spinnaker

Just got back from a non bike vacation where I took the Empire Builder across country. I feel in love with train travel. I think I might want to start combining my passion for touring with my new love of train travel.

Assuming the funding continues, I would like to take the Zephyr across country. That would mean a repeat of my tour of the California coast from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, though I will likely stop in San Luis Opisbo this time and just take the train to LA. I really don't want to repeat the same tour, as there are so many places on my list to go including the Icefields Parkway, but then again I really want to make that train trip back home.

I did enjoy my California coast trip. The Oregon coast had more ocean view opportunities but even though there were less chances to see the ocean on the CA coast, what was there was simply spectacular. Not to mention the food was fantastic all along the route.

So have you ever repeated a tour? Are you glad you did it?

Doug64

I've repeated sections or portions of several tours, and I was happy that I did. They are always different. My wife and I repeated part of the Rhine Route that we road 4 years earlier; it was a totally different experience. We also did a short tour last week with our daughters. It was new to them, but my wife and I had ridden most of it 2-3 times before. It was a completely different experience.

You can take the train from Vancouver BC to Jasper to start the Icefields Parkway. We planned on doing just that, but the railroad contacted us about a possible strike; advising us to consider alternate transportation. We rented a car which was cheaper than the train, even with a motel thrown in. We did take the train from Oregon to Vancouver, BC.

jefnvk

Probably wouldn't do them exactly the same, but I'd repeat the locations of both tours I've done.

spinnaker

Considered that but I like the idea of taking the train home to Pittsburgh. Plus putting the bike onboard is an enormous bonus. That train is on my list but I will likely save it as a train only trip when I am too old to tour anymore.

Don't take the train in Italy. Almost a daily occurrence. Good news, they don't last for long.

spinnaker

Like Doug I have repeated parts of tours. It is nice to reminisce.

BTW I don't count he the GAP which I have done a couple of times and about to again in September but it is pretty much right outside my backdoor so no big deal for a long weekend tour.

jamawani 

Ah, Spin -

To combine a bike trip with an Amtrak ride out or back is simply the best.
Last summer I rode cross-country - yet again - then took Amtrak from Manhattan to Seattle.
It was actually the first time I did a coast-to-coast on a train - bit long, but worth it.
I truly hope Amtrak's beautiful long-distance trains are retained.

As for doing the same trips - not exactly, but close.
You can never step into the same river twice - so I never try to recreate a past experience.
But many times I have taken similar routes - weaving them in with older rides.
Really, how many times have you thought - what's the ride through southern Montana like?
So I do another trip, but ride southern Montana instead.

I have ridden into Yosemite many times - riding up from El Portal to Yosemite Valley.
Over the past 25 years, I cannot help but notice more impatient drivers.
Obviously, I am going slow and the road is narrow.
But the cars are closer and the engines are gunned louder.
It's just a sign of the times.

A more bittersweet repeat -
I rode through Washtucna, Washington on my first cross-country back in 1987.
I was heading from Pasco to Spokane and stayed at the little motel.
Last summer I was riding a different Highway 26, but stopped in Washtucna -
But the motel was long gone - only a dirt lot - and most of town was boarded up.

So, yes, there are definite advantages in seeing the same places.
No trip is ever the same - with new and, perhaps, more subtle understandings out there.

BobG

I've cycled the ACA TransAm three times to completion, twice to Astoria and once to Florence. Another as far as Newton KS but had to abort that trip due to a medical crisis.

I also enjoy combining trains and bikes. The best trip was VIA Rail Canada, Montreal to Regina SK. Bike trip south through Dakota Badlands, NE, WY, CO, finishing at Las Vegas NM, then Amtrak back to Boston.

Another was Greyhound NH to Grand Junction CO. (ugh! Only $99, should have taken the train!) Then bike to Durango CO then north to Revelstoke BC. VIA Rail to Lake Louise AB, bike from Banff to Jasper AB, then VIA Rail back to Montreal, bike from Montreal to NH.

Some of the above train routes have been discontinued.

Happy Feet

I would do the Columbia Icefield Parkway again in a minute if I didn't have other routes in mind already.

It also seems I have done the Calgary - lake Louise run during three different tours now and still like it. I may be an oddball but I love the approach to the Rockies from the east.

