MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

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Cycle the Erie: 400 Miles & 400 Years of History Flow By on Canalway Bike Tour Across New York State

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Active Travel, bike trips, camping trips, cycling trips, Historic Places, New York State tourism, Responsible Travel

Parks & Trails NY Gets Set for 21st Annual Cycle the Erie Tour; Advocates for Trails Across NY

June 21, 2019 MoralCompass

*Parks & Trails NY is hosting the 21^st annual Cycle the Erie ride, along the 360-mile scenic and historic Erie Canalway* © *Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

One of the best bike tours on the planet is in our own backyard: the annual Parks & Trails NY Cycle the Erie Canal ride, eight-days, 400-miles and 400 years of history, from Buffalo to Albany, a fully supported biking and camping trip (you can even hire Comfy Campers to set up your tent).

The ride raises money and awareness for advocacy for new trail development and this year’s ride will highlight new trails that take the riders off the roadway – this year, cyclists will ride a new stretch west of Lockport in the town of Pendleton and a gorgeous new trail between Amsterdam and Pattersonville (so you no longer bike on the highway). Some 550 riders are expected this year, its 21^st annual Cycle the Erie ride, taking place , July 7-14; Parks & Trails NY is still accepting registrations ($925/adult, 6-17 $545, 5-and under $280, ptny.org)

The organization’s key focus now is to build upon the state’s plan for 750-miles of off-road recreational trails – the 360-mile long Erie Canalway, plus Empire State Trail, north-south mixed-use, off-road trail system that will fully connect New York City to Canada.

The plans are already in place for the Empire State Trail to be completed by the end of 2020. In 2019, PTNY launched Trails Across New York Campaign, to build off the momentum of the Empire State Trail’s planned completion in 2020 and support ways to turn the statewide trail system into a true network, connecting local trails with the main spine of the Empire State Trail, including Long Island, “and cementing New York’s position as the nation’s leader in multi-use trails.”

Legislation is currently pending in the NYS Assembly (A. 5035B) (S.4416B has already passed the NYS Senate) would create a statewide multi-use trails plan. This important bill would direct the state to come up with a blueprint for future trails development, helping to turn our local trails across the state into a unified network of trails with major spines and connecting routes, ensuring all parts of the state have access to quality outdoor active recreation on trails.

The Senate version has already passed; the Assembly version is in Ways & Means, which directs the State Parks department to strategize and prioritize filling in the trail gaps. Though it was considered possible for the Assembly to pass its version by the June 19^th close of session, if it languishes to the next session, progress will not be lost. Parks & Trails was urging people to contact their state legislator to ask them to cosponsor the legislation and to make sure that the legislation is brought up for a vote before the legislature adjourns for the year.

“Trails Across New York envisions a future in which all New Yorkers will be located only minutes from a trail and ideally will be able to access that trail easily and safely by walking or bicycling. Throughout the state, trails, bicycle boulevards, and Complete Streets will be acknowledged as essential and mainstream elements of community infrastructure, much as utility lines and sidewalks are thought of today.”

PTNY notes that New York State’s trail-rich and trail-friendly reputation will attract visitors from across the nation and abroad to experience the historic communities and varied and beautiful landscapes accessible through the state’s trail network.

Trails offer a wide range of benefits, including stimulating local economies, PTNY notes. The Erie Canalway Trail alone has an estimated annual impact of more than $250 million, and has created close to 3,500 jobs. New York’s outdoor recreation economy annually generates $41.8 billion in consumer spending and supports 313,000 jobs.

