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Maine Four-Island, 8 Days or 6 Days - July 12-17/19; July 26-31/Aug. 2; Aug. 9-14/16, 2009 "I really have fond memories of our Maine trip. It was one of the nicest rides I have ever been on."
Ellie P., Lake Forest, MI
"This is one of the most wonderful trips I have ever undertaken. I felt surrounded by the beauties of the
"The trip was absolutely fabulous! We loved the routes, the scenery, the food, the accommodations and the other people on the ride. The leaders were warm, knowledgeable and completely supportive. It was wonderful seeing parts of
 Overview
Maine's best bike trip! The perfect introduction to the beauty and culture of mid-coast Maine. On this cruise across islands and along the coast you are never far from the sea and you can bike the entire way. The region offers cool summer breezes and vistas of blue water dotted with colorful lobster buoys, lobster and sailboats and islands of all shapes and sizes. You will pedal on miles of quiet roads on Maine's most exquisite islands and along the beautiful St. George Peninsula. Fabulous biking with lots of Maine activities: kayaking in Camden Harbor, hiking through the "elf forest" and craggy bluffs of Monhegan Island, picnicking on secluded beaches and rock quarries and exploring local art galleries. Stay in charming inns and B&Bs and enjoy delicious meals including a traditional Maine lobster boil.
Tour Level: athletic beginner, intermediate with additional mileage for advanced level bikers Terrain: Generally rolling terrain on lightly trafficked roads. Trip has been designed with different route options to make this trip comfortable for bikers of differing abilities and interests. Average Daily Mileage: 20-35 miles with shorter and longer options available. Weather: The average high temperature is 73 and low 57 degrees F. Activities and Options: Lots of great biking on quiet country roads, kayaking in Camden Harbor, hiking on Monhegan Island, swimming on the beach or in rock quarries, art galleries everywhere and plenty of "lobsta" and great food. Accommodation and Meals: You will stay at the best local inns, hotels and B&Bs that are uniquely Maine. You will enjoy sumptuous meals at the best local restaurants and enjoy a lobster boil on the dock in Vinalhaven. Logistics: The trip begins at the Whitehall Inn in Camden and ends there about 2:00 PM on the last day of the trip. The nearest airport is Portland, Maine and there is an inexpensive and convenient shuttle between the airport and Camden.
Trip Costs: $1,995 for fully supported 8-day trip with a single supplement of $425, $1,695 for fully supported 6-day trip with a single supplement of $375. Trip cost for the 8-day trip includes 7 nights accommodation in quality inns and B&Bs, all breakfasts, four dinners including a tradition Maine lobster boil, two picnic lunches, snacks along the way; two knowledgeable guides, support van, baggage moving, maps and route notes; a ride on the Quick Silver, a reconverted lobster boat, from Islesboro to North Haven; and all ferry fares. The 6-day trip includes most of the above, but 5 nights accommodation and three dinners. Bike rental is about $125 for a hybrid bike and $150 for a road bike and the two-hour kayak trip is $50.
2008 Trip Dates: 8-Day Trip: July 11-19, July 26-August 2, August 9-16; 6-Day Trip: July 12-17, July 16-31; Aug. 9-16
Day 1: Arrival in CamdenYou will arrive at the lovely Whitehall Inn in Camden and enjoy a welcome drink and sumptuous dinner in this lovely port town www.whitehall-inn.com . (D) Day 2: Rockport-Camden LoopThe first day's ride will pass through the beautiful Rockport and Camden harbors and then make a loop exploring the lovely homes in the area and the beautiful surrounding countryside biking on quiet roads. That evening you can explore the restaurants and night life of the charming port town of Camden. (B) Day 3: Camden to North HavenToday you will catch the ferry and bike on Islesboro. This lovely, friendly island, 3 miles off Lincolnville Beach, has 600 year round residents scattered over a terrain of woods, fields and rocky shoreline. The southern tip is the home of some of the most exclusive residences in all of Maine (including John Travolta), but the northern three quarters of the island are much more sparsely populated. You will see small roads winding along the shore, stately summer homes perched on hills above the bay, coves with lobster boats and spindly piers and peaceful villages with trim white houses. Mid-afternoon, you will catch the Quick Silver, a converted lobster boat, and cruise to the Pulpit Harbor and bike into the quaint town of North Haven. You will stay in a beautiful local inn, the Nebo Lodge. www.nebolodge.com. (B), (L), (D)
Day 4: North Haven and Vinalhaven
Today, you will bike on two of Maine's most beautiful and interesting islands.
