Bill Murphy's recommended routes take the motorcycle rider through Michigan's rural countryside and small towns on roads William Least-Heat Moon famously called blue highways, with only occasional expressway stretches (if the road meets his aesthetic standards or if it is the most convenient to take in an important site) and jaunts into urban areas (for important tourist attractions, usually historical or motor-related). Murphy's enthusiasm for his mode of travel is irresistible. More than just a book about motorcycle riding in Michigan--and it is that, as nothing before it has been--this is a book about enjoying life's simple pleasures.
William Murphy covers the ground, high and low, top to bottom, in this ambitious guide for the adventurous motorcyclist. Ohio, located in the heart of the nation, is also the heart of the nation's history and Bill points out hundreds of historic sites, museums, and monuments all on the backroads. Bill purposely devised tours that take the rider down these history-filled roads that started out as trails, such as the Sandusky Trail, the Bullskin Trace, Hull's Trace, and more. Each Chapter has a theme such as Following the Water, which includes routes titled: The Great River Road, Lake Erie Tour, The Lake Erie Scenic Byway, and Cuyahoga Valley Canals Murphy explains his enthusiasm and philosophy for wandering: ?I suppose there is a bit of a Kerouac-like romanticism and searching for the meaning of life in most motorcyclists. As was the case with Jack Kerouac in his essay, ?On The Road, ? motorcyclists today also seek and enjoy the adventure that being on the road brings. Whether a teenager on a crotch rocket or septuagenarians on full dressers, every biker finds adventure by being on the road while at the same time satisfying a hard-to-explain need to explore beyond familiar horizons, be they physical or mental.? Maps, mileage charts, and an appendix filled with emergency phone numbers, major hotel and motel phone numbers, motorcycle repair shops and dealers, and a few pages of fun local rides, makes this compendium indispensable for the back road tourist, either on two wheels or four.
The long-departed Steve McQueen is still the coolest man on two wheels. Get an intimate look at his coolest bikes right here, right now, in McQueen's Motorcycles. Even thirty years after his death, Steve McQueen remains a cultural icon. His image continues to appear in advertising and pop culture and his fan base spans from car lovers to racing enthusiasts to motorcycle obsessives. In his movies, McQueen's character always had an envy-inducing motorcycle or car, but in his personal life, motorcycles were always McQueen's first true love. McQueen's Motorcycles focuses on the bikes that the King of Cool raced and collected. From the first Harley McQueen bought when he was an acting student in New York to the Triumph "desert sleds" and Huskys he desert raced all over California, Mexico, and Nevada, McQueen was never without a stable of two wheelers. His need for speed propelled him from Hollywood into a number of top off-road motorcycle races, including the Baja 1000, Mint 400, Elsinore Grand Prix, and even as a member of the 1964 ISDT team in Europe. Determined to be ahead of the pack, McQueen maintained his body like it was a machine itself. He trained vigorously, weight lifting, running, and studying martial arts. Later in his life, as he backed away from Hollywood, his interests turned to antique bikes and he accumulated an extensive collection, including Harley-Davidson, Indian, Triumph, Brough Superior, Cyclone, BSA, and Ace motorcycles. Today, McQueen still has the Midas touch; anything that was in the man's possession is a hot commodity. McQueen's classic motorcycles sell for top dollar at auctions, always at a multiple of what the same bike is worth without the McQueen pedigree. McQueen's Motorcycles reveals these highly sought-after machines in gorgeous photography and full historical context.
Bill Murphy's recommended routes take the motorcycle rider through Michigan's rural countryside and small towns on roads William Least-Heat Moon famously called "blue highways," with only occasional expressway stretches (if the road meets his aesthetic standards or if it is the most convenient to take in an important site) and jaunts into urban areas (for important tourist attractions, usually historical or motor-related). Murphy's enthusiasm for his mode of travel is irresistible. More than just a book about motorcycle riding in Michigan--and it is that, as nothing before it has been--this is a book about enjoying life's simple pleasures.
Bring Lake Superior Magazines 30-years of experience along on your next visit. This gorgeous, fun-to-read guide is filled with color photos, city and regional maps and the comprehensive, helpful details and tips youd expect from the magazines editors. Discover the best boat and wildlife watching, photographic hot spots, trails, nightlife, restaurants, lodging and magnificent landmarks. See side-trip options, a must-see itinerary and more in this 304-page alphabetical format guide.
Barbieri explains everything a new rider needs to know to become a real biker. By sharing the lessons he learned the hard way, Barbieri gives the new biker a head start to become more comfortable, credible, and knowledgeable about the motorcycle culture.