See Cycle the Erie series on goingplacesfarandnear.com:

Cycle the Erie, Day 1: In Lockport, See Erie Canal Engineering Marvel, ‘Flight of Five’, Cruise Thru Double Locks, and Go Underground to Fathom Rise of Industrial Revolution

Cycle the Erie, Day 2-3: A Sequence of Charming Canaltowns, Pastoral Landscapes, Punctuated by City Birthed by ‘Mother of Cities’

Cycle the Erie, Day 4: Seneca Falls to Syracuse, Crossing Halfway Mark of 400-Mile Biketour

Cycle the Erie, Day 5: Deep Dive into The Erie Canal: ‘Mother of Cities’, Empire Builder, Wonder of the World

Cycle the Erie: At Fort Stanwix, Rome, Time Travel Back to America’s Colonial, Native American Past

Cycle the Erie, Days 6-7: Erie Canal Spurs Rise of America as Global Industrial Power

Cycle the Erie, Days 7-8: Schoharie Crossing, Mabee Farm, Cohoes Falls to Finish Line in Albany of 400-Mile BikeTour

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Active Travel, bike trips, cycling trips, European travel, Uncategorized

Tourissimo and Ride & Seek Announce New Cycling Tour Exploring Italy’s ‘Boot’ – Puglia

March 17, 2019 MoralCompass

*A new cycling tour being offered by Tourissimo and Ride & Seek as part of their PLUS Tours series highlights two UNESCO sites – Alberobello and Matera*

(Turin, Italy) – Situated between the blue waters of the Adriatic Sea and the forests and mountains of Basilicata, Puglia offers a landscape of beguiling views, ancient olive groves, and UNESCO sites. This new cycling tour being offered by Tourissimo and Ride & Seek as part of their PLUS Tours series highlights two of these UNESCO sites – Alberobello and Matera. The former is known for its trulli, whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs, whilst the latter for its cave dwellings built into the calcareous rock. Guests will cycle the road-less-traveled with average daily rides of 40 km, and spend evenings dining on gourmet cuisine and fine wines.

“From the Adriatic Sea to the stones of Matera, this Puglia tour explores the most beautiful riding destinations in Southern Italy,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds. “We will cycle rolling landscapes carpeted with olive groves, vineyards, whitewashed hill towns, fishing villages, and thousands of trulli.”

The trip starts in Savelletri with fig trees, blooming cacti, and herb gardens offering delightful fragrances. Guests will ride through one of the gems of Puglia: the Valle D’Itria. Its wooded slopes, vineyards, and endless olive groves are punctuated by the coned roofs of trulli.

“While many regions of Italy boast of having the best food in the world, Puglia could claim this title due its simple preparations that allow the true flavors of the food to stand out,” said Beppe Salerno, Co-Founder of Tourissimo. “But the charm of Puglia is rooted in the people themselves. Their hospitality is renowned throughout Italy.”

Tour Highlights:

Touring Matera where the 2016 remake of Ben-Hur was filmed
Discovering the white-washed town of Ostuni and the beaches near the fishing village of Savelletri
Visiting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Alberobello & Matera
Riding among the orchards and trulli of Valle d’Itria
Attending a demonstration by a master cheese maker
Exploring the Greek Ruins of Egnazia
Lodging in the award-winning Sextantio Hotel

The trip is scheduled for October 10-17, 2019 and starts at $4,195.

For more info, visit https://www.rideandseek.com/tour/puglia-the-best-of-southern-italy/.

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Adventure Travel, Asia/Pacific travel, bike trips

Explore Laos by Bicycle with Grasshopper Adventures

February 21, 2019 MoralCompass

On Grasshopper Adventures’ 8-day cycling tour, guests pedal past karst mountains, alongside rivers, and through remote hill tribe villages.

(Bangkok, Thailand) — With its dense forests, limestone caves and seemingly endless waterways, Laos is a dream destination for intrepid travelers seeking an off-the-beaten-track corner of Asia. On Grasshopper Adventures’ 8-day cycling tour, guests pedal past karst mountains, alongside rivers, and through remote hill tribe villages. They boat down the Mekong River, hang out with Buddhist monks, take cooking lessons, learn about rice wine making, and visit both bear and elephant conservation sanctuaries.

