The Lake Ontario Trek Started at the Foot of the Niagara River

The Lake Ontario Trek rides around the entire Great Lake.  All 650+ miles. They will ride through Niagara Falls, Toronto, Kingston, 1000 Islands, the St. Lawrence Seaway, Oswego, NY, Chimney Bluffs, Rochester, the Erie Canal, and end in Buffalo. The group met early this morning at the foot of the Niagara River (and Lake Erie) and today will bike 20+ miles to Niagara Falls.  They started the day with breakfast in a pavilion in Front Park.  After some introductory games and a discussion on bike safety they were ready to hit the bike path.  They rode across the Peace Bridge and into Canada

A Glimpse of Leadership Training in the Niagara Region

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Lake Ontario Trek Gets Soaked on the Maid of the Mist

The Lake Ontario Trek enjoyed a gorgeous, sunny day at Niagara Falls.  They enjoyed a picnic lunch including some very tasty rotisserie chicken and then biked the trails around Goat Island. 

Teen Treks' Director, Cliff Madell, joined the group for the day and gave them some tips about bike mechanics while he was there.

Next, the Trekkers went on the Maid of the Mist boat tour, which takes you right up next to the Falls themselves.  Here's the group looking cheerful -- and dry -- before Maid of the Mist:

And here they are afterward, drenched!  But still cheerful:

Check out leader Zari's t-shirt.  It's hot pink in the first photo, and it gets so soaked it actually looks dark red in the second.

The group is staying at the Niagara Falls Youth Hostel again tonight.  Tomorrow, they'll bike up to Jordan, Ontario, for their first night camping out together!

Lake Ontario Trek Heads for Niagara Falls

An overcast, drizzly day brought the Lake Ontario Trekkers into Canada via the Peace Bridge on their first day out.  In all, they rode just over 20 miles to reach Niagara Falls.  After fixing a flat tire and making a few mechanical adjustments, the Trekkers are now all official road warriors, ready for whatever their journey brings them!

The group was all smiles when they reached the Falls.  Tonight, they're staying dry at the Niagara Falls Youth Hostel and looking forward to the Maid of the Mist boat ride in the morning.

The group wrote us a haiku for the day:

A beautiful finch,
Soaring over Niagara,
Color was yellow.

We look forward to hearing more about their adventures through Canada and back across New York State!

Bike Across America this summer with Teen Treks!

Biked across America with Teen Treks this past summer. What an incredible experience!!!  I learned so much about myself, my bike, and my country over my eight weeks of biking.  I loved my experience this summer and would definitely recommend it.  It's hard work (with fun), but if you want to push yourself and do something so amazing that you can tell stories about it for the rest of your life -- go for it!! 

 Daniel, Across America Trekker, 2012

Welcome to our toughest trip!

Ride 3,800 miles across the U.S. over 8 amazing weeks -- this trek is truly an accomplishment and always a life-changing experience.

Your trip begins in Oregon, where you'll dip your wheels in the Pacific Ocean on a cool, misty beach. Then it's out toward deep forests and the wide-open plains, the Rocky Mountains, Chicago, and so much more!

You'll bike through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and along the Great Lakes to Niagara Falls. Then, follow the Erie Canal bike route across NY state to the Hudson River for a short 150 miles into NYC, ending the trip at Coney Island.  Along the way, you'll camp, hike, and swim, stop in picturesque town squares and ride past some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers.

Across America’s northern route lets our bikers enjoy their summer travel experience, compared to (much, much hotter) southern cross-country routes. But don’t kid yourself -- you will bike close to 100 miles, some days, so you’ll need to be in good shape.

When you travel by bike, you get to know the world better.  You get the flavor of the culture in the small towns and rural areas, and you see cities differently, too.

America is full of quirky -- and kind of amazing! -- independent art, friendly small-town diners, and beautiful vista after beautiful vista.  See it all with us this summer!

Even George Washington wants to come -- we just need to find him a bike!

We're running two Across America trips this summer, for teens entering grades 10 and up:

• June 25 - August 18
• June 29 - August 22

Apply now to reserve your place on this one-of-a-kind experience!  Or sign up for one of our other super trips: New York City - Montreal, Pacific Northwest, California Coast, New England Shore, European Phantom, Maine Coast -- and more!

Bike Trips for First-Time Explorers

Kids as young as 11 can get in on their first cross-country bike adventure with Teen Treks, on our First-Time Explorers and Easy routes.   These trips stick to quiet trails, tow paths, and little-used roads, and require as little as 15 miles biking per day. 

Some of these popular trips are already filling up!  Reserve your spot now, so you don't have to face the dreaded "SOLD OUT" label on that trip you had your heart set on.

