Help X. pick a bike vacation!

[Bikingmomof3]

You where not plannning to come visit me? I admit the state is not that exciting, but I am here.

[Xrayted]

You where not plannning to come visit me? I admit the state is not that exciting, but I am here.

I'm absolutely coming to visit you! We have a "date" remember? Just "tri-ing" wait for you to give me the word...
(I think they'll figure that one out, not very cryptic, huh?)

[Bikingmomof3]

Whew, I was getting worried. As soon as I can bike and you can run, we are set.

[Xrayted]

That I'm not worried about. We can do it. It's the sinking like a rock that gives me the shivers. Do they let ya use water wingies in a Tri?

[Bikingmomof3]

LMBO, you can try.

[Bad JuJu]

OK, X, I know you said you prefer to vacation independently, but let me just put in a little plug for Womantours anyway, and you can make what you want of it.

Other than a three-day, based-out-of-one-B&B bike trip that DH and I did in Vermont when we were younger and stronger and possibly not very bright, I'm new to the bicycle touring, and I'm totally new to bicycle touring on my own. So last spring, I took a 4-day with Womantours on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Rather than bore the whole present company with the details, I direct you to my blog entry on the tour experience, which I personally dubbed my "Tour de Chesapeake" and was generally wonderful:
Tour de Chesapeake

WT is not cheap, but everything is taken care of for you--route planning, booking of lodgings, restaurant choices and al fresco lunches en route, baggage transport, sag support, and even a rental bike if you need it. On my tour, the guides even offered "happy hour" beverages and snacks every afternoon when the ride for the day was over. And the guides themselves were each a remarkable combination of bike mechanic, tour guide, cheering team, and biking buddy--they were simply superb.

Anyway, the upshot is that I just reserved a space on the WT Meandering Mississippi Tour (segment I--I don't have the time, money, or stamina to do the whole thing) for next May. I've got a lot of training to do between now and then, and I can't wait.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[EBD]

Two recommendations:

First, I live in NC and can recommend the Outer Banks as another scenic, but flatter, option. Of course the Asheville area is also lovely - but I prefer to see it on foot (or from the picture window of a delicious restaurant!). I go on bike tours to enjoy myself, not grunt and curse my way up mountains! (I realize many people feel the opposite, including my BF - and good for them, I say!). And the coast is lovely in the spring - shops and restaurants are open for the season, but the tourist hordes have not yet arrived. Here is a tour company that does bike tours of the Outer Banks, staying at some lovely B&B's - however they are quite expensive, so if it were me I believe I'd cheat by checking out their routes and then planning my own trip. http://www.carolinatailwinds.com/ (They also have Blue Ridge and Shenandoah trips). I think after we pass the Bar exam this summer, BF and I are going to bike and camp our way down the Outer Banks.

Second, this summer I had a wonderful vacation in Northern California that included a bike tour of Napa, organized by Napa Valley Bike Tours (http://www.napavalleybiketours.com/). We just did a day trip, starting with an optional hour-long "serious" ride, followed by a leisurely day of riding from winery to winery, tasting wine at each one. It may have been the most fun day of the year. The company also rented us actual road bikes with clipless pedals, so we felt like the cool tour-ists. I would have loved to spend another day just riding around Napa or Sonoma (parts of which are quite mountainous), stopping in the adorable little towns and gazing at all the grapevines. Then you could do a day or two of riding in the Bay Area - lots of people rent bikes in Sausalito and ride over the Golden Gate Bridge. I've never done this, but my boyfriend has, and still talks about it years later.

Aw, now I'm jealous!

[Xrayted]

Thanks Bad JuJu. I read that one when you posted about it earlier. Because of you, I actually have that one in mind for later next year. This first one I really want to setup on my own though. Just to see if I can do it. Honestly, I don't know why I do these things to myself.

EBD - The outer banks is a great destination. I love it there. I wonder why it didn't occur to me? I've never there been in the spring. Thanks for your suggestion.

Keep 'em coming! We have all month. If you are the quiet type or just don't want it broadcasted for whatever reason, go ahead and PM me. I'd love to hear from as many as possible.

X.

[Trek420]

All this talk of the Blue Ridge Parkway, that is deffinately on my "list of places for my next ride". Tell me more.

