Southern Shenandoah Bicycle Tour
A bicycling vacation tour of the southern Shenandoah Valley, Allegheny Mountains, and Blue Ridge Mountains

Breathtaking Blue Ridge overlooks, pastoral valley farm roads, and winding mountain passes provide the setting for this incredibly diverse tour.  Beautiful southern Shenandoah Valley is at the center of this journey.  With the Alleghenies to the west and the Blue Ridge to the east, Shenandoah Valley has long been a fertile agricultural area, and remains so today.  Farm roads meander through the valley, following the rolling contours of the land.  Grapevines occasionally dot the landscape as do several Civil War historical sites.  Nightly, relax in gracious inns -- one in a beautiful country setting, and one in a downtown historic district.

(***Note:  We are also offering a Northern Shenandoah Tour beginning and ending in Charlottesville, VA.  Click here for additional details).

Day 1:  Meet in Lexington ready to bike.  Arrive a day earlier if you'd like to explore this enticing historic village and Lee Chapel.  We pedal from town today into the Allegheny mountains via breathtaking Goshen Pass.  We spend the night in remote Bath County at Fort Lewis Lodge, with its renowned local cuisine and rustic farm setting.  Before bed, walk up to the star gazing deck for a “light-free” look at the Milky Way.  

Day 2:  Rise early for breakfast, then hit the quiet back roads of the George Washington National Forest.  Our bikes normally outnumber cars during the first half of this day's route.  Cycling through this lightly populated region, you will enjoy beautiful views of mountain rivers and forests, and a couple of quiet mountain communities.  A few challenging climbs will punctuate the day's ramble.  You will be pleasantly exhausted by the time you arrive back at Fort Lewis Lodge for a second evening of serenity.

Day 3:  More beautiful roads in the G.W. National Forest lead us to a mountain pass which returns us to the Shenandoah Valley. We end the day in historic Staunton, VA, in the center of Shenandoah Valley. Settle in for two nights at Frederick House, a five building inn in the heart of historic Staunton.   We end the day in historic Staunton, VA, in the center of Shenandoah Valley.  Settle in for two nights at Frederick House in the heart of historic Staunton.   

Day 4:  Today is a full day of biking the valley farm roads and visiting small towns along the way. We'll visit Natural Chimneys, a formation of stone towers created by the collapse of an ancient cavern. We'll also bike through an area of Mennonite farms. Mennonites have been in the area since the 1720's. You may also opt for a day off the bike to explore Staunton’s five historic districts and Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace on foot. Schedule permitting, see a show that night at the acclaimed Shenandoah Shakespeare Blackfriars Playhouse -- an authentic recreation of the bard’s winter theater in London.

Day 5:  Bike southeast and approach the looming Blue Ridge. Wind your way up a gap to the Blue Ridge Parkway and spectacular overlooks. After logging additional spectacular miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway to a final catered lunch, we will descend for and exhilarating 5 miles off the Blue Ridge, down to the valley floor, where showers await, prior to departure. Extend your stay in Virginia to explore the southern high country or to venture northward into Shenandoah National Park.

Lodging:  Optional Nights before or after tour:  Hampton Inn Col Alto, Lexington, VA.  We will meet and return to this inn.  With all of the conveniences of a typical Hampton Inn, this one is located in downtown Lexington and incorporates a 1827 mansion into the facility.  Walking distance to historic downtown shops, restaurants, and museums.
Night 1 & 2:  Fort Lewis Lodge, Millboro, VA.  Innkeepers John & Caryl Cowden welcome us to their historic farm in remote Bath County, VA.  Spacious rooms in the main lodge are furnished in a Shaker-style tradition. An attached glazed-tile silo has been renovated with a spiral staircase leading to three very private bedrooms-in-the-round. There’s even a “lookout” on top for expansive views of rolling meadows and rugged cliffs towering above the river.
Nights 3 & 4:  Frederick House, is located a short walk from everything in historic downtown Staunton, Virginia, in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.  Frederick House’s five 19th century residences offer 23 spacious rooms and suites in award winning buildings. The buildings date from 1809.

Cycling:
This tour is a roadie's dream, and is appropriate for intermediate or advanced bicyclists.  We recommend modern road bikes, preferably with triple chainrings or large rear cogs to tame the hills.  All biking is on asphalt roads except for a few very short sections of packed gravel.  Our routes bypass the most challenging climbs in the area, but there are very few flat sections.  Distance options each day range from 30 to 60 miles, with optional side routes available to add on miles.  Terrain is a mix of rolling hills and strenuous climbs.  The scenery is very beautiful and diverse, including valley farms, forested mountains, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Note:
Carolina Tailwinds reserves the right to make alterations to the itinerary as needed.  Any changes made will maintain or enhance the quality of the tour.

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Lexington photos courtesy of the Lexington and Rockbridge Area Tourism Development

Carolina Tailwinds   P.O. Box 24716   Winston-Salem, NC 27114-4716   888.251.3206 or 336.794.1054
email: info@CarolinaTailwinds.com