Vacation ideas?

[jp4995]

Hi all-

I live in Columbus OH. My husband and I are looking to do at least one biking vacation this spring/summer and I'd like to solicit your input! I started road biking back in September '09 and my husband has been riding for years (but just got a good bike back in May '09).

What we're looking for is a place (campground or lodge/hotel) to stay at and then do out-and-back road bike rides. We're not opposed to hills ;). Right now we're looking at middle/eastern Kentucky, but I'd be willing to go as far as Virginia or North Carolina. I've been having a difficult time gauging the "bikeability" of the state/national parks etc, since most of their websites are centered around hiking and mountain biking.

If anyone has vacation ideas (or suggestions to help me search better), I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks,
JP

[Dogmama]

I love the Bike Vermont tours. They do a great job coordinating everything. The B&B's are wonderful & the scenery is gorgeous.

The riding isn't necessarily strenuous - which I like if I'm on vacation. It's more - "bike here, look at that" type of stuff.

[Thorn]

Lexington, KY. We went there last October and circled Lexington. Varied terrain, but mostly rolling. Relatively respectful drivers if you're outside of Lexington, but beware of country dogs. We went just because one it was a ride in October and one of our favorite tour groups was guiding through the area. I really enjoyed the area. Prettier than I expected. Very diverse in all respects.

Asheville, NC? You have access to the Blue Ridge and Mount Mitchell (you said hills were OK :) ).

[jp4995]

Ooo Lexington looks great, looks like there is a ton to do around there in addition to the daily bike rides. I think I've been there but it was back when I was a young teen and I don't remember it very well.

The Bike VT tours look really awesome too. Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

[indysteel]

The area around Lexington is very nice. I do the Horsey Hundred every Memorial Day weekend out of Georgetown Kentucky and really enjoy it.

That said, I'm partial to eastern and middle Tennessee for riding. I've done the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee a couple of times now. It's a weeklong tour that generally goes from state park to state park. The name itself is misleading in that it doesn't go across the state. Rather, they pick an area and do a big loop. The roads in Tennessee are great and most have a significant shoulder. They offer lots of pretty scenery. There are several books on cycling in Tennessee with maps and suggested routes. I did a ride two years ago near Franklin, Tennessee (south of Nashville) and really want to go back to that area in particular.

I tend only to use the roads in state parks as "thru" roads. For the most part, they don't typcially have much of a shoulder and there's a fair amount of traffic on them. I wouldn't center a ride around them. I have only been to a couple national parks. Those that I have been on were rideable, but there was a lot of traffic.

[Catrin]

The area around Lexington is very nice. I do the Horsey Hundred every Memorial Day weekend out of Georgetown Kentucky and really enjoy it.

That said, I'm partial to eastern and middle Tennessee for riding. I've done the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee a couple of times now. It's a weeklong tour that generally goes from state park to state park. The name itself is misleading in that it doesn't go across the state. Rather, they pick an area and do a big loop. The roads in Tennessee are great and most have a significant shoulder. They offer lots of pretty scenery. There are several books on cycling in Tennessee with maps and suggested routes. I did a ride two years ago near Franklin, Tennessee (south of Nashville) and really want to go back to that area in particular............

What a great idea! As a Tennessee native I can vouch for the scenery :) IndySteel, can you think of any of those titles?

[nc tam]

Agree with the Lexington, KY area. This fall I think there is a big horse event that may impact your plans. DH has work there in October and had some trouble finding a hotel. Just a heads up.

Middle and east TN are beautiful with varied terrain. I grew up in middle TN and lived a total of 8 years in east TN but those were before I started road biking.

I live in western NC right now. Fantastic place for road biking if you don't mind hills. I have a book of routes in and around Boone which could easily keep you busy for a week or two (or more). Most of the routes are loops, some including the Blue Ridge Parkway. During the week the back roads are lightly traveled. I've had little trouble with local drivers. The tourists on the Parkway are another story but early mornings on the Parkway are generally low traffic so the tourists for the most part can be avoided. Gotta keep an eye out for dogs, of course. I can dig up the book name and author when I get home. It's beautiful here and if you need a break from the bike there is sooo much to see and do.

