First Family Tour - Best Trail?
10-01-16, 05:07 PM
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First Family Tour - Best Trail?
Hi,
God knows how but I managed to convince my family that for a week long holiday next June we'll do a week long tour.
I can easily do centuries in a day so I'll be lugging most of our stuff. Wife can do 50 miles easily. Two kids (7 and 10) can do 40 miles fairly easily.
So I'm looking for:
a) About 150-200 miles (can be one way or out and back)
b) Lots of really nice scenery. I need to score a home run here to keep this a regular event.
c) Preferably all paved trail (or mostly paved) so I'm ruling you out the Katy trial and also due to lack of scenery.
d) At least one stop her day (i.e. 30-40mile stretch) where we can have a decent meal (i.e. I don't want to be cooking 3 meals a day).
e) Safe
f) At least one motel along the way where we can stop and clean ourselves up mid tour.
g) Fun things or useful distractions long the way (i.e. don't want to be riding all day).
My plan is to ride a bit, stop and explore, ride a bit more explore etc.
God knows how but I managed to convince my family that for a week long holiday next June we'll do a week long tour.
I can easily do centuries in a day so I'll be lugging most of our stuff. Wife can do 50 miles easily. Two kids (7 and 10) can do 40 miles fairly easily.
So I'm looking for:
a) About 150-200 miles (can be one way or out and back)
b) Lots of really nice scenery. I need to score a home run here to keep this a regular event.
c) Preferably all paved trail (or mostly paved) so I'm ruling you out the Katy trial and also due to lack of scenery.
d) At least one stop her day (i.e. 30-40mile stretch) where we can have a decent meal (i.e. I don't want to be cooking 3 meals a day).
e) Safe
f) At least one motel along the way where we can stop and clean ourselves up mid tour.
g) Fun things or useful distractions long the way (i.e. don't want to be riding all day).
My plan is to ride a bit, stop and explore, ride a bit more explore etc.
10-01-16, 05:18 PM
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I would think you would want to limit the search to within a 5ish hour drive. Maybe 7 or so.
Driving for more that 1 day just to srt riding burns 2 days and adds to the planning.
...unless you want suggestions ranging from san diego to georgia to washington.
Driving for more that 1 day just to srt riding burns 2 days and adds to the planning.
...unless you want suggestions ranging from san diego to georgia to washington.
10-01-16, 06:45 PM
#3
Every day a winding road
Originally Posted by Inpd
Hi,
God knows how but I managed to convince my family that for a week long holiday next June we'll do a week long tour.
I can easily do centuries in a day so I'll be lugging most of our stuff. Wife can do 50 miles easily. Two kids (7 and 10) can do 40 miles fairly easily.
So I'm looking for:
a) About 150-200 miles (can be one way or out and back)
b) Lots of really nice scenery. I need to score a home run here to keep this a regular event.
c) Preferably all paved trail (or mostly paved) so I'm ruling you out the Katy trial and also due to lack of scenery.
d) At least one stop her day (i.e. 30-40mile stretch) where we can have a decent meal (i.e. I don't want to be cooking 3 meals a day).
e) Safe
f) At least one motel along the way where we can stop and clean ourselves up mid tour.
g) Fun things or useful distractions long the way (i.e. don't want to be riding all day).
My plan is to ride a bit, stop and explore, ride a bit more explore etc.
God knows how but I managed to convince my family that for a week long holiday next June we'll do a week long tour.
I can easily do centuries in a day so I'll be lugging most of our stuff. Wife can do 50 miles easily. Two kids (7 and 10) can do 40 miles fairly easily.
So I'm looking for:
a) About 150-200 miles (can be one way or out and back)
b) Lots of really nice scenery. I need to score a home run here to keep this a regular event.
c) Preferably all paved trail (or mostly paved) so I'm ruling you out the Katy trial and also due to lack of scenery.
d) At least one stop her day (i.e. 30-40mile stretch) where we can have a decent meal (i.e. I don't want to be cooking 3 meals a day).
e) Safe
f) At least one motel along the way where we can stop and clean ourselves up mid tour.
g) Fun things or useful distractions long the way (i.e. don't want to be riding all day).
My plan is to ride a bit, stop and explore, ride a bit more explore etc.
Having a meal in a restaurant at noon on any longer trail with scenery is going to be a tall order. The other trail I can think of with lots of places for a meal is the Erie Canal Trail but it is probably even worse in scenery than the Katy.
In my opinion, the crown jewel is the Great Allegheny Passage. It is about 150 miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland. There is plenty to see along the way. Pittsburgh with the 3 rivers, inclines, largest bicycle museum in the world etc. etc, Ohiopyle falls, Frank Loyd Wright homes, Big Savage Tunnel and Cumberland with its steam locomotive. Plus there is kayaking and rafting along the way. Most exciting is Ohiopyle to Connelsville but if you want something a bit more tame then Confluence to Ohiopyle, but still a number of rapids and a couple of small falls to get the blood pumping.
The GAP is not paved but hard packed limestone. The surface is good to excellent. It can be a bit of a mess in rain when it is sort of like riding in cream of wheat but it drains very quickly after it stops raining. The the riding is optimum as it keeps the duct down.
And you have the option of going all the way to DC on the C&O.
If you want to do the GAP, look me up around the time you want to go and I can provide local assistance.
Out west I would suggest the Selkirk loop north of Spokane. Not really a trail but there are so few cars on the road it might as well be a trail. But it is a bit more than 150 miles. Twice that maybe a bit more. Maybe not good for the kiddies right now. Lots of logging trucks. And the big problem is it is pretty remote. You are usually a good distance from a proper hospital.
Shorter wonderful trails in the western PA area worth mention are the Greenbrier River Trail in Cass, WV and Allegheny River Trail near Emlenton, PA. Both about 120 miles round trip. Allegheny River Trail is all paved. The problem the Greenbrier is that it has little in the way of amenities near the trail. Everything is a climb but the trail is beautiful.
Last edited by spinnaker; 10-01-16 at 06:55 PM.
10-01-16, 06:45 PM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
I would think you would want to limit the search to within a 5ish hour drive. Maybe 7 or so.
Driving for more that 1 day just to srt riding burns 2 days and adds to the planning.
...unless you want suggestions ranging from san diego to georgia to washington.
Driving for more that 1 day just to srt riding burns 2 days and adds to the planning.
...unless you want suggestions ranging from san diego to georgia to washington.
However I am willing to jump on a plane if need be
