If you are looking for the perfect Christmas present, I have a suggestion. Last May when my husband, Ordie, and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary, we gave each other an active cycling vacation to Vermont. However, we did not take advantage of the vacation until October since the plan was to see the Vermont countryside in full fall colors. Friends, Debbie and Vaughn Payne, came along for a fun and spectacular weekend.
The trip began with a flight to Burlington where we were treated with a glimpse of what we were going to witness on the bike. The view of the countryside from the air was brilliant with reds and yellows. We arrived in Burlington on Thursday so we could sp/files/storyimages/some extra time exploring. Thursday night we stayed at a quaint bed and breakfast called the Lang House on Main Street (www.langhouse.com).
OUR GUIDES
Our two guides were 41-year-old Katie White and 23-year-old Karin Edwards. White had been a bike courier in Boston and Edwards recently graduated from college. They were both a delight to be around. I have to admit we were impressed with both of them as they climbed up on a ladder to take the bikes on and off the van roof. One guide drove the van as we rode through the countryside; the other rode with us with a backpack full of goodies should we get hungry.
The guides would get everything ready, from filling water bottles to making sure all the bikes were in good cycling shape, before we began our daily treks. So really all we had to do is ride and eat. The four of us took our own pedals and cycling shoes. The guides even put the pedals on for us. Several people brought their own bikes. One couple, Gordon and Kayla, from Iowa, brought their own tandem in two suitcases. Gordon, who owns a bike shop in Iowa, put the tandem together in about 20 minutes. Very impressive, I must admit.
DAY 1 – FRIDAY
Our vacation started with a pick-up on Friday morning in Burlington where we were bussed to Warren, nestled in the Green Mountain Range, and the site where we were to eat lunch and tour Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory. Did I mention we got free ice cream samples, too? After lunch, we were fitted with our bikes and the trek began. On this day, you could ride either 22 miles or 35 miles. Since the ride began at 2:30, we decided to take the short route so we would have time to stop, take pictures and appreciate the beautiful countryside. When we started our trek, it was raining but as the afternoon continued the rain stopped.
After a day of cycling though the Vermont countryside, we rolled into Stowe, Vermont. We stayed at the Green Mountain Inn, which is over 160 years old. The Inn has been completely restored and was absolutely elegant. In the winter months, Stowe is alive with skiers. After each day of cycling we had a social hour with hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer – all included in the price of the trip. The social provided us an opportunity to get to know the other members of our group and discuss the happenings of the day. We had a very diverse group from California, Iowa, New Jersey, New York City, Massachusetts, Cleveland, Texas, Colorado and Canada. Lunch, a social hour and dinner were provided on the first day. All three meals plus the social hour on the second day and breakfast and lunch on the third day were provided. I felt as though I was eating all the time!
DAY 2 – SATURDAY
After a decadent buffet breakfast at the inn, (I had to try the cream cheese French toast with Vermont maple syrup!), we were off cycling again. The bike trek took us to the historic town of Johnson. Johnson is the home of the Johnson Woolen Mills factory, which had some beautiful wool clothing and other woolen items. We stopped to shop and sample some Vermont maple butter (yum!) and other local foods. (It sounds like we ate all the time, but the saving grace was we were cycling and burning some calories, too). The van was available to carry any items that we purchased so we didn’t have to carry them on the bike.
Back on the bike, we cycled up and down rolling hills and were treated to beautiful Vermont foliage in its spectacular splendor. Our next stop was the historic town of Jeffersonville. At this point, we had cycled about 28 miles. We had picnic lunch and then it was time to see who the really tough riders were.
We could choose to take the 8-mile climb to the top of Smuggler’s Notch or ride in the van to the top. Ordie, Debbie and I chose to ride in the van. I was glad I had made that decision. The cycling lane up was narrow, plus riders had a constant flow of traffic on the left and a drop-off on the right. Not something I could do even if I was in tip-top cycling shape. It would have made me too nervous competing with the traffic and the drop off, too. We were all proud of Vaughn and the other cyclists who braved the ascent. At the top, we became cheerleaders for the cyclists as they arrived. One of the experienced cyclists from California reported that his bike actually lifted up in the front a couple of times due to the steepness of the grade. Once at the top, you could ride down the other side. Not for me either, for the same reasons that I chose not to go up – the traffic, the narrow cycling lane and the very steep ride down.
Back in Stowe, by now there was a cold drizzle so we all headed to our rooms for some R & R and a shower before we met with our group for another social hour and more food! While I was waiting to take my turn in the shower, I decided to take a short run down the most beautiful winding path which was tree lined with brilliantly colored leaves and had a creek winding around the path.
DAY 3 – SUNDAY
The morning started with another buffet breakfast at the Green Mountain Inn. We had a short ride on Sunday – only 17 miles in and around Stowe. It was about 40 degrees when we started our bike trek but the sun was shining brightly. Ordie and I spent a lot of the time taking pictures. Back at the Green Mountain Inn, we checked out of our hotel and were bussed back to Burlington. But, not without one last meal together as a group.
When we got back to Burlington, we overnighted at the Wyndham Burlington Hotel located on Lake Champlain, since we were leaving early Monday morning. After we settled in, I embarked on a short run on the rails-to-trails path, the Island Line Trail, in front of our hotel. It stretches for 13 miles along the lake with six miles of marble causeways across the lake. The path along the lake was absolutely beautiful with streaks of sunlight radiating through the tree-lined path. (Lake Champlain Bikeways has 1,100 miles of trails from Vermont through New York, to Quebec www.champlainbikeways.org).
WHAT’S NEXT?
Since we all had such a great cycling weekend, we have already tentatively planned our next cycling vacation for May 2005. Stay tuned.
Some websites for cycling (and multisport) vacations:
