keith_ritter

Top 3 Places to See Fall Foliage

Posted on June 10, 2016 - 2:44 am by keith_ritter

Fall is our favorite season. The weather turns cool and the colors come out to play. That’s why we’ve got some very special fall adventures designed to showcase the best colors in America. Our Vermont trips have got the richest hues in the Northeast. Blackberry Farm is a down-home fall festival. And California Wine Country is timed perfectly with the harvest. Is summer over yet?

Vermont

Is there anything more classic? These are the best colors in the country. Rich reds, bright golds, and deep oranges combine for a breathtaking tapestry of colors set amongst a gorgeous mountain backdrop and quiet country roads. Enjoy the charm of quaint town squares, sample regional specialties from golden maple syrup to smooth Vermont cheddar and rich, velvety ice cream, and taste the farm-to-table freshness that make this the most fall-friendly trip on the calendar.

Fall foliage on Trek Travel's Vermont bike tour

California Wine Country

California Wine Country is known internationally for its weather and soil that produce some of the world’s most delicious wine, and there’s no better place to be when the leaves on the vines start to change. This is a bustling time of year, with all hands on deck at the wineries, but the perfect cycling routes are slightly less known. Pedal the gently undulating terrain that traverses vineyard after vineyard, smell the next great vineyard in the air, and stop to sample exclusive wines as you take in the full harvest experience. Read about our guides’ experience during last year’s harvest at Summit Lake Vineyards»

Blackberry Farm

Nestled on 9,200 untouched acres adjoining the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, Blackberry Farm offers a stunning setting in the foothills of the Southern Appalachians to see spectacular fall colors on display. From crisp fall evenings gathered around a campfire on the banks of Hesse Creek to tranquil days spent riding the Foothills Parkway and paddle boarding on Tellico Lake, there’s no better place to wile away those magical fall days.

Top 5 Reasons to See This Year’s Vuelta

Posted on June 1, 2016 - 9:03 pm by keith_ritter

Watching a pro cycling race on TV is one thing, seeing it live in person and feeling the experience is a whole different ball game. Especially when it’s in the beautiful destination of Spain. As an Official Tour Operator, our guests get the VIP treatment and experience the race closer than they could ever imagine. This year’s Vuelta a España trip takes place in Northern Spain from Oviedo to Santander. Expect amazing food and wine, breathtaking landscapes, exciting stages and incredible race access. If that’s not enough, here are the top 5 reasons why you should book your ticket to Spain and join us.

See the full trip»

1. Experience ten mountaintop finishes.

The impressive list includes an assault on the Spanish giant, the Alto de l’Angrilu, known as the hardest climb in Spain. You’ll also get the chance to take on Lagos de Covadonga, Cima Chechu Rubiera, Peña Cabarga, Puerto de Alisas and more. If you don’t want to climb everything, you can always hop in the Trek Travel van and shuttle up the mountain.

2. Get exclusive front row seats and Stage 10 VIP access.

Witness the Stage 10 summit finish at Lagos de Covadonga and ride on the race course. Afterwards, experience a live viewing of Stage 11, both with VIP passes for unrivaled access.

3. Ride with a UCI pro tour veteran and former US Postal domestique.

Meet Chechu Rubiera and gain insight to La Vuelta and its magical subtleties from a former pro. Together you’ll climb the Alto de l’Angliru, the hardest climb in Spain. L’Angliru was last featured in the 2013 Vuelta, when Vincenzo Nibali and Chris Horner battled each other into the clouds, with Horner emerging from the mist as the stage victor. Learn more in our recent interview with Chechu»

4. Be the ultimate super fan.

Only with Trek Travel can you spend an evening at the Trek-Segafredo pro team hotel to tour the official team bus, meet the mechanics, and have a photo session with team officials and riders. Access to the riders at the Vuelta is unparalleled—they are far more relaxed than at the Giro d’Italia or Tour de France but they are still in top racing form.

5. Indulge in the best of Spain.

Traverse the greenest countryside in Spain, sample the finest northern Spanish cuisine, and catch the race action in the remarkably beautiful regions of Asturias and Cantabria. We’ll make our way through Basque Country, one of the most celebrated areas for epicureans in Spain. The Spanish Grand Tour has its own unique story and it is best discovered by bike. Join us!

Are you ready for the Vuelta?

Reserve your spot

Bicycling and beer tastings

Posted on May 17, 2016 - 4:18 pm by keith_ritter

“I’m kind of an iced-tea guy most of the time, but a cold beer after a long bike ride on a hot day sure tastes good. Especially when it’s a “beermosa,” orange juice blended with some suds. For avid cyclists who prefer craft beer, Trek Travel will offer three separate cycling tours this summer and fall that the active travel outfit says serve up some of the country’s best microbrews.”

Brian E. Clark | May 17, 2016

Top 3 Places to Go in July

Posted on May 10, 2016 - 6:57 pm by keith_ritter

From the stunningly gorgeous vineyards of Bordeaux, to the lazy countrysides of Vermont, or the world renowned fields of lavender in Provence, summer was made for vacation and relaxation. Join us for a heated summer romance on two wheels. Your heart may skip a beat, but you won’t want to skip a moment.

