End Polio Now Croatia Ride

Join me in Croatia Sept 25th - October 3rd Pure Adventures Self Guided Cycling Rotary Fellowship Ride (proceeds from tour will go to End Polio Now ~ Additional donations Click Here)

280 kilometers, 8 days, and one memorable trip. contact me if you would like to join me ~ Melanie_Gentz at yahoo dot com

I have decided to Cycle Croatia and seek inspiration and the unknown. I hope to share the experience of cycling, and fundraising to benefit Rotary International and the End Polio ~ The fight to end polio is a massive effort that Rotary and its partners cannot do alone. Help secure support from governments, non-governmental organizations, corporations and the public. Your advocacy efforts help ensure that no child will suffer from this crippling disease ever again.

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT POLIO

DAY 1/Sept 25 I get there at 5:50pm - Split Arrival; optional 20 or 80km ride Upon your arrival in Split you will meet our representative for an orientation about the tour, the bikes, and the most important sites and dining suggestions. We will get your bike fitted and explain the bike routes and options and ferry transfer schedules. Free time in Split should be set aside for the Diocletian’s Palace, now recognized on UNESCO’s World heritage list. The locals have their real homes molded in the old walls of the Palace and inside of it you will find numerous cafes and restaurants serving fresh Mediterranean food! In front of the Palace you might enjoy an evening walk, along its beautiful waterfront promenade. Depending on your arrival, if time allows, you can enjoy easy, car- free 20 km bike ride.

DAY 2/Sept 26 - Cycling the Island of Brac; Riding 35km with 80km option Today you depart for island Brac, the biggest and highest of all central Dalmatian islands which will give you plenty of riding choices. Coastal roads, climbs to 780 meters, coastal or inland villages and towns, art galleries, local restaurants, stone masons workshops or even visit to the stone mason school…. Whatever you choose you will have great views on the mainland and a ride along olive groves and vineyards!

DAY 3/Sept 27 - Cycling the Island of Hvar; Riding 20-40km with added 20km option After the ferry ride from Split to Hvar, for the morning ride we suggest easy ride around the UNESCO site of Stari Grad. Stari Grad (Old town) is an ancient Greek colony dating back to 400 B.C. Besides historical sites you will discover some very charming towns and roads where you will be cycling next to gardens, olive groves, or along the coast. For the afternoon bike ride, take the famous and probably most beautiful road along the lavender fields to reach the town of Hvar. -

DAY 4/Sept 28: Cycling Hvar Island, Boat trip, or Day off; ride option 20km This is a very difficult day (not really!), as you have to decide for the best option, and all of them are great! Do you want to head for the beach, or have a short bike ride, or just chill in the town in one of its many cafes and watch the world go by? You can also take a sailing or sea kayak trip to some of the islands around, maybe sunset sail, discover some great places followed with great lunch and swim; but these are extra and not included. You will find all of these options described in your road book.

DAY 5/Sept 29 - Bicycling the Island of Korcula; 46km riding + 20km option After the boat transfer, start with your bike ride on island Korcula, about 46 kilometers to the town of Korcula. The island has long been populated; even before Greek times and evidences can bee see on you ride! During the history it was chosen by Venetians as a spot to build their important walled city on the northern shores of the island. Therefore, nowadays, thanks to that, we have the most magnificent walled old town of Korcula still preserved and almost intact for centuries; and where you sleep for next 2 nights. Enjoy the scenic south side of the island, with amazing views on beautiful hidden beaches and coves, and ride to the small villages and hamlets and stop in some of the few great local konoba (taverns) for the most amazing locally prepared food!

DAY 6/Sept 30 - Loop bike ride on Korcula; 36km with 20km option As you stay for another day in Korcula take a chance to explore the island of Korcula; its hidden coves, beautiful old towns, unique small villages and dark pine forests that cover the island. There are few loop options today. Whatever you choose, you will be making your way past vineyards, olive groves and along beautiful coast of the island. Taste the traditional food; like home made gnocchi, homemade macaroni, pasticada....and other meals which have been traditionally prepared by the locals for centuries.... Some of the best Croatian white wines are produced on this island, which will just add flavor to your lunch or dinner. Did we mention Marco Polo was born here, and has started his life journey from Korcula?

