Welcome New Trip Leader- SARAH

Hey, Teen Trekkers, I'm Sarah! I come from the small town of Charlton in the central part of New York State and I am incredibly excited to get out into the world while leading a trek this summer! As I'm sure many of you can agree, biking is the perfect way to combine two of my greatest hobbies-- traveling and being outside. After living in Copenhagen for five months last fall and using a bike as my main mode of transportation, I truly fell in love with this way of seeing the world as you are able to experience everything, from the smell to the sounds, just as it is. I have explored both coasts of the U.S., much of Europe, and only a small part of what South America has to offer. I also just graduated from college with a degree to teach middle and high school English, and outside of the classroom setting I have been a swim coach and lifeguard for years! Aside from bike traveling and everything that comes along with it, some of my greatest hobbies include listening to music, cooking, reading, and spending time with great people. I look forward to meeting all of you and sharing our next great adventure!

Across America Trekkers Dip Their Tires in the Atlantic Ocean

After 55 days on the road the Across America Trekkers and Trip Leaders rode up the ramp to the boardwalk at Coney Island and were cheered and greeted by parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and AA alumni. Their amazing adventure through extremely hot weather, high mileage days, the rain & wind also included experiencing awesome natural beauty and extremely friendly, outgoing people.  The Trekkers ceremoniously walked their bikes across the busy Coney Island beach to dip their tires in the Atlantic Ocean.  The event was followed by champagne on Boardwalk and a nice lunch at the famous Grimaldi's  Restaurant.

Across America Trekkers Heads East from Chicago

August 6- We started our morning bright and early with fresh chocolate banana pancakes. Chris and Keri, our amazing hosts, helped us get moving by blasting music. These two both work for Clif Bar, so they happened to have a surplus of snacks and gear laying about that they unloaded onto us. We stuffed our panniers full of treats and put on our new socks and bike hats. We are now officially unofficially sponsored by Clif! We got out by 9am and met up with Brad, a bike engineer for the Chicago DOT who led us out of the city. He gave us a great route to follow all the way to Michigan, which we followed for the rest of the day! We sped through Indiana along a series of bike paths and made a delicious salad for lunch. We rode along the lake through the Indiana Dunes State Park and arrived at our camp spot. We gorged on pizza and turned in, tired from a long day. 

New York-Montreal Trek Ends with Great Day in Montreal

Our last day in Montreal was a lot of fun!  We biked to one of the islands, and visited a environmental museum called the Biosphere.  This museum had different exhibits on environmental aspects, and how human beings affected the earth. Buckminster Fuller was the scientist and architect who came up with the biosphere, and there was an exhibit on him too.  After this museum, our trekkers went to the Formula One race track, where we got to test out our speed.  There were many other cyclists there, dressed in full kits, with some souped up bicycles.

After that we went back to the hotel for lunch, and then to the Red Path Museum, the museum of McGill University.

In the late afternoon we relaxed from all the education heavy stuff with some soccer and Frisbee.  Then, since it was our last night in Montreal, we went out to a fancy Italian restaurant! Some of us stuck to the menu though and ordered things that even leader Andy hadn't heard of. 

Then we did some last minute trinket shopping and hurried to the bus station to catch a red-eye bus back to the good ol' Big Apple.

Cape Cod Trekkers Complete the Circle and Make it Back to Boston

Provincetown was quite possibly one of the most beautiful places we visited on our whole trek, but we had to leave and carry on. We took the earlier ferry out of P-Town yesterday, after grabbing a pastry at the Portuguese Bakery.

The ferry was much smaller and faster than the one we took into Martha's Vineyard. It took only an hour-and-a-half to get to Boston. The wind was ferocious as we glided across the water, passing the towns and landmarks onshore, where we first began our trip.

When we pulled into port, we biked into the North End, and shared pizza on the grass by Long Wharf. After relaxing in the park and playing tag, we biked to the historic Hotel Buckminster - which once housed jazz greats such as Billie Holiday and was the place where the plot was hatched to rig the 1919 World Series - and made ourselves comfortable in our rooms.

Our evening continued with a subway ride to the North End, and a stroll through Quincy Market, abuzz with musicians and street performers, as we weaved in, around and through the many shops.

As a celebration for reaching the end of our tour, we treated ourselves to a feast at Legal Seafood on Long Wharf, where mussels, lobster, clams, salmon and calamari filled the table.

It was a tad bit late when we left the restaurant, completely satisfied, when we came across people running and jumping through a pressurized fountain, which made the water look like it was dancing. We couldn't resist the fun, so we decided to join in, getting soaked as we tried dodging the bursts.

Though we rode the subway home a little wet, the night full of laughs was a well-deserved, but bittersweet end to our two-week-long journey.

