Farewell 2013 Season!

Teen Treks' 2013 season has flown by, and as summer turns to fall, the office is winding down for the season.  It has been a blast!  From the beaches of Cape Cod, to the islands of British Columbia, and the streets of Paris, our Trekkers have been lucky enough to see some fascinating parts of the globe.  
Cliff and Alexa enjoyed meeting Trekkers and families in Buffalo, New York City, Block Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; it was wonderful to see groups working hard and enjoying themselves.   
Our Leaders were tireless, working to climb hills in South Dakota, to fix flats in pouring rain, and round up Trekkers who missed a drop.  We thank all of our Leaders for their hard work and dedication.  
Most of all, we are happy for all of the Trekkers who decided to do something out of the ordinary this summer by hopping on a bike for weeks at a time, often to new places with new people (who turned into close friends).  From town to town, country to country, our Trekkers have grown as young people and bikers, all while traveling hundreds of miles and having fun.

Teen Treks would like to thank all of the teens and families for participating in our bike trips.  Everyone has helped to make 2013 another exciting season of cycling.  We hope that you join us again next season for more new cities, beaches, hills, food, and friends.  

Thank you for choosing Teen Treks, and have a great year.

See you in 2014, where adventure awaits!

Some European Phantomers

Maine Coast

Pacific Northwest

Niagara-Toronto

Across America

New England Shore

California Coast

Some European Phantomers

New York-Montreal

Lake Ontario

New York-Montreal

Niagara-Toronto's Time in Niagara

The Trekkers have been busy!  Here's what they did this weekend:

From Kate, Leader:
"We spent a wonderful first day exploring many historical sites in Buffalo.  What we visited: the Naval Park with battle destroyer ships from WWII, including the USS the Sullivans, which is haunted by the 5 Sullivan brothers who died on the ship during the Battle of the Solomons.  We also checked out the Darwin Martin House, a gorgeous awe inspiring residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the home of the "Buffalo wing", the Anchor Bar.  
The group spent the first night in a fab Buffalo hostel. Then, we packed up our bikes and headed into Canada.  Shortly after crossing the border, we had a swim and snack break.  We then hopped on a lovely bike path and cruised our way to Niagara Falls along a bike path.  At the Falls, we paused for a quick photo opp and a much needed Tim Horton's pit stop-the Canadian doughnut and coffee eatery went down a treat.  The Niagara Falls hostel is really awesome; homely and comfortable.  We took advantage of the nice kitchen and cooked a delicious chicken enchilada dinner, followed by a yummy chocolate, peanut butter and banana cake."

 

Buffalo is a hot spot for Frank Lloyd Wright creations

And onto Niagara Falls: "The day started out with an exciting ride on the Maid of the Mist boat, which takes visitors right to the foot of the Falls.  Everyone got a good sprinkling as we donned blue ponchos and sailed past the Brides Vale and Horseshoe falls.  After disembarking we cycled to Goat Island and saw the falls close up, this time from above.  A quick jaunt to the Three Sisters Islands and a ride over the rest of the islands followed.  After lunch we made our way to Whirlpool State Park along the Robert Moses Parkway bike path (in New York), a former highway converted for bike use.  At Whirlpool State Park we dismounted our trusty steeds and descended into the maw of the Niagara Gorge.  A shady hike ensued with lots of laughter and stops to dip our toes into the warm water.  The views were great; we were surrounded by panoramic views of the gorge, a few fisherman, huge slabs of rock and Canada.  After hiking up some less than desirable stairs and crossing back into Canada we cooked up a filling meal of pasta alfredo.  Another good day for Niagara-Toronto where the kids were so tuckered out that they feel asleep with the lights on.  Onward and upward!"
-Keaton, Leader

 

The Nigara Gorge-great spot with multiple hiking trails

Timbits from Tim Hortons-more to come!

Niagara Toronto Off to Sunny Start

The Niagara Toronto Trek is in Buffalo and ready to go!  The small group comes from New York, New Hampshire and New Jersey and is ready to get cycling!  Today the group met and Buffalo's Front Park, which sits along Lake Erie, and had breakfast while getting to know one another.  The Teen Treks Director, Cliff, and Program Coordinator, Alexa also stopped by to meet the group.

The Trekkers with Leaders Keaton and Kate

The Chatty group is spending the sunny morning going over bike safety, and will have a picnic lunch before exploring Buffalo's many summer activities.  The group will go to City Hall's observation deck, cruise along the waterfront and head over to Anchor Bar, the originators of Buffalo wings for dinner. Today's weather is nice and sunny with a light breeze-perfect for some light riding on the city's bike path lined streets. 

City Hall provides a fantastic panoramic view of Buffalo and Canada.

Dinner!

Here it the Trek's Itinerary: