Explore North America's Best Rides
You love to take to the road, meet new friends, experience something authentic, make lasting memories; you are a Traveling Rider. Riders check-in to Best Western hotels for the convenience of hundreds of roadside locations, Rider-Friendly hotels and appreciation for our independent owner spirit.
EPIC RIDES
THE GRAND TOUR - 1,482 milesPhoenix, AZ Any ride that includes a visit to the Grand Canyon is automatically "Epic." Add in Zion, Bryce Canyon, the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the Four Corners and Monument Valley, and you have the road trip of a lifetime. See why photographers and filmmakers have been drawn to this part of the world for a century. Breathtaking scenery unfolds in front of your bike, enveloping your ride in some of the most iconic views the West has to offer. Follow our blogger: Desert Adventure: Day One - Los Angeles to Needles, CA |
BIG SKY ADVENTURE - 1,093 milesMissoula, MT This ride takes us through the best of Northern Idaho and Western Montana, including a spectacular tour through Glacier National Park on the Going-to-the-Sun Road over the Continental Divide at Logan's Pass. Follow the trail of Lewis and Clark from Montana to Idaho, where the serene beauty of Riggins, Idaho awaits. Coeur D'Alene's hip, artistic downtown is a surprise discovery for riders, and Whitefish, Montana serves as a civilized gateway to the wilds of Glacier National Park. Follow our blogger: Getting Ready for the Ride |
HARLEY LOVERS' TOUR - 877 milesMilwaukee, WI This ride through the great state of Wisconsin starts and ends in Milwaukee, the birthplace of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. Highlights include the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Powertrain Operations in Menomonee Falls, and the Tomahawk Assembly Plant Tour. It's not all Harley-Davidson in Wisconsin -- the picturesque Wisconsin Dells have been delighting vacationers since the late 1800s, and tiny Baraga, Michigan just over the border on the shores of Lake Superior, gives a hint to the wonders of the Upper Peninsula. Follow our blogger: Milwaukee, American Motorcycle Mecca |
A TRIP AROUND TENNESSEE - 975 milesKnoxville, TN As epic rides go, this one takes in an entire state, and then throws in a legendary destination motorcycle road as a bonus. Starting in the East Tennessee city of Knoxville, we circumnavigate the entire state in a counter-clockwise direction, with one stab into the interior for a visit to Lynchburg -- home of the Jack Daniel's distillery. We spend time in the heart of country music, Nashville, and the birthplace of rock, Memphis. Before returning to our starting point, we detour into North Carolina's Smokey Mountains for a ride down the Tail of the Dragon, famous for 318 curves in 11 miles or road. Follow our blogger: Riding Around Tennessee |
OKLAHOMA/ARKANSAS SPRINGTIME RIDE - 675 milesTulsa, OK Northeastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas quietly offer up some of the best motorcycling in the United States. Unheralded, but spectacular and uncrowded, beautiful winding Ozark Mountain roads in Arkansas contrast with long stretches of rural farmland in Oklahoma, offering particular pleasures for cruiser riders. The highlight of this trip is the Talimena Scenic Drive, a 54-mile road through the unspoiled Ouachita Mountains between Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas, leading to a night's stay in the gem of the Ozarks, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Follow our blogger: Five State Motorcycle Marathon: Day One - Home to Dallas, TX to Hot Springs, AR |
CALIFORNIA DREAM RIDE - 1,163 milesLos Angeles, CA Every motorcyclist should find a way to ride for a week in California at some point. Beautiful weather, incredible variety in scenery, changes in elevation, spectacular curves, vibrant cities and towns and wide open spaces abound, connected by some of the best motorcycling roads in the world. The ride down Big Sur, hugging the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean between Monterey and Cambria, qualifies as a Bucket List ride for all devoted motorcycle travelers. Follow our blogger: California Dream Ride: Day One - Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes, CA |
NEW ENGLAND EXPLORATION - 1,107 milesNew York, NY A great ride is a combination of landmarks and contrasts. Starting out in New York City, every block reveals a landmark, and every mile contains contrasts. A pilgrimage to the Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations assembly plant in York, Pennsylvania, home of the Touring, Softail, CVO and Trike models, starts the trip off right. Riding through Lake George, New York and Laconia, New Hampshire takes in the sites of Americade and the Laconia Motorcycle Rally, two highlights of the biker calendar. Finally, a scoot across Massachusetts' famed Mohawk Trail leads to a journey alongside the Hudson River, returning triumphantly to New York City, where we started. Follow our blogger: New England By Motorcycle: Day One - Home to New York City |
