New riding routes for 2025: Part One
As part of RIDE 365®, each year, we select a handful of U.S. destinations famed for their riding experiences, and reward members for completing them. We have 15 great rides for 2025 – here are the first three…
1 INDEPENDENCE, CA
MANZANAR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
CHECK-IN LOCATION:
A wooden sign reading “Manzanar War Relocation Center” marks the entrance to the National Historic Site at 5001 U.S. Highway 395, Independence, California, 93526.
Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, former president Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the confinement of Japanese Americans in internment camps without due process. This lamentable decision exacted great physical, psychological, and financial costs on internees. One of the best preserved of ten such camps is Manzanar National Historic Site, where about 10,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly detained in these so-called “War Relocation Centers.”
2 PLAINS, GA
SMILING PEANUT
CHECK-IN LOCATION:
The Smiling Peanut statue is located at 120 Buena Vista Rd., Plains, GA 31780 (Note: Ride Planner may not recognize this address, so use 400 Buena Vista Rd. and go north 3/10th of a mile to the statue.).
The Smiling Peanut statue, placed in Plains, Georgia during Jimmy Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, honors both Carter and the region’s peanut-growing industry. At 13 feet tall, it is said to be the second-largest peanut in the world; the largest is in nearby Ashburn, GA. The former president reportedly never warmed to the statue, feeling its toothy grin was overly exaggerated. Nonetheless, the Smiling Peanut is one of the most photographed attractions in Carter’s hometown.
3 BLACKFOOT, ID
POTATO CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
CHECK-IN LOCATION:
Check in at the giant potato statue and sign in front of the Idaho Potato Museum: 130 NW Main St., Blackfoot, ID 83221.
Blackfoot, Idaho calls itself “The Potato Capital of the World,” and Bingham County, where Blackfoot is located, annually produces more than 57,000 acres of the tasty tuber across its 1,177 farms. While China is in fact the top potato-producing country in the world, Bingham County holds the honor of being the largest potato-producing region in Idaho, making it the epicenter of a veritable potato paradise. The Idaho potato, in all its glory, is celebrated at the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot. The museum, housed in a historic railroad depot, offers exhibits on the history of the potato, a potato cinema, a café serving all things potato, and more. It’s everything you wanted to know about potatoes but were always too afraid to ask.
Get Riding!
To participate in the RIDE 365 15 for ’25 challenge, simply visit the designated checkpoint for each destination, snap a photo showing the cover of the Harley Owners Group 2025 Benefits Guide, and submit it digitally through your member profile on harley-davidson.com. You will receive an exclusive challenge coin for each ride you complete.
We’d also love to hear your destination suggestions for next year’s challenge.
Tags:
Read more tales from the Harley Owners Group!
Events calendar
superscript subscriptFrom multi-day rallies to regional and touring rallies, there’s something for everyone in the coming year
New riding routes for 2025: part four
As part of RIDE 365, we select a handful of U.S. destinations each year that are famed for their riding experiences and reward members for completing them. We have 15 great rides for 2025—here are the next three…