vacationbicycling

Day 1, Saturday

Check into the hotel in vibrant downtown Athens throughout the day. You will be adjacent to The University of Georgia and close to all of the downtown attractions. Downtown Athens pulses from morning through night with a successful mixture of over 65 specialty retailers, 55 popular eateries, and 40 taverns and nightspots. Enjoy your day with a little Athens culture and in the evening meet new friends during the Welcome Dinner and Get Together.

• Mixed Field Greens:  mixed seasonal baby greens & lettuces with grape tomatoes
• Apple Walnut Salad:  romaine, red onion, apple, capers, candied walnuts, gorgonzola & applewood bacon (bacon can be left  off)
  

~Pasta & Piatti~

•  Pasta DePalma:  angel hair baked with rosemary cream, mushroom, mozzarella & your choice of either artichoke, ham, sausage or chicken
  
• Seafood Charmaine:  shrimp & sea scallops sauteed with a spicy sun-dried tomato, spinach & jalapeno cream sauce over fettuccine.
  
• Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Glaze: served with sweet potato hash & broccoli with dijon butter
  
• Shrimp & Basil Gnocchi:  sauteeed with corn & leeks in a lemon saffron cream
  
• Spaghetti & Meatballs:  a classic with housemade meatballs

Day 2, Sunday

After you are transported to Anniston, Alabama, bicycle the beginning of the longest paved bikepath in the United States. Alabama's Chief Ladiga Trail is the starting point and connects to Georgia's Silver Comet Trail. On the bike trails you will see natural beauties, while riding through small towns and stopping for the night in Rockmart, Georgia. Dinner on your own. [57 miles from trailhead (or 36 miles from Piedmont entrance)]

Day 3, Monday

Continue on the Silver Comet Trail from Rockmart to the end of the trail.  Then you will be transported to the Centennial Olympic Park area in Atlanta. Beautiful riding along the way with a great destination at the Embassy Suites in Centennial Olympic Park, home of the 1996 Olympics. The Georgia Aquarium, The World of Coca-Cola, The Hard Rock Café, CNN Center and Peachtree Plaza are all within walking distance. You will eat dinner at the upscale (no bike shoes at this dinner) Sundial restaurant, Peachtree Plaza’s revolving observatory, 73 stories high offering a spectacular views of the magnificent Atlanta skyline in a relaxing ambiance.  [39 mile]

Menu:

• saffron clam soup
• smoked shrimp crème fraiche
• caesar b.l.t.:  romaine hearts, pancetta, oven dried tomatoes, , focaccia crouton, caesar dressing, parmesan cheese
• sun dial house salad:  fried vidalia onion, spring cherry tomato, baby lettuce, blue cheese buttermilk dressing

• roasted spring chicken: herb roasted fingerling potatoes, haricot verts, oven dried tomatoes, spring onions, roasted chicken jus
• seared salmon: scottish salmon, cheese grits cake, pea tendrils, strawberry rhubarb vinaigrette
• 15oz pork porterhouse: blackened mashed potato, bacon braised collard greens, green tomato jam, roasted pork jus

• cheesecake lover balsamic strawberries

Day 4, Tuesday

Ride mostly on a bike trail from downtown Atlanta to the one of the most beautiful landscapes and Georgia’s number one attraction, Stone Mountain with the world's largest piece of exposed granite  Explore the Park’s 3,200 acres that offer a variety of recreational activities including skylifting, walking to the top of the mountain, boating or a train ride. Dinner on your own. [21 miles or 31 if loop around Stone Mountain]

Day 5, Wednesday

Take in the last of the beautiful natural wonders at Stone Mountain before your next stop. Today’s ride is to Madison, Georgia. Madison has nearly 100 Antebellum homes that have been carefully restored, which led to Holiday Travel magazine's naming Madison "The Prettiest Small Town in America." Dinner with the group.  [35 (or 63) miles]

Day 6, Thursday

Gather your energy for the ride from Madison, Georgia back to Athens. Enjoy part of the same area covered on the Bike Ride Across Georgia, a ride that is low traffic and beautiful. You will pass farms with cows and horses and really have a chance to take in the natural beauty of the area and arrive back where you started with a newfound perspective of Georgia. Breakfast and farewell dinner with the group.  [35 miles]

Menu:

• Last Resort’s Praline – a new signature … plump double chicken breast stuffed with a medley of cheeses, topped with walnut-honey sauce & served with our creamy southern grits and veggies.
• Portobello Mushroom – mushroom stuffed with a goat cheese blend served on mashed potatoes, kale and orange chili vinaigrette
• The Hanger – butcher’s favorite cut… tender steak chargrilled to perfection with a chile glaze over our homemade mash of Yukon gold potatoes with a refreshing green tomato Veracruz
• Salmon & Grits – fresh grilled Atlantic Salmon on a bed of charlestonian grits with a caper cream sauce

Day 7, Friday

Wake up in Athens and walk or ride around the city one last time or enjoy a coffee at one of the local street cafés before heading home.  

Please note all trip information is based on previous trips and/or contracted lodging and restaurants and is subject to change based on availability or specific trip needs.

Riding difficulty:
Riders who are comfortable riding at least 10 miles per hour should have a very enjoyable trip. The first two days are 100% on a paved bicycle path.  The third day is on a bike path for 80% of the ride. The remaining days are on low traffic secondary roads. All riders may ride at their own pace, slow or fast.  If a rider is tired or feels like riding less on any day, the SAG vehicle will transport the rider to the hotel.

Arriving by automobile:
Drive to the Holiday Inn, 197 East Broad Street, Athens, Georgia, leaving your car at the hotel for the duration of the trip.

Arriving by Plane:
You can fly directly into Atlanta Hartsfield Airport (ATL). Bicycles can be checked as luggage. For shuttle service to Athens, contact Groom Transportation 706-410-2363.

Deposit:
$200 due to reserve your spot and the remainder due 45 days before the trip start.

Reserve Your Trip >

• Hotel lodging
• Ride packets including maps and cue sheets (directions)
• Fully sagged including ride leaders, luggage transport, van transportation and rider assistance.
• Breakfast most mornings (see above)
• Dinner most nights (see above)
• Fun and Enjoyment

Reserve Your Trip >

• Most riders bring their own bicycles.
• To ship your bike, we would suggest using shipbikes.com or bikeflights.com for shipping.
• To ship your bike and have it assembled for you, please contact Hub Bikes 706-355-3989.