Overview

Bike amidst the yellow, orange and red hues of autumn. Pedal on traffic-free country roads past immaculate horse and cattle farms. Visit historic houses along the Hudson including those of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, the Vanderbilt family, Olana, the incredible home of Frederick Church, and the lovely Shaker Museum.  Marvel at the Frank Gehry building at Bard College. Stay in historic country inns and enjoy delicious meals at great local restaurants including the world famous Culinary Institute of America.

Highlights   Bike on peaceful country roads amidst the spender of magnificent fall foliage  Visit magnificent historic houses on the banks of the Hudson  Stop in country towns such as Rhinebeck, Germantown, Copake, Millerton and Kinderhook Stay in lovely country inns and eat at great local restaurants Explore the Shaker Museum in Old Chatham.  Special Features Tour Level: Intermediate and advanced level bikers Terrain: Generally hilly with areas of more gently rolling terrain. Trip has been designed for low or high mileage, to bypass more significant hills and to provide van support to make this trip comfortable to bikers of differing abilities. Average Daily Mileage: 25-45 miles with longer and shorter options available according to individual preferences. Weather: The average high temperature is 62 and the low 40 degrees F. Arrival and Departure: Trip will originate and terminate in Rhinebeck. We will assist with hotel arrangements and local transportation both before and after the trip.

Itinerary

 Day 1: Arrival: Arrive Rhinebeck, meet in the lobby of the historic Beekman Arms at 4:00 pm, fit the rental bikes, and take a short ride around Rhinebeck.  We will then meet in the library of the Inn at 6:30 pm for cocktails and introductions, followed by dinner at the inn.  www.beekmandelmaterinn.com  Meals: (D)

 
Day 2: Rhinebeck to Hyde Park and Visit Historic Houses:  Bike to Hyde Park  and vist the home of Franklin Roosevelt.  Also, you may visit the Vanderbilt and Mills mansions.  Those wanting to ride longer can enjoy the scenic trip to Schultzville and Clinton Corners, home of Clinton Winery that provided the wine for Bill Clinton's inaugurations. (B), (D)

Day 3: Rhinebeck to Hudson: We will ride north along River Road through Bard College with optional visits to the Clermont Estate, Montgomery House and the Frank Gehry building at Bard.  We will continue on country roads to the old towns of Tivoli, where there is a good bakery, and Germantown, both great lunch spots.  We then  bike north on quiet roads to Olana, home of the famous Hudson River painter, Frederick Church, and the small city of Hudson.  This historic town was once a vibrant center of shipping and whaling and is filled with architectural gems.  Now a major antiques center, there are many shops and art galleries lining the main street. We stay at the St. Charles Hotel www.stcharleshotel.com  (B)

 Day 4: Hudson Loop North to Chatham: We leave Hudson, ride through farmland, cornfields, orchards, passing   through gracious 18th and 19th century hamlets to arrive in Old Chatham.  A wealthy rural area graced with stone walls, wonderful old cemeteries and white churches, it is  home to the Shaker Museum, which contains the foremost study collection of Shaker cultural materials, as well as an excellent  collection of furniture and household items,  After visiting the museum, we check out the Old Chatham Sheepherding Co.,  the largest sheep dairy farm in the country, which has great cheese for sale, and lots of animals to look at.  We follow this with a really great lunch at the charming old General Store in the village. We then ride over to Kinderhook, the home of the former President Martin Van Buren (optional visit to his home and /or the Columbia Co. museum}.  Kinderhook is a lovely old town filled with early, elegant houses. Then we pedal along the river and back to Hudson, (B), (D)

 
Day 5: Hudson to Millerton: Today, we bike south past beautifully preserved old barns, tree farms, the long black fences of horse farms and the rolling hills dotted with fall color.  We will stay at Simmons Country Inn. www.simmonsway.com (B), (D) 

 
Day 6: Millerton Loop: We will bike north, partially on a  tree-lined bike path, to Copake Falls, where we can see the Copake Iron Works or hike to a waterfall. You can complete the loop to Millerton along either a relatively flat or a more challenging route. Meals: (B) 

 Day 7: Millerton to Rhinebeck:   Ride through horse farm country, visit a magnificent private garden and enjoy a picnic lunch.  Then, we bike back to Rhinebeck, where we will again stay at the Beekman Arms and enjoy a delicious, farewell dinner at the Culinary Institute of America. (B), (L), (D)

 Day 8: Departure. (B)

 
Making Reservations

 
Please let us know if you would like to make a reservation and send us a deposit of $400 per person to hold the reservation.  Please send the balance of the cost of the trip at least six weeks before the start of the trip.  You can pay by credit card by phone or send a check. Checks payable to Escapades LLC should be sent to 1965 Biltmore Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009.  For information, please call Escapades, 877 880-2453 or 202 232-1532.

 Refund Policy: We will refund all but $200 of your deposit or other payments made to Escapades if you cancel at any time up to six weeks before the start of the trip. Because of hotel cancellation policies and other logistical considerations, we will not refund your deposit or any other payments if you cancel for any reason six weeks or less before the start of the trip. In the unlikely event that Escapades cancels your trip, all payments made by you to Escapades for this trip will be refunded in full.