Bike Tour Vacations LLC

07/25/2024

A few days in the upper Peninsula can change your outlook! Our guests arrived Saturday in St. Ignace, to a reception under the big tent. Sunday off to Hessel and a sunset kayak event; bonus, Hon. James Oberstar docked at Port Dolomite!
Monday, off to the Soo via Barbeau and a view of Queen of the Lakes, the Paul R Tregurtha. At the Soo we saw the vessels shown below.
Al this and we’re at about 170 miles out of 300 for this week.

07/23/2024

PRT this a.m., and sister ship Mesabi Miner at dusk!

07/22/2024

Our Great Waters Tour is aptly named. Sunday night many of our guests enjoyed a sunset kayak tour in the Les Cheneaux islands on Lake Huron. Today on the St Mary’s River we all witnessed the Paul R Tregurtha, largest vessel on the lakes, downbound with coal. Bonus, this afternoon at the Soo Locks, the Alpena, oldest operating vessel on the Great Lakes!

07/09/2024

A most welcome sight, the historic Badger drifting into her slip in Manitowoc. We’ll be headed to friendly Michigan shores this afternoon. All aboard!

07/01/2024

One more tour on the completed list. Please take a moment to see the fun we enjoyed last week in Wisconsin, thanks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXRCm31B5Lo

06/28/2024

We're happy and proud of the great staff volunteers who make our tours possible. For 2024 we've already had 6 new Tour Leaders out on tour with you! This includes Len and Marlene Chockley from Ann Arbor, along on the Lakelands Trail Tour; Tom & Linda Cructchfield from Cincinnati, working hard on the Beer Brats & Cheese Tour, and Matt Makowski and Marco Speeks, along on the Great Eclipse Ride, on the White Pine Trail Tour, and on the Great Waters Tour.

Marco stands out for his leadership in the bicycle community. Here's a press release from the League of Michigan Bicyclists - LMB: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Marco Speeks Elected to League of Michigan Bicyclists Board of Directors

Detroit, MI- June 24-2024- Marco Speeks, a leader in cycling innovation and community engagement, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the League of Michigan Bicyclists - LMB, Michigan's largest and most respected cycling advocacy organization.

Marco is known for his groundbreaking work in developing cycling programs and cycling infrastructure bandwidth for both for-profit and non-profit organizations throughout Michigan. His vision for cycling aligns perfectly with the LMB's mission to promote safe and accessible cycling across Michigan.

"I'm honored to join the League of Michigan Bicyclists board," said Mr. Speeks. "By fostering strong partnerships between stakeholders and organizations, we can create a thriving cycling ecosystem that benefits everyone. This collaborative spirit embodies the principle of Ubuntu-togetherness-which is the foundation of my mission to decolonize mobility."

Mr. Speeks' appointment to the LMB board further strengthens the organization's commitment to innovation and inclusion. Their expertise will be instrumental in advancing cycling advocacy efforts throughout Michigan.

Wow! Marco is scheduled on many tours this summer including the Kentucky Ramble, Dirty Double-Crossing Tour, Great Waters, and the Ride to Pictured Rocks. Hopefully you'll get a chance to meet him soon!

06/26/2024

Another home run this morning. This afternoon, tours at Taliesin. Tonight, Shakespeare at the theater!

06/24/2024

A glorious sunny summer day in Madison!

06/24/2024

We’re in Madison for two nights, at the start of the Beer Brats and Cheese Tour! Our guests so far did a good job of showing up on-time, paying attention at the safety meeting, and then cleaning their plates at dinner. Tomorrow we shake hands with the governor at the capitol, then grab some ice cream on the UW Madison campus. More fun to follow!

06/13/2024

Future guests note: we get a private dining room room on many tours!

06/13/2024

Tour update: yesterday our guests had a lovely 30-mile ride before the afternoon rain hit. We shuttled them to the hotel, then staff finished in the rain! Marty treated all to famous Sammy’s Pizza, and the sun came out so we could enjoy the festival music in Winona. Today, Thursday, we had a spectacular private air show from the USAF Blue Angels, training here in LaCrosse.

06/11/2024

River Towns on the Mississippi! Day 1= sunny skies and temps in the low 70s, and a casual 50-mile ride.

06/10/2024

Sunday night in Cottage Grove, guests have all arrived, and two long-time tour leaders have joined me for the River Towns Tour. Tomorrow, we set off for Redwing, about 50 miles away, on the first leg of this tour. As per the (occasional) norm, we have a construction reroute just a half mile from this hotel! From a recon ride today, it appears the sidewalk is open through the zone, only about 1/4 mile long.

06/05/2024

The League of Michigan Bicyclists is a great resource for all cyclists in Michigan, and we’re glad to support their programs.

Bike Tour Vacations invites you to the Northern Rail Trails Tour. Spend 6 days and 5 nights exploring 150 miles of scenic rail trails between Charlevoix and Mackinaw City. Relax with two nights in Petoskey, two nights in Mackinaw City, and one night in Indian River.

📅 Date: July 9-14 (or August 4-9)
📍 Location: Charlevoix
👉 Learn More: https://biketourvacations.com/the-northern-rail-trail-tour-august-4-9-2024/

By participating in LMB’s $ per rider program as a $5 supporter, Bike Tour Vacations is helping shape a more bicycle friendly Michigan. Thank you! Learn more about our $ Per Rider Program and how you can get involved at https://lmb.org/events/1-per-rider-program/

05/24/2024

Suddenly-in the blink of an eye-we are just 18 miles from completion of this tour in Kentucky! The experience so far has had some bluegrass and quarter horse culture in Georgetown and Versailles, some remarkable US history in Bardstown and Harrodsburg, and maybe a little bourbon to wash it down. These beautiful rolling hills provide endless challenge and you’re never bored with the views.

