Lake Champlain is the largest lake in the U.S. after the Great Lakes. It is a deep glacial lake and has a multitude of beautiful islands, mostly in its northern section. Burlington, Vermont sits on the lake’s eastern shore; every night features sunset over the lake and the Adirondack Mountains of New York state. It's a vibrant and progressive city, home to the University of Vermont, St. Michaels College and several other small colleges, and one that is very bicycle friendly, with an excellent trail system. Needless to say it features a great craft beer and live music scene. On this tour we will explore some of these lakefront trails and spend the rest of our time on the islands, where we will ride the back roads, have a chance to get on and in the water (kayak, paddleboard, swim) bike to wineries, breweries, and farmstands, and experience exquisite scenic New England.

We spend the first two nights at the downtown Burlington Hilton Garden Inn, one block from the famous Church St. pedestrian mall, which features numerous restaurants, shops and  bars/taverns. After sampling this eclectic small city, we'll spend the next three nights at the gorgeous lakefront North Hero House Inn on North Hero Island, in the middle of upper Lake Champlain. The Inn features its own gourmet restaurant with brand-new stone patio, as well as a covered but open-air lakefront bar that also features features Adirondack chairs, fire pits and lawn games. The Inn offers free use of Paddle Boards, Kayaks and Canoes for guests, and larger boat rentals are available next door. This is truly a late summer getaway with your bike!

Arrive in Burlington anytime in the afternoon -- Meet at our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Burlington, on Main St. just 3 blocks up from the water and one block down from the Church Street pedestrian mall. We'll begin our introductory meeting at 5:00 pm with snacks and beverages, discuss our itinerary and expectations for the week, and walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner (included).

13 miles -  We'll start our week exploring the area of Burlington and South Burlington and finish up the day in the South Burlington "brewery zone". First we'll head south along the lake through some parks into South Burlington, then head inland, tackling some hills, then back north up to tour the campus of UVM, and complete the 13 mile loop with optional visits to any or all of these: the Burlington Beer Company, Switchback Brewery, Queen City Brewery and Zero Gravity Brewery, all within 1/2 mile of each other. We'll be just 1.1. miles from the hotel so non-beer lovers can choose to visit the waterfront or explore the Church St. pedestrian mall. 

Today we'll bike 29 miles from our hotel to North Hero Island, where we will spend three nights at the gorgeous lakefront Shore Acres Inn. This time we'll head north on the stunning Burlington Bikeway, again along the shore of Lake Champlain. As we leave the city behind, we'll cycle the Island Line Trail, which is probably one of the most scenic rides you'll ever experience, with the lake on either side and majestic mountains in all directions. We hop on the very short bike ferry to Grand Isle, pedal to lunch and tasting at the Two Heros Public House and Brewery, then we pedal on country roads to our lodging. 

22 - 36 miles. Bike from North Hero Island to Isle La Motte. Circumnavigating Isle La Motte before returning to North Hero House would make it a 36 mile ride, while riding just a partial loop of the island would be only 22. Different groups could follow different itineraries.

Today is a day to relax and enjoy where we are! North Hero House has ample shoreline with numerous access points for swimming, a dock, kayaks, paddleboards and canoes free to use, cornhole boards, and lots of Adirondack chairs to relax.

 35 miles – Today we’ll finish the week by heading back south across South Hero and Grand Isle, catching the bike ferry and cycling back itto Burlington the way we came on Tuesday. It's just as spectacular a ride in reverse and a great way to end our stay in lovely Vermont