Albuquerque May 2013
Sun 5/12/13 - Sat 5/18/13
Tour Leaders: Ellen Chilikas and Karen Jenneman
outdoorsdiva@yahoo.com, karen_jenneman@hotmail.com
Join Ellen and Karen, and get to know ABQ, NM. ABQ is a day’s drive southwest from Denver and has a warm climate with blue skies that go on forever! We will be staying at a fabulous hotel spitting distance from the ABQ Plaza (Old Town) and a handful of museums and cultural attractions.
We have 4 fun filled days of biking and hiking planned, plus, we are giving you a free day to explore on your own - you can get your kicks on Route 66 (it runs through town)!
Here’s the plan for the week:
Drive to ABQ on Sunday and have a pre-trip dessert happy hour with local champagne to get acquainted and discuss our plans for the week.
Monday we will have a group breakfast at our favorite local restaurant on the way to a 30-mile flat and scenic ride along Rio Grande Blvd and the Bosque Trail (bike path).
Tuesday will be an optional 30-45 mile ride out to see the Volcanoes, or you can choose to leave your bikes at the hotel and instead hike around/over the volcanoes and through the Petroglyph National Monument. We’ll have a happy hour at the hotel on Tuesday night to compare notes and plan for our free day activities.
Wednesday is the free day – options abound, including biking and hiking, wine/beer tasting, visiting museums and galleries, shopping at Trader Joe’s, visiting a pueblo or casino, shopping in Old Town, riding the Sandia Tram or enjoying the pool/hot tub at the hotel.
Thursday we eat a hearty breakfast burrito to get us going, and head north to Bernalillo for either a 20 or 40- mile scenic round trip ride (with a nice climb!) to Jemez Dam. On the way, we stop at the Coronado State Monument to see ancient pueblo ruins.
Friday, our last day, is one of climbing! Either you can bike 20-40 miles round trip up, up, up to the Cibola National Forest, or you can hike up those hills – expect stunning views and sore legs! Our farewell dinner is at our favorite ABQ restaurant on Friday night, and includes your choice of an entrée plus a killer dessert.
We check out of the hotel on Saturday and head home – those who want to ride the Santa Fe Century can stop over in Santa Fe on the way home – the Century Ride is on Sunday.
The tour includes double occupancy hotel accommodations and the meals mentioned above. The hotel does not provide breakfast, but rooms have refrigerators and coffee makers with Starbuck’s coffee. Cost for 6 nights of lodging and 5 days of playing is $500/person. To join us on the trip, please send $500 (check made out to Ellen, post-dated to 2/14/13) and the tour forms to Ellen Chilikas at PO Box 471803, Aurora, CO 80047. (If you’ve already sent me a liability form for a trip in 2013, you do not need to send another one) The tour is first come, first served. Tour cost is transferable but not refundable. Tour is for self-reliant Intermediate level riders. Please contact Ellen (outdoorsdiva@yahoo.com) or Karen (karen_jenneman@hotmail.com) for questions.
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Ellen Chilikas
outdoorsdiva@yahoo.com