OKLAHOMA/ARKANSAS SPRINGTIME RIDE - 675 milesTulsa, OK Northeastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas quietly offer up some of the best motorcycling in the United States. Unheralded, but spectacular and uncrowded, beautiful winding Ozark Mountain roads in Arkansas contrast with long stretches of rural farmland in Oklahoma, offering particular pleasures for cruiser riders. The highlight of this trip is the Talimena Scenic Drive, a 54-mile road through the unspoiled Ouachita Mountains between Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas, leading to a night's stay in the gem of the Ozarks, Hot Springs, Arkansas. Follow our blogger: Five State Motorcycle Marathon: Day One - Home to Dallas, TX to Hot Springs, AR |
CANADA: BRITISH COLUMBIA/ALBERTA - 1,453 milesVancouver, BC Western Canada is a paradise for motorcyclists, with wide-open spaces, sweeping curves and spectacular views. Starting off in the urbane and sophisticated city of Vancouver, head off to the relaxed gem Kelowna. Then, venture into the Canadian Rockies to explore the cultural enclave of Banff. Consider timing your trip to coincide with the Calgary Stampede, and you'll find that Canadian cowboys are every bit as rugged and wild as the US variety. Dipping back down toward the US Border, and the route from Fernie to Osoyoos reveals the Canadian High Desert. Returning to verdant Vancouver completes this epic route. |
CANADA: ONTARIO/QUEBEC - 1,040 milesThis five-day epic ride unveils the remarkable cultural, architectural and geographic contrasts that make Canada such a rewarding destination for motorcyclists. Beginning in the thoroughly modern American city of Toronto, follow the shore of Lake Ontario north into rich Canadian farmland. Once you cross into Quebec, things start to change. By the time you arrive in Montreal, you are fully enveloped in a culture and environment that is totally unlike anyplace south of the border. Further into Quebec, encounter the walled splendor of Quebec City, as ancient and elegant as any European capital. Turning back south again, the quaint village of Saint Jerome is a welcoming resting place enroute to the bustle of Ottawa. A jaunt further south returns you to Toronto, having experienced a slice of the great diversity of our neighbor to the north. |
RIDER TRAVEL TIPS
HOW TO PLAN A RIDEYou've always dreamed of taking a weeklong trip on a motorcycle. Here are a few tips to help make that dream a great reality. Your Bike, or Theirs? Is your dream destination more than 500 miles from your home? You may want to consider flying to the area and renting a motorcycle, and starting your ride where you want explore. Motorcycle rentals are surprisingly affordable through Harley-Davidson Rentals and other vendors. Advantages of motorcycle rental:
Route Planning Once you've decided where you want to ride, which routes will you choose? Harley-Davidson's Ride Planner is an excellent free tool that is specifically designed to help map out motorcycle tours. You can plan a trip, save your route plans online and share them with friends and family. You can even see other riders' saved plans for ideas about great routes and road recommendations. Best of all, when you click on "Hotels" in the Harley-Davidson Ride Planner, the tool reveals all of the Best Western Hotels along your route. Select a hotel, and with one click you can reserve your accommodations. The tool even lets you know which Best Western Hotels are "Rider Friendly," so that you can expect special treatment upon arrival at your destination. A few route planning tips:
Weather and Your Ride Motorcyclists have to be amateur meteorologists, constantly checking the weather ahead to avoid unpleasantness. The weather along your route will constantly surprise you, so it pays to be forewarned. A few tips on dealing with the weather on a motorcycle journey:
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PACKING LIST FOR MOTORCYCLE TRAVEL
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PRE-RIDE CHECKLISTYou've plotted your route on the Harley-Davidson Ride Planner. You've made your hotel reservations at BestWestern.com. You've gathered your riding buddies, and you're ready to head out on the open road. To make sure that your trip is safe and enjoyable, here are a few things you need to check before you let out that clutch: Check Your Bike
Secure Your Load If your bike's luggage isn't big enough for all of your gear, you may need to carry the excess on your luggage rack, seat or tank. Overloading a bike is never a good idea. There are ways to carry your gear safely.
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