RESERVE
YOUR SPOT
(click
here)
Tour
Highlights:
5 days of biking the beautiful valley, isolated, paved
National Forest
roads, and the Skyline Drive.
Additional dates available for
groups of 6 or more.
Call us for more information.
2008 dates:
June 16 - 20, 2008
Sept. 1 - 5, 2008
2008 Tour Price:
$1300 - 1400/person
Discount
Details, Click Here!
Bike rental: $100.
Single occupancy room
supplement: $325
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Apple
orchards, equestrian estates, and the numerous overlooks of Skyline Drive, provide the setting for this
tour for bicycling enthusiasts. Several
great climbs punctuate our tour the the countryside of northern
Virginia. We'll tackle Massanutten Mountain, a long ridge that
bisects the Shenandoah Valley, and Skyline Drive, one of America's most
beautiful national parks. We will enjoy a different inn each
night, each with a very different personality.
(***Note: We are still offering our fabulous Southern
Shenandoah Tour beginning in Lexington, VA and including
portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Click
here for additional details on that tour destination.)
Day
1:
Meet in Charlottesville, VA ready to bike.
Arrive a day earlier if you'd like to explore this vibrant
university town.
We pedal from town today into the Blue Ridge Mountains that loom
just to the west.
The route will pass beautiful farms in the valley before tackling a
challenging climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. A spectacular
descent takes us into Waynesboro, where we spend the night
at the lovely and spacious Iris Inn.
Day
2:
Rise early for breakfast, then climb back up to the
southern terminus of Skyline Drive (or opt to start the day with a
shuttle.) From there we will bike north on Skyline Drive, a scenic
driving route contained within Shenandoah National Park. Offering
frequent scenic overlooks and a speed limit of 35 mph, this route is
ideal for road cyclists. Today we will be exiting Skyline Drive
with a descent back into Shenandoah Valley. Back roads will take
us to our destination for the evening -- Jordan Hollow Inn.
The inn offers luxurious accommodations on a beautiful equestrian farm.
If you have any energy left, you may opt to take a horseback ride, or
hike the trails on the farm.
Day
3: Biking
away from Jordan Hollow, we will pass through the small town of Luray on
our way to the base of Massanutten Mountain. A steep climb up the
side of the mountain ridge rewards you at the top with sweeping vistas
of the northern Shenandoah Valley. We will bike quiet roads north on our way to
Strasburg. From there, we enter apple country, with lovely
orchards on both sides as we make our way to Winchester, VA. The
night's lodging is in Old Town, convenient to the vibrant pedestrian mall.
Day
4:
Departing Winchester to the east, we will make our way past beautiful
equestrian estates and quiet valley roads as we approach the town of Front Royal to the
south. Front Royal is the northern entrance Skyline Drive.
Fifty miles of climbing, descending and panoramic overlooks entertain us
on our journey to historic Big Meadows Lodge. Skyline Drive is a
result of the vision
of President Herbert Hoover in the late 1920's, and was built as a W.P.A.
project in the 1930's. It is purely for recreational use, both as
a scenic drive, and as the means of access to hiking trails and
campgrounds throughout Shenandoah National Park.
Day
5:
We complete our Skyline Drive experience today by
continuing southward. We'll exit to the east, returning to the
rolling farmland north of Charlottesville. We bike back to the
Hampton Inn, where showers will be available prior to departure.
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Lodging:
Optional
Nights before or after tour: Hampton
Inn & Suites, Charlottesville at the University,
Charlottesville, VA. We will meet and return to
this inn. With all of the conveniences of a typical Hampton Inn,
this one is located in a vibrant neighborhood that is walking distance to
both the historic downtown pedestrian mall and the UVA campus.
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Night
1: Iris
Inn, Waynesboro, VA. Dave
and Heidi Lanford welcome you to this modern facility nestled on 11
wooded acres, on the west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rooms
are spacious and graciously appointed. There is plenty of room to
spread out on the covered porches, back deck, and great room. |
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Night 2: Jordan Hollow
Inn, Stanley, VA. You’ll love the spacious yet cozy
rooms, all with mountain views and their own individual personalities.
All accommodations offer whirlpool, soaking or thermal-massage tubs,
private baths, air-conditioning, fireplaces, refrigerators, flat screen
Plasma TVs, DVD players and more.
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Night 3: The
George Washington Hotel, Winchester, VA. This historic
hotel is located a short walk from
everything in historic downtown Winchester, Virginia, at the north end of the Shenandoah Valley.
Newly renovated by the Wyndham corporation, it will offer the charm,
grace and sophistication of the past while featuring modern amenities
for the 21st century. Superior accommodations are paired with the finest
service.
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Nights
4: Big
Meadows Lodge, Skyline Drive, VA. Located at 3,510 feet
above sea level Big Meadows offers perfect views of the picturesque
surroundings that have drawn visitors to Shenandoah National Park for
generations. The original lodge was built in the late 1930's by the
Civilian Conservation Corps. private contractors, and mountain labor
using stones cut from Massanutten Mountain, making this resort not only
a relaxing getaway but also a historic novelty.
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Cycling:
This
tour is a roadie's dream, and is appropriate for intermediate or advanced bicyclists.
We recommend modern road bikes,
preferably with triple chainrings or large rear cogs to tame the hills. All biking
is on asphalt roads except for a few very short sections of packed
gravel. Distance options each day range from 50 to 80 miles, with optional side routes available to add
on miles, and designated shuttle opportunities to shorten miles and cut
out the biggest climbs. Terrain is a mix of rolling hills and strenuous
climbs. The scenery is very beautiful and diverse, including
valley farms, forested mountains, and Skyline Drive.
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Getting to the Tour Start
(Lexington, VA):
Airports:
Charlottesville Albemarle Airport is just north of town. http://www.gocho.com
US Airways Express, United Express, Northwest Airlines, and Delta Connection provide non-stop service to
six major connecting cities.
Ground Transportation:
Several car rental agencies are available at the airport. Hampton Inn offers a complementary ground shuttle
from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Driving: Charlottesville is located I-64. It is 62 miles from
Richmond, VA, 116 miles from Washington, DC, 241 miles from Raleigh, NC, and
544 miles from Atlanta, GA.
Timing: We bike away from
Charlottesville on the first morning of the tour. Try to arrive there no later than
9 a.m., 8:45 a.m. if you are renting a bike from us. Departure time from
Charlottesville on the last day will be around 3 p.m.
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Note:
Carolina Tailwinds reserves the right to make alterations to the
itinerary as needed. Any changes made will maintain or enhance the
quality of the tour.
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