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Blue Ridge & Shenandoah Tour
Introduction

Group shot at airport

Departing the airport.

In September 1997, five friends and I toured the the Shenandoah National Park, a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia on road bikes.  This was a self-guided and self-supported credit card style tour.  We carried our clothes and equipment, stayed in motels and ate in restaurants.  

 

This area is rich in scenic beauty and Civil War history.

Let me introduce myself and my fellow travelers. Pictured above from left to right
  • I'm Tom Swenson, a member of Seven Hills Wheelmen.  My touring experience up to this point includes the 1996 Colorado and Utah trip and several cycling weekends in New England.
  • Mike Hanauer is a member of Charles River Wheelmen and a veteran of many bike trips. We learned a few tricks from Mike.  For example, Mike got US Air to accept his bike unboxed.  It arrived in Dullas undamaged.  As an LAB member it didn't cost him a dime.  Way to go Mike!
  • Steve Blum, a Seven Hills Wheelmen member traveled on the Utah and Colorado trip in 1996.  Steve's touring experience also includes the Natchez Trace, Boston to Quebec and Italy.
  • Lorraine Stewart's touring experience includes the 1996 Colorado and Utah trip, other biking and hiking trips in the American West.  Lorraine is a Seven Hills Wheelmen member.
  • George Morin has been a Seven Hills Wheelmen member for several years.
  • Dave Baumgartner is pictured at right because he took the group photo above.  Dave, a Seven Hills Wheelmen member, is a veteran tourist.  His resume includes the 1996 Colorado Utah trip and every cyclist's dream, a tour across the USA

Dave Baumgartner

Dave Baumgartner

The logistics were pretty straight forward.  Everyone except Dave flew into Dullas International Airport (about 20 Miles West of Washington DC) on Saturday, September 6, 1997.  Dave hauled all our bikes (except Mike's) in the back of his pickup truck. We parked the truck in Front Royal Virginia for the duration of the trip.  

I planned the route and a preliminary itinerary using Delorme's Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer, Bicycling the Blue Ridge by Elizabeth and Charlie Skinner and A Cyclist's Guide to the Shenandoah Valley by Randy Porter and Nancy Sorrels.  Our route South along the Blue Ridge follows Bicycling the Blue Ridge. I joined portions of various day rides in A Cyclist's Guide to the Shenandoah Valley for most of our route North through the Shenandoah Valley.  I highlighted the entire route on the Delorme atlas and cut out the relevant maps.  I folded these maps and put them in Zip Loc bags  I clipped the maps to the top of my handle bar bag for quick reference.  We did not make advance reservations except for our first and last nights in Front Royal and the second night at Big Meadows Lodge.

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