5 Summer Tours Not to Miss

June 10, 2014

Here are my suggestions for the 5 Adventure Cycling guided bike tours not to miss this summer:

1.  Cycle Montana – Bozeman: 6/21 – 6/28

I don’t know about you, but some of my favorite back roads anywhere in the U.S. are in Montana. Sure, I am biased here at Adventure Cycling, but for very good reason!  Also, my brother-in-law lives in Bozeman, so I visit there often, and I highly recommend it. It’s a very bike- and pedestrian-friendly place and is a great town to have as a start point: lots of good food, breweries, outdoor art exhibits and walks, and unique book stores and shops to visit before and after your tour. This Fully Supported tour takes you on a journey through Ennis and the beautiful Madison River Valley, on to Dillon and up over Badger Pass, continuing over the Continental Divide and returning to Bozeman via historic Butte. All these are one-of-a-kind venues that will definitely stay with you for a long time. You’ll be bitten by the Montana bug, no doubt!

2. Northern Tier, Van: 6/21 – 9/15

This tour is indeed a one-of-a-kind for 2014. The route is running in reverse of the usual route (East to West) which is a first for our guided tours, and it's Van Supported! The tour travels through unique northern places like Niagara Falls, NY, St. Croix Falls, WI, Glacier and St. Mary’s and Lake McDonald, through Whitefish MT, and the Pacific Ocean at Anacortes, WA. Granted it will take up a big chunk of your summer to ride it, but what else could be more fun than to ride across the Northern part of the United States with your new cycling friends, smiling and taking it all in? And there’s still room to sign-up!

3. Portland-Crater Lake Loop: 8/2 – 8/16

Don’t miss this one – two weeks of touring in some of the most spectacular and pristine scenery anywhere. This tour is Self-Contained and it begins and ends in the funky cyclo-mecca of Portland – after touring the city, you’ll head out into the Oregon Cascades, enjoy some relax time at the amazing Crater Lake Lodge and then return to Portland via Amtrak’s Coast Starlight via Klamath Falls. It’s sure to be one of the best bike-camping trips of your life!

4. Family Fun, Minnesota (Paul Bunyan Trail): 8/3 – 8/8

This is a brand new Family Fun tour for 2014 starting just north of Minneapolis with one of our most accomplished leaders at the helm. Minnesota boasts forests, lakes, and trails that are hard to beat. Some of the highlights of this tour include travelling along the Paul Bunyan Trail, which has recently been inducted into the Rail-Trails Hall of Fame and is Minnesota’s longest continuous trail at 112 miles. 

5. Oregon Coast Loop: 8/16 – 8/22

Finally, my personal favorite — this Fully Supported tour starts and ends from the cool university town of Eugene and combines all the best in my opinion: scenic Oregon mountains and river ways, the incomparable Oregon Pacific coastline, stellar beach campsites and scenic areas to explore, the best meals ever (yes, it’s fully catered!) and to top it off, a tour leader who is a native Oregonian and well-versed event director knowledgeable about all things Oregon. Count me in! 

Post by Darrah Rogers |  Top Photo by Curtis Corlew | Middle Photo by Lucas Freeman, courtesy of Bike Around Bend | Bottom Photo courtesy Melissa Boyd 2014

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ON THE ROAD is written by the tours team — Lydia, Darrah, Mike, Mandy, and Arlen — tours specialists and intrepid bicyclists, covering all things related to the Adventure Cycling tours department. Check out our 2014 Guided Tours today!