Top 5 Dream Days of 2018, Biking Italy’s Adriatic Coast with DuVine Cycling

Let’s face it, the Caribbean pales in comparison to the South Pacific. James Michener was correct when he called Bora Bora the most beautiful island in the world. I would also add the Marquesas’ Fatu Hiva and its exquisitely beautiful Bay of Virgins to the list. Volcanic islands and their dramatic ridges covered with lush foliage rise dramatically from the popsicle-blue waters of the Pacific. You can skip through the papaya fields and pick the fruit. And the people, like the Fijians are the friendliest in the world, with a genuine curiosity, not staring at you as if you were a dollar sign. Dominica is one of the few islands in the Caribbean that comes even close to this ideal. Waterfalls are around every bend (and there are a lot of bends on these winding roads). It’s perfectly suited for the active lifestyle—hikers can climb to a lake that bubbles with hot volcanic water and rafters can glide down a mountainous stream in nature’s best version of a lazy river. Ripe passionfruit and guava fall from the trees, and the locals are laid back, not in your face trying to make a buck. Grab one on the 35 bungalows at Jungle Bay, built from reclaimed cedar wood and volcanic stone, and propped on stilts like treehouses in the jungle. Then get ready for a slew of naturalist-led hikes into the greenery, yoga classes, sea kayaking, signature coconut oil massages, or simply reading by the pool.
Anyone who’s walked the steep sands of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the largest sand dunes west of the Sahara Desert, sea kayaked and camped on the secluded white sand beaches of the Apostle Islands, and hiked the trails of one of the least visited national parks in America, Isle Royale, can tell you firsthand the beauty of the Great Lakes. The problem has always been inaccessibility, especially to the northern fringes of these vast waters. Not anymore. Great Lakes Cruising has just announced that their spanking new 138-passenger vessel, the MV Yorktown, will sail Lake Huron, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan, along with sister ships Grande Mariner and Niagara Prince the summer of 2012. The eight to eleven-day itineraries include stops at Mackinac Island, Charlevoix, Sturgeon Bay, and Apostle Island. This comes on the heels of the opening of the new $21.5 million cruise pier in Detroit that opened last June, already expanding from 2 to 13 cruise ships in 2012.
When I was working as a columnist for National Geographic Adventure and researching my first book, Outside Magazine’s Adventure Guide to New England, I would often go on multi-day sea kayaking trips along the Maine coast or around Prince Edward Island. The trend of long distance sea kayaking was becoming popular in the late 90s thanks in large part to one man, Olaf Malver, who was the director of development for Mountain Travel Sobek. While Richard Bangs put the sport of whitewater rafting virgin rivers on the map, Malver explored the world within the cozy confines of a sea kayak.
On Days 3 and 5, we took early morning rides before seeing the fairytale city of Český Krumlov and bustling Vienna. That’s the beauty of this Danube River itinerary. Sandwiched between the starting point of Prague and the end in Budapest, you can spend time in world-class cities, yet the bulk of the biking is in the countryside, pedaling through farmland or vineyards. It’s a fantastic combination and you cover so much ground, 5 countries in 8 days.
Backroads took over the entire AmaWaterways ship on this cruise. Translation: Only bikers were allowed on the ship. It also means that the Backroads trip leaders run the show and they were phenomenal. Malcolm has 23 years of Backroads experience under his belt and I was amazed at his ability to change the itinerary, even at the last moment. When water levels were too low to go further east on the Danube past Budapest, we had to skip our last morning of biking and, instead Malcolm had buses and guides waiting for us to tour Budapest. He was also a fantastic DJ, leading two epic dance parties during the week, featuring the best of 70s and 80s music. Lee should be in stand-up comedy, every line out of his mouth a witty joke. Loved the whimsy and sheer joy of Alex, especially when dancing. Stephan knew every bike route like the back of his hand and was often cheering me on during those hard uphill climbs. If it wasn’t for Jenn, I’d still be biking in Austria, lost on some route. She was always there to direct me in the right direction and answer all my questions. Fantastic group of trip leaders, the crème de la crème at Backroads!
More than half of the passengers on the cruise used e-bikes, which really wasn’t necessary after Day 2, when we had few uphill climbs unless you craved them. Most of the biking along the Danube River was relatively flat on bike trails.
My kids, Jake and Mel, ages 26 and 24 respectively, loved the cruise. The biking was challenging, the rural landscape was stunning, and the sightseeing and dining in the cities exceptional. Unfortunately, there was just one other family with kids their age aboard the ship. There was a younger group of 35 who pulled out at the last minute due to the war in Ukraine, but tourism was thriving in all cities, including Budapest. The only signs of the war were some refugees we met from the Ukraine. That left the average age aboard the cruise in the early 60s, which is not far from the usual demographic aboard a river cruise. My hope is that a younger generation will sample these Backroads itineraries because it’s really a wonderful bike cruise. You’re rarely on the boat, except for cocktail hour, dinner, dance parties, and sleeping. The rest of the time you’re meeting up with the ship after your bike ride. It’s an exciting way to see a good chunk of Europe.
If interested in discussing any Backroads trip, please contact ActiveTravels and we’ll go over all the options.
The Appalachian Mountain Club keeps three of its huts in the Whites in New Hampshire open in winter. For snowshoers who relish a good climb, try the 3.8-mile (one-way) hike from Pinkham Notch to the Carter Notch hut. The 19-mile Brook Trail will bring you to this unique accommodation, situated between the dramatic ridges of Carter Dome and Wildcat “A.” Here, you can spend the night at the AMC’s oldest standing hut, a stone building constructed in 1914, perched just above two glacial lakes. The trail splits at the 1.8-mile mark, veering left to the top of Carter Dome or straight to Carter Notch. As you cross a bridge and continue the ascent to the notch, the northern hardwood forest is soon replaced by a boreal forest of sweet-smelling spruces and firs. The last section of the trail snakes between the ridges and the majestic glacial lakes to the old hut. Inside the cozy walls, you’ve earned your dinner and a night’s sleep on a mattress.
One day in late April, I awoke early in San Antonio and biked to the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center. Next to this huge former warehouse, now housing art galleries, is an entrance to the spanking new Mission Reach bike trail, a 10.2-mile beauty strip south of the city. It was a gorgeous morning as I peered at the numerous green herons, egrets, and families of ducks. When it warmed up, the turtles arrived to sunbathe on upturned logs on the river. Workers were busy restoring some of the 400 acres of river and six pedestrian bridges that will be added when the Mission Reach is finished this year. This being spring, sunflowers and purple wildflowers were in bloom.