2024
- Take in the Joshua Tree National Park areas by bicycle! This unforgettable experience will stay with you for a long time.
- Unpack only one time! We stay at the same hotel for the entire bicycle tour.
- On your first day arrive to the warm weather and natural scenery that has made the Palm Springs area a world-renowned destination.
- On our two days of bicycling in Joshua Tree National Park, seeing the beautiful and plentiful Ocotillo desert plant as we bike downhill, observing mountains, valleys and vast expanses of desert in the distance.We actually see the famous Joshua Tree and jumbo rocks (boulders) before ending our day with a long downhill before arriving at the Joshua Tree Bar & Restaurant.
- We will also visit the unique and beautiful desert oasis of Whitewater Preserve.
- Overall on this fabulous tour, you will bicycle and see unforgettable mountain, desert and lake views without ever climbing the mountains and in addition see the beautiful cities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert.
- Come join us!
Day 1, Saturday
Check out the area or on your bike, getting assimilated to the fresh air and the beautiful scenery. If you enjoy shopping, take time to visit the various shops in downtown. Get artsy exploring the artistic part of Palm Desert with an art walk on El Paseo or a public art tour. You can take in fine art, architecture or public sculptures. If you like to hike, climb one of the dozens of hiking trails in Palm Desert for a spectacular view of Coachella Valley, home of the well known Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. After you have become assimilated with the beauty of the area, meet around 4:00pm to enjoy the welcome meeting followed by dinner with the group.
Dinner:
Billy Reeds
"One of the oldest, most awarded and best known restaurants in Palm Springs"
Palm Springs, California
Entrée choices include:
- Billy's Steak Ribeye House Style - served with soup or salad, fresh vegetable du jour and dinner bread.
- Chicken Piccata - sautéed chicken breast with mushrooms, capers, lemon/white sauce; served with soup or salad, fresh vegetable du jour and dinner bread.
- Yankee Pot Roast - tai-tips of beef, mushrooms sauce au natural; served with soup or salad, fresh vegetable du jour and dinner bread.
- Halibut Steak - sautéed, tartar sauce, fresh lemon; served with soup or salad, fresh vegetable du jour and dinner bread.
Lodging:
Homewood Suites by Hilton Cathedral City Palm Springs
Cathedral City, California
- Unpack only one time! Stay at the same hotel for the entire trip -
Please note: All remaining available rooms have one bed and one sofa
- Internet
- Full Kitchens
- Hi-Def TVs
- Hairdryer
- Fitness Room
- Business Center
- Heated Swimming Pool
Day 2, Sunday
Joshua Tree National Park (eastside) Part 1 of 2 Days of Bicycling in the Park
Van to Joshua Tree National Park and begin your bicycle adventure riding to Cottonwood Visitor Center. Photograph the scenery, including the Cholla Cactus Gardens on your bike route as you going through the eastern section of Joshua Tree National Park. The coolest part of capturing photos here is that sometimes the cacti begin to glow in the light. You will also get to check out Octillo Patch, where you will find Ocotillo, a desert plant that can grow over 15 feet tall with beautiful orange-red tubular flowers. Your ride ends at Cottonwood Visitor Center with many exhibits key to the area to check out. This is an unforgettable way to begin your bike adventure in Joshua Tree National Park.
Breakfast provided by the hotel each morning.
Bicycling Route:
0 miles, staying at the hotel; or 30 miles, taking the van to Contact Mine Trailhead and bicycling to Cottonwood Visitor Center [The route is primarily downhill.]
Dinner:
Mario's Italian
"The Italian Restaurant in Palm Spring for over 40 Years!"
Palm Springs, California
Entrée choices include:
- Pasta – Choose from SPAGHETTI, PENNE, LINGUINI, FETTUCCINI or ANGEL HAIR, then choose your sauce: MARINARA, MEAT SAUCE or ALLOLIO
- Pizza – Create your own or choose from one of the house specialties including: MARGARITA, HOT MAGGIE or MEDITERRANEAN GREEK
- Baked Lasagna - Noodles Layered with Imported Cheeses, Ground Beef, Sausage & Mozzarella with Meat Sauce
- Chicken Parmigiano - with Spaghetti Marinara Chicken Breast Lightly Breaded, Baked with Cheese and Marinara Sauce
Day 3, Monday
Joshua Tree National Park (westside) Part 2 of 2 Days of Bicycling in the Park
Today we van to Joshua Tree National Park and bicycle the westside of Joshua Tree National Park taking in along the ride the popular spots, including Hidden Valley and Jumbo Rocks. Hidden Valley is a great introduction to Joshua Tree National Park and is one place that you cannot miss! It has boulder fields and Joshua trees and sometimes you are likely to spot beautiful wildlife. Jumbo Rocks is among the most memorable places in the park. This area has boulder piles, sandy flats and countless Joshua trees decorating this breathtaking desert bike ride. After we finish the bike ride, many cyclists will grab lunch for local cuisine at the most popular and well know restaurants adjacent to the park, Joshua Tree Bar & Restaurant, eating inside or outside.
Breakfast provide by the hotel each morning
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; 16 miles, taking the SAG vehicle to Cap Rock in Joshua Tree National Park and bicycling to Joshua Tree Bar & Restaurant outside the park; or 27 miles, bicycling to the optional Keys View Overlook and then to Joshua Tree Bar & Restaurant. [The main route has rolling hills followed by a long continuous downhill; the optional ride to Keys View Outlook is slightly uphill.]
Dinner:
On your own.
