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One of our earliest ideas, born before we even printed the first issue in 2001, remains a reader favorite: the Shamrock Tour. Over the years it has become a signature way to explore a region while keeping a single base camp for several days of riding.
The idea that stuck
The Shamrock Tour centers on a simple concept: pick a home base and ride four full-day loops that radiate out and back. That setup lets you unpack once and still experience a variety of roads and local flavor.
Technically a shamrock has three leaves, but after a quarter-century of testing routes we decided four daylong circuits make more sense for riders. Many of you call the feature a cloverleaf tour, and we’ve come to embrace that name. The point is the same — get out and ride.
More Shamrocks, more choices
We asked ourselves why limit this popular feature to a single route. So, beginning with this issue, you’ll find not one but two Shamrock Tours to choose from. Expect us to keep experimenting and expanding what we publish so the magazine stays useful to riders planning real trips.
City Escapes with a soundtrack
You’ll notice a music thread running through our City Escapes section. That theme grew out of old photographs and memories of summer festivals — a personal reminder that live music still has the power to shape a trip.
If it’s been a while since you caught a festival, consider this your nudge to look one up this season. Live shows can change the atmosphere of a city break, and we’ve tried to capture that in our route choices and local tips.
Fishing, family and small discoveries
Fishing shows up here often. Rewatching our fly-fishing video from Blue Ridge, GA prompted a return trip with my family to that outdoor outpost. It’s the kind of place where a short visit can turn into a memorable afternoon.
There are curious little details, too. At that location, learning to build your own Oyster rod can cost more than $3,000, according to local offerings. For our trip to Helen, GA, I instead found inexpensive rods for about $25 so my two boys could join in without breaking the bank.
We dropped by a friend named Keith and let the kids fish a well-stocked home pond. They were pulling out bass and bluegill with surprising regularity. If you want a taste of that kind of outing, read the golden trout piece beginning on page 28.
What’s inside this issue
The Sep/Oct ’26 edition is full of motorcycle travel ideas, new-bike reviews, and product evaluations aimed at preparing you for the coming riding season. Fall is approaching, and many destinations are rebuilding their local guides.
Contact the tourism bureaus advertising in this issue to request regional maps and visitor materials before you go.
WEB subscribers have access to this editorial and additional online content.
Safe Travels,
Florian Neuhauser
Publisher
