Ride America's Heartland: Illinois ~ Indiana ~ Michigan ~ Minnesota ~ Ohio ~ Wisconsin

The State maps don't show nearly enough detail with respect to the text description. No way you can use the book stand-alone. You will have to get a GPS or traditional roadmap. Very disappointed.

A great reference book of ideas for some nice rides around the Midwest.

Good text but would be better with detailed maps

Ride America's Heartland is a treasure trove of places to ride. Even though I grew up in Ohio and have lived in Michigan for over 20 years, I was amazed at all the places and history I wasn't aware of. Most of my riding hasn't involved much planning -- just look at a map for what roads might be interesting and go. However, I've learned touring is a much more rewarding experience when you're able to get local recommendations like this book provides. The chapters are organized by rides with 6-8 trips for each state so it's easy to quickly find and choose a ride. Four circle tours of the Great Lakes are also included. The index is unique – it is grouped by state and not only has place names but also highways. This means that even if you're not on one of the prescribed rides, you can cross reference your travel plans to what is in the book. For instance, if you know you're going to be on US-71 in Minnesota, you can see that two of the rides cover portions of that road.Another reviewer complained that the state maps don't provide enough detail. Of course not, they're only about 4" x 6" for each state. You will still need to a map or GPS.It's obvious that the author has been to and thoroughly researched all of these places. Not only do you get the facts of where to go and what to see, but a lot of interesting history. The "This is Why We Ride" and "Safety Tips" chapters are full of wisdom. Get this book if you ride in any of these 6 Midwest states and want to get more enjoyment from your time in the saddle.

Bill Murphy's newest book about motorcycling in the midwest is a great guide to the region. The book, of course, contains all off the necessary components of a touring guide (i.e. maps and turn by turn directions), but it goes way beyond that.Ride America's Heartland focuses on the discovery and exploration of riding and incorporates local history and suggestions of places to pull of and explore during your ride. The book includes day trip routes of varying length (~85 to ~400 miles), as well as great lake circle tours for Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Some rides focus more on the joy of the riding, while others delve more deeply into things to see and do along the way. I especially appreciated that the locations along the routes are well indexed, allowing you do find places where you can "jump into" a route if your starting point is further from the beginning of the route.All in all, this is a wonderful addition to Murphy's collection of book about riding in the midwest, and a testament to how good riding in the (often underrated) midwest can be!

What an excellent resource for riders! Not having grown on motorcycles I haven’t taken many longer bike adventures. The hardest part for me has always been deciding where to go and how to get there. With Bill’s newest book that issue has been solved. He provides numerous tours through 6 Midwest states rich in local history and crystal clear detail.He chooses good, fun roads, beautiful scenery and interesting locations. I will continue to use this book for many years to come!