Destinations

WINDSOR, CT – To be in the “limelight” means to be the center of attention. Despite being 32 years old, the non-profit Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut isn’t in a highly visible location and doesn’t have a high profile. It’s down a side road off of Route 159 …

ATHENS, NY – It’s often the case when a gallery or museum chooses to spotlight motorcycle culture that the emphasis is more on the machines than on the trailblazing men and women who have made riding popular over the decades. The current “Head Out on the Highway: A Love Embrace” …

TORRINGTON, CT – A 30-year-old Harley-Davidson police motorcycle that once patrolled the streets of this Northwestern Connecticut city is back in use. Sort of. After sitting ignored for years in the Torrington Police Department’s sally port, the 1991 Harley-Davidson FXRP is now on prominent display having been loaned to the …

REINHOLDS, PA – The first step once the decision was made a few weeks ago to attend this past weekend’s antique motorcycle show in Oley, PA was to book lodging. While a friend suggested a chain motel near the show grounds, I instead went online and found a much more …

OWLS HEAD, ME – What do three guys who need a place to fly their vintage airplanes do when nearby locations are scarce? They buy a prime piece of land on the Maine coast, build a runway, construct a road into the property, and put up a building to house …

HUDSON, MASS. – It is filled with what Colin Rixon succinctly calls “the tools of war.” Inside the 65,000-square-foot American Heritage Museum are more than two-dozen tanks. There’s also a variety of other armored vehicles among the more than 90 total; a V-1 flying bomb from World War II, a …

HUDSON, NY – It began with four pieces of apparatus in 1925 and has grown into an impressive, multi-gallery repository filled with approximately 60 retired firefighting vehicles. Not only does the FASNY Museum of Firefighting amaze visitors, it also prompts staffers to reflect on the past. “I can only imagine what …

PORTSMOUTH, RI – Automobiles showcased as pieces of art. That’s the accomplishment of the Newport Car Museum where 70 exotic, stunning and rare models covering 65 years of motoring (1954 through today) are on display. “‘Oh, wow’ is the most heard exclamation as they walk through and see the galleries …

VERNON, CT – Asked on Saturday afternoon at the opening of the New England Motorcycle Museum what his plans for Sunday were, museum founder Ken Kaplan replied simply, “Sleep.” He quietly added, “I haven’t slept much in the last couple weeks.” The Café Fever motorcycle show that officially launched the …

Update – July 26: The New England Motorcycle Museum didn’t receive it’s certificate of occupancy on Monday. Instead, it was presented with a list of eight more items that needed attention. They were dealt with quickly and the CO was grant on Wednesday, paving the way for the museum’s setup …

Of all the roads in southern New England, Route 57 in Massachusetts may be the most enjoyable and exhilarating for motorcycle riders. Running east-west and stretching nearly 40 miles from New Marlborough on the west to Agawam on the east, it’s serpentine and extremely hilly. It’s also sufficiently rural that …

Motorcycles are only a minor consideration in travel writer Michael Milne’s latest book, “Roadster Guide to America’s Classic Car Museums & Attractions,” but the fact he mentions the collection of old Indians at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History in Massachusetts and the bikes on display at …

WOODSTOCK, NY – We were getting back on our bikes outside of a trendy coffee shop in New Paltz, NY when a man approached, got in my face and growled menacingly, “You guys on your (blanking) cool Italian bikes.” Before I could ascertain whether he posed a threat, the guy burst …

EAST HAVEN, CT – Times change and so do the hazards faced by motorcycle riders. A big worry for us these days are inattentive drivers who text. While I haven’t inquired of any old-time riders, I’m guessing that decades ago trolley cars and the tracks embedded in the roadway were …

KENT, CT – Besides being machines, motorcycles may also be regarded as artwork. Now, Gary Halby’s exquisite pictures of motorcycles and their riders have gone from high-end coffee table book to illuminating gallery exhibit. “The Art of the Ride” opened Saturday at The Good Gallery here with