The MA Island Idyll: Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Bike Tour draws from decades of Martha’s Vineyard biking experience and the expertise of this local outfitter. The first departure is scheduled for September 21-23, 2013.
In addition to visiting the island’s iconic sites, the tour offers guests a few exclusive activities as well. An island shellfish constable will demonstrate shellfish seeding and harvesting while talking about efforts to preserve traditional shellfisheries. Discussions include innovative aquaculture technologies aimed at ensuring a sustainable shellfish industry.
Bike tour guests will also learn island history and lore on a private walking tour of Edgartown led by a resident expert.
Guests walk narrow, lantern-lit streets to learn about the town’s unique colonial history and fascinating whaling heritage, viewing sites such as the Old Whaling Church, sea captain’s mansions and “Downtown Amity” of Jaws fame.
“As an avid history buff and 30 year resident of Martha’s Vineyard, I thoroughly enjoy sharing not just island history, but a bit of the local color too,” says Jim Rivard, owner of Martha’s Vineyard Tour Guide and Great Freedom Adventures guests' personal guide for Edgartown.
A MA Island Idyll tour activity for the more intrepid in the group is stand-up paddleboarding, at night, on boards equipped with LED lights. Paddlers can see underwater to view a magical nighttime world of living creatures such as shrimp, squid, bluefish and striped bass.
Climbs to the top of the Edgartown and Gay Head Lights are also on the agenda. The lighthouses’ storied pasts are only overshadowed by the remarkable views from the top.
The September tour of Martha’s Vineyard is timed to take advantage of the departure of the summer crowds and the still ideal weather. The nearly all-inclusive vacation is priced at $975 per person, double occupancy and includes two nights lodging at The Kelley House, a fine Historic Hotel of America in Edgartown center, two dinners, two breakfasts, one lunch, bike rental, two guides, van support, luggage transport, side excursions, admissions, daily snacks and cold drinks, maps, cue sheets and more. Custom dates can be arranged for groups of six or more.
Cyclists travel bike paths along beachfront dunes then pedal to less-visited regions of island farms lined with old stonewalls and quiet harbors dotted with colorful skiffs. Bike rides past seaside villages with weathered cottages draped in roses and sprawling estates fit for presidents, give cyclists a broad view of island life on Martha’s Vineyard.
A route highlight features biking a nearly uninhabited ridge of scrub oak, wild rose, heath and bayberry, framed by distant ocean views. The Wampanoag Tribe remains sovereign on this part of the island and experiencing the land and seascapes from the seat of a bicycle allows the rider to become immersed in the spirit of the place and to readily imagine a time when only the Wampanoags farmed the land and fished the waters.
The Martha’s Vineyard bike tour also includes visits to South Beach, Aquinnah, the Black Dog Tavern, gingerbread cottages at Oak Bluffs, artisan shops in Vineyard Haven, Alleys General Store and the island of Chappaquiddick.
Cyclists travel between 10-30 miles per day with options for longer routes for the avid cyclist. The terrain is largely gentle with hills on some parts of the island. The tour is appropriate for groups, couples, singles, families and corporate outings. For more information and the full daily program, please see MA Island Idyll: Martha's Vineyard biking itinerary.
The new three-day Martha’s Vineyard tour complements a longer six-day trip offered by Great Freedom Adventures that encompasses, along with Martha’s Vineyard, Rhode Island’s Block, Conanicut and Aquidneck Islands and the mainland in between. For more information on the longer tour, please see Islands and Seacoast Cycle Tour.
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