Fall Foliage Bike Tours Reveal New England & New York Brilliance
Fall is a spectacular time for biking in New England and upper New York State. Temperatures are delightful, bluebird days are the norm and the leaves put on a radiant display. New England and the Hudson River Valley of New York are known to have some of the most sensational fall foliage in the Northern Hemisphere primarily as a result of the abundance of native Sugar Maple trees. Sugar Maples contain all three of the pigments that give leaves their fall color. Their leaves turn red, yellow or orange depending upon...
Five Fears Deterring You From a Bike Tour
Bike Tour Operators are on the front line. We hear all kinds of things that worry people when considering a group bike tour. So we thought we’d address the five most common concerns we hear, gathered together in a completely non-scientific manner. Then we’re going to allay these fears. “What if I can’t go the distance?” Always the #1 concern. Short answer: You don’t have to. You can always take a lift in the van. If your ego doesn’t care, you’re good. Because no one else cares if you take...
Three Compelling Reasons to Take This Cape Cod Bike Tour
Ensure Your Choice of Bike Tour on Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard is the Right One Not all bike tours are created equal. But researching options can seem daunting. If you are considering a bike tour to Cape Cod Massachusetts, you owe it to yourself to read this. The last thing you want is to spend a precious week of vacation only to realize afterward that there was a much better option. If you’ve been reading about Cape Cod, you may know that the region offers some of the most beautiful...
What the Heck is a Gravel Grinder?
Here at Great Freedom Adventures, we’d say a gravel grinder is freedom on two wheels. We concede though that some might classify the more insane rides out there as hell on wheels. We recently launched a new (sane) Gravel Grinder Bike Tour. It’s a tour through Vermont and New Hampshire like we’ve never done before and we are pretty excited about it! While we are quickly taking to the fastest growing segment in cycling, it’s still relatively new and perhaps unknown to most. So really, what exactly is a gravel...
Four Reasons Everyone Should Visit New York’s Hudson Valley
From Westchester to Albany, the Hudson River Valley spans over seven thousand square miles, featuring dramatic cliffs and fjords, sprawling country estates, award-winning farms and vineyards, and vibrant town centers. This region has won our hearts with its unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Whether you take a drive or bike tour of New York’s Hudson Valley, you will encounter a wealth of quiet country roads with riches around each bend. Here are four reasons this National Heritage Area deserves to be at the top of your travel...
Bike Tour Leader Profile – Meet Great Freedom Adventures’ Cameron Bloomer
Friendly, competent, fun, easy-going and knowledgeable – these are adjectives guests commonly use when referring to Cameron. These traits, plus his readiness to assist at all times, causes guests to realize very quickly that this is a person you can rely on. He is a valuable asset to the Great Freedom Adventures team, and is a highly regarded bike tour leader by his guests. Cameron graduated from Elon in May of 2015 with a degree in finance. Since then, Cameron has been adventuring and working in far-flung locales worldwide. From processing salmon...
Trip Report: Rock Climbing Mexico’s Limestone Spires
I’m sitting perched atop a rocky ridge 1,200 feet above the surrounding Mexican desert. It’s hot, and I’ve gulped down 3 liters of water and applied countless layers of greasy sunscreen while climbing the 13 pitches of vertical rock below me. Time for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My partner is occupied with investigating the summit register, an army-green metal box, slightly rusty but holding up quite well thanks to the dry desert climate. Inside: one G.I. Joe action figure, one small notebook with golf pencil, rolling papers with...
All Travel Tours Are Not Created Equal
Cycling Tours, Walking Trips and Active Vacations That Surpass the Norm Savvy travelers today seek experiential travel that provides a window into a place and its people. And across all generations, these travelers are increasingly seeking an active, engaging voyage that promotes health and fosters discovery through a full-sensory experience. At Great Freedom Adventures, we get that, and we live by it. Careful consideration goes into selecting tour locales that offer a unique diversity of natural beauty and cultural richness. Within each of these regions, a tremendous amount of time goes into...
Spotlight on Bike Tour Leader Hollis Plimpton
Next up in active travel company Great Freedom Adventures (GFA) Tour Leader spotlight is guide Hollis Plimpton. Hollis is starting his third season leading tours and he is, without question, an invaluable member of the GFA team. Guests on Hollis’ tours invariably comment on his ever-present smile and his unfailing good humor. Comments heard repeatedly are: “He put me totally at ease;” He’s so patient;” and “He made the tour so much fun!” His personality, coupled with his expertise in bike touring, outdoor sports, travel, and knowledge of each tour...
Planning Your New England Vacation: Quintessential Experiences Plus Unexpected Surprises
Advice from a New England Native on the Very Best of this Vibrant Corner of the Country Growing up in New England, we spent summers exploring every corner of the region: a visit to small-town Connecticut to see grandparents and drag a seine net through the frigid ocean searching for crabs; a few weeks at a sleepaway camp in Maine, listening fearfully to the humanlike screams of fisher cats and wondering if we dared make the journey through the woods to the bathhouse; a stint at a family campground in New...
