August 11 Fort Myers, FL

People, family and friends have been asking me what we have planned for our next adventure. It has been over a month since returning from our Cross-country bike tour and rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Sandy and I have resumed our rhythmic life in Fort Myers. Our families know where to find us. Our bikes are parked in the garage where they get taken out once or twice a week for 30-60 mile runs to Naples, Bonita Beach, Lovers Key, Sanibel and Captiva.

We plan to celebrate Halloween in Pittsburgh with Janice, Ted, Abby and Mom. Usually we fly direct. On three occasions I have driven the distance. I enjoy being on the road much more than flying. (Flight attendant rage is something that I could relate to.) The roads through the Appalachian Mountains are great for bicycling.

http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/upload/blrimap-2.pdf

I started researching biking the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is 460 miles and mostly North-South Road.

http://www.blackbearadventures.com/index.html

This is a company that does organized tours. The catalog dates of the organized tours were not convenient for us. They do say that they do custom tours for groups of 6 or more.

What I am thinking of doing is driving our Minivan with the bike rack and our bikes with Sandy and doing surveillance this fall on our way to Pittsburgh. Options include parking the car and doing loop rides, one person bikes and the other rides and switch, and/or bike with other couples and share the car/cars as support vehicle. We could leave in mid October and have the time to explore on the way to Pittsburgh.

This is the website for the Blue Ridge Parkway National Park Service

http://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm


Possible hotels along the route of the Parkway.

Hotel Asheville, NC
http://www.haywoodpark.com/

Hotel Chetola, NC
http://www.chetola.com/

Hotel Fancy Gap, VA
http://www.doerunlodging.com/

Hotel Bedford, VA
http://www.peaksofotter.com/

Hotel Waynesboro, VA
http://www.bwwaynesboro.com/

Hotel Fort Royal, VA
http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=POZTEOITWMMSGCSGBIV222QKIYFC5UUC?ctyhocn=FTRYLHX

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