“This tour gets people away from the large infrastructure works that are being undertaken throughout much of the country and closer to what Laos is all about, the villages, the tribes and the natural environment,” said Grasshopper Adventures founder Adam Platt-Hepworth.

The cycling offers nice variety, including back roads and quiet highways. There are some short, manageable climbs, but the stunning views and Hmong village scenery are ample rewards for the effort. Most days include undulating terrain, with a fair share of flat pedaling along winding river roads.

“When not exploring by bike, we make use of boats for some added variety,” said Platt-Hepworth. “There is a good mix of on and off-bike activities with a number of free afternoons to spend at your leisure, be it enjoying some R&R or delving deeper into the environment.”

Tour highlights:

Exploring Mekong Elephant Park
Taking Laotian cooking lessons
Boating down the Mekong River to see river/village life
Touring sacred Pak Ou caves filled with thousands of Buddha relics
Experiencing the traditional Monks Alms ceremony in Luang Prabang
Cycling to Wat Xieng Thong, one of Laos’ most important monasteries
Seeing how silk is made at Ock Pop Tock
Learning about rice wine making
Visiting the Free the Bears enclosure
Partaking in massage and yoga a luxurious resorts

The trips starts at $2,600 per person double and include 195 km of moderate cycling from Muang Xa to Luang Prabang. For more information, visit https://www.grasshopperadventures.com/en/scheduled-tours/lao-lao.html.

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bike trips, Where to Travel Next

11 “Pin”-Worthy Trips for 2019

February 8, 2019 MoralCompass

Melk Abbey, the size of a city and a cultural and spiritual center, is one of the fascinating attractions visited on a Passau-Vienna Danube Trail self-guided bike tour, booked through biketours.com. Bike tours are a leading trend, based on Pinterest pins © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Taking clues from Pinterest’s most popular searches, top travel trends for 2019 are bike tours (my favorite), out-of-the-way towns, less-traveled islands and divine, derelict and dilapidated castles. Here are 11 trips that will help you turn these oft-pinned ideas into reality.

Bike the Orient Express: Cycle in the tracks of Europe’s iconic long-distance train connecting Paris and Istanbul on TDA Global Cycling’s Orient Express tour. Follow the Danube Cycleway from Germany to Hungary and climb into Romania’s Carpathian Mountains along the way. (https://tdaglobalcycling.com/orient-express)
Hot Springs and Huts: Trek from hut to hut, past hot springs and through colorful rhyolite mountains on Iceland’s Laugavegar trail with Adventure Life. Guides will lead guests through one of the largest geothermal zones in the world on the way from Landmannalaugar to the glacial valley of Thorsmork. (https://www.adventure-life.com/iceland/tours/12214/iceland-trek-landmannalaugar-to-torsmoerk)
Three Islands Ride: Ride & Seek’s 3 Islands tour hops from the mountains and fishing villages of Corsica to the cliffs and coves of Sardinia to the farmland and volcanoes of Sicily, taking in cultural and culinary traditions by bike. (https://rideandseek.com/tour/3-islands-corsica-sardinia-and-sicily/)
Relaxing Andes Springs: Explore awe-inspiring landmarks in the Ecuadorean Andes like the Mojanda Lakes, Cotopaxi National Park and Quilotoa Crater with SurTrek and spend a night at a resort with pools heated by volcanic hot springs.(https://www.surtrek.com/andes-tours/discovering-the-ecuadorian-andes-tour.html)
Sip and Cycle Spain: Ride through rolling vineyards, an ancient fortress town and colorful fishing villages on a new tour of Spain’s Basque Country and Rioja wine region from Sojourn Bicycling & Active Vacations. Off the bike, there’s time to taste wine, savor bite-size pintxos and explore sunny beaches. (https://gosojourn.com/bicycle-tours/rioja-basque-country-spain-bike-tour/)
Remote Island Catch: More than 500 nautical miles from the Seychelles’ main island, find remarkable saltwater fly fishing with at the Astove Island Lodge with Frontiers. Cast for big GT’s that rule the island, as well as bonefish, permit, barracuda, triggerfish, tuna, wahoo, sailfish and marlin. (https://www.frontierstravel.com/astove-island-lodge)
Big Sky Skiing: Big Sky, Montana, has one of the largest ski resorts in the country, but the town of less than 3,000 on the edge of Yellowstone still has few lift lines. Rent a slopeside home at Moonlight Basin for easy access to 5,800 acres of terrain. (https://www.moonlightbasin.com/)
Hot Springs Biking: Join Grasshopper Adventures’ Stunning Shikoku tour in Japan and ride through a land where Shinto shrines and Buddhist monasteries overlap with modern wonders, soaking tired legs in traditional onsens along the way. (https://www.grasshopperadventures.com/en/scheduled-tours/stunning-shikoku.html)
Riverside Castles: Travel down the Rhine and Danube Rivers on Riviera River Cruises’ Cruise the Heart of Europe itinerary and see castles in ruins atop towering valley sides and still standing, overlooking cities and towns such as Nuremberg, Melk, Bratislava and Budapest. (https://www.rivierarivercruises.com/cruise-the-heart-of-europe)
Small-Town Cowboys: Outside the small town of Ten Sleep, Wyoming, play cowboy at Red Reflet Ranch, spending the day riding horses, shooting, herding cattle and learning the ropes, then sitting down to a gourmet meal before retiring to a luxury chalet. (https://red-reflet-ranch.net/)
Chef-Led Cycling: Cycle through rolling hills with endless vineyards and past ancient castles and hilltop hamlets in Italy’s Piedmont with Tourissimo and learn about local cuisine with guest chef Mary Sue Milliken, a Julia Child Award winner. (https://www.tourissimo.travel/chef-tours/piedmont)

