… even worse… there’s not any inns.
I’m trying to find lodging for my upcoming bike ride on the Chief Ladiga & Silver Comet Trails in Alabama & Georgia. Holy cow … There are slim pickins’ near the beginning of each trail, and nearly no pickins’ in the middle.
If anyone out there on the ol’ cyber trail knows about lodgings in Cedartown, Georgia or Piedmont, Alabama, give me a shout. Of course there are hotels in those towns, but they’re not very close to the trail. I hate riding on roads, so I’d prefer something close to the rail-trail.
For information about the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama or the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia, visit trailsnet.com.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/11/no-room-at-the-inn/
If you’re an active traveler and like to ride trails all over the country/world, you may have noticed a bike problem. You’ve got two choices:
- You can take a bike with you which is okay if you’re driving but a pain when flying, or
- You can rent a bike when you get to your destination.
I prefer the second option for many reasons:
- It’s less of a hassle.
- I enjoy meeting the friendly bike rental people.
- In the long run, it’s sometimes cheaper to pay a rental fee than a shipping/airline fee.
- It’s nice to talk to someone local @ the bike shop for information, directions, & tips.
- I get to try out different bikes.
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find fully stocked rental shops in some of the trail areas. It’s especially hard to find bike shops that have recumbent bikes. I don’t have to have a recumbent, but I love trying them out, and they’re especially nice on long trails when you have to pack a lot of gear (which I usually do). On one our trips, my daughter & I got to try a tandem recumbent bike while riding our
bikes on the Withlacoochee State Trail in Florida. It’s been one of my most enjoyable trail experiences since I started riding rail trails. And that’s saying a lot considering how much I enjoy all of the rails-to-trails offerings.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/11/bike-rentals/
I just added a new trail to the trailsnet website yesterday. It is for the Caribou Trail which is just a little bit NW of Nederland, CO. The web page doesn’t have a map on it yet. Normally, I don’t report the pages on my blog page until they are complete; but this one is best for cross-country skiing, so I wanted to get the information out to you before it gets too springy. The way this winter has been going, we may run out of snow soon.
So if you enjoy cross-country skiing, visit the Caribou Trail information page @ trailsnet.com.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/09/caribou-trail-near-nederland-colorado/
I try to save a buck whenever I can, and it’s especially important on airfares which can be pretty expensive. Often, I’m able to use frequent flyer miles.
But when I can’t, I seek out bargain airlines such as Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines. I recently learned of four new budget airlines. They are:
- Allegiant Air
- Direct Air
- Porter Airlines
- USA3000
I don’t know much about these airlines, but hopefully I’ll get a chance to use them sometime. Please let me know if any of you are familiar with these four airlines.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/08/new-airlines/
Spring break is coming up.
I bet some of you are planning to go to Disney World for the break. Great idea. My daughter & I love that place. We’ve gone to Orlando for spring break three times.
There’s nothing like the first time seeing the joy on your child’s face when they see the Magic Kingdom, shake hands with Mickey Mouse, or even relax by the swimming pool.
But our third trip there was my favorite. That was the trip where we really got to experience the true Florida. Of course we took in the theme parks, but in the middle of the vacation, we left kiddy rides behind and went on Florida’s best ride.
It was a bike ride on the Withlacoochee State Trail. Everything about it was just as magical as any Kingdom imagined by Walt Disney. It was filled with pure southern charm:
- First, we loved the countryside on the way there.
- Next the trail was perfect; It was level, smooth, long, and carefree.
- Third, we rented a tandem, recumbent bike. OMG what a blast!!
- Fourth, we got to see box turtles, moss hanging from Cypress trees, and country stores.
- Fifth, even the drive home was fun due to a stop at a you-pick orange orchard. It was an experience we’ll never forget. We got to pick citrus fruit, shop in a store w/ homemade Florida goodies, and just wander about the orchard.
- Finally (and I know this won’t seem like much to some of you) we got to stop at a Winn-Dixie before we got back to the hotel. We had recently read the book and seen the movie “Because of Winn-Dixie,” so this was quite a treat. It’s a true southern institution and lots of fun for us visiting northerners.
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/07/withlacoochee-state-trail/
Okay, spring is nearly sprung and we’re all itchin’ to hit the (hopefully not so) dusty trail. I understand your enthusiasm, but slow down little buddy. Take a few minutes to prepare for your bike trip. Let me make a few suggestions for you to take on the trail:
- well-tuned bike w/ storage onboard (seat pack or panniers or handlebar pack)
- sunscreen
- sun glasses
- helmet
- water
- weather protection (depending on forecast and local conditions you may need sweatshirt, windbreaker, shower cap to put over helmet [see my article in May 2009 Budget Travel magazine], gloves)
- snacks (nuts, energy bar, fruit)
- $
- bike repair kit, pump, spare tire
- optional items that I usually take include cell phone (w/) GPS & bike light (front & back)
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Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/03/06/what-to-take-on-your-bike-trail-trip/
If anyone out there on the ol’ cyber trail knows about lodgings in Cedartown, Georgia or Piedmont, Alabama, give me a shout. Of course there are hotels in those towns, but they’re not very close to the trail. I hate riding on roads, so I’d prefer something close to the rail-trail.