DAY 7/Oct 1 - Cycling Peljesac peninsula (60km) and Dubrovnik Today, for your final ride, you will be cruising along Peljesac peninsula. You will be riding along vineyards of Dingac and Postup, made from the Plavac Mali vines, close cousin to Zinfandel of California and Primitivo from Calabria. There are many wineries which can be visited along the ride. Enjoy the great views that Peljesac offers: Mljet and Korcula islands on your right and the mainland on your left. The ride today has a couple of hills, coastal riding, vineyards… Your final bike destination is Ston, from where you will be transferred to Dubrovnik. Ston, a salt producing village on Peljesac peninsula was built in the 14th century and is a town that has with the longest fortified walls in Europe – 5.5 km. Ston was important town of the Dubrovnik Republic, which was strongest and most prosperous in the 14th century.

DAY 8/Oct 2 – Tour End extra night Today after breakfast the tour ends. You might want to extend your stay in Dubrovnik and explore the historical sites along with the magnificent wall that surrounds the old town!

Day 9/Oct 3 - fly home ~ my flight is at 3:55pm

Cost ranges from ~ 1382 Euro to 1412 Euro

Bike rental : Bike rentals available are hybrid, road or E-bikes; both bikes include lock, pump, spare tube, helmet and patch kit, rear rack with pannier bag. Both bikes are German made Musing bikes, excellent quality with all the right gear for this tour. - 115 Euro


What's included - Accommodation in selected 3 & 4 star hotels - Buffet breakfast each day after Day 1 - Transfer on Day 7 to Dubrovnik - All ferry transfers, tickets, and private boat transfers - All luggage transfers from hotel to hotel - Orientation meeting on Day 1 with our local English speaking representative - Local emergency support throughout the trip - Route book with all cycling route maps and cue sheets, sites, visit information, and suggested places to eat lunches and dinners - All taxes - Pre-travel documents to help prepare for the upcoming trip. - Pre-travel assistance with transportation, travel insurance, packing, preparations, and more.

www.pure-adventures.com
www.rotary.org
www.endpolionow.org

Gunnison to Crested Butte

This is only the 2nd time my bike has been out of Denver, the first time being Pallisade, CO (close to Grand Junction), but we really didn't get out to ride, just the streets of Pallisade and the Peach Festival.
So we have made it to Gunnison!

Colorado is such gorgeous country and riding a bike is nothing like seeing it in a car, or should I say that the opposite riding in a car is NOTHING like seeing this terrain on a bike!

Led and inspired by my friends Katie and Kevin. Kevin once road from coast to coast of Canada, and by his stories and rides, I have been inspired. So here we are on May 9th in Gunnison and the weather of Colorado has been crazy, and raining, and we hear there is a crazy hail/rain storm going in Denver, but we seemed to have gotten perfect weather... so we ride on...

This is a pictures are worth a 1,000 words.. to come up on these mountains after working so hard, made it so worth it and amazing. Pictures cannot show the spectacularness of this mountain range in front of us. If you ever have the opportunity to get into these mountains and ride.. DO IT! One very exciting part was to see the Maroon Bells from the other side. I am fascinated by the Maroon Bells, they are probably one of the most photographed mountain peaks, or painted, or whatever. I have only seen them from afar, from the Apsen side. I have not yet had the chance to hike them, as they are mighty mountain peaks.

We were lucky, because once we reached Crested Butte, the weather started to change, we took a few photos and had a nice warm cup of coffee, because it seemed as though the clouds were rolling in and the weather was changing. According to Kevin's app the winds seemed to be spiraling, so we for some reason seemed to have head winds both directions.

We made it to Crested Butte as the weather was rolling, and the temperatures were dropping, so we stopped into Camp 4 Coffee to warm up, defrost the hands. They made a fabulous Vanilla Latte, as we hung out with the locals for a little while.


I learned on this trip, I ready to get clip in's, I have been hesitant, I haven't been out enough to make the investment. I also learned I need FULL gloves, the fingerless in the cold weather was not so fun.

So the snow rolled in. I kept thinking to myself, WOWOWOWO, I am riding in snow, however, at least it is not rain, and while cold, I am not getting wet. Also, I am grateful the weather rolled in AFTER we got to Crested Butte and started to head back, so we got to enjoy the views on our way in.

We finished our ride just in time!

May 10th and a winter storm rolled in! Woke up to a little snow~

So far... MY Farthest Ride!!! 55 miles!