Trip Overview:
Lake Champlain is the largest lake in the U.S. after the Great Lakes. It is a deep glacial lake and has a multitude of beautiful islands, mostly in its northern section. Burlington, Vermont sits on the lake’s eastern shore; every night features sunset over the lake and the Adirondack Mountains of New York state. It's a vibrant and progressive city, home to the University of Vermont, St. Michaels College and several other small colleges, and one that is very bicycle friendly, with an excellent trail system. Needless to say it features a great craft beer and live music scene. On this tour we will explore some of these lakefront trails and spend the rest of our time on the islands, where we will ride the back roads, have a chance to get on the water, bike to wineries and orchards, and experience exquisite scenic New England.
We spend the first two nights at the downtown Burlington Hilton Garden Inn, one block from the famous Church St. pedestrian mall, which features numerous restaurants, shops and bars/taverns. After sampling this eclectic small city, we'll spend the next three nights at the gorgeous lakefront Shore Acres Inn on North Hero Island, in the middle of Lake Champlain. The Inn features its own gourmet restaurant with an Executive Chef in residence for nearly 30 years, as well as the just-renovated Bravo Zulu lakeside Bar & Grill. Shore Acres offers free use of Paddle Boards, Kayaks and Canoes and features Adirondack chairs and Chaise lounges,Fire Pits, Lawn games, Horseshoes and Shuffleboard. This is truly a late summer getaway with your bike!
Itinerary
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Day 1 - Sunday eveningArrive in Burlington anytime in the afternoon -- Meet at our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Burlington, on Main St. just 3 blocks up from the water and one block down from the Church Street pedestrian mall. We'll begin our introductory meeting at 5:00 pm with snacks and beverages, discuss our itinerary and expectations for the week, and walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner (included).
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Day 2 - MondayWe'll start our week exploring the area of Burlington and South Burlington and finish up the day in the South Burlington "brewery zone". First we'll head south along the lake through some parks into South Burlington, then head inland, tackling some hills, then back north up to tour the campus of UVM, and complete a 13 mile loop with optional visits to any or all of these: the Burlington Beer Company, Switchback Brewery, Queen City Brewery and Zero Gravity Brewery, all within 1/2 mile of each other. We'll be just 1.1. miles from the hotel so non-beer lovers can choose to visit the waterfront or explore the Church St. pedestrian mall.
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Day 3 - TuesdayToday we'll bike 29 miles from our hotel to North Hero Island, where we will spend three nights at the gorgeous lakefront Shore Acres Inn. This time we'll head north on the stunning Burlington Bikeway, again along the shore of Lake Champlain. As we leave the city behind, we'll cycle the Island Line Trail, which is probably one of the most scenic rides you'll ever experience, with the lake on either side and majestic mountains in all directions. We hop on the very short bike ferry to Grand Isle, then we bike mostly back roads to our lodging.
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Day 4 - Wednesday22 - 36 miles - Bike from North Hero Island to Isle La Motte. There are two wineries on the island -- Isle La Motte Vineyard and ZAFA Wines. Circumnavigating the island before returning to Shore Acres Inn would make it a 36 mile ride, while riding just to the first vineyard (Isle La Motte) would be only 22. Different groups could follow different itineraries.
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Day 5 - ThursdayToday is a day to relax and enjoy where we are! The Shore Acres Inn has over 1/3 mile of shorefront with numerous access points for swimming, a dock, kayaks, paddleboards and canoes free to use, cornhole boards, lawn games, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and lots of Adirondack chairs and chaise lounges.
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Day 6 - Friday35 miles – Today we’ll finish the week by heading back south across South Hero and Grand Isle, catching the bike ferry and cycling back itto Burlington the way we came on Tuesday. It's just as spectacular a ride in reverse and a great way to end our stay in lovely Vermont
Pricing
$ 2,850 per person (based on double occupancy)
$840 - Single Supplement (extra price to have your own room)
$150 - Bike Rental (helmet and bike bag included)
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Most of the riding on this tour is on paved roads or bike paths, with the exception of the Burlington Island Line Rail Trail, which has a crushed rock surface. While it is mostly quite smooth there may be some rough patches where narrow road bike tires could struggle. The road riding is mostly on back roads and a few residential streets; traffic won't be a problem
Suggested tire size for this tour: 28mm – 37mm
What's Included:
- 5 nights lodging
- 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Area-knowledgeable and cycling expert tour guides
- Gratuities for included meals and accommodations
- In-ride drinks and snacks
- Van support (mechanical assistance and a ride, if needed)
- Turn by turn navigation via free use of RideWithGPS
- Daily Post-ride informal gathering with snacks & non-alcoholic beverages
Your Travel Plans
This trip starts on Sunday, August 25 and ends on Friday of Labor Day weekend, August 30.
If you are flying into Burlington, use the hotel's free shuttle, it's a quick 3.5 miles. If you are driving, we meet you at the Hilton Garden Inn on Main St. A municipal parking garage located just a few blocks from the hotel will be the most economical option to leave your car for the week.
Your Lodging Plans
Your 5 nights of lodging during the tour is included. If you wish to stay in Burlington the night before the tour begins or the night it ends, it is at your expense and those reservations are your responsibility. Because this is peak season, make any such reservations early!
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding Registration and Credit Card fees: Senior Cycling is adopting WeTravel as our payment platform in order to enable us and our customers to avoid the cost of credit card processing fees, which can amount to $100 or more on just the single rider cost of a trip. When you get to "Payment Method", if you choose "U.S. Checking Account", you'll avoid the 3% credit card processing fee.
