Spotlight: Turkey Creek Tours

Interview with Lynn and Tom Matthews Turkey Creek Tours Conifer, CO

What is the most rewarding aspect of what you do?

Seeing the smiles on people’s faces. Most motorcyclists are very nice people. Everyone has a story to tell and others want to hear the stories. It’s the stories that bind us together and demonstrate that we all have many things in common.

How did you get started in this business?

Tom and I started putting the business together several years ago. We like riding and traveling, and wanted to do something we really liked. So we decided to quit our jobs to do this. I’ve organized and lead several tour groups to Central and South America, Fiji and New Zealand, although they were not motorcycle oriented. This background provided experience and insight into how the tour business works.

Tell me a little about your various tours?

We offer nine Colorado tours and two Mexico tours running June through October. Full descriptions, schedules and costs are on our website at www.TurkeyCreekTours.com.

Tour packages vary greatly so it is hard to compare apples to apples, do you provide a definitive description of what is, and what is not, included in your tours?

Detailed information is on our website and in our printed materials. We feel it is important to be very clear on what is and isn’t included and make it easy to understand. We offer luxury tours staying in upscale B&B’s, mountain lodges, and hotels. We host a welcome and farewell dinner, and we provide breakfast and dinner every night of the tour. We eat at upscale restaurants. Unlike most tour operators we include the fuel in our tours.

What is the funniest thing that you have had happen on a trip?

We were at a scenic overlook in one of the National Parks and a couple got out of their car and guy rushed over to the group. He had just gotten his first bike and started riding a few months before and had not done any group riding. He wanted to talk motorcycles; he could not get enough of the bikes or the group. I remember him saying “when you ride a bike, it’s like you have a whole new family – they even wave when you go by.” One of our group told him to wait a few more months and he would be shown the “secret biker handshake.” It took him a moment to figure we were pulling his leg.

What about rider safety?

We are very concerned about safety. Most of our riders have been riding for a while and we ask that participants have a minimum of two years of riding. Colorado roads are challenging and not the place for beginners. In addition, Tom and I are certified in CPR and first aid and pack a well-stocked first aid kit. We won’t tolerate a rider who displays dangerous riding choices; we reserve the right to expel a rider if he or she endangers himself or the group.

What else would you like to tell us about the...

We hope that you enjoyed reading this excerpt from "Turkey Creek Tours". If you would like to read the entire article and more, you can order a back issue of May / Jun 2006 where this article was originally published.

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