New tours for 2008:
Water, wine, and the West
by Sarah Clark Allen, Office Manager
It’s here — the moment you seasoned Bicycle Adventures guests have been awaiting: 2008’s brand-spanking-new offerings! The season has some fabulous dishes on the menu: a sumptuous, romantic tour of the award-winning Oregon Wine region, a pair of challenging (but not too challenging!) tours designed for solid riders, and our piéce de résistance — an Epic tour of southern Oregon that takes in everything from Crater Lake to the coast. From burgundies to balloons, from world-class cuisine to world-class cycling, there’s truly something here for everybody.
Oregon Epic Tour
Next year’s Epic tour explores the forested headlands, crystal rivers, and majestic coastline of southern Oregon, capping the week with a stellar ride around Crater Lake. As usual with our Epic trips, this tour is not for the faint-hearted: Mileage will range from 60 to 80 miles a day with plenty of climbing. If you’re up for it, though, this trip will reward you with spectacular scenery and gorgeous roads with hardly any traffic.
This eight-day tour starts on Saturday with a pick up in Portland, then heads south to Eugene where the cycling begins. Our first day’s ride is our easiest, touring the flat farmland in the Willamette Valley. We spend the night in Eugene.
On Sunday we cross the Coast Range, following the Smith River to Reedsport. Most vehicles from Eugene to the coast follow busy Highway 126; our cycling (80 miles for the day) will be on a paved road most locals have never seen. As we head west the dark green forest gives way to a blue ocean horizon.
Monday we ride the Oregon Coast Bike Route 60 miles south to the resort town of Bandon. The pounding Pacific Coast follows our route until the very end, when we turn inland on hilly, forested Seven Devils Road, a fun finish to the day.
Tuesday we continue south along the coast 60 miles to the remote sea town of Gold Beach, at the mouth of the Rogue River, in the heart of Oregon’s “Banana Belt.” Boasting more sun than any other town on the Oregon or Washington coasts, Gold Beach is so far from any major metropolitan area that its gorgeous beaches remain wonderfully uncrowded.
Wednesday we head inland for 80 miles, following the remote Rogue River, one of the original eight rivers included in the 1968 National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. At the top of Bear Camp Pass (elevation 4,450 feet), we’re likely to be the only travelers on the road. We’ll relish the downhill to our lodging near Grants Pass.
Thursday we’ll use our van to shuttle partway toward Crater Lake. We’ll cycle up to the volcanic rim of the lake and spend two nights here, allowing us all day Friday for cycling, hiking and even boating around this gorgeous blue jewel. Bicycling magazine calls Crater Lake one of the most spectacular one-day rides in the country. You’ll see why.
Our last day is an amazing ride from the lake down to the Umpqua River, which Hemingway favored for steelhead. We’ll follow the Umpqua toward Roseburg, then shuttle back to Eugene and Portland.
Departures: August 30 and September 13.
“Challenge” tours offer alternative to Epic
You’re a solid cyclist. You may not set any speed records, but you enjoy being in the saddle most of the day. On our regular tours you love doing the option rides, but the Epic tours seem a bit too much of a good thing. We have great news for you! We’ve designed two new trips specifically for you — one in California, and another in New Mexico.
Both trips began as Epic tours, but we’ve modified them from “definitely challenging” to “challenging but do-able.” These trips are still not for beginners, but they won’t make you cry for mercy, either.
California Challenge Tour
Our California Challenge Tour begins in Santa Rosa and spends eight days in the wine country and on the coast in Mendocino and Bodega Bay. Remote roads connect the two regions, crossing pristine golden hillsides swathed with green oak trees, often giving you the sense that you’re in the middle of a really, really beautiful nowhere.
You’ll have a chance to explore wineries, the artsy coastal town of Mendocino and the Spanish-style plaza in Healdsburg. Lodging and dining are particularly outstanding in this area, as is the scenery, which ranges from vineyards to coastline.
Departures: September 20 and October 11.
New Mexico Challenge Tour
Our New Mexico Challenge Tour spends seven days in the colorful mountains and desert around Santa Fe and Taos. You’ll ride famous routes like the Enchanted Circle and Turquoise Trail, and you’ll hike among the ancient cliff dwellings in Bandelier National Monument.
This tour has a bit more climbing and some longer distances than our regular Santa Fe-Taos tour, and is perfect for an intermediate to advanced cyclist. Bonus: Want to see the spectacular hot-air gala of Albuquerque’s International Balloon Fiesta? Don’t miss our October departure; we’ll provide transportation and entry to the festivities after the tour.
Departures: September 21 and October 5.
Oregon Wine Country
Our new, four-day Oregon Wine Country tour explores an area Gourmet magazine calls “the new Napa,” where gentle cycling mingles with intimate B&Bs and epicurean delights.
The most romantic tour on our menu, this trip spends three nights at a cozy bed and breakfast near McMinnville just big enough to hold our group of four couples and enjoys the outstanding cuisine that has flourished in this region.
Oregon ranks second in the U.S. for number of wineries, as well as in the production of premium wines. Our tour explores the beautiful Willamette Valley, which has a similar climate to the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France. The area is best known for its award-winning Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, but Oregon also produces a wide spectrum of other wines, including Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay.
Peaceful pastureland, evergreen woods and vineyards surround our cycling routes. We’ll average a leisurely 20 to 40 miles per day, with longer or shorter options available. We’ll have lunch at wineries and visit many others in our van on our layover day. You’ll also have a chance to explore Old Town McMinnville’s chic boutiques and, if you so desire, check out the new aviation museum that now houses the “Spruce Goose.”
Departures: June 2 and September 22.