Rolling Through the Battlefields
My wife and I participated in the 9/29/19 Gettysburg & Civil War Bike Trip with a diverse group of riders from novice to very experienced. This was our 2nd trip with Wilderness Voyageurs (Great Alleghany Passage in 2018) and our group melded well together with varied backgrounds and experiences. We had a comprehensive tour of the Gettysburg Battlegrounds with Interpretive Guide Bruce followed by a wine and cheese mixer at the historic Brafferton Inn with bike guides Bill and Montana. Our next day of biking had several steep hills ending with our stay at the historic Antrim Inn where we were given a tour of their 22,000 bottle wine cellar. Unfortunately, we were not able to eat in the Smokehouse Restaurant due to a conflict with another booking but did enjoy a cocktails and hors d’oeuvres prior to an excellent dinner in the main dinning room. Our Antietam Battlefield Tour with Interpretive Guide Randy was also extremely knowledgeable and provided a great overview of the war. Our last night at the Bavarian Lodge was enjoyable and very scenic with the infinity pool views of the Potomac River. Unfortunately, our 6:30 pm dinner reservation was very delayed until past 9:00pm without coffee or dessert, in spite of several interventions by our tour guild Bill. Our last day biking towards Harpers Ferry was warm but with a cooling breeze as we rolled along the C&O Canal. In all, a great tour combining history and scenic and sometimes challenging biking.
Rating: Excellent *****
Marc Bryant
Erie, PA