1. Bordeaux

Bordeaux is perhaps the most famous wine country in France, if not the world. Tiny villages break up miles and miles of vineyards, producing some of the deepest, full-bodied reds a tongue could ever taste. The flowering of the vines in July presents the best opportunity to soak in the sensational views of vine-covered slopes. This isn’t just another wine country. This is the world’s premiere destination of wine. Welcome, and drink up.

2. Vermont

Vermont in July promises everything you love about New England, like the gorgeous mountain backdrops and quiet country roads, with the added kick of the region’s best breweries. Take a dip in Lake Dunmore, hike the Stowe Pinnacle Trail, indulge in a maple creemee, and taste everything from double IPAs to small batches from some of craft brewing’s most famous names. There’s no better place to celebrate the brilliance of summer than the picturesque Green Mountains.

3. Provence

Nestled between the Rhone River and Italy, Provence offers plenty of southeastern French cuisine, washed down with world-class rosés and Pastis, a homegrown traditional liqueur. In July, Provence also offers sensational views of lavender fields for which the region is known, and there’s no better place to drink in the scenery than Abbaye de Senanque – a Cistercian abbey dating to the 12th-century, whose monks still produce lavender and honey.

For the VIP Cyclist

Posted on May 10, 2016 - 4:09 pm by keith_ritter

“An official tour Operator of the Tour de France, Trek Travel provides an in-depth and behind-the-scenes experience of professional cycling’s most exalted event. Take on the routes ahead of the professional peloton-riding across the starts and finishes of stages and such epic, history-filled climbs as Mont Ventoux and Alpe d’Huez-and meet the 2016 riders and team mechanics, as well as (on select tours) the famous and immensely personable Jens Voigt.”

Kathryn Hunter | May/June 2016 Issue

Bicycling’s 6 Great Bike Trips for Tour de France Fans

Posted on May 6, 2016 - 3:44 pm by keith_ritter

“If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to ride a full stage of the Tour de France, this is your trip. Trek Travel is an official Tour-recognized outfitter, meaning you get guaranteed entry to l’Etape du Tour, a fully supported gran fondo that traces the 146-km route of Stage 20, which takes in some of the most fearsome passes in the Alps, like the Col de Colombiere, Col de la Ramaz and the Col de Joux Plane.”

Joe Lindsey | May 4, 2016

Taking on the Canary Islands

Posted on May 4, 2016 - 4:07 pm by keith_ritter

“I guess you could call it a midlife crisis. I’d flown across the Atlantic Ocean for a weeklong cycling trip on this Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco.”

Lori Rackl | May 4, 2016

The crisis part came as I watched a Trek Travel guide hoist my Domane road bike onto the roof rack of the support van, and I sheepishly crawled into the passenger seat while the other cyclists on the trip pedaled up the hill and out of sight.

T+L names Glacier National Park trip for Best National Parks Tour Operators and Packages

Posted on May 3, 2016 - 4:08 pm by keith_ritter

“Going-to-the-Sun Road, which follows a dizzying path along a mountainside in the heart of Glacier National Park, is considered one of America’s most spectacular routes. Most experience it from a car, but a cycling tour lets you breathe in the fresh mountain air along the way.”

Lindsey Olander and Ryan Krogh | May 4, 2016

On Trek Travel’s six-day tour through the park, riders will bike through the lake-filled Blackfeet Indian Reservation, spot bighorn sheep on moderate mountain climbs, and raft down the Middle Fork Flathead River.

Industry Insider: Chechu Rubiera

Posted on April 29, 2016 - 9:59 pm by keith_ritter

A Spanish cycling legend, UCI ProTour veteran and former US Postal domestique, Chechu Rubiera’s palmarès include a pair of Top 10 finishes at the Vuelta a España and multiple Giro d’Italia stage victories. But beyond his strength on a bike, it is his easy laughter and perfect manners for which he earned respect in the peloton and a spot on our trip.

Your full name is Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil. Where did the nickname Chechu originate?
When I was little, my mother used to listen to a soap opera on the radio. One of the characters was named Chechu. That’s where my name came from; no one calls me Jose Luis.

What sets the Vuelta a España apart from the Tour de France or Giro d’Italia?
I think a big difference between La Vuelta and the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia is that, with a few exceptions, during La Vuelta the riders, teams, mechanics and masseurs work with less pressure than in the other two races.

It’s also a race at the end of season, and major goals have already passed for most of the cyclists (Spring Classics, the Tour, the Giro…). Some even participate in preparation for the world championship, without pushing themselves at 200%.

This makes La Vuelta – especially from the spectator’s point of view – more accessible to meet riders in hotels, or at the starts and finishes. The riders leave the buses earlier than at the other races, like at the Tour for example, to go to the village and enjoy it without the pressure that’s usually present at the most important races. At the Tour de France they use all the time prior to departure for team meetings on the bus and to build their concentration. At La Vuelta, you can even see the cyclists after dinner, going out for a little walk around the hotel. Why? Because they are just more relaxed. They are professionals and the next race day they will give it everything, but they’re not under so much pressure from the sponsors and directors as they are at the other races. I think this way the essence of cycling is recovered a little bit, since nowadays it has been professionalized to extremes from which the audience does not always benefit.