Driving is a privilege and not a right. Drivers must drive responsibly and safely, obey traffic laws, and never drink and drive. Finally, make sure that you and your passengers are properly buckled up - it's the law! Today's vehicles are loaded with technology that was unheard of even a decade ago. Systems that warn when you are drifting from your lane, assist you in parallel parking, automatically brake in emergency situations and provide 360 degrees of vision around the vehicle via a camera are becoming standard, even on moderately priced vehicles. As remarkable as these leaps in automotive technology are, the truth is that the most important safety feature in any vehicle remains you as the driver. Therefore, it is to your benefit to continue improving and expanding your knowledge of traffic laws and safe driving practices. Driving is a privilege. Once you have been issued a driver's license, you have the responsibility to continually demonstrate the skill and knowledge to drive safely. Whether you have been behind the wheel for decades or are just starting to venture out, driving is a discipline that requires judgment, knowledge, physical and mental self-awareness, and practice. "What Every Driver Must Know" is an excellent resource for assisting you on this lifelong journey.
Riding motorcycles is fun, but author Ken Condon maintains that there is a state of consciousness to be achieved beyond the simple pleasure of riding down the road. Riding in the Zone helps riders find that state of being. It's the experience of being physically and mentally present in the moment, where every sense is sharply attuned to the ride. Your mind becomes silent to the chatter of daily life, and everyday problems seem to dissolve. You feel a deeper appreciation for life. Your body responds to this state of being with precise, fluid movements, you feel in balance, your muscles are relaxed, and it seems as though every input you make is an expression of mastery. This is "the Zone." Condon identifies all of the factors that affect entering the Zone and addresses each one individually, from the development of awareness and mental skills to mastering physical control of the motorcycle. At the end of each chapter are drills designed to transform the book's ideas into solid, practical riding skills. Riding in the Zone takes riders to the next level in their skill set.
Edgar Award Finalist: The true story of a serial killer who terrorized a midwestern town in the era of free love—by the coauthor of The French Connection. In 1967, during the time of peace, free love, and hitchhiking, nineteen-year-old Mary Terese Fleszar was last seen alive walking home to her apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan. One month later, her naked body—stabbed over thirty times and missing both feet and a forearm—was discovered, partially buried, on an abandoned farm. A year later, the body of twenty-year-old Joan Schell was found, similarly violated. Southeastern Michigan was terrorized by something it had never experienced before: a serial killer. Over the next two years, five more bodies were uncovered around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. All the victims were tortured and mutilated. All were female students. After multiple failed investigations, a chance sighting finally led to a suspect. On the surface, John Norman Collins was an all-American boy—a fraternity member studying elementary education at Eastern Michigan University. But Collins wasn’t all that he seemed. His female friends described him as aggressive and short tempered. And in August 1970, Collins, the “Ypsilanti Ripper,” was arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole. Written by the coauthor of The French Connection, The Michigan Murders delivers a harrowing depiction of the savage murders that tormented a small midwestern town.
“MENZIES [IS] PROPOUNDING ONE OF THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS IN THE HISTORY OF HISTORY.” —New York Times Magazine New York Times bestselling historian Gavin Menzies presents newly uncovered evidence revealing, conclusively, that “the lost city of Atlantis” was not only real but also at the heart of a highly advanced global empire that reached the shores of America before being violently wiped from the earth. For three millennia, the legend of Atlantis has gripped the imaginations of explorers, philosophers, occultists, treasure hunters, historians, and archaeologists. Until now, it has remained shrouded in myth. Yet, like ancient Troy, is it possible that this fabled city actually existed? If so, what happened to it and what are its secrets? The fascinating reality of Atlantis’s epic glory and destruction are uncovered, finally, in these pages in thrilling detail by the iconoclastic historian Gavin Menzies—father of some of “the most revolutionary ideas in the history of history” (New York Times). Meticulously analyzing exciting new geologic research, recently unearthed archaeological artifacts, and cutting-edge DNA evidence, Menzies has made a jaw-dropping discovery: Atlantis truly did exist, and was part of the incredibly advanced Minoan civilization that extended from its Mediterranean base to England, India, and even America. In The Lost Empire of Atlantis, he constructs a vivid portrait of this legendary civilization and shares his remarkable findings. As riveting as an Indiana Jones adventure, The Lost Empire of Atlantis is a revolutionary work of popular history that will forever change our understanding of the past.
