Depending on circumstances, you'll crawl out of your sleeping bag or bed between 7:00 and 9:00 A.M. You'll help get breakfast and clean up the hostel, campsite, or guest room, and pack your bike. The group will go over the route and arrange meeting places along the way for swimming, lunch, whatever. Each person cycles at his or her own speed, with a leader bringing up the rear. Frequent stops are made for ice-cream, swimming, resting at the tops of hills, talking with local sheep, etc. The group regroups at or near the final destination to arrange for grocery shopping and dinner. The evening's activities can be planned ahead, or left open to the spontaneity of the moment. On planned trips your overnights will be spent in hostels which are cooperative, dormitory style accommodations, or state parks and local campgrounds; some trips are either all hostelling or all camping while many offer a mixture of both. A few trips will spend the night in college dorms, country inns, or farmhouses. On trips with phantom overnights, groups often stay in farmer's fields, back-yards, churches and firehouses as well as regular campgrounds.