-- Trip leaders Annise and Cory

Across America Trek Reaches First Summit

For the first time, shopped for a full 2 days of meals, then biked thru our first thunderstorms, handling them quite well. We finished 74 miles part way up the climb thru Lolo National Forest and had a dinner of brats in pasta with cheesy sauce, roundly acclaimed as the favorite meal of the trip so far.

Cape Cod Trek Has a Fun First Day

Yesterday, our Cape Cod journey began in Boston, as our fearless trekkers rolled in early morning, bikes in tow, and assembled as a unit across from the city's South Station.

Our day began with a short train ride down to North Scituate. While our bikes took up the whole aisle in the adjoining car, we spent our time on the train getting to know one another and talking about our first day.

Once we reached North Scituate, we headed to Shaw's grocery store and purchased food for our next few meals. We found a shady spot under a tree, next to a small, local church to stop and have lunch.

Following lunch, we pedaled onward towards the Wompatuck State Park. Though we missed our turn into the campground by a short mile, it allowed for us to enjoy the lush, green scenery and beautiful homes - some of which had large, old fishing boats displayed on their lawns. In all, we rode about 12 miles total.

When we arrived at our campsite, we unpacked our gear, pitched our tents and spent some time relaxing with one another. Some of the trekkers had an exhilarating time racing their bikes around the park with leader Cory. Before a shared meal of red bean quesadillas for dinner, we played a group game of "Robot Karate." As our fire died down, we went to sleep to prepare for our next day's ride.

-- Trip Leaders Annise and Cory

Preparations Prior To The Leadership Training Workshop

The leaders are arriving and will soon begin the Leadership Training Workshop. Take a look at us while we finagle with the tents. We've got to make sure everything is in tip-top shape for your trek!

Buying Gear for a Teen Treks Trip

Across the country, there are local and community bike shops that are able to give advice and help supply teens with the gear they need to have a safe and enjoyable Teen Trek this 2015 summer. A few of the products we require and recommend are:

a bike!
panniers
helmet
u-lock
lights
pump
tools
water bottles
clothing
rear rack

other personal trip items 

After registering for a trip, we provide you with the materials necessary to gear up for a trip. If you have any questions about gear, bike parts, or suggestions for a bike shop in your area, contact the office at biketrips@teentreks.com or call us at 716.566.7908. 

Stay up to date with gear and trip news at our social media sites:
www.twitter.com/Teen_Treks
www.instagram.com/teentreks/

www.facebook.com/teentreks

 

Meet Our New Program Coordinator for 2015!

Meet Abbie, our Teen Treks Program Coordinator for 2015! A Wisconsinite through-and-through and a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, her work background is comprised of coordinating campus wide events for first-year college freshman, training teaching assistants, and working with parents through the college admission process. She's a summer camp alumni who much prefers the winter, a cat lover but only loves her cat, and an avid organizer of anything that needs to be organized. 

If you have questions about 2015 trips, what a day in the life of a trekker looks like, or how to prepare for a trek, call Abbie at 716.566.7908 or email her at abbie@teentreks.com!

Getting Into "High Gear" for Summer 2015!

Before heading out on trips, make sure you're being safe!

We're so excited for our 2015 Teen Treks bike trips, and can't wait to fill this up with photos!

2014: Another Great Summer of Biking!

We're closing out another fantastic season!  This summer, our Treks brought together kids from all over the US, plus Europe and Asia, for biking adventures they'll never forget.  They visited lively cities and small towns --

 -- and got out in lots of wide-open spaces:

They camped out together,

cooked out together,

learned how to fix their own bikes out on the road,

devoured gallon after gallon of ice cream,

and made lots of close friendships:

They hiked and biked through stunning wilderness spots --

 -- and breezy beaches,

stopping along the way to learn about local history,

pick up lunch goodies at farms,

get off their bikes and out on the water,

and check out museums, art, comedy shows, music festivals, thrift shops, and pretty much everything else they could pack into each day.  They biked hundreds of miles together, up hills and down them, on bright, sunny days and through the rain.  Not a lot of kids can say they've accomplished these kinds of things, but every one of our Trekkers can!

We'll post our 2015 trip schedule later this year, so you can start planning your Trek for next summer.  See you then!

Maine Coast Trekkers Complete 400+ Mile Adventure

The last day of biking turned out beautiful for the Maine Coast Trekkers.  They enjoyed a ride through beautiful hills with almost no traffic.  Before checking into their hotel in Bangor, they picnicked on the banks of the Penobscot River and visited the Cole Land Transportation Museum, which had a great exhibit on biking.