North Haven, originally the home of fishing, ship building and sheep farming, has increasingly become a refuge for summer homesteaders and now has a winter population of 350 and a summer population of 2,500 people. Lobster fishing is the main domestic industry. You will bike around the island, visit the small town of North Haven, where you can visit the gallery of one of Maine's most famous contemporary artists, Eric Hopkins. Other highlights include the majestic view of the Camden Hills from the north shore of the island, a short hike up to Ames Knob overlooking the Fox Island Thoroughfare and biking over pleasantly rolling hills to the stone beach at the end of Crabtree Point. You will have a picnic lunch on a secluded beach.
After lunch, you will take a five-minute boat ride across the Fox Island Thoroughfare in "Brown's Boat" to Vinalhaven, which has some striking differences from its smaller sister island. Because it is rockier, a sheep industry never developed here and the island is less open and has more tree-cover than North Haven. Historically, the home of a major granite industry, it is dotted with secluded, small quarries, which make ideal swimming spots. It is also a major lobster fishing center and artist colony.
You will bike south across the island and can take a dip in one of two rock quarries along the way. You will stay at the Tidewater Motel overlooking the harbor www.tidewatermotel.com. (B), (L), (D)
Day 5: VinalhavenToday you will enjoy this colorful "Lobster Capital of the World". You will explore this magnificent island on your bike, swim in the rock quarries and/or hike in the pristine Lane's Preserve. In the evening, you will enjoy an old fashioned lobster boil prepared by a Day 6: Rockland, Owls Head, Tenants Harbor, Spruce Head and Port Clyde
First thing in the morning, you will catch the ferry to Rockland on the mainland. Rockland was for many years thought of as a blue collar working town, but with the arrival of the Farnsworth Art Museum has become an important cultural center with art galleries everywhere. There are opportunities to visit the Farnsworth museum and the collections of three generations of Wyeths and the many galleries and shops in Rockland as well as the Puffin and Owls Head Transport Museums. You will then bike around the Owls Head Peninsula stopping at its famous lighthouse and continuing on down quiet roads to the quaint fishing villages of Tenants Harbor and Port Clyde. Along the way, you may wish to stop for lunch on the dock at Millers Lobster Pound, where you can watch the lobstermen bring in their catch. That night, you will stay in a local hotel in the tiny town of Port Clyde and dine on fresh seafood. www.seasideportclyde.com , Meals: (B)
First thing in the morning, we catch the mail boat, The Laura B, for an hour's ride to Monhegan Island. Mohegan is an art colony with spectacular hiking through woodlands and along rocky cliffs with the sound of crashing waves along the shore. On the woodland part of the hike, you will see the "elf homes" created in little nooks and crannies along the way by local residents. You may wish to visit the galleries displaying the works of the many island artists. We will wrap up with a wonderful, farewell dinner in Port Clyde. (B) and (D)
We will bike through Tenants Harbor, South Thomaston, Rockland to Camden and your cars. (B)
Making ReservationsPlease let us know if you would like to make a reservation and send us a deposit of $400 to hold your place. Please send the balance of the cost of the trip at least six weeks before the start of the trip. You can pay either by credit card by 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 202 232-1531 or e-mail tours@bikeescapades.com .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. Miscellaneous : Email a Friend |
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