[Blueberry]

This book is good for western NC: http://blueridgebiking.tripod.com/

There's another one for around Asheville, but I've found that there are some road name/route issues with some of the routes.

[jp4995]

Thank you all for your input! If we do end up going to Lexington I will be sure to schedule around the busy season- I'm not a fan of huge touristy crowds!

I'm lobbying my husband to take our two vacation weeks this years as "us" vacations. Usually we take both weeks and see family, but both our sets of parents only live 7 hours away (and in the same city, no less!), so we can see them over weekends easily. So, we may end up doing both KY and NC if I succeed in my lobbying efforts.

[Catrin]

This book is good for western NC: http://blueridgebiking.tripod.com/

There's another one for around Asheville, but I've found that there are some road name/route issues with some of the routes.

Thanks for this, I am from East Tennessee but haven't lived there since a teenager. I am hoping my lovely new Long Haul Trucker will help me to rediscover region :)

[indysteel]

Catrin, the book I have is called Bicycling Middle Tennessee. I picked it up at the bike shop that's at the northern end of the Natchez Trace. They had several different books on the area.

Where in Tennessee are you from? I love the state--at least from a cycling standpoint. I'm trying to talk my DH into doing BRAT with me.

[Catrin]

Catrin, the book I have is called Cycling Middle Tennessee. I picked it up at the bike shop that's at the northern end of the Natchez Trace. They had several different books on the area.

Where in Tennessee are you from? I love the state--at least from a cycling standpoint. I'm trying to talk my DH into doing BRAT with me.

I was born in East Tennessee - as an interesting side note you may have noticed that people from East Tennessee are never from Tennessee, but from East Tennessee :) I am from the Knoxville/Maryville/Great Smoky National Park area.

The book that someone mentioned about cycling the Blue Ridge mountains looks interesting as well! I can't spend any extra money though - gotta pay for my lovely new Surly in 21 days :D :eek: :D

[indysteel]

I was born in East Tennessee - as an interesting side note you may have noticed that people from East Tennessee are never from Tennessee, but from East Tennessee :) I am from the Knoxville/Maryville/Great Smoky National Park area.

The book that someone mentioned about cycling the Blue Ridge mountains looks interesting as well! I can't spend any extra money though - gotta pay for my lovely new Surly in 21 days :D :eek: :D

DH and I spent a week in Townsend last year and went to Maryville a few times. It's lovely through there.

[tulip]

France.

[Catrin]

DH and I spent a week in Townsend last year and went to Maryville a few times. It's lovely through there.

Townsend is beautiful, I have family there. Right now I am trying to plan when I will take a week off this summer and go home and visit the mountains with my new bike....errrrr...visit my sister. Yeah, that's it :D

[Jaclyn]

If you decide on Townsend, I'll recommend the Dancing Bear Lodge. The owner is a cyclist, and they occasionally host cycling weekends. They provide route maps of the area and can provide advice - they even have bike rentals (great if you want to try some mountain biking).

http://www.dancingbearlodge.com/cp/Activities-Biking-Hiking-and-Fly-Fishing--.htm

[makbike]

JP,

You can't go wrong cycling in the Bluegrass State - it is simply beautiful and offers a lot of safe routes.

Are you looking for an organized ride/touring company? If so, I know there is one that offers a week long tour around the Lexington area. I believe they are based out of South Carolina. I've not participated in their rides but I do recall their Bluegrass tour took in a lot of beautiful countryside and historical sites.

If you are looking to put together your own routes/rides I would suggest you purchase two books. The first is Wheeling Around The Bluegrass by Joe Ward. This book has 26 well planned routes of varying distances and difficulties. Most of the rides start in or near Lexington and take in some unique places as well as historical sites. Each chapter provides you with a cue sheet, a map and information about the area.