At a bakery they'd found earlier in the day, the Trekkers had picked up some mixed berry pie and blueberry crumble -- and both were still presentable and tasty for lunch after after 25 and dinner after 30 miles.

In the morning, they all caught a bus back to Boston, where they had one last lunch together -- burgers at Five Guys!  Everyone made sure to trade email addresses and phone numbers before they parted ways.  We're thrilled that another group had such a great trip where they accomplished a lot, learned a lot, and had tons of fun.

Maine Coast Trek Winding Down

A rainy morning got the Maine Coast Trekkers on the road early to say goodbye to beautiful Acadia National Park yesterday.  They biked 26 miles before lunch, the group's top early mileage for the entire trip.  They found lunch at the biggest Walmart any of them had ever seen and did a little window-shopping for guns to introduce Samuel, a Trekker who hails from France, to that aspect of American culture.  They had lots of time to swim and take some long, hot showers when they got to their campsite and pulled out the stops for their last night cooking together to make "some crazy creative Sloppy Joes."

Today, they're biking to Bangor -- with stops along the way for back rubs and baked goods.  One more night, and then the Trekkers will meet up with their families to start sharing stories of their biking adventure!

Maine Coast Trekkers Get Ready to Summit Cadillac Mountain

Our Maine Coast Trekkers went an entire 24 hours without biking, but they found more than enough to keep themselves busy.  They did some laundry, popped out to explore downtown Bar Harbor, then had lunch and played hacky sack on the village green.  In the afternoon, they went swimming at Sand Beach. For dinner, they gave themselves a night off from cooking and went out for pizza, then enjoyed an ImprovAcadia show.

Tomorrow, they're hoping for good sunrise weather -- everyone's ready to bike Cadillac Mountain before sunrise, then coast back down to Blackwood Campground for breakfast burritos.

There's essentially no cell reception in the park, so leaders Andy and Carol are in the same tech-free environment as the teenagers in the group.  They're going retro, using paper maps and asking strangers where to find the best spots in the park.

One more night camping out, then a cozy night at a hotel in Bangor, and this group's Trek will be finished!  They're going to squeeze everything they can out of it.

Maine Coast Trek Reaches Acadia National Park

Today, the Maine Coast Trekkers are headed for Blackwoods Campground, where they'll stay for three nights, hiking through beautiful Acadia National Park.

They've had a mostly smooth ride, with only minor stops for repairs.  Here, the Trekkers are getting a lesson on how to oil a chain from leader Andy:

After their interlude in Acadia, the group has only a couple more biking days before it'll be time to head back to Boston, where their journey began.

New England Shore Trek's Last Day

 The New England Shore group closed out its Trek with loads of sun and sand!  They went swimming in the ocean, buried each other in the sand, ate lunch on the beach, and of course. . .

They biked!  They put a total of more than 330 miles behind them on this trip -- quite an accomplishment!  Today, they're reuniting with their parents, some in Boston and some in NYC, to tell them all about their adventure.  

It sounds like everyone had a fantastic trip.  Enjoy the last bit of your summer, New England Shore crew, and keep biking!

Lake Ontario Trek Completes 600+ Mile Journey

The Lake Ontario Trekkers made it back to Buffalo, NY, where, three weeks ago, they started their adventure.  In all, they biked more than 600 miles together!

They spent their last night in the posh Adams Mark Hotel in downtown Buffalo and, yesterday, enjoyed a lazy morning with brunch at Betty's Restaurant -- breakfast burritos, French toast, and steak and eggs.  The day's highlight (no pun intended) was looking out over the city, Lake Erie, and the mists of Niagara Falls from Buffalo City Hall's observation deck.

Goodbyes are always difficult, but several Trekkers from this group are already talking about getting back together next year on our Across America route!

Maine Coast Trekkers Cycle North Towards Acadia

Yesterday was the longest day our Trekkers had biking up the Maine Coast, and they hope it will also end up being their hilliest day. In the morning, they visited Bowdoin College.  It started to rain as they headed out, but they found a family homestead where they could have lunch.

By the time they reached their destination for the day, Duck Puddle Campground, a jam band concert was in full swing! With covers of songs by Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, and The Who in the background, they cooked some delicious pesto chicken with rice and veggies for dinner.

They're just over halfway through their Trek!

New England Shore Trek Knocks Out Another 25 Miles

Riding from Sandwich to Brewster, the New England Shore Trek had a speedy day.  They stopped at a consignment shop along the way to look for trinkets -- apparently this one was mostly furniture, but this group has been finding neat treasures at thrift stores and local junk shops all along the shore.

Teen Treks' Director, Cliff Madell joined the group at Sweetwater Campground, near Brewster, MA.

Today, they're heading to Provincetown for their last two nights camping out!