Bike touring in Savannah, Tour Recon!!!
Georgia bike tour development is looking to be a good gig!
Savannah has greeted us with clear blue, sunny skies, bike tour perfect! After a lengthy road trip I was eager to ditch my car and substitute the four wheels for my preferred two wheels! We are here on a mission to finalize some bike routes and decide on the final restaurants for our Georgia Gold Coast Bike Tour.
After a taking a few seconds to figure out Savannah’s metered parking system, I gladly took to the saddle of my bike! First order of business – Savannah, GA’s bike lanes! How cyclist friendly is the Southern Belle? Is it worth riding for purposes beyond commuting? What’s the deal with this Spanish Moss? Where is the Historic District? I wonder where the locals eat? How much time is left on my meter …
All of a sudden the chitter chatter in my mind came to a halt. I felt relaxed, calm, at peace … I was looking towards the sky, enchanted by the blanket of Spanish Moss overhead. What is with this stuff? Why am I so mesmerized by it? As I approach Forsyth Park, I decide to enjoy a snack on a bench under one of the fairy tale trees. The park is full of life. Children are playing, dogs chasing Frisbees or tennis balls, others are exercising. I spot a couple with the same idea as me – only they have a longer rest planned. They came prepared with a basket of snacks and supplies and a large tapestry to host their picnic. I smile and think of my favorite picnic spot back home. A secret field atop the Laurel Highlands . .
I stuff the wrapper of my granola bar in the back pocket of my jersey in exchange for my map of Savannah. Taking a sip from my water bottle, I examine the map and plan my next move. I continue to follow the bike lane and find myself in awe. I ride along Gaston Street, the heart of Savannah’s Historic District, amazed by the beauty and size of the mansions, Live Oaks and yes, you guessed it, more Spanish Moss! This stretch of 4-5 blocks is stunning. Time seems to slow down. There is something about Historic Districts that always does this to me. I imagine the cars parked along the side of the road as horse and buggies combinations. People talking on their cell phones become vendors of roses, milk, bread and various treats, in my mind. The honk of a car brings me back to reality. The light changed from red to green as traffic hurtles forward. I shake my head and laugh a little at myself before pedaling away from my time machine street.
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I find myself back at my car, lock up my bike, feed the meter and decide its time to feed myself too! I walk down to the Riverfront District to check out the scene. An ancient set of steps takes me down to an uneven brick road, stretching along the Savannah River. A horse and buggy clomp by and I chuckle. Food. Ok, how to pick? There are so many options! After checking out a few menus, all I find is pub food. Bacon cheeseburgers, crispy french fires, all washed down with an ice-cold draft . . . Nope, not today. I’m in the mood for something else, something different . . .
I walk two blocks to my left and find a café who has just one spot at the bar left. I duck in and instantly know I’ve found what I was looking for, the Kayak Kafe. The menu has a variety of carnivore, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and fish taco options! Yahoo,,deciding on lunch took some time, fish tacos with a citrus Pico of grapefruit, oranges, cilantro, jalapenos and white corn topped with avocado or a vegetarian Panini with walnut pesto and fresh mozzarella… (yumm) “Would you like more time to look over our menu?” Time to got to the pro, and inquire, “If you were in my shoes, would you get fish tacos or a sandwich?” “I’d go for a sandwich, our bread is homemade and it’s amazing! You can get fish tacos most other places and they are easy to make at home.” I order the vegetarian Panini and thank the barmaid for her opinion. I could not have been more satisfied with my sandwich. The bread really is something you wouldn’t want to miss. Now this is the type of place we like to include in our road bike tours! I grab an Americano and hit the streets.
Turns out that touring Savannah, GA by bike is a blast! It’s a great way to see the city at your own pace! I think I have Day 1 of the Georgia Bike Tour dialed in. Time to head south along the coast and figure out 3 more days of biking bliss.
Due to the friendly terrain and the moderate weather, Georgia is an excellent biking destination to either get your bike season rolling, or bring it to an end. Join us on one of the Georgia fall bike vacation departure dates:
October 26th, 2014
November 2nd, 2014
Stay tuned for the next chapter of building a Georgia bike tour, this chapter was brought to you by Erin Graber, Director of Bike Tours here at Wilderness Voyageurs.
Wilderness Voyageurs – 103 Garrett Street, Ohiopyle, PA 15470
800-272-4141
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