The Specialists in California Bike Tours

Wine Country
Bike Tour
Sonoma County

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	introduction
	Itinerary
	lodging
	slide show
	questions?
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Days 3 Nights 2 2008 Start Dates May 2 June 6 July 11 September 12 October 24 November 14 Start City Monte Rio Level Moderate-Avid Avg. Daily Distance 40-60 miles Price per Person $498 Single Supplement $170

Wine Country Bike Tour — Sonoma County and Pacific Coast Weekend

Daily Itinerary

Day One: Friday

We all gather on Friday afternoon in Monte Rio, at the Village Inn & Restaurant. Check-in time is 4:00 P.M. There are no scheduled group activities today. We can recommend some leisure activities in the area, or you can just relax at the beautiful Village Inn.

Day Two: Saturday

We’ll have continental breakfast in the morning, supplemented with our own Organic Cyclist’s Oatmeal. After breakfast, we’ll head out on our bicycles for a tour of the Russian River and upper Sonoma County Wine Country. We’ll do some quality bicycling along miles of sun-drenched vineyards, stopping along the way at a couple of our favorite wineries. If you wish to pick up a bottle or two at the wineries, our SAG van will carry them for you. We’ll stop for lunch in the inviting town of Healdsburg, then return along the west edge of the Sonoma Valley in the afternoon light. Options for routes range from 44 to 52 miles. The shorter route is basically flat, while the longer of the two routes includes a few small hill climbs.

When we return to the Village Inn in Monte Rio, we will have an afternoon get-together with wines from the Russian River and Sonoma Country, complemented with award winning cheeses made by artisans throughout Sonoma County. Our local selections are chosen by regional experts John Haggard and David Defries of Sophie’s Cellars in Monte Rio. To accompany the cheese and wine, we’ll sample freshly baked breads from Raymonds Bakery in Cazadero.

Dinner Saturday night will be at the Village Inn Restaurant, providing fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere, overlooking the Russian River.

Day Three: Sunday

Today's ride will be completely different than Saturday’s. After breakfast, we’ll head straignt for the coast, to where the Russian River empties into the sea. The Pacific Ocean has carved out the country’s western border mile after magnificent mile, so we’ll follow the Pacific Coast Highway south, past the bluffs and beaches to the bustilng fishing village of Bodega Bay. We’ll make a lunch stop here at the Tides Wharf (which makes an excellent seafood chowder!), relax on the sunny deck while the gulls and sea lions entertain us.

After lunch in Bodega Bay, we’ll head inland through rolling pastures to the tiny hamlet of Bodega, made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. We’ll continue inland past the oak-studded coastal hills to the Bohemian Highway and the welcoming town of Occidental. Then it’s a gradual downhill ride through the shady redwoods back to Monte Rio, where we end our relaxing getaway.

Mileage options for the Sunday ride range from 38 to 55 miles. There are some small hills to climb on the 40-mile route, and the 55-mile route has one substantial climb in addition to the small hills. Total climbing on the 38-mile route is about 1500 feet, and the 55-mile route has about 3400 feet. Of course, the support van is there to give you a lift at any time.

 

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