In 2000, motorcycle enthusiast and writer Gary McKechnie wrote the widely acclaimed
Great American Motorcycle Tours, the first guide of its kind. A second edition
was released in 2002 and Gary is now preparing to publish the third early next spring. To celebrate this upcoming
release, Gary is auctioning off the dedication of the newest book on Ebay this week. The winner of the auction (already
in progress here) will have up to 50
words to write his or her own dedication at the front of the guidebook. Proceeds will go towards a scholarship in honor
of Gary’s mother (Get additional details on the dedication
here.)
Gary’s goal was to write a
book that would make planning motorcycle trips easier that surfing the net. I think he’s done an excellent job,
providing detailed itineraries for twenty tours, including address, phone and website information for lodging, food and
attractions, which makes it easy for readers to head to the web to do further research or book reservations. Inspired
by traveling correspondent Charles Kuralt, Gary has created a guide that even non-motorcycle riders can use to plan
exciting excursions through the backroads of America.
The “two-wheeled vacations” included in the book range in length from 100 to almost 500 miles, and offer additional
side trip suggestions. Gary provides plenty of details on what to see and do for each of the tours, peppering his
write-ups with humorous asides and special tips catered specifically to riders (like how to handle repairs or keep your
leg muscles loose on long drives). Each chapter ends with a resources page that includes a list of bike shops for the
states covered in each particular tour, as well as general travel information for the regions covered.
I enjoyed Gary’s review of his favorite US city, Saratoga Springs (since it’s
one of my favs too), and liked the creative themed tours,
like the Blues Cruise musical route or the Civil War Run. Gary’s very open to receiving feedback and additional
suggestions from readers and riders. After the first edition, readers requested a more varied accommodations listing,
so Gary made an effort to include independent hotels, inns and B&B’s in the second edition. We already know that
the third edition will have five new tours, as well as the most
current travel data for his existing tours. Watch your local bookstore early next year to grab a copy…and see who bids
highest for a bike lover’s book dedication!