Trail and Travel

A sure sign of summer is the kickoff of annual festivals celebrating everything from fowl, at the Wayne, Nebraska chicken show “Cluck Dynasty,” to cow chips at the “Tournament of Chips” parade and cow chip throwing festival in Wisconsin. Difficult as it may be, I’m pretty sure we’ll miss those two bastions of high-jinx and hilarity, but there are plenty of ride festivals to help us soldier on. Ride festivals are a chance to spend time with friends, to make new friends, and to experience great trails across the country. Here’s our list of some of the best. See you there!

When astronaut Buzz Aldrin stepped down from his Lunar lander and turned to face the stark, vast beauty of the moon, his first words were, “Magnificent desolation.” I’ve often thought of those words when comprehending the enormous open spaces of the western desert. It’s a world not unlike the surface of the moon or some distant planet, where the views go on forever, and both the sun during the day, then a billion stars at night hold supreme, unchallenged domain over the rocks, valleys, and mountains.

A sure sign that we’ve found a great riding area is when we consider moving there. The list of those areas is short, with places like Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Oregon and Utah, Colorado’s Western Plateau, and now Maine.  Maine has almost 8000 miles of trails, thanks to cooperation with state and local officials, gracious land owners, and the tireless work of active clubs.

Summer is the perfect time for a road trip, especially if it’s part of an off-road trip.  Wherever you live, there is almost certainly a great riding area and plenty of trails to explore within a day’s drive.  Whether you’ve got an afternoon, a weekend, or a week for your adventure, we’ve created a guide about some of our favorite riding areas and what you can expect to find at each location.  Gather up your friends and family, load up the truck and trailer, and head out for some quality trail time.

There’s nothing quite like a mud bog to put a smile on an off-road lover’s face.  Part carnival, part amusement park, and part show and shine event, rallies and mud runs are all about fun.  Where else can you browse custom machines, feel the power as drag racers rocket by, marvel as riders wallow through a mud course, and for a grand finale, watch girls wrestle in the pit, all while munching down on a chili dog and pretzel slathered in mustard.  It ain’t heaven, but it’s close!    

Kawasaki makes some great off-road vehicles.  Many of our greatest adventures have been on Kawasaki ATVs or their Teryx Side x Sides.  When talking to any of the Kawasaki staff, you sometimes get the feeling they’re proud of the machines, but they really just love to ride even more.  They build their vehicles for the adventure and they’re constantly looking for the next opportunity for an awesome ride.  So are we!  

We first noticed the signs welcoming visitors as we drove into Harlan County, Kentucky.  In between the natural beauty of the towering, yet sleepy mountains and green valleys, other signs began to appear welcoming adventure lovers and even off-road riders.  We should have expected that from a group of residents that have long shared so much with so many.  Their struggles and victories have been the nation’s as well.  Coal has been the county’s driving economic force for decades, but there is also history here.

One of our favorite places to ride just keeps getting better!  The Hatfield-McCoy trail system is getting ready for the official opening of a new major section called the Ivy Branch Trail.  That makes eight major trail sections in the Hatfield-McCoy system, with more to come.

Most people don’t associate Las Vegas with riding, but within a couple hours of the city there are several very good riding areas.  Our favorite is the Logandale Trail System.

The American West holds a special mystique like no other part of the country.  It has always represented wide open spaces, big adventure, and big dreams, and we love every chance we get to turn our modern day horse loose on an unfamiliar western trail and explore.  There are still places where one can explore a new trail, climb the back of a mountain, or venture into territory that has changed little since explorers, mountain men, and Spanish missionaries first wandered through, and one of the best places we know to discover part of the old west is Elko, Nevada.