05/21/2024

No surprises here. Just like every year we rocket from spring into summer in the blink of an eye! Our spring season is typically composed of consumer events and club rides.
This year the first tour was the Great Eclipse Ride on April 8 in Toledo, with 64 guests! The first real ‘tour’ was the Lakelands Trail Tour last weekend, and the first week long tour is our Kentucky Ramble running to Friday afternoon this week.
The final sales event will be our display table Friday night in Georgetown KY at the Horsey Hundred event.
Of course you can still join many of our 2024 summer and fall tours!

05/14/2024

What fun today in Lansing with the League of Michigan Bicyclists at advocacy day!

05/11/2024

Big shout out to our newest top fan! 💎

Betty Laurenovics Karsten has been a friend for many years. She’s an active cyclist and avid traveler. She’s been a guest on the Ride to Pictured Rocks, then on the Great Waters Tour, and this July she’s coming along on the Dirty Double-Crossing Tour!

05/06/2024

Tour development is an important part of our strategy to provide good tours for you. Lucky us! For the next several days two Tour Leaders and 2 Famous Guests will enjoy Boyne Highlands Resort while riding the routes for the Northern Rail Trail Tours. Monday, Petoskey to Mackinaw City!

05/02/2024

Iron Trail Tour registration closes on Sunday May 5, and there are only 4 rooms remaining! Space is limited, so act quickly.
Normally we never close tour registration, however our lodging contracts on this tour only must be confirmed on Monday morning, so public registration closes Sunday night. If you're looking for 7 days & 6 nights of bicycling fun, check this one out and register soon!

The Iron Trail Road Tour, June 15-21, 2024 by Jim Plaunt | Oct 13, 2023 | General Information, Tours, Week-long Tours Start Date: Saturday, June 15, 2024Duration: 7 DaysTotal Miles: 250-300Pricing: $1699.00 pp, double occupancySign up Deadline: April 30, 2024 300 paved miles, 1/3 on rail trail! Iron...

04/27/2024

We’ll be here the last week of July on our Ride to Pictured Rocks tour. Come along, it’s fun!

Experience them on a kayak tour 🚣

04/17/2024

Imagine yourself on a week-long tour where the scenery includes dozens of rivers and lakes, pristine forest, spectacular bedrock formations, a variety of lodging, and Lake Superior. Think how much better this might be in a small group setting.

We need just one or two more guests along on the Iron Trail Tour in June. This might be your best last chance for private tour support and comfort at low public tour prices.
https://biketourvacations.com/the-iron-trail-road-tour/

04/17/2024

Tune in tomorrow, Wednesday April 17 at noon for episode 2 of the Spoke'N Speaker lunch-hour Zoom series! We'll hear from representatives of three Michigan bike clubs and an independent bike shop about how they offer resources and welcome riders to group events and more:

Pat Kelley, TCBA (Tri-County Bicycle Association, Lansing, MI)

Dan Harrison, Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society (AABTS)

Marco Speeks, Major Taylor Detroit - Metro 313 Cyclones

Ted Sliwinski, Metropolis Cycles

Register: https://lmb.org/2024/03/spoke-n-speaker-series-returns-for-2024/

04/17/2024

This is exciting for Tour Chief Jim. One important part of advocacy is education, and this 5-part series of webinars is designed for that. Last week the focus was on our institutional partners, organizations who own and manage bike trails. They offer so much to us.
Tomorrow the focus is on Local Resources: Bike Clubs and Bike Shops, places where cyclists can get information and support close to home. Please join the webinar, it's valuable information regardless of where you live!

Tune in tomorrow, Wednesday April 17 at noon for episode 2 of the Spoke'N Speaker lunch-hour Zoom series! We'll hear from representatives of three Michigan bike clubs and an independent bike shop about how they offer resources and welcome riders to group events and more:

Pat Kelley, TCBA (Tri-County Bicycle Association, Lansing, MI)

Dan Harrison, Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society (AABTS)

Marco Speeks, Major Taylor Detroit - Metro 313 Cyclones

Ted Sliwinski, Metropolis Cycles

Register: https://lmb.org/2024/03/spoke-n-speaker-series-returns-for-2024/

03/27/2024

Congratulations to the Mesabi Trail organization! Our Iron Trail Tour uses about 60 miles of the trail from Virginia to Tower, and on to Ely again this summer! See Biketourvacations’s.com/the-iron-trail-road-tour/

Mesabi Trail won the One Minnesota Award. This award is given to organization that promotes tourism, marketing and support to their region and MN. Congrats to all that contributed to this amazing award. Thanks Explore MN!.this is such an incredible honor...now who is ready to explore the Mesabi Trail! Order you maps and wheel passes! We are ready!

03/21/2024

We'd love 16 to 20 guests on each tour, but that doesn't always happen. This presents opportunity for you. Two of our early-season tours are in need of one or two more guests. The Kentucky Ramble on May 19-24, and the Iron Trail Tour June 15-21, will deliver you a wonderful small-group tour experience. These tours might be your best chance to join a fully self-contained tour this year! If traveling without the hustle of a big group is appealing, then please check these 2 tours out! Thanks.

2024 TOURS Weekend Tours White Pine Trail Tour, June 7-9, 2024 Date: June 7-9, 2024Duration: 3 DaysPricing: $625.00 per person, double ocupancySign up Deadline: April 15,2024 96% paved trail! 4% road WHITE PINETRAIL TOURRegistration is open! Enjoy an exciting June weekend with a tour on the White Pi...