Spend some quality time with classmates and enjoy the beautiful coastline of Rhode Island prior to the formal Reunion. Spend three evenings partying, catching up and reliving the old times in breweries, pubs & taverns along the way.
We'll convene in Providence Tuesday afternoon/evening and spend our first night at the waterfront Hilton Garden Inn at India Point atop Narragansett Bay, which happens to be located right next door to the famous Narragansett Brewery. On Wednesday after cycling south on the gorgeous East Bay Bikepath and visiting Colt State Park, we'll pub-crawl in the quaint town of Bristol and "crash" at the luxurious waterfront Bristol Harbor Inn. On Thursday we'll cycle the east and south perimter of Aquidneck Island, have lunch at CG Station Castle Hill, and stay at the Atlantic Beach Hotel & Suites, overlooking Newport's "First Beach". On Friday we'll van shuttle over the Newport-Jamestown bridge and ride some interior paths and quiet roads, ending up at the Cadet Lodge at Stonington for a celebratory barbecue!
Tour Leaders: Ned Raynolds, Mike Hicks, and Brian Emrich
Included
- 74 miles of riding over 3 days: 18, 24, and 32 miles.
- 3 nights lodging at waterfront accomodations (Hilton Garden Inn Providence India Point, Bristol Harbor Inn, Atlantic Beach Hotel)
- Sag support, shuttles where necessary, in-ride cold drinks & snacks, baggage transfer
- We'll split the bills equally at all meals and food/beverage stops
- Ride-concluding cookout at the Cadet Lodge at Stonington!
Itinerary
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Day 1 - TuesdayArrive in Providence, check in at 3:00 p.m. and gather next door at the Narragansett Brewery. They've got a selection of great beers, wings, pizzas, some seafood dishes & salads.
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Day 2 - Wednesday18.5 miles -- Today we'll ride right out from the hotel following the gorgeous East Bay Bike Path south, enjoying water views more than half the time and end up with a picnic lunch in Colt State Park, right on the bay. Then we'll check in to our luxurious accommodations at the Bristol Harbor Inn and have the afternoon and evening to pub crawl around this quaint little patriotic and nautical town.
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Day 3 - Thursday15 miles. We'll start with a quick 20 minute van ride over the Mt. Hope Bridge ride down to the Newport Polo Grounds, on the east side of Aquidneck Island, which hosts the towns of Portsmouth, Middletown, and Newport. Then we'll saddle up and follow country roads down the quiet side of the Island, arriving at Newport's "First Beach" and then heading over onto the Newport peninsula itself, down past the mansions to Brenton Point, which we'll round and then rendezvous at CG Station Castle Hill for lunch. After lunch we'll head over to circumnavigate Fort Adams and then head back into urban Newport, perhaps stopping for a beverage. We'll get back to our hotel (which we passed on the way) and head next door to Flo's for post-ride festivities.
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Day 4 - Friday32 miles - We'll check out of Atlantic Beach hotel and shuttle the group over the Newport-Jamestown Bridge to the western end of the 7.2 mile Willam C. O'Neill Bike Path. At it's conclusion we'll jump onto local roads and head west culminating with some challenging hills as we approach the storied Cadet Lodge at Stonington, where we'll celebrate our achievement and our four-decades-plus friendships over beers and barbecue. We'll pack the bikes into the trailer and it's just six miles down the road to the Mystic Hilton, where we'll start celebrating all over again with the rest of our classmates.
Difficulty Level: Oh don't be a p***y!
Happily the terrain and distances of the 3 days' riding build and crescendo nicely. The tour’s trails and routes are all paved and suitable for all bicycles. Day 1's East Bay Bike Path is one of the smoothest and most tranquil paths you'll ever ride; after an initial 70 foot climb, it's downhill and flat 18 miles. Days' 2 and 3 riding is on quiet roads with low traffic. There are some minor/rolling hills on Day 2 as we ride down and around the Newport peninsula, while Day 3 starts out flat and culminates with some challenging hills as we bike the last 12 of the 32 mile day to arrive at Stonington Lodge. That beer will taste SO GOOD!!
Suggested bicycle: Touring bikes, road bikes, hybrids
Suggested tire size for this tour: 28mm – 38mm
Costs:
$400 per person (based on double occupancy) - includes 3 hotel stays, in-ride snacks & drinks, van & trailer sag support, ride-concluding barbecue at Stonington Lodge
$250 per person Single Supplement -- non-riding spouse who shares your hotel rooms with you
$50 rental of a standard hybrid bike (I have mostly Treks)
$100 rental of an E-bike (I have many Gazelles and four BMCs (a Swiss brand) -- see the "Bikes & Bike Rental" page on this site
NOTE this is exclusive of meals. To simplify our meals & drinking excursions, I'll pay the tabs and just divide the total into equal shares and bill everyone (Venmo) after the Reunion.
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding Registration and Credit Card fees: Senior Cycling has adopted WeTravel as our payment platform in order to enable us AND you 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. Please see graphic below.
When you get to "Payment Method", if you choose "U.S. Checking Account", you'll avoid the 3% credit card processing fee. You MAY have to actually click on "Add Payment Method" to get the "US Checking Account" to appear (See below). I apologize that this is not as clear and consistent as it could be; I've given feedback to WeTravel.
Your Travel Plans
If you're flying, fly into Providence (T.F. Green airport) and check-in at the Hilton Garden Inn at 3:00 pm Tuesday afternoon.
If you're driving to the reunion, it would be best if you parked in Mystic and took Amtrak up to Providence -- that way your car would be there when we. We may also be able to give you a ride up in the van! We'll talk and make sure everyone's got transportation covered.
Your Lodging Plans
Three nights' lodging from Tuesday through Thursday nights is included. Match up with a classmate roommate and it's $400 each. If you want to share the room with your spouse and she/he shadows us and joins in the festivities it's $250 additional to cover just the cost of the room.
