Arizona Bike Tour - Desert Winter Sunshine

Highlights:

•  Bike in comfort on quiet roads in the desert winter sunshine
   
•  Walk in the desert at the wonderful Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and learn about hundreds of species of plants and animals in their natural habitat

•  Enjoy a horseback ride at the historic Rancho De La Osa Guest Ranch
  
•  Hike in the magnificent Ramsey Canyon Nature Preserve

•  Visit the historic old west town of Tombstone and the preserved copper mining town of Bisbee

•  Enjoy distinctive southwest culture and ride along the Mexican border

•  Stay in the best local inns and B&Bs and enjoy the local cuisine in fine Southwestern restaurants

Details:

Terrain:  Long open roads that tend to be very straight with low rolling hills.  This tour has been designed to enjoy the warmth of long rides in the fabulous winter sunshine.

Weather:  The average high temperature for this area of Arizona is 70º F and the low 45º F at this time of year. 

Arizona Bike Tour - Desert Winter Sunshine

Price: $1,895

Included in Price:

• Six nights lodging at unique and historic guest ranches, hotels, and B&Bs

• All breakfasts, five dinners, four lunches

• Entrance fees to the Saguaro National Park and the fabulous Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

• Horseback riding at Rancho De La Osa Guest Ranch

• Experienced guides familiar with the local area

• SAG (Support and Gear) Van to provide baggage relocation, mechanical support, snacks, fresh water, and
"rest rides" as needed

• Cue sheets and maps with daily meetings to review route options and points of interest

Additional Fees:

• Single Supplement: $495 (room mates will be sought when requested)

• Bike Rental: $200 for hybrid or road bikes

Arizona Bike Tour - Desert Winter Sunshine

Hacienda del Sol: Hacienda del Sol is a luxurious resort nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The 34 acres of mountainous desert offer plenty of room for exploration, and the rich reds and golden yellows of the Hacienda décor will keep you warm as the temperature drops in the evenings. The privacy and scenic setting of the Hacienda Del Sol has attracted Hollywood legends like John Wayne, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. You can visit their web page by clicking here

Rancho De La Osa: Rancho De La Osa (she bear) is one of the last great Spanish haciendas still standing in America. With a history dating back to the late 17th century, the property has borne the footsteps of Jesuit missionaries, Native Americans, Mexican and American ranchers, and Pancho Villa. Since its beginnings as a guest ranch in 1921, Rancho De La Osa has hosted the likes of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Mitchell, John Wayne, Cesar Romero, Joan Crawford, Zane Gray, and Lyndon B. Johnson. You can visit their web page by clicking here

Sonoita Inn: Inspired by Secretariat and designed by his owner, Margaret Charmichael, the Sonoita Inn is a one-of-a-kind western country lodge nestled in the high grasslands of Southern Arizona. Each room is named in honor of a local ranching family, and the décor is elegantly southwestern. Guests at the inn are perfectly located for hiking, biking, birding, boating, fishing, horseback riding, winery visits and shopping. You can visit their web page by clicking here .

Ramsey Canyon Inn: Named one of the Top 10 Bed and Breakfasts in Arizona by The Arizona Republic, The Ramsey Canyon Inn sits amidst  the hummingbird capital of the United States. The garden at the inn was planted and designed specifically to attract butterflies and the 15 species of hummingbirds known to reside in the area. Guests will also enjoy coffee and tea in the afternoons with generous helpings of blue ribbon pies make from fruit grown on the property. You can visit their web page by clicking here

Tombstone Bordello: Rumored to have been a Wild West house of ill-repute run by Big Nose Kate, long-time companion to Doc Holliday, the Tombstone Bordello is rich in history and western lore. With names like Scarlett Lady, Fallen Angel and Diamond Annie, the rooms reflect the inn’s sordid past. Guests at the Bordello will feel themselves swept back in time as they tour defunct mines and old west saloons or watch a reenactment of the gunfight at the O. K. Corral. You can visit their web page by clicking here

Copper Queen Hotel: Opened in 1902, the Copper Queen Hotel is Arizona’s oldest continually operating hotel. In its day, the Copper Queen Hotel was considered quite modern with two-foot thick concrete walls and an open-air hallway along the southeast wall to keep it cool in the summer, Italian mosaic tile on the floors of the lobby and the entrance and cathedral ceilings fitted with tiffany glass. Guests today can enjoy a dip in the solar-heated pool, a Pickaxe Barbeque Pork Sandwich on the outdoor patio or a visit from one of the three ghosts in residence.  You can visit their web page by clicking here

Arizona Bike Tour - Desert Winter Sunshine

Arrival and Departure: This tour will originate and terminate in Tucson, AZ. Escapades will assist with hotel arrangements and local transportation both before and after the tour.

