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Take a couple of days to really experience one of the best rides the USA offers. This route will take you from San Francisco to Los Angeles and has many interesting things to check out along the way. Below Monterey, for example, you should plan on a stop at Carmel-by-the-sea, an art colony that has unique shops, galleries and cottages. When you tool through Garrapata State Park, take a quick side trip to enjoy a little beach-time. Heading South once more, you’ll cross over the Bixby Creek Bridge. Make a stop here to take in this impressive concrete arch bridge that spans 714 feet more than 280 feet above the water. More breathtaking vistas await as you motor through Big Sur’s portion of the Santa Lucia Mountains along a precipitous coastline. As you continue on down the coast, plan on spending some time in sunny Santa Barbara before completing your journey in Los Angeles.
This one is really only for the die-hard adventurer. You should do it in a good-sized group that has been outfitted with plenty of support, including a tour guide and mechanical back-up. Did we mention that you will need to have oxygen tanks available as well? This ride takes you up and over the two highest motorable passes in the entire world. Plan on two weeks for this journey that begins and ends in Delhi, with the majority of the time spent taking the ascents very slowly in order to acclimate to the very high altitudes you’ll be experiencing. No matter how hearty you think you are, plan on dealing with altitude sickness. It gets cold up there as well, so be sure you’re outfitted with below-freezing winter wear. The good thing is that as the environment becomes increasingly difficult, the hospitality of the locals gets better and better.
This stretch of US Route 129 is considered by many to be one of the best rides anywhere in the world. It’s a 14-mile (22.5km) ride with no intersecting roads and no houses with driveways to worry about. That’s a good thing because you’ll need to focus on the road to navigate well over 300 twisting loops and curves, many of which are banked like a racetrack. Although you’re not likely to run into much traffic, you do need to keep one eye peeled for deer, turkeys, bear and wild boars. Extra care needs to be taken if you make a winter run. Start at Fugitive Bridge in North Carolina and end at Tabcat Creek Bridge in Tennessee.
Widely recognized as the best ride in Thailand, the Mae Hong Son Loop is nearly 400 miles (640km) of white-knuckle thrills, with more than 1,000 hairpin turns and bends. This route in Thailand’s northwestern frontier begins and ends in Chang Mai, running through Doi Inthanon, Khun Yuam, Mae Hong Son and Pai, each of which is worth a day’s stop. The rugged mountainous countryside offers waterfalls, caves, temples, national parks, hot springs and many villages to explore along the way. The region is home to the Karen hill tribe with its long-necked women adorned with brass rings.
This is an annual group ride to commemorate all the Native Americans forced from their land with the Indian Removal Act of 1830. It begins on the third Saturday of September in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It follows a variety of highways for 200 miles (322km) to Florence, Alabama. With more than 150,000 riders, the Trail of Tears Motorcycle ride has become the nation’s largest organized ride and an emotional event you will not soon forget. The main ride is accomplished in a single day, and touches upon four different Indian removal trails, including the Drane/Hood Route, the Bell Route, the Benge and the Northern Route.
At 9,045 feet (2757m), Italy’s Stelvio Pass is the highest paved mountain pass of the Eastern Alps, and second only to the Col de l’Iseran in all of the Alps. Of the 60 hairpin turns, 48 are located on the north side of the mountain, each numbered with a stone. At the summit, take time to enjoy the festive atmosphere, explore the area, grab a hot chocolate at the cafe and see the amazing variety of vehicles making the iconic journey. The weather can be challenging and could cause the pass to be closed at any moment. Be prepared for chillier temperatures as you climb into higher altitudes.
Get your kicks on Route 66! This highway was once so popular that it was the subject of song that became a big hit as well. US Route 66 originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California before ending in Los Angeles for a total distance of 2,448 miles (3,940 km). Removed from the US highway system in 1985, many portions of the road are now designated as “Historic Route 66.” The route suggested here begins in Santa Fe, New Mexico and runs by the south rim of the Grand Canyon. California’s Mojave Desert is the desolate part of the trip, but take a moment to stop and discover what real silence sounds like. You’ll end your trip in beautiful Santa Monica.
If you need some reasons to give the 23-mile (37km) stretch of road A397 from Marbella to Ronda in southern Spain a try, how about these: Plenty of curves, great hills and no lane markings. Travel from the coast of the Alboran Sea up into Ronda, which sits on top of a towering plateau in the mountains. The ride is short enough to spend some time exploring Ronda, including the gorge that separates the medieval and 18th century parts of the town and Spain’s largest, oldest and most beautiful bullring that also houses a museum of memorabilia from famous bullfighters.
Ruta Nacional 40 begins in La Quiaca, a town in northern Argentina’s Jujuy Province on the Bolivian boarder and ends in Rio Gallegos in southern Argentina after 3,100 miles (5,000km) of widely varying terrain and an amazing array of sites to see. Stop at Cueva de las Manos to see cave art dating back 13,000 years. Los Glaciares is Argentina’s second-largest national park, located in Santa Cruz Province, part of the legendary Patagonia region of Argentina. Then there’s the contrasting colors of the beautiful Calchaquí Valleys in northwestern Argentina. After arriving in Rio Gallegos, you might as well add a couple hundred more miles and head down Ruta 3 to the southernmost city in the world – Ushuaia.
If you’re looking for an adrenaline-boosting thrill-ride, head to Fidjeland in southern Norway and ride Fv986 and Fv500 to Lysebotn. The ride is only about 24 miles (38km) but includes 30 hairpin turns and a tunnel with its own surprise curve inside. If that wasn’t enough action for you, when you get to Lysebotn, take the ferry down the Lysefjord and make the three-hour hike up to Preikestolen, a breathtaking cliff 1,982 fee (604m) above the fjord. If you don’t feel like hiking back down, you could just jump off the cliff if you have your parachute with you.
