To help travelers find bicycle friendly lodging,
I've decided to offer a directory of places
to stay that offer at least two of the following
criteria:
- Discounts to cyclists
- Temporary bicycle storage before, during OR
after their stay (describe if covered or secure)
Here's some info about cycling in Lancaster County, thanks to 2 local innkeepers. I've visited this area and can attest personally to it as a great place for cycling. Thanks to the large population of Amish and their delighful, horse drawn carriages, drivers are very courteous to cyclists on the local roads & byways.
In the course of researching one or more trail stories for Pennsylvania, I decided to contact a few innkeepers in regions that seemed like great places to ride. The responses have been so helpful that I wanted to share them here.
Earlier today, I received a suggestion for a future trail to profile on RideTHISbike.com: the Delaware Canal Towpath. Several years ago, I found the Erie Canal Towpath from Rochester New York to Niagara Falls to be an excellent ride, so the Delaware path is certainly worthy of further study. Following are some reasons why.
Following are some of the interesting links I've found that relate to cycling in San Francisco. I'm posting the info because I don't know if all the links will be displayed in the Great City Rides story.
Years ago, I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge.
I remember wanting to enjoy the incredible view
but the chores of driving in traffic dictated
otherwise. Today, I learned that there's a bike
path over the bridge. Cyclists can ride from
Fisherman???s Wharf to the Golden Gate & continue
on to Sausalito, the redwoods and the legendary
mountain biking of Marin County or even take
a ferry right back to San Francisco.
With over 200 miles of bike trails, routes,
lanes & wide shoulders, I think that the next
Great City Ride will have to be about riding
in San Francisco. Stay tuned.
LL
While collaborating with Brian Fletcher on my story concerning cycling in Albuquerque, we cobbled together a ride starting from the airport that would take in many of Albuquerque's tourist attractions. In the process, I realized that some cyclists might want to get to the University of New Mexico more quickly so I asked Brian about riding north from the airport on Girard Blvd. In response, Brian did some field research and reported the following:
Albuquerque, New Mexico is renowned for its pleasant year-round climate. Although located at about the same latitude as Las Vegas, Albuquerque's 5000' high altitude results in mild, dry days & cool nights, making it an enjoyable place to bicycle during any season. Breath taking scenery (the city hugs the western side of 12000' high Sandia Peak), miles of paved, car-free bike trails (such as the Bosque along the Rio Grande River), genuine frontier appeal, a hip college vibe and great air connections all combine to make Albuquerque an excellent, affordable cycling destination.
While doing some final research this morning for my upcoming Great City Rides story on Albuquerque, New Mexico, I ran across Jason Pettus' blog on living in Chicago. Jason got a new bike at the beginning of the summer and has become a bicycle commuter. In the process, Jason's discovered that Chicago can be a great place to cycle and has amassed a small cache of relevant cycling info. Hmmmm. Sounds like Chicago could make a future Great City Ride story... Thanks Jason.
HELP!
Yet again, oil prices have broken another record today, rising to $64/barrel. Have prices reached their peak? Not likely, says Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates. According to an article written by Yergin that appeared on July 31st in the Washington Post, the oil market is "even tighter than it was on the eve of the 1973 oil crisis." Additionally, Yergin predicted that "surprise" events such as political instability, hurricanes, a heat wave, etc. could spur additional hikes.
While looking further into riding the Katy Trail, I was researching how to get to the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River when I happened upon the website for the MetroLink Light Rail system. The MetroLink runs from Lambert field (St. Louis' major airport) into town and beyond, taking about 37 minutes and just $3.00 to reach the Gateway Arch and the riverfront. The Arch is about 400 yards/meters south of the Arch-Laclede's Landing MetroLink station.
While researching the web for a feature I am writing about Missouri's Katy Trail for RideTHISbike.com's Great Bike Trails, I learned that the St. Louis metro area (the eastern terminus of the Katy) offers over 50 biking trails and bike routes.
Earlier today, I received a reply to an email I sent that informed TrailsBC (The Trails Society of British Columbia, a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting hiking & cycling interests in the region) about my feature story on Great Bike Trails about South Vancouver Island. In my email, I asked them to consider placing a link on their site to my story. I was surprised by the Trails BC reply; here is what they wrote:
Joanne at the Cycle Inn emailed me today in regards to my feature story on cycling the great bike trails near Victoria, British Columbia. Her B&B is actually on the Galloping Goose trail and she hosts many cyclists. In fact, she wrote that guests must cross the bike trail to get to the B&B.
Just received a reply from Brian Fletcher regarding a request I sent him to link a future Great City Rides on RideTHISbike.com to his blog about cycling in Albuquerque. Brian offered really detailed info on the trail scene there. His cycling blog is definitely worth a read if you're even remotely considering cycling there.
Kiril "The Cycling Dude" wrote a brief review of RideTHISbike.com on his cycling blog. Kiril & I share the belief that "bike riding is good for you and fun". If you want an idea what a blog about bicycling can be, visit his. The wealth of cycling links and info is amazing.
231 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA. 70112