First-Time Explorers trips (15-25 miles/day):

• D & R Canal Trek for students entering grades 6-8
• Connecticut-Rhode Island Trek for students entering grades 7-9
• Niagara-Toronto Trek for students entering grades 7-9

The D & R Canal Trek follows the historic D & R Canal Trail through Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Ride across the Delaware River where George Washington made his crossing, see 18th century farmhouses, and tour picturesque downtown districts and the Princeton campus on this great six-day introduction to bicycle touring.

The sandy beaches, charming New England towns, and winding back roads along the Connecticut-Rhode Island Trek are a biker's paradise.  This ten-day ride starts in NYC and goes through New Haven, Guilford, Hammonasset State Park, Block Island, Newport, and Providence before coming back to NYC by bus.

Our Niagara-Toronto Trek follows awesome bike trails around Lake Ontario.  We start in Buffalo, NY and cross into Canada on the first day to visit Niagara Falls and Goat Island, then see the lake freighters at on the Welland Canal, spend a day at Confederation Water Park, and head to Toronto for two days to explore Kensington Market, major museums, Chinatown, and the Toronto Islands.  This ten-day trek ends with a bus ride back to Buffalo for wings and last goodbyes.

Easy trips (20-35 miles/day):

• Cape Cod Trek for students entering grades 7-9
• C&O Canal Trek for students entering grades 7-9
• New England Shore Trek for students entering grades 7-9

The Cape Cod Trek heads south out of Boston past Plymouth Rock, to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.  Over 14 days, you'll tour fishing and resort towns and enjoy cabin camping as you make your way up to Provincetown, then come back to Boston for two days visiting sites like Fanueil Hall and Harvard Square, seeing Shakespeare in the Park, and checking out trendy eateries and shops.

Bike the New England Shore with Teen Treks for 14 days, and see beautiful coastal towns and all the beaches you can handle.  We meet up in NYC, then take a train out of the city to start cycling up the coast through New Haven, Mystic, Groton, Block Island, Newport and Cape Cod, ending up with two days in lively, historic Boston.  A bus brings you back to NYC for a day, taking the trek full circle.

On the C & O Canal Trek, you'll bike for 16 days from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, taking the Great Allegheny Passage (Rail to Trail) and the C&O Canal Tow Path -- no cars or traffic.  You'll get to go whitewater rafting, see Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water house, ride a 19th century canal boat, and visit Civil War-era sites at Harper's Ferry.  The last two days, we spend sightseeing in our nation's capital.

  

Our leaders get extensive training in first aid, mechanics, and leadership techniques, and they're all at least 21 years old. Many of them have taken trips just like the ones they're now leading, and many have led for Teen Treks before!

We love to help trekkers of all ages discover how much they can accomplish.  We camp out some, and we stay in clean, friendly hotels and hotels; we make oatmeal around the fire, and we eat out everywhere we go so you get to know places' local cuisine.  You'll make lifelong friends and come away with memories you'll treasure.

For more information on all our treks, including route maps, dates, and costs, visit Teen Treks' website.  Email or call us (716-566-7908) any time with questions.  We'd love to help you choose the best trip for a fantastic, unforgettable summer!

New Trek for 2014: 1000 Mile Challenge

Maybe you’d love to bike Across America, but you can’t get away for long enough this summer.  Maybe you feel like you could handle the New York-Montreal route or the California Coast, but you want to push yourself a little.  Or maybe you’d love to see Chicago, New York, and the stretch of America between them.   If that sounds like you, check out our new 30-day 1000 Mile Challenge Trek!

Cycle just over 1000 miles, starting in Chicago.

See the Great Lakes and miles of beautiful farm country through Indiana and Ohio.

Visit the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, and eat chicken wings in Buffalo, NY, where they were invented.

Visit Niagara Falls before cruising through New York’s lake country and heading into NYC.

Ride along the Hudson River into Manhattan and Coney Island, where your trek ends.

 Camp with your fellow trekkers some nights, and on others, stay in clean, friendly hostels.

Make friendships that will last your whole life!

This challenging ride (50-100 miles per day) will take you through Chicago, Ft. Wayne, Toledo, Cleveland, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Ithaca, New York -- and everything in between.  It's suited for high schoolers entering grades 10 through 12. We’ll be running 1000 Mile Challenge June 27 - July 26 (trip code 1000-JN27) and July 11 - Aug 9 (trip code 1000-J11).

Visit TeenTreks.com to apply to bike the 1000 Mile Challenge with us, or sign up for one of our other super trips: Across America, Pacific Northwest, European Phantom, California Coast, New England Shore, Amsterdam-Paris, New York-Montreal -- and more!

Lake Ontario Group Photo at Niagara Falls

Here is the group after riding the Maid of the Mist boat ride, which take people to the foot of the Falls.  The Trekkers are enjoying their final day in Toronto before moving eastward along Lake Ontario, which will bring them to more rural territory.