cycling

The Golden Gate Bridge, completed in 1937, reaches across the open mouth of the San Francisco Bay stretching over the churning Pacific waters below. Painted in what is officially called international orange, the bridge itself is truly massive and stunning to behold from either sides of the bay, or from within the bridge along its bike and walking paths. Check out the voice post below for a firsthand account:

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Looking for some exercise and adventure this summer? Never had to dodge cows and sheep while zipping downhill on two wheels? Then maybe this summer will be the best time to see New Zealand by bike.

New Zealand is a country marked by luscious rolling hillsides and temperate climates. Its mountainous regions are some of the most scenic and idyllic in Oceania, and are best experienced from their peaks. For decades, New Zealand has been a favorite destination for nature lovers and thrill seekers. In fact, the world’s first commercial bungee jumping site was established in Queenstown, New Zealand, in 1988. Today, the adventure tourism industry is still booming in Kiwi Land and a dizzying array of heart pounding, terrain traversing tours are available to visitors.

RealTravelers, Tony and Carrie, have been on a worldwide tour since last June, jet setting from Portland to Beijing through Thailand and eventually setting down in New Zealand just last month. Avid cyclists, the winding mountain trails outside of Queenstown provided a perfect opportunity for Tony to satisfy one of his lifelong dreams:

“On my list of things that I wanted to try before I die was Heli-Biking. This is what I would consider the luxury version of being dropped at the top of the hill and not having to pedal bike to get back to the valley. The bicycle term for this is “shuttling”. Normally I am of the mindset that you should ride up what you want to ride down and shuttling is considered cheating. I am also of the mindset that you should try anything once before you pass judgment.”

“The view from the helicopter was magnificent, but the flight took less than 10 minutes. We touched down on the top of Pisa conservation area, unloaded the bikes and the copter left us to our fun. You could see for miles in every direction and I could see the trail running downwards from where I stood into the valley below. Of course there was some up hill, but it was very minimal and only opened up to more downhill.”

“We were riding through farmland, so we weren’t riding alone. Occasionally, you’d come across a sheep (there are way too many) or a cow or both or a bunch of them hanging out on the trail. The English guy [another biker on the tour] was leading with me close behind. I came around a corner and the English guy had come to complete stop because there was a whole herd of cows standing in the trail and he had never ridden with livestock before. I shot past him and said ‘Ride at them, they’ll move.’ and luckily, I was right. The panicked stricken cows ran off the trail we continued on our way. As we rode lower and lower, the livestock was more frequent and I had sheep and cows running every which way in front of me.” (more…)

For truly unique outdoor experiences, New Zealand is a travel destination with plenty to offer. Tours are available at nearly every park and trail. Check out the links below for other travel tips, and hotel ideas.

New Zealand Blogs
New Zealand Hotels

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