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, Cultural Travel, cycling trips, Historic Places

Ride & Seek Announces 990-Mile Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” Cycling Tour

November 28, 2018 MoralCompass

Ride & Seek ‘s nearly 1,000 mile Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” epic cycling adventure includes five capitals and five distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world.

(Provence, France) – Ride & Seek is introducing a new Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” epic cycling adventure that includes five capitals and five distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world. This nearly 1,000-mile bicycle tour begins in Berlin where the fall of the Berlin Wall signaled the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. The trip travels from north to south along some of the best cycling routes Europe has to offer, weaving its way south through Western Europe and what was once part of the Soviet Union. It is offered in two stages– Berlin to Prague over eight days and Prague to Budapest over 11 days. The “Iron Curtain” tour is slated for August 18 – September 4, 2019, and starts at $8,318 USD. To view the full tour, visit https://rideandseek.com/tour/iron-curtain-berlin-to-budapest/.

“This exciting new Berlin-to-Budapest tour crosses the divide between communism and democratic capitalism,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds. “The history on the tour is still palpable and it is unlike our other historic cycling adventures in that the collapse of the Iron Curtain was witnessed real-time by the majority of our guests.”

Guests will cycle past palaces and through Sorbian villages to the Polish border. In the Czech Republic, they will ride through the romantic countryside of the Czech Middle Mountains and follow the banks of the Elbe River. Bohemia provides peaceful cycling interspersed with beautiful castles, medieval and renaissance towns surrounded by monumental walls. Biking close to the Austrian border, riders will pass well-preserved fortifications from the beginning of WWII. In Austria, they’ll cycle along wooded hillsides and through green meadows onto the Danube River and into Vienna on beautifully kept cycle paths.

From one capital to the next, guests will follow the blue waters of the Danube River past the luxurious palaces of the Viennese nobility to Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava. The group will continue through Hungary to the baroque city of Györ, and then travel through rolling hills famous for its racehorse studs before returning to the Danube River. The last day will include a ride along one of the most scenic parts of the Danube, where the river enters steep hills, creating stunning meanders into the lively heart of Budapest.

