My sweet cousin absolutely adores traveling. Every year, she and her family go on multiple vacations. Recently, my cousin and her daughter vacationed in the Dominican Republic. Almost immediately after her beach trip, my adventurous relative and her husband traveled to Paris. Would you like to visit a foreign country for the first time this year? Consider hiring an experienced travel agent to help you plan a vacation you’ll be talking about for years to come. On this blog, I hope you will discover the benefits of consulting with a travel agent before traveling abroad for the first time. Enjoy!
If you're an enthusiastic cyclist, what better way to spend a vacation than by taking a bicycle camping trip through one of the most scenic areas of the country? A bicycle camping trip is a great way to spend a vacation with your family, but it also works well as a solo trip, when you just need to get away from it all. Take a look at a few tips for planning your bicycle camping trip through the Pacific Northwest.
Plan a Route
The first thing you need to do is spend some time with a map. Plan a route that will be sure to take you by all of the sites that you want to see, and don't forget to include places to sleep at night. Cyclist camping doesn't have to be expensive – there are a number of hiker and biker campsites in the Pacific Northwest, and most charge only a nominal fee. For example, in Oregon, hiker/biker campsites in state parks cost only $5 per person per night.
As you're planning the route, consider joining a cyclist's group or forum for tips on biking trails and directions in the area that you're headed to. Maps are often not designed with cyclists in mind, but other cyclists who have been where you're going can provide supplementary information that will make your trip safer and more enjoyable.
Prepare Your Bike
Before you head out, it's important to make sure that your bike is in good working condition. The last thing that you want is for your bike to break down before you get a chance to get started. Give it a tune-up yourself, or take it by your favorite bicycle mechanic for a check-up before you go.
Depending on the time of year, you may need to make some modifications to your bike. For example, if you're taking your bicycle trip in the winter, your bike needs winter tires and fenders. The Pacific Northwest is very wet in the winter time, and the larger, wider winter bicycle tires will help give you more traction on the wet roads. Meanwhile, the fenders will protect you from spray when riding through water.
Pack Your Gear
In addition to ordinary camping gear, you'll need to bring items for your bike. At a minimum, you'll want to bring spare tubes and a patch kit, an air pump, and chain lubrication. You may want to invest in a dromedary water bag which will make it easier for you to carry water on your bike – remember that staying hydrated is vital when you're spending so much time outdoors.
Don't forget to pack rain gear, warm socks and gloves, and a warm jacket. The weather in the Pacific Northwest is very changeable, so it's best to be prepared for anything. Even if it's hot during the day, it may be chilly at night.
Not everyone wants to do all the work of planning a bicycle camping trip from scratch. If you're having difficulty planning a trip, or if you would rather travel with a group, you can always look into one of the preplanned cycle tours offered in the area.
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