Daily Mileage Options: 25 to 45 miles with longer and shorter options available on all days.

Day 1: Arrival in Tucson
Day one of the bike tour we meet for introductions and bike fittings at Hacienda del Sol. This unique and historic guest ranch is nestled in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, the first stop on our southwest adventure. Guides and guests will meet for a dinner of wonderful southwestern delights.
Lodging:  Hacienda del Sol
Meals: Dinner

Day 2: The Western Sonora Desert and Desert Museum
Day two of the bike tour is rich with great bike riding and wonderful things to see. We will bike through the magic of Saguaro National Park with majestic cacti of all shapes and sizes, the deep colors of the mountains, rock formations and wild life. We will stop and lunch at the fabulous Arizona Sonora Desert Museum where you will have a chance to walk through the desert, observe the wild life and desert plants, attend lectures and visit an art show. There are several restaurants at the museum including the Ocotillo Café for a great southwestern lunch made from locally grown products. After lunch we bike on beautiful and quiet roads to Sasabe. Our bike tour ends the day a stones throw from the Mexican border and miles from the city lights at the unique and intimate Rancho De La Osa.
Lodging:  Rancho De La Osa
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 3: Sasabe to Sonoita
We bike from Sasabe in the morning and, after a picnic lunch, bike the Nogales Highway to Sahuarita Road, which traverses range land with low-growing cacti, mesquite and grasses with a backdrop of colorful rock formations and mountains. During the last part of the route, we bike through the Santa Rita foothills to the grassland prairies near Sonoita. We will stay at the Sonoita Inn, which is owned by the woman who also owned the great racehorse, Secretariat, to whom the inn is dedicated.
Lodging:  Sonoita Inn
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Sonoita to Sierra Vista
The bike ride to Fort Huachuca is a delightful tour on quiet roads over rolling terrain with beautiful scenery crossing through the Coronado National Forest. You will bike on an old country road into Fort Huachuca, an army base established in 1887. The buildings of the old army post have been declared a National Historic Landmark, and one is now a museum dedicated to the many forts that dotted the Southwest in the latter part of the 19th Century. We will bike through Sierra Vista and then enter Ramsey Canyon Road, which is a beautiful, gradual uphill pedal to the lovely Ramsey Canyon Inn located immediately next to The Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve. World-famous bird watching and hiking await those who are interested.
Lodging:  Ramsey Canyon Inn
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Sierra Vista to Tombstone
Day five of the bike tour is a relaxing day with a lovely ride to Tombstone and a chance to explore this interesting town. Most of the biking is on the quiet, scenic Charlestown Road. Along the road, you will see little dome-like hills, which rise out of the desert and dot the countryside. We will lunch in Tombstone and then explore this old, restored western town. Bikers will stay at the Tombstone Bordello Bed & Breakfast, which was once a bordello but now offers unique and historic accommodations.
Lodging:  Tombstone Bordello
Meals: Breakfast

Day 6: Tombstone to Bisbee
Today our bike route traverses desert and range land with almost no cars. The trip offers a real view of pure, unspoiled desert and plenty of quiet countryside. We will enjoy a picnic lunch along the way. Entering Bisbee, you will get a good view of the copper mine, the great traditional industry of this part of the world. Bisbee is perhaps one of the best preserved, western towns in America. We will stay at the famous old Copper Queen Hotel.
Lodging:   Copper Queen Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Colossal Caves to Saguaro Park East
For our final ride of the bike tour, we start off from Saguaro Park East and head out the Old Spanish Trail to Colossal Caves Park. We will celebrate with a delicious gourmet picnic lunch in the park and say, "Happy Trails to you until we meet again." Transportation to the airport for afternoon departures.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch