Monday, March 31, 2008

Cross-Country Tour Past Halfway Point



Our cross-country Southern Tier tour is halfway across the country already! They'll be in St. Augustine, Florida before they know it. Here are Kathy, Jan, Kat and Sandra at Emory Pass. At 8828', it's the highest point of the tour. It's all downhill from here - ha ha!

And here are Jeanne and Candace. What did Lance say - it's not about the bike? Jeanne proves him right every day.

Monday, March 24, 2008

New Beginner Bike Tour in Louisiana

I'm in the midst of putting the finishing touches on our newest bike tour for beginners. Biking the Bayou in Louisiana.

I was down in New Orleans just after hurricane Katrina to work on the cross-country tour that we do every few years following the Mississippi River. I knew then that Louisiana would make a wonderful place for a beginner tour because it's so flat. It's taken me this long to get it together, but it's finally on our schedule.

I get emails every day from women wondering if they're fit enough to do our tours. Anyone can do our Louisiana tour. It's that flat. Here's the view on the bike path across the river from New Orleans.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

WomanTours Cross-Country Tour Plan

I receive a lot of emails asking why we don't do more varied cross-country routes, so I'd like to explain here how we make our cross-country tour plans. We schedule the Southern Tier every year. It is the shortest way to cross on the classic Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean route.

We fill the Southern Tier tour every year, and lately, we've had waiting lists for it. We do it slower than any other company and we don't camp. We also offer the cheapest per day rate than any other non-camping cross-country touring company out there.

In addition to our annual Southern Tier tour, we're able to coordinate 1 other cross-country tour per year. We just don't have the resources (vehicles and guides) to support any more than that. We usually choose shorter routes, so more women can afford the time to do them. Last year, it was the 6-week long Meandering Mississippi and this year, we're doing the Underground Railroad.

Next year, we've planned a 4-week Northwest Loop from Portland, Oregon, incorporating parts of the TransAmerica and the Lewis & Clark Trail. We choose a different tour every year, as there isn't enough interest in just one other tour to fill it every year.

It takes a lot of time and money to plan a cross-country tour. We need to drive thousands of miles to confirm the route. Just imagine the cost in gas!

If there are cross-country routes that interest you, please send me an email. I keep track of the interest and use it in planning the schedule. Thanks!

Monday, March 10, 2008

Southern Tier Cross-Country Tour 2008 has Begun!



We had a perfect beautiful sunny day to start our cross-country Southern Tier bike tour this year. All 32 women dipped their rear wheels in the Pacific Ocean last Friday to begin their 3000+ mile trek across the country.

Several of the women on the tour are keeping blogs during the trip. You can follow their journeys by clicking below:
Cheryl Berman
Phyllis Biegun
Penny Bradley
Mary Kay Engel
Jane Irwin
Ellen Martyn
Barbara Minnick
Debbie Smythe
Jan Sward
Clark Taylor
Arda Tole

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Changing Gear Documentary playing at film festival

Changing Gear, the feature-length documentary about women bicycling across the country in our Southern Tier cross-country bike tour, has been chosen to appear as part of the Women in Film Festival in BC, Canada! If you're anywhere near Vancouver, come to the screening on Friday, March 7 at 1:00pm. For tickets, click here.