With the abundance of waterfalls, giant Sequoias, wildflowers, vistas, and wildlife in Yosemite, you just can’t take a bad picture here. Take a look at Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, or El Capitan, the largest monolith of granite in the world. Head to The Ansel Adams Gallery for absolute inspiration. If you find you need more instruction than inspiration, free art classes are offered spring through fall at the Art Activity Center in Yosemite Valley. Or how about biking, hiking, swimming, bird watching, climbing, rafting, horseback riding, backpacking, or guided nature walks? And for the romantics and stargazers, Yosemite Concession Services operates a moonlight tour in an open-air tram. This is an aggressive tour covering over 1,100 miles.

    California-based MAD [Motorcycle Adventure Destinations] MAPS, Inc., is the premier service for charting scenic road trip adventures along America's less-traveled byways. Featuring handpicked routes scouted by local riders, MAD MAPS' tours combine a variety of customizable trips complete with turn-by-turn directions programmed into a Zumo GPS. A recommended selection of must-see landmarks, quirky roadside attractions, local fare, and an entertaining "It's a MAD World" commentary all offer perfect diversions along the way.

    There has never been a better time to ride California’s Pacific Coast Highway or take a tour on the world famous Route 66. The American dollar is at an all time low and gasoline is less than $3.00 USD per gallon. You can rent a nice bike for $900 USD a week (including insurance) and stay in four star hotels for under $150 USD per night. Best of all, there is no VAT tax in the United States.

If ever you were looking for a ride that captured the true essence of a road trip — a ride of many miles, with a vast enough variety of terrain, traffic, wind and weather to give you that sweet feeling of mojo, mastery and masochism that is the exclusive domain of long haul riders—then this is the ride for you. This one has it all: wild, rugged coastline; streaming rainforest and towering redwoods; windswept alpine heights; rolling hills covered with golden grass; and enough civilization to keep things interesting.

    Anchoring the beginning, middle and end of this ride are some of the most lively, fun and motorcycle-friendly cities in the country. And in all those places in between, there's no shortage of the kinds of beautiful, sleepy, lost-in-the-mists-of-time small towns and villages that make riding the back roads worth every extra mile.

    So start your ride with a strong cup of joe in one of Seattle’s almost numberless coffee shops, and lower your kickstand in San Diego to watch the sunset from one of that city’s perfect beaches. Behind you will be 3,300 miles-worth of the best kind of memories — motorcycle memories.