“For those who enjoy beer, this trip will not disappoint,” said Reynolds. “Each of the countries we travel through will tell you their beer is the best in the world, but you will have to make up your own mind.”

Iron Curtain Bike Tour Highlights:

Seeing the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie

Cycling along the rivers and canals that cover much of Eastern Germany

Following the Oder-Neisse River along the Polish border to Görlitz, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities

Rolling through the castle-and-fortress-filled Czech Middle Mountains along the banks of the Elbe River

Exploring Telč, a jewel of the Czech Republic and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Drinking the world’s best beers: German wheat beers, Czech pilsner, Austrian lager and Hungarian ales

Touring Budapest, an architectural and historical treasure trove along the Danube

Sampling Austrian schnitzel, Viennese-style coffee, chocolate Sachertorte cake, Hungarian Goulash, and German bratwurst.

Ride & Seek is a worldwide adventure cycling company offering historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural immersion. Cyclists not only see and ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but also visit some of the most spectacular sites as well. Providing a cultural insight into the areas both historically and gastronomically is central. Historical journeys and cultural adventures are specialties. www.rideandseek.com.

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, cycling trips

Pedal from Arctic Coast to Panama Canal on TDA Global Cycling’s North American Epic 8,750-Mile Bike Tour

October 13, 2018 MoralCompass

*North American Epic Monument Valley. TDA Global Cycling’s North American Epic tour in 2019 covers 8,750 miles in 5 1/2 months; shorter segments are available (Courtesy TDA Global Cycling )*

TORONTO – Pedal from Canada’s Arctic Coast over the Rocky Mountains and across the Southwest U.S., down the Baja California Peninsula and deep into Mexico, then through six Central American countries to the Panama Canal on a new route for TDA Global Cycling’s North American Epic tour in 2019. Covering 8,750 miles in 5 1/2 months, the North American Epic truly is TDA’s most epic bicycle expedition. The full tour begins July 4 and ends Dec. 15, 2019, starting at $24,900 per person based on double occupancy, with shorter sections available from $1,900 for nine days.

Starting from Tuktoyaktuk on Canada’s Arctic Coast, riders will depart along the first all-season road out of the community, traveling through tundra and historic gold rush towns, down the Alaska Highway and over the famed Icefields Parkway. Across the U.S. border, they’ll climb the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, then continue past Yellowstone to the red rock arches, canyonlands, buttes and mesas of the desert Southwest. After entering Mexico, riders will find sunny seaside towns in Baja California, ferry across the Sea of Cortez and turn inland, then pass highlands and heritage sites from Mexico City to Oaxaca and Chiapas. Finally, riders will take in views of volcanoes and Pacific surf through six Central American countries, before crossing the Panama Canal as they arrive in cosmopolitan Panama City.

Along the way, the North American Epic will also present riders a variety of cultures to experience, from Inuit communities in the Arctic to indigenous hospitality in Chiapas, and the possibility of wildlife to watch, from moose, bison and bears in the Rockies to crocodiles and snakes in the Costa Rican rainforest.

TDA Global Cycling was established in 2002 after company Founder and Director Henry Gold managed a nongovernmental organization in Africa in the 1980s. Gold envisioned providing inexpensive, rugged mountain bikes as a solution to local transportation needs, funding them through a cycling race. In 2003, the first four-month Tour d’Afrique set a Guinness World Record for the fastest human-powered crossing of Africa. At the same time, the TDA Foundation was set up to give back to communities and raise awareness of bicycles as a means of transportation. TDA Global Cycling now offers 16 long-distance cycling expeditions in over 80 countries on six continents, and it has donated more than 2,300 bicycles in Africa and India through the TDA Foundation and local partners. TDA’s tours are staff- and vehicle-supported, and participants cover 60-70 miles a day. Tours range in length from 10 days to multi-month transcontinental expeditions. In 2015, TDA Global Cycling was chosen best adventure travel company in the world by the Independent Travel Awards.