The Category 1 climb, Puerto de Cotobello, is better known as Cima Chechu Rubiera. Tell us the story behind that climb.
It was a road used exclusively as a service road for a local mine. When the hill was opened to traffic, it was still unknown. My friends encouraged me to climb the hill on my bike. I loved it: no traffic, beautiful views and constant climbing without being extreme or inhuman. I proposed it to La Vuelta’s organizers for a final stage of 2010 Vuelta and they liked it, and included it to the race. The local government and my cycling friends proposed to name it after me, and I got the privilege and honor that it’s known as the Chechu Rubiera climb.

You were born in northern Spain and still live there today. What makes this a great travel destination?
From the cycling perspective, it is a wonderful area for its scenery, mountains, forests and ports, which cyclists can enjoy at the right speed. Gastronomically is a perfect place for the cyclists to enjoy food, but I would highlight especially the countless examples of art and culture surrounding any route that can be seen from the saddle; the traces of people who inhabited these lands before us, ranging from prehistoric times to the Romans, through the Muslim and Christian kings.

What is your best memory from your days competing in Vuelta a España?
There are many. Team victories, several classifications among the Top 15, and especially the memory of seeing my parents cheering me on proudly from the side of the road in many different places in Spain.

RIDE WITH CHECHU RUBIERA ON TREK TRAVEL’S VUELTA A ESPAÑA VACATION»

There’s Always the Van

Posted on April 22, 2016 - 3:00 pm by keith_ritter

When I got on the plane to Italy in October 2006 for our Trek Travel Tuscany trip, I knew nothing about the van. A week later, the van was to become one of my favorite things about a Trek Travel trip.

Words by Deb Dingwall, Trek Travel Guest

We landed in Florence and spent the next couple of days exploring the city before hopping on a bus and heading out to the Tuscan countryside with our fellow Trek Travel guests. What I remember most about that first day was standing astride my bike in the Val d’Orcia, gazing up at the lovely hilltop town of Pienza, and thinking, “How beautiful but what the hell have I gotten myself into?” You need to understand that I grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska (Go Big Red!) and was very comfortable with a relatively flat landscape of the Midwest. And while I had spent plenty of time skiing in Colorado as I was growing up, that was downhill. Grudgingly, I clipped in and started to slowly ascend towards the town, my husband Adam alongside me.

Our Trek Travel guide, Dave Edwards, rode up next to us and noticed I was struggling. “Just put it in your easiest gear and pedal slowly” he said. I wasn’t about to break out my, “Don’t tell me what to do” attitude at this early in the game, so I did as Dave suggested and Adam and I made our way up to the town. From the walls of Pienza we gazed across the valley and a shot of reality hit me, each and every town seemed to be at the top of a hill. From our vantage point we could see enough hilltop towns to make my heart sink a bit, and I wondered how the rest of the trip was going to be. I was very convinced I would never let Adam talk me into another one of these vacations.

That night we enjoy an amazing Italian four-course feast with plenty of wine. Dave stopped by our table during dinner to ask how the first day went. Admittedly I was a bit down, and I told him the elevation for the rest of the week looked daunting as it wasn’t quite what I had expected. “Simple,” Dave said, “there’s always the van. You don’t want to ride up the hill, just let us know and we’ll boost you to the top in the van. It’s your vacation.”

“There’s always the van” became my new mantra, and one that I’ve shared in numerous conversations about Trek Travel. It is my vacation and if part of what I want on vacation is relief from some of the cycling challenges that are an awesome part of every Trek trip, I’m allowed to jump in the van. I’ve been known to do that for a boost up a steep hill, a rest after lunch for a bit, or at the beginning of the day if I’m not quite feeling up to the start.

I’ve boosted up climbs in Tuscany, France, Vermont, California, Oregon, and the San Juan Islands just to name a few. My reluctance about that first climb up to Pienza disappeared with the realization that the van was there to enhance my, and any Trek Travel guest’s, experience.

Adam did talk me into another trip, and another, and another. This July we will take our 11th trip with Trek Travel, this time to the California Wine Country. I’ve grown to enjoy the riding–and even the climbing–so much more than I did on that first trip. But ever since my childhood days skiing in Colorado, the downhills have always been, and always will be, a love of mine. And if you ever have the chance to descend into Bend off of Mount Bachelor, do it.

A Trek Travel vacation is so much more than cycling. It’s food and wine, conversation and amazing scenery. It’s the bike and the guides. And sometimes, it’s the van.

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Author Archives: keith_ritter

Top 3 Places to See Fall Foliage

Top 5 Reasons to See This Year’s Vuelta

Bicycling and beer tastings

Top 3 Places to Go in July

For the VIP Cyclist

Bicycling’s 6 Great Bike Trips for Tour de France Fans

Taking on the Canary Islands

T+L names Glacier National Park trip for Best National Parks Tour Operators and Packages

Industry Insider: Chechu Rubiera

There’s Always the Van

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