Great American Motorcycle Tours [Paperback]

Gary McKechnie (Author), Peter Fonda (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Great American Motorcycle Tours | Publication Date: January 18, 2006

You're a rider . . . an independent spirit who's reluctant to follow someone else's road map. But there are millions of miles of road to travel, and you could spend months searching for the best ones.

Don't waste your valuable two-wheeled vacation on ordinary routes. Instead, let Gary McKechnie be your guide. He's spent years exploring the nation by bike, and he gives you his top 20 rides, from the rocky New England coast to the wide-open West.

In this detailed update of his best-selling guide, McKechnie includes: tips on side trips, scenic stops, and watering holes; advice on packing, equipment, road conditions, rider-friendly attractions, and lists of conveniently-located motorcycle shops along the routes; on-the-road photographs and hand-drawn maps; and an extensive appendix featuring essential websites that help riders find rallies, rental and touring companies, and motorcycle clubs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

In May, 2001, Gary McKechnie received one of highest honors a travel writer can receive: a silver medal in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism competition for his guidebook, Great American Motorcycle Tours -- often called 'The Pulitzer Prize for travel journalists'.

Awarded by the Society of American Travel Writers, SATW vice president Larry Keller told the first-time author: "Congratulations -- you hit a home run in your first time at bat!"

To build on the success of Great American Motorcycle Tours, which has been profiled on CNN, in USA Today and newspapers and radio stations around the country, McKechnie is planning a series of other American adventure guides which blend a keen sense of humor with an appreciation of his country. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Gary McKechnie is a Florida native, a fourth-generation motorcyclist, a professional speaker, and founder of the Charles Kuralt Travel Society. His second edition of Great American Motorcycle Tours was the winner of the Benjamin Franklin Gold Award sponsored by the Publisher's Marketing Association, and the Lowell Thomas Silver Award sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 534 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; 3rd edition (January 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566919002
• ISBN-13: 978-1566919005
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,058,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 132 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great Ways to Avoid Motorcycling, April 12, 2002

By 

zar1969 (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great American Motorcycle Tours (Paperback)

The foreword of the book is written by Peter Fonda. I personally fail to make the connection why the endorsement of a Hollywood actor who happened to shoot a motorcycling movie should prove the value of a touring guide. But as I tried out some of the journeys, I started to see how the whole experience, which these suggested trips cater to, is concentrated around the image of motorcycling rather than the actual experience of riding. I wasted a couple of weekends diligently following directions through Pennsylvania and up the Hudson. The book led me through numerous towns and it reserved a lot of pages for information on all the things, which you could do to avoid riding your bike - you could find listings on every thrift store, restaurant, rafting company, and even bicycle tour! available on your way. Another interesting (and related) point was the fact that the author estimated coverage of about 50 miles per day i.e. if the suggested trip was 200 miles total, you were supposed to need 4 to 5 days to cover the distance. While very concentrated on all the entertainment that could be bought along the trip, the book was not especially concerned with the quality of the selected riding. Gorgeous scenic ways were followed by long stretches of banal suburban motifs and while stuck in the stop-and-go traffic I was wondering what part of the motorcycling experience I was supposed to be exercising at the time.
This is my rendering of the qualities, which the reader needs to possess in order to enjoy the recommendations in the book: 1. Your name must be Peter Fonda 2. You must be independently wealthy since you can't both hold a job and go to all these 4-5 days trips. 3. You must be versatile in the outdoors' activities to take full advantage of all the fun that awaits you out there. 4. You need friends who would like to hear about stuff like " When I flew in that helicopter over the Grand Canyon...", and "Here is a picture of me next to an Amish farmer..." 5. You only need basic riding skills and moderate motorcycling enthusiasm.
My advice is - get a map, look for the small roads, use your common sense, and explore. Good luck out there, maybe we'll meet on the road.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Yuppie Yuck, July 5, 2000

By 

jim shaver - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great American Motorcycle Tours (Paperback)

What a dud. When I read the section Mighty Montana Run and saw the distance of the leg 335 miles...alow five days with stops I knew this wasn't the book I hoped for. The author's style is entertaining and humorous, but his recomendations of places to stay and see is strictly for the bored rich. Most places were WAY above $120 a night. If your idea of a road trip is camping and out of the way places with an occasional night in a modest local hotel pass on this yuppie guide. If your trip is to an unfamiliar area of the country there are a few good tips that save this book from one or two star oblivion. I'm not a high milage junkie, but this book sputters along until you're glad it stops.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining "must read" for the road!, May 1, 2000

By 

B. Armogida (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great American Motorcycle Tours (Paperback)

A friend of mine just bought this book from Amazon.com and couldn't stop raving about it. After reading her copy, I had to have it for myself! This is perfect for anyone who loves roadtrips and exploring the highways and back roads of America. The author shares some outstanding moments and cool facts as he guides the reader through places you'll want to visit after reading this book. Very impressive.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}