For more information, visit http://tdaglobalcycling.com/ or call 416-364-8255.

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Ride & Seek Mounts 1,787 Mile Cycling Tour from Barcelona to Rome, in the Footsteps of Hannibal

January 15, 2018 MoralCompass

Ride & Seek offers an opportunity to cycle Hannibal’s route, 1,787 miles from Barcelona to Rome.

Sydney, Australia– Ride & Seek offers intrepid cyclists a chance to follow in the footsteps of the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca, on a 1,787-mile fully guided cycling tour through Spain, France, and Italy. The 28-day journey takes riders over the Pyrenees, Alps and Apennines on roads featured regularly in the Vuelta a España, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia bike races. Cyclists will embrace cultural and historical elements of Catalonia, Languedoc, Provence, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria, including culinary delights, as they meander down roads less traveled.

The “Hannibal Expedition” is divided into two distinct stages, and guests can choose to participate one or both of them. The tour is slated for September 2-30, 2018 and starts at $6,540.

Stage 1 – Barcelona to Alba (968 miles, 16 days): Starting in Barcelona guests will cycle up through Cataluña and over the Pyrenees mountain range. The crossing of the Pyrenees is obviously a tough undertaking but the route doesn’t tackle the highest peaks, which makes this stage a relatively relaxed introduction to what’s ahead. Guests enter France through the lovely town of Ceret, which was once home to Picasso, before continuing through the beautiful French countryside of the Languedoc-Roussillon. The second part of stage 1 provides an opportunity to take on a number of iconic climbs – Ventoux, Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, Agnel and Izoard among others.

Stage 2 – Alba to Rome (818 miles, 14 days): Stage 2 takes riders across the spine of Italy – the Apennines – and through a landscape of vines, castles, agriculture, and beautiful hill towns. Starting in Piedmont, riders will traverse the spectacular Oltrepo Pavese and head into Emilia Romagna. From Pisa, guests venture farther into Tuscany through what can only be described as picture postcard scenes en route to Rome.

“This tour offers total immersion into the landscape, history, and culture as we ride an inspirational trail on the roads less traveled,” said Ride & Seek President Dylan Reynolds.

“This is a fully-supported/guided expert tour. One of the benefits of keeping the group size small (a dozen or so) is that it enables us to stay in the smaller, family-run establishments that add to the authenticity of the travel experience we hope to provide. We have carefully selected the places we stay in based on their ‘personality’ and the hospitality of the hosts. Be it a parador in Spain, manoir in France or agriturismi in Italy, we seek to connect you with the places we travel in, through the accommodations we choose. We go by the mantra of selecting the best available accommodation wherever we stay but in saying that we also look to avoid the generic luxury chain hotels. Invariably our more eclectic choices such as a deconsecrated monastery in Tuscany where the English Patient was filmed, or a balsamic vinegar producer in Emilia Romagna are highlights of the trip for many of our guests.”

The company has partnered with Lynskey, considered pioneers in handcrafted Titanium production for its fleet of Sportive bikes. On the carbon front, the company offers De Rosa bikes with electronic (di2) shifting and the ever-popular Specialised Roubaix. For those looking for a less aggressive cycling option, flat bar titanium bikes are available as well as Bosch pedal-assist bikes to make the hills a little easier!

“We put a lot of emphasis on ensuring that our guides are up to the task of providing a safe, informative and fun cycling adventures. We are all serious cyclists but we are also archaeologists, journalists, wine specialists, linguists, and historians. We offer a true insight into the areas we guide and travel. By selecting guides who have local knowledge of the places we travel through, as well as varied skill sets, we feel that our guide teams are able to offer a deeper and more rounded experience than many of our competitors.”

