Destination USA doesn't always have to be the much-visited Southwest. Foreign visitors, who think only of red boulders and dry desert expanses in association with the US, should think again. A vast gamut of alternatives runs everywhere. In this case, a tour of the Great Lakes region in the northern reaches was a splendid and revivifying experience.

Poring over my maps on a lazy Sunday, another rainy day in March, I felt restless. The urge to ride was almost overwhelming and I could hardly wait for the first warm days of spring to start the next tour. The winter had been long and cold, fairly unusual for North Carolina, and during those days of waiting and studying regional routes, I discovered Marion, Virginia. Intrigued by the winding map lines, the promise of their many curves, I set about planning three tours in the surrounding hills.

Bewitching mixtures of scenic beauty, fabled lore and the lure of an amazing culture highlight a memorable tour of Tuscany.

Swirling clouds of red dust calm and slowly settle. The droning rattle and hum ceases. Four strange figures emerge from the murk with vividly colored bowls on their heads. They step away from unusual contraptions that look like bicycles, only bigger.

There are more ways to ride your cruiser around than you would expect. RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Cruising & Touring took the opportunity to check the all-round abilities of two classic European bikes on the twisty roads of Georgia and North Carolina.

On the heels of the Roadster and the Café Racer, Voxan, the French motorcycle newcomer, presents the Scrambler - available in Europe this summer, and in the States from 2002 on.