Destination: Harpole's Heartland Lodge, Illinois

Bikesales has ventured to some wonderful locations over the years for all sorts of product and motorcycle launches, but this one has to be close to the top of the pecking order. It's called Harpole's Heartland Lodge, located in a town called Nebo in Pike County, Illinois.

The lodge is about a 90-minute drive from St Louis, over the border in Missouri, and four-and-a-half hours from the really big smoke in Chicago, and we made our way there for the launch of the all-new Can-Am Defender utility side-by-side vehicle (here). Owned by the Harpole family, the lodge and its vast surroundings offer activities aplenty for the outdoor enthusiast, including over 40 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, ATV riding and, ahem, bird watching for the ultimate high-octane experience.

Over a day-and-half of Defender action, I reckon we negotiated about half of the trails, which are a nice mix of open to tight and technical, with plenty of challenges for those riders with a penchant for adventure. And you will get stuck; let me assure you. The trails were quite dry as the launch was held in autumn, but there'd be mud holes aplenty in winter to get your slosh fix.

It's a great place to roam, and quite possibly — almost inevitably — you'll run into some Americans doing the same thing, so be prepared to get your talking boots on…

ATVs are available for rent ($47 per person per hour or $285 per day, all US dollars). Guided horse riding is also available at $37 per person per hour with a wrangler.

One of the Harpole clan, Gary, is a big fan of Australians (he toured Australia just before the 2000 Olympics), so you may be able to try and wrangle a better deal as the Aussie dollar continues its free-fall against the Greenback…

Other leisure pursuits include hunting, fishing, volleyball, croquet, bonfires, 'old west cookouts', cross country skiing, archery, sled riding, pistol shooting and clay shooting. Or just walk through the 1000 acres of trails. If you want to go a little further afield, you can take a hay ride along the famed Mississippi River bluffs and see an elk farm, as well as deer, turkey and plenty of scenery across the river in the Missouri hills.

The accommodation at Heartland Lodge is also first-rate. The lodge was built in 1995, and it also takes on reception duties as well as being the main dining precinct. There is also a games room. Each room is individually named after animals, and the décor in every room reflects the name.

The main lodge has 13 bedrooms, with a private bath in each. The beds are made from lodgepole pines and are sturdier than a Mack truck.

Meal time is wonderful. Dinner bells ring inside and outside when the food is on the table, and then you may be seated. Grace follows, and then it's time to hook in — and if you're partial to seconds you won't be disappointed. Another unique attribute is that you can't wear shoes in the lodge: they have to be left in a mudroom when you arrive.

You can choose to include meals in your bookings, or look after yourself. Full details on pricing for accommodation and all the activities can be found at www.heartlandlodge.com.

With the Defenders safely back in the Can-Am semi-trailer, we concluded our stay with some clay shooting on a ridgy-didge sanctioned course. It costs $40 per round, $25 for gun rental ($40 for two guests), and $9.00 for a box of shells.

Other than a brief shoot back in Australia, I was a sporting clay novice — as were my two French-Canadian opponents, as well as a New Zealander who also joined in. No, it's not the start of a joke.

I was deadlocked with a Canadian after the 50 regulation shots, both banging out heady scores of 15, and I then won in a shoot-off. My opponent is a better motorcycle rider than me though: he competed in the 1989 world 125cc motocross title!

For more information on Harpole's Heartland Lodge, visit www.heartlandlodge.com. The email address is info@heartlandlodge.com. Tell ’em we sent ya!