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 A
6 day bicycling tour of Berkshire County, Massachusetts for only $895 !
Thursday,
September 4 - Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A tour of the best rides in the Berkshires
that won't bust your budget! 5 nights,
6 days at two Berkshire County Massachusetts inns, touching also on
Vermont, New York State, and Connecticut. The average ride distance is about 40 miles, with rolling hills in the south Berkshires and longer climbs with moderate grades in the north Berkshires. For intermediate to advanced cyclists. Two guides, with van support
only as needed.
 Sunday, Day 1, Egremont warm-up:
We check in at the Days
Inn in Great Barrington, Massachusetts at 2 pm. As soon as possible we'll head out for a ramble along the back roads of North Egremont, South Egremont and
Alford. Dinner will be on Railroad St. in Great Barrington, a
trendy downtown just a couple of blocks away!
 Monday, Day 2, Mill River and Umpachenee Falls: Today's ride takes us along the flat flood plain of the Housatonic River through Sheffield farmland to Umpachenee Falls, and lunch at the Southfield General Store. Take time to visit the fascinating Buggy Whips Antiques . We return through the hamlet of Mill River and enjoy an exhilerating downhill ride back to the Housatonic River, a total of about 30-45 miles before returning to the
Days Innn in Great Barrington.
 Tuesday, Day 3, Tyringham :
Today's 40 mile ride takes us through Lee, Stockbridge, Monterey, and the
Tyringham Valley,with a stop at Santorella, "The Gingerbread House".
We return to the Inn through Stockbridge, taking Monument Mountain
Road and a wonderful downhill ride back to town.
 Wednesday,
Day 4: Alford and West Stockbridge: Today's ride takes us
through tiny Alford and West Stockbridge, and a ride
along the rapids of the Housatonic River to the town of Housatonic.
There are many great places you'll want to visit. We often take a break from the 2 mile moderate
climb out of West Stockbridge for a walk through the Berkshire Botanical
Garden.
Today's ride is about 35 miles, leaving time to stop in on the way home or return by car to the Norman Rockwell Museum.
After returning to the Days Inn, we depart in our cars and the Bike
New England van for the Maple Terrace Motel in
Williamstown, Massachusetts,
which hosts us for the next two nights.
 Thursday, Day 5,
Williamstown MA and Bennington, Vermont: In the morning we'll
head north into Vermont through rural Pownal to Bennington. A couple of interesting stops are the Bennington Fish
Hatchery and the Hemmings Motor News Old Car
Museum . After lunch,
we'll ride through three covered bridges in North Bennington, and on to the farmlands of Hoosac, NY. Today's ride is about 43 miles.
 Friday, Day 6:
Ashuwilticook Rail Trail. For
our last day together in the Berkshires, we join the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail in Adams with the option for a side trip to the Natural Bridge State
Park in North Adams. Circling around Mount Greylock, the
state's largest mountain, our return takes us north along scenic Route 7, with a wonderful
12 mile descent back to Williamstown
.
Services: Gordon Harris as lead guide and a second guide depending on number of signups, with support van when needed.
Our preference is to have guides ride with participants, offering short and long route options. Maps and cue sheets are provided. Each day's ride has 20-45 mile options.
Other Activities: You may wish to take time to visit the Berkshire's cultural highlights: The
Mount, the
Norman
Rockwell Museum, the Massachusetts Museum of
Contemporary Art, ( MassMOCA) and Kripalu yoga center
next
door to the Apple Tree Inn,
Bicycle Shipping and rental: Assembly, transportation of your bikes is available, shipping extra.
Bike
rentals are available for $100
/week.
Pickup at Albany or Boston airports: available by request
Lodging:
3 nights at the Days
Inn in Great Barrington, and 2 nights at tthe Maple Terrace Motel
in Williamstown.
Meals: Continental breakfasts and
lunches on the tours are included in the package. We are
responsible for our own dinners.
Price:
$895.00 . Add $350 for single
occupancy.
Registration
closes two months before tour start date. A $100
non-refundable deposit is required with your registration.
Full payment is due 30 days before the tour start date.
Contact Gordon at Bike New England for more information. The registration
form is available online.
 Click to email us
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