[tnbikergirl]

I'm new to the forums but thought I'd jump in here....

I like to 2nd the Outer Banks suggestion. I vacationed there two years ago - stayed in the middle of the islands and biked both directions - it was great!

Also, another 2nd for Womantours. My very first bike tour was with them (several) years ago, and I just signed up for their Glacier NP tour next July (I need something to look forward to to get me through the winter).

Weather will be iffy if you stay in the east, but if that doesn't bother you, there are lots of choices!

[roguedog]

California is nice usually that time of year thought this last year was wet for a long time.

I hear a lot of folks say do Napa and I enjoy wine but Napa is too touristy for me. Though if I'm going to do Napa Jan - mid May is a good time. Less tourists, the pourers are less crazed and actually have time to be civil to you. The mornings are often beautifully foggy, the leaves are yellow and it's quiet. Sun break thru usually in the afternoon.

There are several "off the beaten path" options if you want to mix wine country with your riding. I swear California is going to become one large vineyard!

There are great wineries and great winding trails along the Russian river. Great pinots out there and it's not so main stream. It's a beautful area and it's on the Sonoma side where it's more mellow and earthy. It's gorgeous with hills, woods, the river and riding towards the ocean. Lots of roads to get lost on as well.

Farther norther in Mendocino, the wine region up there is growing. Navarro Vineyards has an awesome late harvest riesling, there great champagne jsut a mile or so down the rode @ Roederer (who's own by the same people who do Kristal). There's also great beer and Mendocino is just gorgeous. Depending on how much you want to break the bank.. I can recommend a few nice places )

To the south, I also love the Santa Barbera area and the Paso Robles area for great wines. Santa Barbera has some some wonderful Rhone varietals.. and contrary to Sideways, I'm not a big lover of their Pinots. Stay in quaint little Los Osos and you can ride into Solvang or into Santa Barbera. Or if your more sophisitcated, stay in Santa Barbera cuz there's lots of wonderful food to entice your wallet and palate!

Another great area is Monterey wine area. I'd stay in quaint little Carmel Valley. From there you can launch to some great wineries: Bernardus, Galiente, Talbot and others. YOu can stay @ Bernardus which is also a spa and the restaurant is pretty good as well

And then.. for the really little know regions.. there's Amador County or Plymouth, Ca where they are making some really interesting wines. They seem to be growing Italian varietals up there in the foothills. There's a wonderful winery called Renwood who makes great zinfandels. And the wineries keep growing up there.

Lastly, there's also wineries in Silicon Valley. The appellation is called the Santa Cruz Mtns. Lots of little mom & pops out here and.. some not so little, like Ridge, Mt Eden, Thomas Fogarty, and David Bruce. All of which are um.. nice hills for you to cut some teeth on!

Obviously, those places that are closer to larger metro areas will probably have some shops(s) that will rent road bikes. For the smaller places.. hmmm maybe when you rent a car, you'd better rent a bike before you head off into the boonies

Um.. ya.. sorry for the long post. Did I say I liked wine.. and drink a little of it?

[SouthernBelle]

You might also look at riding the Natchez Trace. Womantours has one for that but it only covers the bottom part. The Trace is one of those standard rides.

[Xrayted]

CyclChyk - sorry, just caught your post. Vegas huh? Biking in downtown Vegas would be suicide girl. Of course, I could ride at night and not need lights on the bike. It's lit up like daytime 24 hours there. I love old Vegas/Freemont St. area the best. Lot less walking btw casinos. More old school, retro. (my feet were killing me the entire trip) I hear they got the monorail up now in new Vegas. Hmmm... still, I think I'll save Vegas for a different kind of vacation. Thanks, CChyk.

X.

[CyclChyk]

Hmmm... still, I think I'll save Vegas for a different kind of vacation. Thanks, CChyk. X.

Yeh you can definately tell my mind wasn't on cycling when I thought of Vegas..... Free drinks always wins my vote (they don't call me a lush for nothing ). Maybe that will be my vaca this year.........

[mtbdarby]

X - sure you want to do this alone? I'm starting to salivate over here thinking this would be so much fun! Doing a bike tour of California wine country would be my preference though **hint, hint***