Costa Rica

In Northeast Ohio we eagerly await snow free weather so we can ride. We grab at any window of opportunity to grab our bikes and hit the road.

For most of us it's a hobby. A chance to get out in the fresh air and let the day's stress escape.

However, a recent family vacation to Costa Rica showed a bit of a different side to the riding community. The main roads in this country are beautifully paved, winding in many places and most definitely narrow in most. Roads off the main highways heading to beaches and waterfalls are dirt (which was a whole other adventure in itself).

Although cars are plentiful, bikes seem to be the mode of transportation. Locals heading to their jobs at the surf shops, restaurants and bars. You don't see any baggers or cruisers here. And relatively few sport bikes. Most were dual sport, small cc'd types with some ATVs sprinkled in. Brands we know but models made for overseas, like the Honda Invicta.

An ATV tour was in family plans. It's a guided trip down dirt roads with stops at beaches and in this family's case, Cantinas along the way. The trip can be tailored to what you want to do and see. However, what I did not realize until it was too late, was that there are some motorcycle tours from one day to as many as ten days to tour the Costa Rican countryside. These tours can be self guided or a guide can be provided and custom tailored to your needs. Something we will most definitely plan on a return trip in the future.

If you are looking for some adventure and a break from Old Man Winter consider a trip to Costa Rica.