P4011850 by dc460, on Flickr

raybo

Since I live in San Francisco and have family and friends in LA, I've ridden the SF to LA run a half dozen times. But, I can't really see any reason to do it again.

indyfabz

Yes.

acantor

I am part of a group of three that meets annually in Prince Edward County for a two-day tour. 2017 will be our tenth time. Plus I have toured there myself, or with other friends, countless times since the mid-1990s. I have no idea how many times I have cycled in the County.

After so many trips, I find the land, the roads, and the people familiar, yet each visit is different... and special.

Squeezebox

I have a neighbor who says he has done the Katy trail about 15 times in about 10 yrs.
But of course here that's akin to doing the local MUP a bunch of times. Maybe exactly like that.

Machka 

Yep and Yep.

We also travel back to the same areas and do different types of tours and travel there in order to see and experience more of the area.

debade

We originally did the GAP & C&O as part of a longer tour. We repeated them again just this last June but even then, we road from CT to DC which we had not done before. And we have found ourselves on some of the same trails from time to time. I do not think I would repeat an entire trip but parts work.

jefnvk

I wouldn't count it so much as reminiscing, I would count it as having a better idea of the area and how I can better experience it.

For example, instead of doing Brussels to Amsterdam again, I'd love to go back and do a circle tour of Flanders, and spend more time there than the two days I previously had. Likewise, although not "touring" persay, I think Amsterdam would be a good central base for yet another trip, where I could leave my crap in a hotel room and do a number of day trips "just riding" from there.

As far as Iceland, I have unfinished business there

BigAura

You can't truly ever repeat a tour. A tour is not a route. Even a route can't truly be repeated.

DropBarFan

Haven't exactly repeated a tour but with more time I'd probably repeat some regional tours. After first run one can iron out route etc problems, could be fun & relaxing.

Cyclist0108

You won't be repeating the same tour, because you can't get through on Highway 1 due to the slide 10 miles south of Lucia, so you will have to head inland, which will add a memorable 4000 ft climb.

Machka 

For example ...

I have cycled the Golden Triangle tour with the Elbow Valley Cycling Club based in Calgary twice. Same route both times ... different atmosphere each time. Both very good.

I've also cycled from Jasper to Banff on a tour many years earlier which took in some of that.

Rowan and I have cycled from Red Deer to Banff on a tour somewhere in between those two Golden Triangle tours, which took in some of the Golden Triangle tour route.

I've countless day rides with my family in that area growing up, and again when I moved back to Red Deer a number of years ago.

I cycled the Rocky Mountain 1200 which covered some of that area ... and several other Albertan randonnees in that area too. In fact, I've done the Golden Triangle route backward as part of a 400 km randonnee

And I've driven and hiked all through that area.

saddlesores

not necessary. no need to ride the zephyr all the way through.

there are half a dozen stops in california, or you could disemboard in reno.

mev

I've done the San Diego Christmas ride five times and each was essentially the same route. This year they are doing it in reverse.

When I lived in San Jose, I cycled down the coast to San Luis Obispo at least four times, taking the train back each time.

I also cycled Vancouver, BC to Eugene, OR once each year when I lived in Portland. Other parts of the Pacific coast also duplicated a few times.

In 1997, I took Alaska Highway down and then across Canada. In 2016, I repeated a good portion of Alaska Highway coming from Deadhorse via Fairbanks to Watson Lake and then down the Cassiar. A lot had changed in 19 years, particularly some of the historic lodges closed and my own pace less distance per day.

It is tough not to repeat some sections in some parts of the country if you travel common places. However, the experience still differs.

staehpj1

I have not done any of my tours twice, but definitely would and probably will for some of them. The TA, PCH, and ST are definitely trips I'd consider doing again. My other tours were great, but probably a one time thing.

On Amtrak... I really wanted to like rail travel for getting to and from my tours, but in practice it has not worked out so well for me. When I returned home from a tour by Amtrak I was more tired from the train ride than from the tour. It was slow and expensive. It actually cost more and took longer than a rental car would have. As it is, I'll probably either drive or fly to/from future tours.

spinnaker

I never said this is going to happen this year. Road is supposed to be repaired in September.

spinnaker

why would I want to get off in Reno since the object is to get back home on the train through the Rockies?

saddlesores

sorry...my mistake. first reading thought you wanted
to train to cali then ride, but didn't want to repeat a
section of tour along the coast to or from san fran.

in that case, go inland, board the train in reno.