Articles by Alisa Clickenger
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Back in Time on the Oregon Trail
"Go West, young man," was the advice Indiana newspaper writer John Soule gave in 1851. The phrase was popularized by author Horace Greeley, and came to symbolize the entire Western expansion of the United States. For many of us, young or old, the saying is ... -
Connecting Through LoLo Pass
The road that connects Lowell, Idaho to Missoula, Montana can be called by several different names, depending on the map. Lolo Creek Road, The Lewis and Clark Highway, Northwest Passage Scenic Byway or simply Route 12. Whatever one calls it, it is surely one ... -
Off Road Down the Continental Divide
Imagine riding from Canada to Mexico, all on dirt roads. You cross the Continental Divide 28 times, winding between some of the highest peaks in the continental United States, and gaining 200,000 vertical feet (the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest seven ... -
Sightseeing on the Cherohala Skyway
Known as the costliest road in North Carolina, the Cherohala Skyway was a road built for sightseeing. It took almost three decades and over one hundred million dollars to build, and the result is absolutely breathtaking. Running from mountain top to ... -
Cutting Through the Trans-America Trail
Imagine traveling back in time, when the days were longer, country folk seemed a little more accessible, and self reliance was vitally important. This is how it is riding the Trans-America Trail – a series of gravel roads, secondary farm, jeep and forest ... -
Three Sisters You Should Get to Know
The Three Sisters are quite famous in Texas. Beautiful and charming gals that they are, they attract a great many devotees for their good looks, their nice manners, and their generous curves. The three sisters also serve up some pretty good meals, and offer ... -
Icefields Parkway
Jagged Peaks. Precipitous Mountains. Snowy Crevasses. The Icefields Parkway is one of the most dramatically scenic places in the Canadian Rockies. Located in Alberta, Canada, the Icefields Parkway runs between Lake Louise and Jasper, and offers one hundred ... -
Edna's Drive Thru
I was really pushing my luck this time. My chain was loose, my sprockets were shot, and the chain was slipping. The good news was, I had no idea how dire my circumstances were. I was on my way home from the Women's Adventure Camp in Seattle. I'd ... -
Adventure Camp
It sounded silly to take a break from my adventure to attend “Adventure Camp,” but that's precisely what I was doing. I was having so much fun riding my motorcycle in Texas that I lost track of time. Now I had four days to ride the two thousand plus ... -
Camels on the Creek
“Just go with the motion,” Carolyn explained to me. “Oh, and keep your weight back and hang on tight.” I'd worn my motorcycle gear as a jest, but as I was pitched forward and backward, over and over again, I was secretly glad I was in full ... -
The Real Texas
“I bet this isn't something you've ever seen before,” Carolyn said to me as we walked up to the fence. “No, I haven't” I replied. “What exactly is it?” It was a badge of honor. A testament to patience. A show and tell, of sorts, that spoke ... -
Around the Bend
It had been quite a while since I'd seen Cindy's trail of dust in front of me, and I was beginning to think that was a bad sign. Carolyn and I were riding River Road with her in Big Bend National Park, and we had spread out in order to avoid each others ... -
Javelinas
The first thing I noticed was the musky smell. Then I heard the shuffling, grunting noises that seemed to surround me. And when I came fully awake, I saw them: small, pre-historic creatures that resemble a cross between a pig and a large, hairy rodent. These ... -
"Fires All Around"
“Better check on that, the roads might be closed,” said our campgound host. “Not too sure if you can get through from here. Fires all around.” This was a supreme disappointment, and could put a real wrench in my best-laid plans. I was in Fort ... -
Cowhead Ranch
I've never been a big fan of riding the same road twice or covering old ground. I always try to go in a circle in order to see something new. But there are some special places that I always love going back to, and the area around Terlingua, Texas, is one of ... -
Shifting Sands
Blazing temperatures. Fifty mile-per-hour wind gusts. Blowing sand. Gobs of tourists in RV campers. It wasn't quite what I'd pictured in my mind's eye when I first envisioned heading to White Sands National Monument. The conditions were the complete opposite ... -
Choose Your Campsite Wisely
Converted 4x4 military vehicles littered the roadway. Camper vans, trucks, and RVs were already set up as far as the eye could see. A sea of high-clearance vehicles with camper tops stretched to the horizon. And a field of tents billowed beneath the sparse ... -
Silence
Silence is a eerie thing when you're riding a motorcycle. Silence when your engine should be humming away underneath you is unsettling. Silence is downright dangerous when you are riding the LA freeway in rush hour traffic after dark.
It was 6:30 ... -
As the Snow Flies
Summit 3000 feet. Brrr. It is cold, even though I've dropped 1800 feet since leaving Idaho Falls, Idaho. It was in a mad rush to leave this morning – the weather forecast changed last night, and was now telling me that this was my only window to ... -
Where There's Smoke There's Fire
“Do you smell smoke?” I asked my boyfriend through the headset as we were going up the last of the big hills in Western B.C. “I don't smell anything,” he said, at the same moment I looked down and saw my pant leg covered in oil. My heart rate ...
