Cruising around the U.S. on a motorcycle makes for the perfect pandemic outing.
After all, motorcycle touring offers the ultimate in social distancing.
Most routes combine fabulous scenery with some roller-coaster twists, turns, and dips.
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Each one curls around slender peninsulas pinned by historic lighthouses and lined with quaint seaside hamlets.
Motorcyclists will also love sweeping bends, although care is needed for the many decreasing radius curves.
And be ever-cautious of deer and other wild animals, plus slippery wet leaves in autumn.
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Best yet, there are no trucks, nor even a single stop sign its entire length.
Along the way, it delivers more twists, turns, and thrills than a James Bond movie.
That’s just slow enough to let you soak in the jaw-dropping views of glaciers and craggy mountain ranges.
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Scenic pullouts line the road, which tops out amid windswept alpine tundra.
The road is typically fully open from late June through late October, depending on weather conditions.
Check the weather (which is highly variable) before setting out.
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To double your fun, ride the road in both directions.
Be sure to take the Bryce Canyon and short Escalante Petrified Forest side trips.
Dual-sport riders can even find some unpaved areas for off-road fun, such as Hole-in-the-Rock Road.
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The road is open year-round, but winter storms can briefly close it until the heavy snow is plowed.
This is world-class touring for the sheer pleasure of relaxed riding.
Hugging the shore the entire way, this cliff-hanger combines unsurpassed scenery with more curves than Kim Kardashian.
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You’ll salsa past seal-strewn beaches, pounding surf, and giant redwoods soaring above plunging cliffs.
Once you reach Monterey, keep going as the fun continues beyond San Francisco to Oregon.
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