Helmet Hair’s TOP TEN:                   Favorite USA Moto Retreats, and the roads that get you there

#1. Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Taos, NM - If you follow the Cimarron River 23 miles upstream through the dizzying deep canyons of New Mexico, you’ll reach a mystical retreat that innovators, artists, and explorers of the early 1900s once flocked. This historic home continues to be a magnet for soul searchers to find solace within the adobe structures that dwell in the dramatic Taos landscape. With bathroom windows painted by D.H. Lawrence, rooms warmed by kiva fireplaces, and a menu that even vegetarians will appreciate, the Mabel Dodge Luhan House is the perfect moto sanctuary. www.mabeldodgeluhan.com/
 

#2 Abigail’s Bed and Breakfast, Mendocino, CA – Legendary Highway 1 in San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway is the type of ride scene snatched straight from the big screen with jaw-dropping views of the Pacific Ocean and endless windy roads that carve through the mountain terrain. Take a break from highway heaven to park at Abigail’s Bed and Breakfast that is encircled by the vivid milieu. Don’t fret, you don’t have to have a celebrity wallet to stay, as this coastal B&B has rooms starting at 99 bucks. Fido rides with? Pets a big welcome here. www.abigailsmendocino.com/index.html

#3 The Swag, Waynesville, NC – The Blue Ridge Parkway is known for over 500 miles of stunningly diverse views and elevations; home to America’s most-traveled national parks. Perched atop a 5,000 foot mountain (the 2.5 mile drive up is worth it alone), The Swag, provides refuge for the moto-gal who appreciates a little posh with her rustic: herbal shampoos and lotions, XM satellite radio and panoramic views of the Appalachian Mountains. Swag also respects Mother Earth by burying power and phone lines underground so no trees had to be cut down to clear them. www.theswag.com/

#4 Mango Tree Inn, Key West, FL– Moto to the tip of Florida on the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway to feel the Atlantic breeze sweeping across sandy white beaches. Dip your tootsies in the ocean at every rest stop along the way. This perfect ride will lead you to a Bahamian style mansion located in the heart of old downtown Key West where you’ll want to leave the bike to complete your tropical journey on foot. www.mangotree-inn.com/
 

#5 Hacienda del Desierto, Tucson, AZ - It’s no surprise that Arizona has the most motorcycles per capita;  there’ s no greater way to experience all four seasons along one stretch of highway, than cruising the Sky Island Byway. Your spiritual voyage will be complete with an outdoor hydrotherapy spa at the Hacienda del Desierto bed and breakfast, followed by a margarita on the patio swing. www.tucson-bed-breakfast.com/inn.html
 

#6 The Lodges at Lost Maples, Vanderpool, TX – Designated as one of the most popular roads in the state, rolling along Ranch Road 337 is often compared to traveling through the “Swiss Alps of Texas” with elevations reaching 2,100 ft. above sea level. You’ll be mesmerized riding on the two-lane windy roads that snake through canyons and open up to fields of wildflowers, but don’t blink or you’ll miss your turn to The Lodges at Lost Maples, where a hill country sanctuary awaits. Whether you veg in a hammock, or meditate under Ashe Juniper trees, this cowboy oasis is grand. www.lostmaplescabins.com/

#7 Nature’s Retreat, MT – Pick a spot, any spot, to pitch a tent or tuck yourself into a sleeping bag when motoring on the Beartooth Highway 212. Mother Nature provides the most profound, unspoiled lodging in Montana… and so many campsites to choose: from the snow-caped glacier mountains to the lush forests you’ll want to spend more time on two wheels experiencing this “all American” road.
www.byways.org/browse/states/MT/

#8 Water’s Edge Guest House, Sammamish, WA - From coastal lines and raging rivers, to towns in the mountains steeped with history, the trip along Sound Greenway Scenic Byway (I-90) has quite the Northern Exposure appeal. Make a pit-stop at the Water’s Edge Guest House to awake with a fresh cup of Seattle coffee on your private patio overlooking the tranquil Pine Lake, perhaps catching a glimpse of the majestic Bald Eagle or a stirring elk.
www.watersedgeonpinelake.com/   

#9 Brinks Farm Bed and Breakfast, Castana, IA - The Loess Hills scenic highway along the western edge of Iowa, beside the Missouri river, you’ll find a ride that has more curves than Mae West, scenery that would rock Marlin Perkins and Midwest friendly folks, diners* and a little farmhouse called Brinks Bed and Breakfast. This getaway boosts over 2,000 acres where you can rustle cattle, work the land on a tractor and relax on the porch while enjoying food prepared fresh from the garden. www.iowafarmvacation.com/  *Favorite highway submission from HH reader, Lisa Zentz!

#10 Mermaids Purse Farm, Prospect Harbor, MA – Get acquainted with the eastern seaboard by riding off the beaten path on the Schoodic Scenic Byway, with lighthouses and blueberry fields dotting your route. Slumber at an American Gothic B&B, Mermaids Purse Farm, where you’ll get inspired to set up an easel or write a novel; and fresh lobster is always just a stone’s throw away. www.mermaidspursefarm.com/