The Golden Isles of Georgia and the Okefenokee Swamp

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW
Discover the southern part of Georgia's scenic coastline, barrier islands, and the "land of the trembling earth," the Okefenokee Swamp. The Golden Isles of Georgia is home to beautiful marshlands, maritime forests and miles of sandy beaches. We start and end in the charming southern city of Savannah Georgia. Our first stop will be at Dunham Farms, a 30-acre estate of oak groves, marsh and river views and historic gardens. We next stop at the small coastal town of Darien where we stay at the Darien Waterfront Inn overlooking the Darien River. We then head over to Folkston Georgia and the Okefenokee Swamp for two nights. Folkston is famous for their train-watching Funnel. On our layover day we tour the Okefenokee swamp on bikes and then take a boat tour. The Okefenokee Swamp is a beautifully preserved National Wildlife Preserve which covers almost a half million acres. The next two nights we stay in the coastal town of St Marys at the Spencer Inn. On our layover day here, we take the ferry to Cumberland Island. Cumberland Island National Seashore is known for its wild horses, sea turtles and the Dungeness ruins. It has 50 miles of walking and hiking trails. Our next stop is Jekyll Island where we stay in the historic Jekyll Island Club for two nights. Here we relax and enjoy the many bike paths and ride under the majestic southern oaks. We leave Jekyll Island by ferry and then return to Dunham Farms for one night before heading back to Savannah. This is a tour for those who enjoy small towns, ocean islands, birding, history and nature walks. This is a very flat ride, your only climbing will be over bridges.

RIDE RATING
This is a 1B ride with an average of 46 miles on required riding days. This is a flat ride with average climb per day of only 200-300 feet and the same amount of descent: Day 2 is 44 miles (1B), Day 3 is 47 miles (1B), Day 4 is 69 miles (1D), Day 5 is 22 miles (1B), Day 6 is 34 miles (1B), Day 8 is 57 (1C), Day 10 is 47 miles (1B), and Day 11 is 45 miles (1B).  We have made some improvements to the ride after the 2018 tour.  We arranged a ferry from Jeykll Island to Darien to eliminate a busy traffic area and shorten the ride to 47miles.  We altered the route to Folkston also to avoid some heavy traffic.  The ride into/out of Savannah is re routed thru residental areas but still rejoins the highway after 12 miles.  Routing options are limited in the coastal area due to extensive marshes and rivers.  Highway 17 is the local road that has intermittent heavy traffic, which includes logging trucks.  We will be riding mainly on 2 lane roads with intermittent shoulders and rumble strips.  You need to be comfortable riding in traffic. Rear view mirrors and lights are highly recommended.

WEATHER
Temperatures in coastal Georgia in late February can range from 40's to 60's (sometimes in the 70's in St Marys and Folkston). Sunny/cloudy/with a chance of rain, it should be pleasant, but bring your raingear just in case.

LODGING & MEALS
Accommodations range from 4-star hotels to quaint inns and railroad cars/cabins. There will be five group dinners, 11 breakfasts, and 2 lunches included with this tour.

LOGISTICS
The tour starts at 5PM on February 17th (Sunday) at the Planters Inn in Savannah Georgia. The tour ends on Thursday February 28th in Savannah, after breakfast. Savannah can be reached via the Savannah airport (SAV). Shuttle service can be arranged from the airport to Savannah (16 miles). A parking fee will be required for cars left in Savannah during the tour.  Bike boxes can be stored at the Planters Inn.

COST & ADMINISTRATION
The estimated cost of $2250 (which does not include the non-refundable $50 BAC ride registration fee) includes 11 nights lodging, double occupancy, 5 group dinners, 11 breakfasts, and 2 lunches. Also included is luggage van, boat trip in Okefenokee Swamp, ferry to Cumberland Island and ferry from Jekyll Island to Darien on day 9, leader, co-leader and driver expenses, daily Happy Hour, bike maps cue sheets and GPS files. The ride deposit is $1000 with the remaining balance of $1250 due August 31,2018.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY
It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. However, singles who register for the ride without a roommate will be placed in Pending and given contact information of other singles looking for a roommate. No solo supplement is available due to limited rooms in several towns. The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride.

CANCELLATION POLICY
The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee are not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY
Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.   All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP
To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description.  When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List. At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable $50 BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit of $1000 by credit card.  As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List.  To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.