The second book I would recommend you pick up is Off The Beaten Path - Kentucky, 9th edition This book has a great section on central Kentucky and provides a lot of great places to visit in or around the Lexington area. Many of the places highlighted in this book are found on Joe Ward's routes - they nicely overlap and compliment each other.

I wish I could offer you some first hand information regarding the Lexington area but sadly I can't. However, if you find yourself just west of Lexington and need some ride suggestions/routes please let me know. I'll gladly share some of my favorite routes.

I hope this helps.

[jp4995]

For this trip, I don't think we're looking to do any organized tours. All these places look so pretty! Now I'm thinking of spending a few days in Lexington and a few days in Townsend TN. Or maybe quitting work and traveling for a living (ha!).

Thanks again for all the suggestions, you all have been a great help!

[indysteel]

For this trip, I don't think we're looking to do any organized tours. All these places look so pretty! Now I'm thinking of spending a few days in Lexington and a few days in Townsend TN. Or maybe quitting work and traveling for a living (ha!).

Thanks again for all the suggestions, you all have been a great help!

Granted, we had a ton of rain that made riding in and around Townsend nearly impossible, but I have to admit that it likely wasn't the best area for cycling anyway. I've ridden through SMNP, and while it's certainly doable (I did it in September of 2008 as part of BRAT), there was plenty of traffic to contend with. I can only imagine what it would be like during the summer.

There are some routes that we were hoping to do on our visit to Townsend, e.g., the Cherohala Skyway, but we likely would have had to drive to the start of the route, because the road through Townsend itself pretty busy and doesn't have the best shoulder. That probably wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but I would have preferred to just ride from where we were staying (a private cabin that I loved). There are routes out of Maryville I assume, but again, we would have had to drive there.

I think we might consider staying in Tellico Plains the next time we head to Tennessee with the bikes. For BRAT 2008, we also road in the area around Crosby (near English Mountain but not over it). I'd like to go back there, too. As much as I love SMNP, the areas immediately around it are just a little too crowded for me from a cycling perspective. Hiking, yes, but not cycling.

[Catrin]

It is important to remember that summer and fall are high tourist season in the Townsend/Maryville area. There ARE places that aren't so popular with tourists, but they have to be found. I like the idea of heading to the Lodge for a few days, but will have to talk with some people about the best places to take my Surly :)

[nscrbug]

Catrin, the book I have is called Bicycling Middle Tennessee. I picked it up at the bike shop that's at the northern end of the Natchez Trace. They had several different books on the area.

Where in Tennessee are you from? I love the state--at least from a cycling standpoint. I'm trying to talk my DH into doing BRAT with me.

Since you happened to mention it....how would road biking be on the Natchez Trace? I know there is no commercial traffic allowed (like the Blue Ridge Pkwy), but how is traffic in general? And is there a sufficient shoulder to ride on?

[nc tam]

The book Blueberry posted is the one I have. (for western NC).

I was wondering about the Natchez Trace, too, for TN.

Happy planning!

[indysteel]

Since you happened to mention it....how would road biking be on the Natchez Trace? I know there is no commercial traffic allowed (like the Blue Ridge Pkwy), but how is traffic in general? And is there a sufficient shoulder to ride on?

My experience on it is somewhat limited. I did about a 40 mile "out and back" on a Sunday morning starting just south of its northern nexus. There were more bikes than cars. There's no shoulder that I recall. The cars I did encounter gave me a wide berth. I enjoyed it very much.

It is possible to do a self-supported tour of the Trace, but you have to keep in mind that there are no stores or the like along it. You have to get off the Trace go into adjacent towns for provisions. If you google it, my guess is that you'll find some good information on touring along the Trace. The biggest issue, of course, is that unless you plan to do an out and back, you need to arrange for transportation back to the start.