Vermont Tours
Vermont Weekend Tour July 30 - August 2 2010
The Vermont Weekend Tour will be based out of Lyndon State College in Lyndonville
Cost per person based on double occupancy to June 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CA$165.00
Application forms for both tours are available to OBC members with a valid bulletin board account in the Members-only Forum
For additional information, please contact the club office.
Vermont Inn to Inn Tour August 2 -8 2010
The 2010 Vermont Inn to Inn tour should perhaps be re-named the New England Tour as our routes will lead you from Vermont into New Hampshire, Maine and back to the starting point at Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vermont.
The tour begins immediately following the Vermont Weekend event on August 2rd and runs to August 8th.Cost is $ 990.00 based on double occupancy and includes accommodation, breakfasts and gourmet dinners. This tour is limited to 26 participants.
Tour participants should be aware that in August 2009, a valid passport will be required to cross the border into the United States. An Enhanced Driver's Licence (EDL) may also be an option for land entry. Check with the Canada Border Services Agency for a list of accepted identification documents for entry into the United States. More information on the Enhanced Driver's Licence can be found on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation website.
Itinerary
Monday, Aug 2, 2010: Mountain View Grand , Whitefield, New Hampshire.
http://www.mountainviewgrand.com
Minimum distance: 55 km
Amenities: Expansive veranda for enjoying the view; indoor and outdoor swimming pools
Located on a hilltop near the town of Whitefield, New Hampshire, the Mountain View Grand overlooks sweeping vistas of the White Mountains. Some Vermont Inn to Inn alumni may recall cycling past a huge abandoned derelict inn on the 1994, 1997, and 1999 tours
on the way to nearby Spalding Inn. The Dodge family started the Inn in 1865, with subsequent generations renovating and expanding the business until it was sold in 1979. The inn remained operational until its closing in 1986. In 1998 Kevin Craffey purchased the property, and after a $20 million restoration effort, opened the Inn for business in May 2002. Currently owned by the Great American Insurance Company, the Mountain View Grand is considered to be one of America’s great historic inns.
For history buffs, this Inn belongs to the same era of grand hotels not unlike those that were built in the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River. The Thousand Island House, Pullman Hotel, Frontenac Hotel, Columbia Hotel, and Murray Hill Hotel, were a few examples of popular vacation destinations. Sadly many of these hotels, most which were built between 1877 and 1895, had burnt to the ground by the mid 1920’s. For others, the loss of their traditional client base, attracted away by the thrill of automobile travel, doomed them to neglect and decay. By the mid 1940’s, all of these remaining Thousand Island hotels were torn down. Our stay at the Mountain View Grand provides a rare opportunity to experience the vacation tradition of a bygone era.
Tuesday, Aug 3: Sudbury Inn, Bethel, Maine.
Minimum distance: 76km
Amenities: OBC participants will be the only guests at the Sudbury Inn for the evening.
Bethel, founded in 1774, is described as Maine’s most beautiful mountain village, and has attracted visitors to its beautiful natural surroundings since the 1850s. It is located in the Androscoggin River valley, with Maine’s tallest mountains (the Mahoosuc) to the north, and the White Mountain National Forest to the south.
Wednesday, Aug 4 : Darby Field Inn, Albany, New Hampshire.
Minimum distance: 75 km
Amenities: Scenic views; swimming pool
We were toying with the idea of renaming the 2010 Vermont Inn to Inn tour the “Elopement Tour”. The Inn-keeper of the Darby Field Inn is a Justice of the Peace willing to perform an on-site civil ceremony for any couple wishing to tie the knot.
Thursday Aug 5: Darby Field Inn, Albany, New Hampshire
Cycling loops of varied distances will be planned for the day. North Conway, a well known outlet store shopping mecca is only 12 kilometres away for those who want to be tempted off the bike. Alternatively, the grounds of the Inn and swimming pool may be a welcomed distraction.
Friday, Aug. 6: Sugar Hill Inn, Sugar Hill, New Hampshire
Minimum distance: 81 km
Amenities: Porch with a view; swimming pool. OBC tour participants will be the only guests at the Sugar Hill Inn for the weekend and will have exclusive use of the facilities.
The day’s journey from Albany to Sugar Hill will take us through White Mountain National Forest on Route 112, more famously known as the Kancamagus Scenic Byway. Considered as one of America’s top ten scenic highways, the route will follow the Swift River, climb to almost 3,000 ft. at the summit of the Kancamagus Pass and then descend into North Woodstock. Along the route, cyclists will have opportunities to stop at road side swimming holes to cool down or at outlooks to enjoy the scenic views. From North Woodstock, the tour route will turn north through the Franconian Notch on Route 3 which will link into a scenic bikeway.
Saturday, Aug. 7: Sugar Hill Inn, Sugar Hill, New Hampshire
Cycling loops of varied distances will be planned for this area.
Sugar Hill, with a population of approximately 600 people, is New Hampshire's youngest town, incorporated in 1962. The name Sugar Hill comes from a large grove of sugar maples in the hills. The area offers panoramic views of the White Mountains and Green Mountains.
Cyclists will be tempted to stop for a rest at Harman’s Cheese and Country Store or perhaps have lunch at Polly’s Pancake Parlor, which opened its doors in 1938 as a tea room.
Sunday, Aug 8: Return to Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, VT.
Minimum distance: 52km
We look forward to seeing you on the 2010 Vermont Inn to Inn tour.
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