Archive for the ‘International Tours’ Category

Dreaming of far off lands

Thursday, January 26th, 2012 by

Boy howdy, it’s that time of year when I start dreaming about a vacation. If Seattle’s wet, dark winter days are getting you down, too, make plans today to leave them behind next year! Cascade is offering five international bicycle tours that will bring sunshine to your cycling world. Join us this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Seattle REI for an introduction to the 2012-13 Cascade-Affiliated International Tours:

Vietnam Grand Tour: Fascinating culture, beautiful scenery and outstanding support crews have made the Vietnam Grand Tour the most popular tour we’ve ever offered.

New Zealand Grand Tour: This 15-day tour features visits to New Zealand’s spectacular National Parks, superb views of alpine peaks and lovely, low-traffic cycling routes.

Cascade Africa Rides 2012: For nine days, tour Zambia with a representative from World Bicycle Relief and learn the ins and outs of their highly-successful programs, which change lives by providing transportation bicycles to rural villages.

Tour Turkey – Aegean to Mediterranean Tour: This acclaimed tour offers a terrific value to a fabulous destination, combing old-world charm and world-class cuisine with outstanding facilities and safe roads.

Beer, Bikes & Belgium: Combining the wonderful roads of Belgium with the very best in world beer and the opportunity to watch the 2012 UCI World Road race championships in neighboring Netherlands, this tour is sure to sell out soon.

Cascade-Affiliated International Tours Night
Friday, Jan. 27, 7-8:30 p.m.
REI Seattle, 222 Yale Ave. N

With special guests:
Michael Kollins (World Bicycle Relief, Africa Rides 2012)
Danelle Laidlaw & Ken Wright (Tour TK, Tour Turkey – Aegean to the Mediterranean)

Posted in Events, International Tours | No Comments »

Any port in a storm

Thursday, January 6th, 2011 by

Amazing, scenic, low-trafficked roads. Vineyards as far as the eye can see. Wild, dramatic coastline and glacial valleys. Ancient cities paved in cobblestone.

All of the above packed into a country the size of Indiana. Which is why Willie Weir and wife Kat Marriner cycled across that country not once, but six times.

Sound like a place you’d like to tour by bicycle?

Then you’d be booking a ticket to Portugal. But first, you should attend Willie Weir’s upcoming presentation at the Seattle REI—Any Port in a Storm: Cycling and Wild Camping Through Portugal.

In crisscrossing this bicycle-friendly country, Willie and Kat consumed large quantities of port, wine and cheese, and lived to tell the tale. And they didn’t break the bank either. Well, they dented it a bit, but compared to any other European adventure, it was a steal.

And it wasn’t just touristy bits. They were accosted by a herd of sheep, frightened out of their minds by a still unknown beast and almost blown off a dune into the Atlantic.

But even if you never plan to set foot (or tire) in Portugal, you’ll want to come out and be entertained and inspired by the stunning images and storytelling of the man that many people assume hasn’t worked a day in his life.

So grab your kids and your armchair travel-loving uncle. Get to REI early and reserve a seat.

CASCADE PRESENTS:

Any Port in a Storm:
Cycling and Wild Camping Through Portugal with Willie Weir

Tuesday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
REI Seattle, 222 Yale Ave N
Member tickets: $5
Non-member tickets: $7
Buy tickets online

Posted in Cascade Presentation Series, Events, International Tours | 1 Comment »

Asiemut: The film that changed the course of my life

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010 by

Warning. This film has been proven to change lives. Viewers who are easily inspired or are especially prone to adventure should view with caution. You WILL laugh. You WILL cry. You may even quit your job and set off on a bicycle.

I did.

Olivier and Melanie in Tibet.

Rewind to November 2006. My husband Bill and I had been contemplating some extended world travel for years. We annually suffered from an acute case of inspiration when the Best of Banff Mountain Film Festival made its annual migration to Seattle. Finally, we  made the pilgrimage to Banff itself, to attend the actual film festival. For several days, we feasted our imaginations on the inspirational adventures, stunning scenery and masterful storytelling of film-makers from around the globe . The entire experience was memorable, but one film truly changed the course of our lives.

The film “Asiemut” documents an epic self-contained bicycle journey from Mongolia to India made by an endearing young French-Canadian couple Olivier Higgins and Mélanie Carrier.

“Asiemut” stands apart for its simplicity and substance. There are no computer generated special effects, there are no nearly-impossible cinematic feats, there are no troubled starlettes on the payroll.  ”Asiemut”chronicles an epic journey made by complex characters against  breathtakingly beautiful backdrops. And all of that is there for the taking by anyone willing to step out into the world.

If Melanie, who had never used clipless pedals before, could ride 8000 kilometers across the Talakaman desert and the Himalayan mountains and Nepali jungles, surely I could bike across the Midwest. Or Europe.

If Olivier could pour out his soul to the camera mounted on his handlebars, surely Bill and I could open up to each other and people of other lands and cultures.

If this sweet and humble couple could capture the hearts of so many people (and dozens of awards) with their story, perhaps there was a larger purpose for our smoldering desire to roam the world.

Fast forward. One year later  would find us bidding farewell to good jobs as we set out on our own adventure. Two years later would find us exploring remote nooks and crannies of Turkey by bicycle. Three years later would find us back in Seattle, myself on staff with Cascade Bicycle Club. And four years later it all comes full circle, as Cacscade Bicycle Club is bringing “Asiemut” to Seattle, and to you.

Please join us for “Asiemut” on Friday Nov. 19 at REI flagship store. The film starts at 7 p.m. The adventure starts immediately thereafter.

Bill and Steph in Turkey

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Posted in Cascade Presentation Series, Events, Films, International Tours | 2 Comments »

Bike Switzerland

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 by

The mountains… the villages… the fondue… the white wine… the vistas… I spent two years living in Switzerland, and let me tell you, it is a spectacular country. This September, Cascade has a fantastic bike tour lined up of beautiful Switzerland. Bike Switzerland

And, until January 31, you can save $300 on Bike Switzerland’s Lite Tour! The tour runs from Sept. 2 to Sept. 13, 2010 and crosses the entire country from West to East.

September is a lovely time to visit Switzerland. Riders average 35-40 miles per day, and this allows for plenty of time to enjoy your destinations (you’ll be staying in spa hotels, a monastery and two castles! )

This amazing tour package is almost all inclusive with premium lodging, all meals, transfers and high quality BMC bicycle. It’s the ride of a lifetime with a company that many Cascade members have enjoyed in the past.

Posted in International Tours | No Comments »