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Arizona Sunshine, 7 Days or 5 Days - Feb. 17-21/23, 2008 | March 2-6/8, 2008
"An A+, an amazing selection of routes with outstanding local interests, great views and variable distances". Vern C. -Hallowell, Maine
"I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. The people, guides, routes, scenery and towns we visited were a wonderful mix of scenery, history, challenge and breathtaking beauty. The weather held and the B&Bs and inns were wonderful, especially the Ramsey Canyon Inn."- Tish M. - Washington, DC
"Barb and I had a fantastic bike tour in Tucson. The weather was mostly sunny, with cool nights and warm days. The scenery was beautiful. This was a super vacation from the dark, cold, snowy winter in Michigan." Walter J, Alpine, Michigan
Southern Arizona offers great winter biking on quiet roads. Experience the Sonoran desert with giant seguaro and other cacti, vast grassland prairies, pine forests and rugged, rock formations. The area is rich in history with the Native American San Xavier Reservation and Mission; Hispanic architecture, food and culture; and the rangeland, cowboy culture of Tombstone, Bisbee and other wild-west towns. This trip
is a perfect introduction to the natural beauty and historic traditions of the Southwest.
Highlights
- Bike in comfort on quiet roads in the February sunshine
- Walk in the desert at the wonderful Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and learn about hundreds of species of plants and animals in their natural habitat
- Hike in the magnificent Ramsey Canyon Nature Preserve
- Visit the historic, old west town of Tombstone and the preserved copper mining town of Bisbee
- Enjoy distinctive southwest culture and cross over into Mexico
- Visit the San Javier Indian reservation and Mission and
- Stay in the best local inns and B&Bs and enjoy the local cuisine in fine Southwestern restaurants
Detailed Features
Terrain: Variable: flat, rolling to very hilly.
Difficulty: This trip is reasonably challenging and is for intermediate-level bikers and above.
The trip is designed to provide biking alternatives for bikers of differing abilities.
Weather: The average high temperature is 70 degrees and the low 43 degrees F for this
time of year.
Accommodation: Best quality, charming inns and B&Bs.
Daily Distance: Basic routes: 25 to 45 miles with longer and shorter options available on all days.
Activities and Options: There are lots of activities that can be arranged during the trip or for before or afterwards: bird watching, exploration of Native American culture, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, visits to local wineries. Please let us know what your special interests are.
Other February Events: The Tucson Gem and Mineral Festival and the largest Winter Rodeo in the U.S.
Tour Dates: 7-Day Option: Feb. 17-23, March 2-8; 5-Day: Feb.17-21, March 2-6
Arrival and Departure: Tucson, Arizona
Seven-Day Trip Costs: $1,895 including seven days, six nights lodging, five dinners and all breakfasts, three picnic lunches, snacks, support van, baggage moving, guides, route notes and maps. Single supplement: $395 (room mates will be sought when requested).
Five-Day Trip Costs: $1,595, four nights five days, single supplement $350. Includes all of the above, but for a shorter trip ending in Tombstone with a ride back to Tucson.
Bike Rental: $150 for hybrid or road bikes
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Tucson
Check in to the fabulous Lodge on the Desert, meet at bike fitting and then dinner at a local Southwestern restaurant. www.lodgeonthedesert.com, Meals: (D)
Day 2: The Western Sonora Desert, the Desert Museum and San Xavier Misssion
The day is rich with great bike riding and wonderful things to see. We will bike through the magic of Saguaro National Park with majestic cacti of all shapes and sizes, the deep colors of mountains, rock formations and wild life. After a brief stop at Park Headquarters, we will stop and lunch at the fabulous Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, where you will have a chance to walk through the desert, see wild live animals and desert plants, attend lectures and visit an art show. There are several restaurants at the museum including the Ocotillo Café for a great Southwestern lunch made from locally grown products. You will then leave the Park and bike through the San Xavier Indian Reservation to the Mission, the "White Dove of the Desert". The finest example of mission architecture in the United States", the mission was completed in 1797 after more than 14 years of labor. Meals: (B), (D)
Day 3: Green Valley to Sonoita
This ride starts out on the Old Nogales Highway to Sahuarita Road, which traverses range land with low-growing cacti and mesquite and grasses with the backdrop of colorful rock formations and mountains. The last part of the route takes us through the Santa Rita foothills to the grassland prairies near Sonoita. We will stay at the Sonoita Inn, which is owned by a woman who also owned the great racehorse, Secretariat, to whom the inn is dedicated. www.sonoitainn.com, Meals: (B), (L), (D)
Day 4: Sonoita to Sierra Vista
The ride to Fort Huachuca is a delightful trip on quiet roads over rolling terrain with beautiful scenery, crossing through the Coronado National Forest. You will ride on an old country road into Fort Huachuca, an army base established in 1887. The buildings of the old army post have been declared a National Historic Landmark and one is now a museum dedicated to the many forts that dotted the Southwest in the latter part of the 19th Century. We will bike through Sierra Vista and then enter Ramsey Canyon road, which is a beautiful gradual up hill pedal to the lovely Ramsey Canyon Inn located immediately next to The Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve. There is world-famous bird watching and hiking here for those who are interested. www.ramseycanyoninn.com, Meals: (B), (D)
Day 5: Sierra Vista to Tombstone
This is a relaxing day with a lovely ride to Tombstone and a chance to explore this interesting town. Most of the ride is on the quiet, scenic Charlestown Road. Along the road, you will see little dome-like hills, which rise out of the desert and dot the countryside. We will lunch in Tombstone and then explore this old, restored Western town. We stay in the charming Tombstone Boarding House or Curley Bills. www.tombstoneboardinghouse.com, www.curlybillsbandb.com, Meals: (B)
Day 6: Tombstone to Bisbee
This route traverses desert and rangeland with almost no cars. The trip offers a real view of pure, unspoiled desert land and plenty of quiet countryside. We will enjoy a picnic lunch along the way. Entering Bisbee, you will get a good view of the copper mine, the great traditional industry of this part of the world. Bisbee is perhaps one of the best-preserved, western towns in America. We will stay at the famous old Copper Queen Hotel www.copperqueen.com. Meals: (B), (L), (D)
Day 7: Colossal Caves to Saguaro Park East
You will spin downhill on the Old Spanish Trail to the headquarters of Saguaro Park East. We will bike the spectacular East Park loop and celebrate with a wrap-up picnic in the Park. Meals: (B), (L)
Making Reservations
Please let us know if you would like to make a reservation and send us a deposit of $400 to hold the reservation. Please send the balance of the cost of the trip at least six weeks before the start of the trip. Checks payable to Escapades LLC should be sent to 1965 Biltmore Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. You can also pay by credit card by phone. For information, please call Escapades, 877 880 2453 (BIKE) or 202 232-1531 or e-mail tours@bikeescapades.com
Refund Policy: We will refund all but $200 of your deposit or other payments made to Escapades if you cancel at any time up to six weeks before the start of the trip. Because of hotel cancellation policies and other logistical considerations, we will not refund your deposit or any other payments if you cancel for any reason six weeks or less before the start of the trip. In the unlikely event that Escapades cancels your trip, all payments made by you to Escapades for this trip will be refunded in full.
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