Bicycle Tour
Route Information
Saturday, June 23: Gather in Mineral Point, WI, to meet your fellow riders, pick up your rider packets and hear what’s in store for the next five days. Join us for an optional tour of local points of interest in this historic community and/or an optional dinner. Come early or stay late to enjoy the many attractions in this charming community settled by Cornish miners from England known for its historic sites and artisans. Watch a potter at work at Brewery Creek Pottery or explore Shake Rag Alley, the Railroad Museum, historic Pendarvis, the Brewery Creek Brewery or some of the many artisan galleries and gift shops. Or, visit Taliesin, the world-renowned American Players Theatre or the Wright-inspired House on the Rock in nearby Spring Green. Overnight at the Quality Inn in Mineral Point.
Sunday, June 24: Mineral Point - New Glarus. 65, 61 or 57 miles (57-mile option utilizes a portion of crushed limestone trail.) Explore quiet back roads en route to Blue Mounds and the ‘trollway’ of Mount Horeb, with optional stops at Little Norway and the Grumpy Troll Brewery for lunch. Once in New Glarus (America’s ‘Little Switzerland), stop at the New Glarus Brewery--home of Spotted Cow ale, visit the Swiss Historical Village or stop at the bakery, chocolate shop, winery, meat market, etc. In the evening, enjoy authentic Swiss cuisine followed by Swiss entertainment. Overnight at the Chalet Landhaus in New Glarus.
Monday, June 25: New Glarus - Monroe: 65 or 41 miles. Meander along some of our favorite country lanes with a stop at Yellowstone Lake State Park for an ice cream cone or lunch on their patio overlooking beautiful Yellowstone Lake. Then, it's on to Monroe, the Swiss Cheese Capital of America, where you can visit the Green County Welcome and Historic Cheesemaking Center or the Alp & Dell Cheese Store at the Roth Kase Cheese Factory, winner of over 100 regional, national and international awards in the 140 years they've been hand-crafting European-Style and American original cheese. After all, this IS the Cheese Capital of the U.S. and you know the saying..."When in Rome...." Afterwards, enjoy a sweet treat at Chocolate Temptation or walk around the historic downtown square with its many shops and eateries, including Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern, home to a huge selection of award winning cheeses and local beers. Later that afternoon, join the group for a tour of Minhas Brewery--the second oldest brewery in the nation, then quench your thirst with some samples of their microbrews or root beer. No trip to Wisconsin would be complete without experiencing a good old-fashioned fish fry, so we've arranged one for the group. Overnight at the AmericInn in Monroe.
Tuesday, June 26: Monroe - Galena. 62 miles. Today we'll visit a cheese factory to see how cheese is made and stop at an awesome bakery for mouthwatering sweet treats before crossing the state line into lovely Galena, IL, named one of "America's Distrinctive Dozen Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and consistently voted by Midwest Living readers as "Best Main Street in the Midwest". Explore the many points of interest of the area, including an optional brewery tour at the Galena Brewery. Dinner is on your own tonight, allowing you to choose from the many options available. Overnight at the lovely DeSoto House in the heart of downtown Galena.
Wednesday, June 27: Galena - Galena. Enjoy a day off or go for an optional ride---the choice is yours! Endless options abound in this historic town named by Forbes Traveler as one of the 10 prettiest towns in America and a definite trip highlight of past trip participants! Visit any of the 90+ boutique shops, coffee houses, restaurants, art galleries, specialty shops, and historic attractions which charmingly occupy picturesque mid–19th century storefronts. Enjoy the quiet outdoors with a stroll through the lush Linmar Gardens--3 ½ acres of artfully planted perennials and annuals interspersed with walkways, gazebos and waterfalls. Tour the Ulysses S. Grant Home State Historic Site, go for a hot air balloon ride, wind along the river on a kayak or canoe, or tour the town on an historic trolley tour or horse-drawn carriage ride and then join the group for our final dinner.
Thursday, June 28: 58 miles. After a full hot breakfast, we meander back to Wisconsin for more great cycling before arrriving at Mineral Point, the tours end.
Beautiful Wisconsin, ranked #2 in the nation by the League of American Bicyclists for bicycling.
Register by Jan 31 and receive a free wicking shirt!
