Bed & Breakfasts:
Waybury Inn, East Middlebury, VT
Normandie Beach Club, Westport, NY
Shoreham Inn, Shoreham, VT
Tour Description:
Lake Champlain, an ancient, glacially formed lake and the 6th largest fresh water lake in the U.S., is situated between Vermont’s Green Mountains to the east and the Adirondack Mountains of New York to the west. The valley that surrounds the lake is magnificent. To watch a sunset from the seat of a bicycle along the Vermont shores of Lake Champlain with the Adirondack Mountains as a back drop, has to be one of the top ten bike rides ever. On our unique bicycle tour, we will get to visit both shores.
Our tour begins in East Middlebury, Vermont at the historic Waybury Inn (1810) used as the backdrop to the opening scenes of the Bob Newhart tv show. The inn is full of country flavor and welcoming hospitality. It may be the cozy pub, the hammock swinging between the maple trees or the timeless rocking chairs on the expansive front porch that you remember most.
Monday morning we will be cycling past small farms and through the villages of Middlebury, Vergennes and Charlotte. Middlebury is a picture-perfect New England college town and home to Frog Hollow, a gallery of artwork by Vermont residents. Vergennes, the smallest city in the US, is home to an impressive opera house. By mid-day we will pass through Charlotte on our way to Lake Champlain. We cross the lake on a ferry bound for New York. Our port of call is Essex, once a bustling ship building town, now a summer vacation destination.
Some call the New York shores of Lake Champlain, the "West Coast of New England", as many of the villages (Essex and Westport being the best examples) lining its shores have retained the charm found in the heart of New England. It is the peaceful tranquility of the coastal Adirondacks that is so charming.
Our home-away-from-home for the next two nights is the Normandie Beach Club, a peaceful and cozy resort on the western shore of Lake Champlain. The rolling grass lawns and 1000 feet of sandy beach invite you to relax, swim, or enjoy the numerous watercraft (kayaking, sailing and water skiing are all available), tennis court or pool. All cottages have views of the lake. We will dine lakeside at the Coco Café. A Parisian chef will delight your palate and fuel your body for the miles to come.
Tuesday you may take a day off and relax beachside or enjoy stunning views from your saddle as we loop north and west, following Lake Champlain and then inland toward the Adirondack Park Preserve. The roads are quiet and lined with pine trees; the villages are sleepy and peaceful. We’ll visit the Adsit Log Cabin (1778), one of the oldest log cabins in the US that still exists in its original location. After riding along the Boquet river, we will return to the Normandie Beach Club for a second night’s stay.
Wednesday we continue our ride around the lake as we head south along hilly terrain to Ticonderoga. Here you may visit the fort, site of many battles of the Revolutionary War and tour exhibits on military history. Our southern Lake Champlain crossing back into Vermont is via a small cable ferry and takes only six minutes.
Our home for the next two nights is the Shoreham Inn in Shoreham, Vermont. Originally built in 1790 as a stagecoach stop, this inn has been a haven for cyclists exploring the southern areas of the Champlain Valley for years. A simple, country style inn, it has been recently renovated by our friendly innkeepers, Dominic and Molly Francis, and features a cozy common area with Gastropub and the irresistible aroma of good home-cooking. Each guestroom has a different theme.
Thursday, we ride through the heart of “the land of milk and honey" — Vermont’s most fertile farmland. Apple orchards, sheep and Holsteins grazing, and small family farms with the Adirondacks as the backdrop, are the vistas of the day. We return to the Shoreham Inn for another night’s stay.
Friday, our final day, we head towards the Green Mountains, passing through the tiny hamlets of Whiting and Leicester. We pass through vast Vermont farmland and by Lake Dunmore where you may want to stop for a swim. If you are feeling adventurous, you can hike to the beautiful Falls of Lana. By day’s end, we will be back at the Waybury Inn where we end the tour.
Special Note:
The Champlain Valley Tour ends by 2:00 pm on the final day. Guests who plan on showering before departure should arrive at the inn by 1:00 pm. Tour leaders will remind all guests.
Level of Difficulty:
Easy to moderate with challenging options.
Meals Included:
5 Dinners
5 Breakfasts
Snacks on the route
Mileage:
Day 1: 33*, 43 & 50 mile options
Day 2: 9, 22*, 35*, 46 & 55 mile options
Day 3: 25, 36 & 52 mile options
Day 4: 32*, 45* & 61 mile options
Day 5: 16* & 32 mile options (bonus hill climb available - adds 10 miles)
*Special mileage note: requires a short van shuttle. Mileage listed is not exact.
Tour Dates:
Summer
June 21-26, July 12-17, July 26-31, August 9-14
Fall $1325
Sept 27-Oct 2, Oct 12-16 (Oct 12-16 is 4-Day Tour, starts Monday, $1095)
Price Per Person:
Summer: $1225
Fall Foliage: $1325
Rental Bike: $100
