By the time you read these words, the cotton will be high, the fish will be jumping and riding season will be in full swing. Personally, we're raring to go. You? Yeah, thought so.
We thought it'd be appropriate to tap into the editorial pool for this summer issue and come up with our top rides in America. We've chosen one for every corner of the country, and each choice is essentially a local's take on that area.
For example, in the Northeast, Connecticut-based Technical Editor Mark Zimmerman reminisces about a tour through New England that starts right outside his own backyard: the classic Route 7 corridor in Connecticut.
The Southeast has more than its share of storied motorcycle trails, so it helps to go to the source. We managed to snag an exclusive excerpt from Georgia-grown rider Scott Cochran's new book, Motorcycle Journeys through the American South, out now from Whitehorse Press (www.whitehorse press.com). His ride winds through the Georgia mountains on a road so twisty, he's dubbed it "The Viper."
Up in the mysterious Northwest, longtime contributor Tad Hetu gets downright Zen on his jaunt through Washington's Olympic Peninsula, challenging the conventional belief that motion is what makes the ride.
There's also no shortage of epic rides in the Southwest, and I chose to go back for a reunion with one of my all-time favorite roads: Utah's soul-stirring Highway 12. Like Tad, I felt the forces of nature around me dictated the tone of the trip. "Lord of the Rings," anyone?
So pick your corner of the country and read up before you saddle up. They're all worth atrip. See you on the road.
-Andrew Cherney