With the suburbs of the Coachella Valley expanding in every direction, there’s one place they can’t grow: Joshua Tree National Park. The Mojave Desert’s endless sand, crimson rocks, and indigo skies combine to create an eerie solitude. Joshua trees, cholla, and desert flowers erupt from the barren soil in a triumph of nature. And the roads are great fun, too!

Escape the city’s hustle and bustle into New Jersey’s backcountry. It’s not nicknamed the Garden State for nothing! Ride through beautiful farmland, forests, and past too many lakes to count. Crossing the Delaware River, this route pokes into Pennsylvania and New York countryside.

Assigning such a grandiose title to 
California’s Highway 18 may smack of Hollywood hyperbole. But with its magnificent vistas and the overlooks toward San Gorgonio Mountain—the highest peak in Southern California—you could be forgiven for thinking you really were riding the rim of the world.

What do two Canadians, a German, and an Austro-American have in common? They have all made the journey to the westernmost corner of Virginia in the middle of July to experience the Heart of Appalachia—a corner so tightly wedged between Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina, and with so much kudzu, that the German needed a rest day to 
recuperate from seeing so much green.

To many drivers, Revelstoke is just a stopover between Vancouver and Calgary. But for motorcyclists, the Kootenay-Columbia region around the city contains some of British Columbia’s best highways and byways, from sublime cruising to cuss-word challenging.

There’s a man taking his bear for a walk. Traffic is a bit heavy and quite chaotic, but he doesn’t appear concerned. Drivers yield as if there is a codified rule of the road providing bears the right-of-way. This scene might seem unusual in Los Angeles or Munich, however this is Albania. Shkodër, to be specific. On day one of this fall tour, the country pulls back the curtain on “normal” and readies us for 
seeing other things a bit out of context.

A rugged adventure awaits 
those who seek it. Remote mountain passes, picturesque views, and diverse, often 
challenging, terrain—where every mile is a feast for the senses—can all be found on a cross-country journey along 
the Continental Divide.

My favorite day trips usually involve food, not the deceased. But All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, SC, offers too much to ignore: the grave of poet and novelist James Dickey, a famous ghost, and other Southern historical gems. And to make this destination even more desirable, it is close to good food and excellent coastal views.

While sharing the Indian Scout’s basic platform, the Octane has a considerable number of components specially made for it. To give it a unique look, the new model is styled with sharper lines and a more pronounced center spine, along with other touches that give it a leaner, meaner visage. At the press launch, Steve Menneto, president of motorcycles at Polaris, said the Octane is the way the brand is heading in the future. The bike only comes in Matte Super Steel Gray, with a monochrome look.

Somebody said something about a revolution. But revolutions change things radically; Ducati just put a bigger front wheel and a larger tank onto the Multistrada and called it the Multistrada 1200 Enduro. At least that’s what I thought when I heard about the new bike. My expectations were raised when Ducati noted that only experienced off-road riders should take part in the test ride in Sardinia and that proper off-road equipment would be required.