When I step away from my computer and Adventure Cycling work world for a while, there's always realizations that, "Oh, not everyone rides their bike to work. Oh, not every photo has a cyclist in it. Oh, look, this magazine isn't about bike touring at all," and so on. But this vacation was different.

Glacier National Park has been on my list of places to ride for about as far back as I can remember. When I was given the opportunity to take on the role of co-leader for Adventure Cycling’s Glacier Waterton Loop self-contained tour, I was ecstatic.

Our Share the Joy program encourages members to share Adventure Cycling Association with their friends and cycling buddies, and also awards fabulous prizes throughout the year. Here are our recent winners and their prizes.

When Routes & Mapping joined the Twitter-verse in June of 2010, I had no idea where it was going to go. I've been impressed time and again with how much information can be conveyed in 140 characters.

Zach O'Conner, AASHTO's Communications and Publications Coordinator, shares how his coworker's multi-modal bicycle commute from the suburbs to the heart of Washington DC makes use of the newly improved DC bicycle facilities. A big thank you to Zach and please enjoy! 

Union Station is but one of many sites Julian Hadley visits on his tour of the Gateway City, titled St. Louis Solo On A Single Speed. He also pedaled past the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, Bob Cassilly's Cementland, Soulard Farmer's Market, Union Station, and more.

Kat and I first encountered Bangkok traffic from the perspective of the backseat of a taxi. The chaos of any big city can be daunting. Though neither of us spoke the words, I know we were both thinking, "Not going to bike here." But over years of travel, both of us have learned that first impressions are often wrong.

After becoming a papa in August of 2012, my drive to race bicycles and train for racing literally disappeared over the remainder of the year. I missed my old hobbies of photography, fly-fishing, and nature study. In many ways, my old favorite hobby of wilderness travel — backpacking — had been disregarded for all the time on the bike. But thankfully, there is a way to combine the two!

Cycle touring is an intense physical activity, so it can really take a toll on the human body. As you ease into a tour, you’re building up your muscles and burning tons of calories, and you need a lot of energy and nutrients to stay on top of that. Here are a few examples of foods to look for while on tour, if you need a boost.

One of the finest tours Adventure Cycling offers, appealing to the widest variety of riders, is the Wine & Harvest tour in the San Francisco Bay Area, September 15-22. But you don’t have to take it from me; here are some of the comments from the 2012 Wine & Harvest tour participants:

Who organized your first group bicycle tour? When your chain broke in the middle of nowhere, which bike shop set you on your way again? Who was that extraordinary trail angel who gave you a dry place to sleep out the storm on your last bike tour?

The Adventure Cycling team captain for Climate Ride New York to DC will be, drum roll please….. Julie Huck, our Membership Director! Julie has worked at Adventure Cycling for the past 28 years, so if you’ve stopped by or called to inquire about your membership, there’s a good chance you’ve talked with her.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is growing as anyone can see from the rising number of miles designated, U.S. Bike Route signs erected, and routes being mapped. Two pieces of exciting news made their way across the Great Plains from Michigan to our office here in Missoula.

From its glorious and fleeting springtime, to summer days on its famous beaches or Berkshire mountains, to the unforgettable autumn foliage and country fairs, Massachusetts packs a lot of wonderful into a tiny state.

Since the last update here at the blog, we've run a story out of Idaho and one from Georgia, separated by a piece about joining Adventure Cycling Association.