Ride & Seek (www.rideandseek.com) is a worldwide adventure cycling company offering unusual historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural immersion. The tours are designed so cyclists not only see and ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but also visit some of the most spectacular sites. “Providing a cultural insight into the areas we visit both historically and gastronomically is central to what we do. Historical journeys and cultural adventures are our specialties.”

For information, visit http://www.rideandseek.com/epic/hannibal.
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bike trips, Cultural Travel, cycling trips

Imagine Cycling in the Footsteps of Julius Caesar: Ride & Seek Unveils 33-Day, 2,929K London-to-Rome Bike Tour

October 5, 2016 MoralCompass

*Ride & Seek has unveiled a cycling tour of historical proportions: tracing the footsteps of Julius Caesar on a 33-day, 2,929 km journey from London to Rome.*

(Sydney, Australia) — Ride & Seek has unveiled a cycling tour of historical proportions: tracing the footsteps of Julius Caesar on a 33-day, 2,929 km journey from London to Rome. Split into two stages, the “Caesar Expedition” traverses England, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy on a historical, gastronomic and cultural excursion. Crossing waterways, vine-clad hills and mountain passes, this is the only tour of its kind being offered today. The two-stage Caesar Expedition is slated for June 3, 2017 to July 5, 2017 and starts at $14,276 USD for the full tour or $7,405 USD for a 17-day stage.

“Caesar is considered by many historians to be the foremost figure in Western civilization,” said Ride & Seek Co-Founder Dylan Reynolds. “Our journey with him begins at the farthest northern point he reached as the first Roman invader of Britain, and ends in Rome, the city he eventually ruled as dictator and was assassinated in 10 years later.”

Starting in London, riders head to the white cliffs of Dover before traversing the channel into France by boat. The cycling route through France includes the Champagne region and into the gastronomic heartland of Burgundy. From there, guests ride alongside Lake Geneva in Switzerland and over to Italy.

“The culinary delights on this epic tour include delicious truite ardennaise, boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin to name just a few,” said Ride & Seek Co-Founder Sam Wood. “It’s fascinating that these regions now famous for fine wine and food were once the bloody battlefields of Caesar’s epic Gallic Wars.”

The route through Italy heads towards the picturesque northern lakes of Como and Maggiore before moving up towards the stunning limestone peaks of the Dolomites. From that point on, riders experience a bit of respite descending down to Venice and along the Adriatic coast. After crossing the mythical Rubicon, once marking the boundary between Roman controlled Italy and Cisalpine Gaul, the route heads inland through the more rugged regions of Abruzzo and Molise, before heading due east to Rome.

“We’ll enjoy some relief from the hills as we follow the Adriatic Coast before heading inland to the Via Amelia and crossing the Rubicon as Caesar did uttering those fateful words, ‘The die is cast’, as he descended on Rome ,” said Wood.

For more information, visit www.rideandseek.com/epic/caesar.

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Ciclismo Classico Introduces New Week-Long Cycling, Hiking Tour of Nova Scotia

August 10, 2016 MoralCompass

(Arlington, MA) – Ciclismo Classico has unveiled a new week-long cycling and hiking tour of Nova Scotia. Guests will enjoy scenic rides and hikes amid pristine beaches, marshland, quaint villages, and beautiful vineyards.

Highlights include absorbing the region’s history at UNESCO World Heritage Sites; cycling a variety of picturesque paved roads and trails; wildlife viewing opportunities; exceptional local cuisine and fresh seafood; and four-star accommodations. This intermediate cycling tour averages 29 miles per day. Prices start at $2,795 and the departure date is set for September 19-25, 2016.

“Quiet coastal roads, delicious local food, colorful fishing villages and fertile farmland combine to make Nova Scotia a hidden gem for cyclists,” said Ciclismo Classico Founder Lauren Hefferon. “There’s no bonding experience like hitting the pavement or a well-maintained trail and digging into scallops, fresh lobster and other fresh seafood at the end of the day.”

For more information, visit http://ciclismoclassico.com/trips/nova-scotia-bike-tour/.

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