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 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.

Lake Ontario Trek Bikes Toward Brighton

A gray, drizzly morning didn't give the Lake Ontario Trekkers a lot of hope for a great start to their day. . . but as they got into the biking, they found that the cool temperatures and the beautiful landscape around them made their first 15 miles some of their best yet!

In Cobourg, they found a friendly bike shop owner/mechanic who not only changed one of the Trekkers' tires for free, but sent them on their way with an extra innertube, too. By lunchtime, the rain had let up and the group had excellent energy levels for the last part of their ride to Presqu'ile Provincial Park in Brighton.

Everyone's looking forward to biking through Sandbank Park and the Thousand Islands region before returning to the U.S. in a few days.  Hopefully, they'll get more cool weather and meet more bike-friendly people along the way!

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!

New York - Montreal Trek Rises to Challenges in the Hudson Valley

Traveling from Croton Point Park to Fishkill, NY, our New York - Montreal Trekkers hit more than a few bumps: it was a hot day, they went up and down a lot of hills, and they had a number of bike problems, from flat tires to a wrecked derailleur.  At the end of the ride, they even hit a brief but heavy downpour.  They stayed positive, though, and put in some fantastic team effort to keep everyone moving.

 

Plus, the whole group did a lot of hands-on learning, so every one of them is now more confident about making their own repairs.

After their tough day, the Trekkers swam in the hotel pool and ordered out for pizza to give themselves a night off from cooking.  They're now continuing up the Hudson, with Hyde Park and the Franklin D. Roosevelt House as their next stops.

NY-Montreal Trek Rides North Along the Hudson River

The New York - Montreal Trekkers had a nice ride to Croton Point Park -- just over 20 miles.  They saw beautiful scenery, fixed a flat tire together, and shared a gallon of ice cream to cool off in the afternoon. 

For dinner, they cooked up some delicious red bean quesadillas.  Everyone had a shower, and then they explored the campground and told ghost stories around a camp fire.

New England Trek Does the Mystic Aquarium

The group got an early start and headed for Mystic, CT.  It was a warm morning with plenty of hills, but the group pushed on and did their miles.





They had a few options for activities and elected to spend the afternoon at Mystic Aquarium, petting live Cownose and Atlantic rays -- as you can see below -- watching beluga swim, and generally having a great time.

The Trekkers are already becoming pros at fixing flat tires -- they had two in one day!

Next, they're on to Block Island for two beautiful days of beach fun and some of the nation's best bike paths!