We had a great day in Montreal. First, we woke up and enjoyed a delicious cooked-to-order hotel breakfast. After fueling up, we explored Montreal (and did a lot of shopping). We had been told we had to try Montreal-style bagels, so that’s what we did for lunch. We finished the day with ice-skating followed by a sushi dinner and a movie night back at the hotel.
Bonjour from Montreal! After a good night’s rest from the motel surprise, we biked 16ish miles to the grocery store for a delicious lunch composed of Brie, baguette, frozen strawberries + peaches, ice cream, crackers, and carrots. Feeling refueled, the group biked over a long, steep bridge to cross the river border of Montreal. The group biked a total of 30 miles today!! For dinner, we enjoyed pasta at an Italian restaurant near the hotel. On the walk back in the dark, we took turns testing each other with the new self defense skills that Jacob taught us.
We woke up and enjoyed a slow morning exploring our pretty campsite before hitting the bike path! We failed to find a good cliff-jumping spot so we kept going until we got to the Hannaford grocery store! After getting ingredients for our charcuterie lunch and burrito bowl dinner, we biked a little more on the beautiful bike path next to the water. We had a smorgasbord of Goldfish flavors at our stop by the rocks and then we had to take a ferry which went about 20 feet. After disembarking, we biked a little more to get creemees!!! (Same thing as soft serve but better). We spent a while there to have our lunch and after getting the creemees and some other souvenirs, we biked to the second ferry! The second ferry was also short but it was a beautiful ride. The cooking crew whipped up some Chipotle-inspired burrito bowls and banana candy (what we called our cinnamon sugar banana dessert). After that we learned some self-defense from Jacob so now most of us can defend ourselves if someone tries to choke us!! It was such a fun day and not even that hot!
We woke up at 6:30 to the sound of the boys’ pickleball game (they got up at 5:30 to see the sunrise and take pictures). After breakfast, we played more pickleball while fixing an early-morning flat tire. We then hit the road and got 8 miles in before stopping at a Shaw’s grocery store to get our daily ice cream tub and lunch! After biking another 10 miles in the scorching sun we were getting hungry so we asked a Vermont citizen if we could eat lunch in his shady yard (he said yes). After our chicken caesar wraps and fixing the day’s second flat, we headed for Burlington. We made good headway before our third (and last) flat. When we arrived at Church Street in Burlington, we had an hour to shop and all got some fun goods! After we went to get Ben and Jerry’s at CVS since the actual Ben and Jerry’s store was so overpriced, we biked on a beautiful trail to our campsite and made some sloppy sloppy joes! Overall a wonderful day and lots of good photos and memories!!
We biked 22 miles today! We woke up at Moreau State Park and hung all of our wet gear on our bikes to dry from a rainy night. We stopped at a bike shop in the morning to fix up Leah’s bike. Leah fixed it herself outside the bike shop (they should hire her). We stopped along a shady bike path to have our charcuterie lunch! We biked listening to music from our speaker. We biked the last few miles to the Lake George campground and took a refreshing dip in the clear water and soaked up some sun on the beach. After washing off a few layers of grime and bug spray, the cooking crew started on the chicken souvlaki for dinner while the others took another snack run to a gas station and gathered sticks for the fire. We ate right before the sun went down and had some amazing s’mores!
We rode 50 miles today! Although today was our longest day, it didn’t feel as hard as earlier days because everyone is stronger (and because there were fewer hills). The group persevered through rain and bike issues to conquer the day. At around mile 30, we faced a broken bike and pouring rain and decided to stop at a house on the side of the road. We met a family who generously allowed us to take shelter in their barn to fix the bike and provided us with snacks, water, and a bathroom (photo attached). The weather cleared up and we cruised to the campsite where we cooked and enjoyed a delicious dinner of quesadillas, baked beans, and fresh vegetables. Hoping for clear skies as we make our way to Lake George tomorrow!
We biked 0 miles today (rest day)! Everyone enjoyed sleeping in at the hotel. While the divas (the boys) were getting ready, the girls passed time watching music videos. Soon after, the group walked deeper into the heart of Albany to do laundry and explore while Shelter went on a quest to buy cheesecake for Isaac’s birthday. The group visited an antique vintage shop and a vegan restaurant while waiting for the laundry. After chores were out of the way, the group visited the New York State Museum and rode a 111-year-old carousel inside. Hungry from their adventures, the group devoured poke bowls at a local restaurant (Isaac’s choice). After dinner, everyone participated in a no-laughing contest by filling their mouths with water. Whoever could hold the water in their mouth the longest would win (Raquel won). After buying candles for Isaac’s birthday cake, the group walked back to the hotel, forming a choir for the song Carol of the Bells (again). The group ended the day by singing Happy Birthday to You and enjoying cheesecake. Everyone is feeling refreshed and prepared for our longest day of the trip – 50 miles!
Greetings from Albany! We biked 23 miles today and arrived early in the day. On our way to Albany, a brief rain cooled us off. A flat tire briefly slowed us down, but we made the most of the delay by creating a miniature bowling alley with water bottles. After fixing the flat, we had lunch at a park in Albany and bought 50 donut holes for the group. Refreshed after a nice lunch, we toured the New York Capitol building which was bedecked with gold walls and glittering sconces on the inside. After the interesting tour, we happened to get free donuts from the Dunkin inside the Capitol. Boys accompanied our half mile ride to hotel with varying zoo animal noises and a cappella renditions of Carol of the Bells! We felt spontaneous and did some cartwheels outside the Albany observatory. We then biked half a mile to the Hampton Inn where a parent had generously organized for cookies to await us. Kids called home and everyone showered. As a treat, we enjoyed a Mexican food place that was so so fun and delicious!! We walked back to our hotel and talked about our day and how to make the most out of Albany tomorrow! 10/10
Seven sleepy, excited Trekkers and two Trip Leaders met at Bryant Park in Manhattan, soon after joined by 3 more Trekkers at the Tarrytown Metro-North train station this morning to begin a 400 mile bike ride to Montreal, Canada. This morning they will gather in a circle to introduce themselves, play name games, discuss the up-coming adventure, and talk about bike safety. Once on their bikes its a short 15 mile ride on varied terrain to Croton Point Park where they will swim, cook dinner, and set up their tents on 2 peaceful campsites. Over the next 16 days the group will ride along the east side of the beautiful Hudson River, passing through Poughkeepsie, Albany, Lake George, Burlington, VT, and into Canada to Montreal. Stay tuned, right here to read about their daily adventures!
Our penultimate day. The rhythm has been found, and now it’s about to change again. C’est la vie. Wildflowers of all shades form a Monet blur. We’re never far from the sea, and can feel it’s weight in the air when we drop in elevation. Tires and coast, like any good relationship, have ups and downs. Safeway parking lots are waypoints. At lunch, a family offers us a clam feast and a place to stay. If only we had more time. Is there anything more valuable? Is there anything less guaranteed? A stretch of timelessness is priceless. In between the Safeway and the blind curve, we slipped out of time and into a reverie. Bonded by setting summer sun. Our ice cream saloon had a second floor full of seashells and crabs dredged up over the last 150 years, including placards noting when, where and how. Fiddler crab, 1879, trawled up from 40 fathoms in Puget Sound. Turns out, this quaint display was the world’s second largest seashell collection. Philippines conches, Korean murex, South African abalone, Baja Californian geoduck. And the taxidermied seahorse pulling a scallop chariot? Divine. Spirals of all sizes. Shells to galaxies, broccoli to Nazca Lines. Circling around a fixed point, ascending. We return to where we began, but with new perspective. Tomorrow, the Green Tortoise. There and back again. One final shell to shuck before we spiral on.
We offer 17 bike adventures across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Self-contained biking groups including two leaders and up to ten teenagers who will camp and hostel on their way to completing regional and cross-country bike trips.
