- Tour Leaders: Dick and Elaine Carpenter. Phone: 206-304-9689; Email: katdad@mac.com
- Tour Dates: Monday, June 22nd to Monday, June 29th, 2015.
- Tour Rating: Intermediate.
- Tour Fee: $900 CAD.
- Tour Numbers: Minimum 12, maximum 20
- Tour Registration Opening Date: February 22nd, 2015 at 5:00 PM (PST). Register online at http://tinyurl.com/m9dw6g for a non-refundable fee of $2.00.
Tour Description: Portland is noted as one of the United States most bike friendly cities with many bike routes. It is the home of Powell’s Books (rated by some as the best used bookstore in the US), a great riverfront and beautiful parks.
To the west of Portland lie Forest Grove and McMinnville in the heart of the Oregon wine country. Think Pinot Noir! There are many tasting rooms in both cities and in the countryside in between. McMinnville has a world class Aviation and Space Museum.
McMenamin’s is an Oregon hotel chain that specializes in historic buildings. For example, the “Edgefield” in Troutdale was built in 1911 as the County “poor farm”; the “Grand Lodge” in Forest Grove is in a 1922 Masonic & Eastern Star Home, while the “Hotel Oregon” has been a McMinnville hotel since 1905. Downtown Portland has the “Crystal Hotel” in a triangular style building from 1911. Each hotel has several unique restaurants and a McMenamin’s brewery, movie theatres and live entertainment. The Edgefield even has an onsite distillery. But please note that occasionally the hotels may be “European style” with bathrooms and showers down-the-hall.
Riding Conditions and Logistics: Cycling will be almost entirely on paved roads and bike paths: Short sections of gravel paths may occur. Most of the riding will be on flat roads and paths in the valleys, but three days have ridges to climb (one being 1,000 feet [~310 m]). We will have a truck to transport luggage and any purchases you may make.
The tour will begin in Troutdale, Oregon which is 14 miles east of Portland on I-84. Parking for the week will be at the Edgefield Hotel.
Rooms will be booked for double occupancy only; single registrants will either share a room or will pay extra.
Tour Fees includes: seven nights lodging. Each rider will receive a $125.00 McMenamin’s Gift Card. The credit can be used for food, beverages or in the gift shop. Each rider is responsible for costs over this allotted amount.
Tour Fees do not include food and beverages, including lunches, not purchased with the McMenamin’s gift card
Registration/Participant Selection: Registration will open at 5:00 PM (1700h) on February 22nd, via Karelo at http://tinyurl.com/m9dw6g; a $2.00 non-refundable fee is charged. A tour leader will contact participants by E-mail soon after registration to discern fitness in relation to an “intermediate” level tour; all participants will be CCCTS members and will be chosen on a “first-come-first-served” basis.
Itinerary:
June 22nd (Monday): Meet at the Edgefield Hotel in Troutdale for 2 nights. Happy Hour will be in the hotel at about 1700h (5:00 p.m.). After the meeting you can use your gift cards to begin the McMenamin’s experience immediately following the meeting;
June 23rd: We ride the Historic Columbia River Highway up to Crown Point then on to Multnomah Falls then return; a 40 mile (65 km) ride with some good hills. There is an old fashioned chicken and dumpling restaurant, “Tad’s Chicken n’ Dumplins”, not far from Troutdale;
June 24th: Today we cycle 55 miles (88 km) along the Columbia River and up over a ridge [a healthy 1,000 foot (310 m) climb] into the wine country to stay one night at the Grand Lodge Hotel in Forest Grove. The hotel has a restaurant and two bars;
June 25th : Our ride today is a leisurely 35 miles (56 km) on country roads (it is easy to extend the ride for those who want a few more miles) past wine tasting rooms to McMinnville’s Hotel Oregon for 2 nights;
June 26th: This day you are on your own. Visit the Aviation and Space Museum (Easy to spend several hours here. Dick especially enjoys the history of rocketry and the parallel history of the Russian and US space programs). Look for more wineries, or take a country bike ride (a couple of routes will be suggested).
June 27th: It is 51 miles (82 km) back into Portland and two nights at the Crystal Hotel or Park Lane Hotel near city centre;
June 28th: This is our day to explore the bike routes of Portland, or across the Columbia to Vancouver WA. You will be given a Portland bike map and suggestions for rides of various lengths. Don’t miss the Willamette riverfront and Powell’s Books. We will have a group dinner the last evening; and,
June 29th (Monday): Get your breakfast at the hotel or in the neighbourhood. We wrap up the tour with a 22mile (35 km) ride back to the Edgefield Hotel to pick up our cars and head for home.