Day 4, Tuesday
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park & Galleta Meadows
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Galleta Meados is overwhelming! This state park has a rugged landscape developed by the erosion of the uplifted mountains caused by rain, snow, ice and wind. Sitting inside and adjacent to the state Park is Galleta Meadows. Galleta Meadows was created due to the inspiration of Ricardo Breceda and can be viewed from a bicycle throughout the Borrego Springs area. Locals call the over-sized sculptures“Sky Art.” The free-standing sculptures were commissioned by Dennis Avery, heir of the Avery Labels fortune. He loved the town of Borrego Springs and purchased over 3,000 acres to keep it protected from land speculators and further development. He wanted his land to become an outdoor gallery for all to enjoy. As a result, Galleta Meadows now has over 130 statues scattered across the his former estate. This unspoiled beauty is a great place to bicycle. This place is known for its relaxing vibe. Read up and see pictures of Galleta Meadows before you go and you may find it even more amazing!
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; or 22 miles, taking the van to the SAG dropoff at the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center and riding the complete route past most of the Galleta Meadows sculptures. [The route is slightly downhill.]
Dinner:
On your own
Day 5, Wednesday
Palm Springs
Enjoy your free day. (Or ride the optional route.) Here are a few ideas for enjoying Palm Springs: Hike along mountainsides and palm trees taking in the natural beauty surrounding you. There are many desert and mountain trails. If you are more of an Art Buff, Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert is a favorite! Of course, you can also enjoy downtown Palm Springs with its many storefronts, shops, architecture and history waiting to be discovered. Also, you can enjoy a round of golf in one of the 100 renowned golf courses in the Palm Springs area, which has gained a reputation as the top destination for golf.
Breakfast provided by the hotel each morning
Bicycling Route (Free day or optional ride): 0 miles, staying at the hotel; 20 miles, riding around, through and in Palm Springs, seeing the highlights of the city. [The route utilizes the designated recommended bike routes of the City of Palm Springs and is primarily on bike lanes to give a good overview of the city.]
Dinner:
On your own
Day 6, Thursday
Whitewater Preserve
Today is your opportunity to take in the Whitewater Preserve, stopping for beautiful photographs that you will not soon forget. Ride down and adjacent to the Whitewater River, seeing the beauty and highlights of the canyon. The first major stop will be at the Visitor Center area. We will take in the Whitewater Preserve and its 2,851 acres, including the riparian habitat that hosts the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher and least Bell’s vireo, The canyon wildlife includes bighorn sheep, deer and bear and is the wildlife and environments corridor connecting the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains.
Bicycling Route: 0 miles, staying at the hotel; 8 miles riding down from Whitewater Preserve to the SAG Pickup point; or 16 miles taking the van and then riding down to the SAG Pickup point and from then back up to the Whitewater Preserve Visitor Center. [The route utilizes a lightly traveled road and is down from Whitewater Preserve and up to Whitewater Preserve.]
Dinner:
Blue Coyote
(One of our favorite restaurants in the U.S.)
Palm Desert, California
Entrée choices include:
- Fajitas – Sizzling julienne strips of meat, marinated & fire seared with delicate seasonings with an assortment of peppers and onions.
- Coyote Bowl - Grilled chicken, rice, black beans, cotija cheese, roasted corn, pico de gallo, guacamole and Ancho chile sauce.
- Trio de Brochetas - One skewer of each: chicken, shrimp & scallops. Served over rice with chipotle adobo sauce or jalapeño cream sauce. Served with vegetables & chipotle aioli.
- Pollo Cilantro - A rolled boneless chicken breast baked with red corn tortillas, cheese & fresh cilantro. Topped with jalapeno cream and spicy tomato sauces. Served with rice and beans.
Day 7, Friday
Enjoy the beautiful and warm Palm Springs area one last time before starting your journey home.
Breakfast provided by hotel each morning
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 an enjoyable trip. The routes are primarily on National Park, State Park or designated bicycle roads in Joshua Tree National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. We will also utilize bicycle recommended roads with bike lanes and bike paths in Palm Springs. Please see the daily routes descriptions for additional information. Of course, if a rider is tired or does not feel like riding, the SAG vehicle will transport the rider to the ride end. All riders may ride at their own pace, slow or fast or anything in-between.
Arriving by Automobile:
- Drive to the Homewood Suites by Hilton Cathedral City, 67711 30th Avenue, Cathedral City, CA 92234; 760-980-7070, having your car at the starting hotel for the duration of the trip.
Arriving by Plane:
- Fly directly into the Palms Springs International Airport (PSP), then rent a car or take Uber/Lyft/Taxi 3.5 miles to the trip start at the the hotel
- Or alternatively fly into one of the Los Angeles area airports: Bob Hope/Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA) or Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and rent a car and drive about 130 miles to trip start at the starting hotel
Deposit:
- $200 to reserve your spot and the remainder due 45 days before the trip start.
What is Included:
- Hotel lodging
- Ride Packets with Cue Sheets (directions)
- Garmin/GPS routes to download
- Google Maps routes for your iPhone or Android Phone
- Fully sagged including van transportation and rider assistance.
- Breakfast each morning
- Happy Hours (BYOB) on selected evenings
- Dinner with the group three evenings (see above)
- Great riding, scenery, fun and enjoyment!
Bicycles:
- Most participants bring their own bicycles
- To ship your bike, we would suggest using shipbikes.com or bikeflight.com for shipping. To ship your bike to the hotel: Homewood Suites by Hilton Cathedral City, 67711 30th Avenue, Cathedral City, CA 92234; 760-568-1600
- If you fly, most major airlines including Delta, American, United and Alaska Air now waive the oversize fee for bicycles (sporting equipment) and just the standard luggage fee applies. Please contact your airline for all the details.
- Bike Rental: Bikes are available for rent in the Palm Springs area. We suggest conducting a Google search to find the best place to accommodate your needs.
Weather in April:
- Average High 87°
- Average Low 57°