dark, narrow pavement defined by nothing more than white stripes at the edges winds through the deep shade of the forest canopy. Occasionally I catch glimpses of water far below. Impossibly blue, it stretches to the horizon and sparkles in the late afternoon sun. Homes are tucked away, nestled in the woods, which only enhances the visual treat of...
From New Orleans to Lake Charles: Bikin' in the Bayou
"Bienvenue!" the festive signs proclaim from the town limits. Only when one rolls closer does the translation "Welcome" appear in its tiny font. A preference for French isn't the only thing unique about this road connection. Traveling from New Orleans to Lake Charles on the swampiest routes in southern Louisiana, I've found out that the roads in Bayou...
New Mexico Carlsbad Caverns
It's early. The sun begins to peek over the horizon of a cloudless sky. Although it looks as though it will be a bright, beautiful day, it doesn't matter much whether it rains or shines because I'm going to descend nearly 1,000 feet into the earth's crust for a subterranean sojourn in a realm of gigantic crystalline rock formations never touched by...
International Destinations
England: Dales, Peaks, and Moors
Oh, to be in England Now that April's there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard boughIn England - now!!- Robert Browning It is April in England. But William Blake's lines about "dark, satanic mills,"...
Riding Impressions
Honda VTX1800C & Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Classic
Cruisers are getting bigger, longer, lower and heavier. A distinctly American style of riding, cruising is the manifestation of a major market both here and abroad. And two Japanese companies seem to have learned their lessons very well with the VTX1800 and Vulcan 1600 Classic proving they can convey and deliver that feeling of freedom and relaxed...
Honda VTX1800C and Kawasaki Vulcan 1600 Classic
Cruisers are getting bigger, longer, lower and heavier. A distinctly American style of riding, cruising is the manifestation of a major market both here and abroad. And two Japanese companies seem to have learned their lessons very well with the VTX1800 and Vulcan 1600 Classic proving they can convey and deliver that feeling of freedom and relaxed...
YAMAHA ROAD STAR
Looking out of the window I can only see a grey curtain hanging over Morro Bay, CA. There is only one bright spot on the horizon today – the prospect of riding one of the 15 brand-new 2004 Yamaha Road Stars that Brad Banister's Yamaha Team presents to the traveling press....
Chronicles
City Portrait: Sacramento Shining
When explorer Gabriel Moraga "discovered" what the Maidu Indians already knew about in 1808, a lush, incredibly fruitful valley at the confluence of two great rivers, he named it after the Holy Sacrament. Forty years later, as news of another discovery even more appealing spread, a virtual river of men converged on the spot. And then......
HSTA (Honda Sport Touring Association)
Since its early days, the Honda Sport Touring Association has been based on friendship and the fun involved in riding and meeting nice people. No matter what brand you own, sport touring enthusiasts are welcome to join the club. RR visited the STAR event 2003 in Charleston, West Virginia....
Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School
As I sit patiently waiting for the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School to begin, I am struck that it's nothing like I imagined. Secretly expecting a group of die-hard squids and road racers with weird color hair, scuffed-up leathers and nose rings, I am pleasantly surprised to find that this is not so. My fellow classmates range from 26-year-old Seattle resident...
