† 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.
OVERVIEW: You’ll never be far from the ocean during this tour in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a treat for the senses, as you’ll enjoy seeing sparkling waters and rocky shorelines, smelling the salt air and the aromatic forests, listening to the waves lapping on the shore, feeling the wind in your hair, and tasting the wonderful local seafood. Included in this tour is Vanccouver Island and the San Juan Islands, recently listed by USA Today as one of “The World’s Top Bike Rides” where we have the opportunity to watch the Fourth of July fireworks in Friday Harbor! This will be the seventh time this popular tour has been offered to BAC members, and this year’s ride has been extended to 14 days. E-bikes and tandems are welcome on this tour.
RIDE DESCRIPTION:
Day 1: June 22nd Arrival Day – Seatac/Seattle, Washington
We highly recommend arriving early to build your bikes if you are flying into SeaTac Airport (SEA). Our first night’s Happy Hour will be 5:00pm PST at the Best Western at the SeaTac airport followed immediately by dinner at Anthony’s. Bike boxes can be stored in a cargo trailer or rider’s vehicles. If you drive, there is limited outside parking available at the hotel, but there are nearby parking lots. Schedule your arrival accordingly to allow time to assemble your bikes before Happy Hour. Contact Warner if you wish to arrive early or stay later after the ride at the Best Western Hotel at the SeaTac airport!
Day 2 June 23rd Seattle to Poulsbo ~46 miles 2,500’ - We will ride 13 miles to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal where we will take the ferry to the Southworth ferry terminal where we will ride north and along the shoreline over to Port Orchard, WA. We will catch a short foot ferry over to the US Navy base of Bremerton, WA. We will then continue to Poulsbo and the Poulsbo Inn & Suites. Ferry costs are not included.
Day 3 June 24th Poulsbo to Sequim . ~45 miles & 2,500’ gain -Today we will ride north and cross the Hood Canal, which is a strange looking bridge, and continue north until we catch the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) to Sequim and the Holiday Inn Express.
Day 4 June 25th In the morning we will ride the Olympic Trail to Port Angeles-22 miles &~1000' gain. We will take the Black Ball Ferry to Victoria, BC. From Victoria, we have a short 10 miles ride and 1100' gain to the Holiday Inn Express in Colwood, BC, a suburb of Victoria. Passports are required.
Day 5, 6, and 7 June 26th, 27th and 28th Choice days. There will be various rides available for these off days.
Day 8 June 29th - 22 miles. We will ride back to Victoria and catch the Black Ball Ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. Passports are required to enter the USA. Once landing we can take our time riding back to Sequim. Sequim hotel is the Holiday Inn Express. Optional rides are out to Dungeness with views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca or climbing Hurricane Olympic National Park-38 miles round trip from Port Angeles & 5475', bring your National Park Pass.
Day 9, June 30th Sequim to Port Townsend. ~48 miles and 2627'. In the morning we will leave Sequim and rejoin the car free Olympic Discovery Trail that will take us around Discovery Bay. After a few road miles we we will pick up another car free trail to enter Port Townsend. Our lodging for two nights is the Harbor Side Inn.
Day 10-July 1st Choice day. With its maritime heritage, artistic spirit and a touch of urban chic, Port Townsend has activities for every taste. Fort Worden Historical State Park is located just a couple of miles from our hotel and features a fascinating military history, expansive parade lawns and restored Victorian-era officers' homes, plus 2 miles of beachfront and high bluffs with spectacular views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. If you are a movie bluff, this is also the location where An officer and a Gentleman was filmed. For those who are looking for more cycling miles, we offer a loop ride that also includes scenic Fort Flagler State Park.
Day 11– July 2nd Port Townsend to Friday Harbor 40 miles 2300'. We will depart early on the ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville, and ride up Whidbey Island to experience the dramatic Deception Pass State Park. After absorbing the view, we will continue our ride on Fidalgo Island to Anacortes, where we catch another ferry to take us to Friday Harbor. You will have the rest of the day to explore this beautiful island with its many miles of scenic rural roads, historic points and its fabulous ocean vistas. Our hotel for the three nights is the Discovery Inn.
Day 12 & 13 – July 3rd and 4th Choice days-Friday Harbor. We will stay based in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island to give you an opportunity to once again customize your trip. Many riders will want to take one of the free ferries to Orcas Island, Lopez Island and/or Shaw Island to explore their spectacular beauty. Others may select to go sea kayaking,sailing, whale watching, hiking or just relaxing with some "island time".
Day 14-July 5th-Friday Harbor to Seattle-We will take the early ferry from Friday Harbor to Anacortes where a 40 passenger bus will be waiting to take us back to our Best Western hotel at SeaTac and our farewell dinner at Anthony's.
Day 15-July 6th,2024-Departure
Our tour may be over at the end of the day, but the memories and friendships we made will last a lifetime.
RIDE RATING: This tour has 4 required ride days and 8 choice days where participants can choose their destinations. The majority of the routes follow lightly traveled roads with rolling terrain. While there are no long sustained climbs on this tour, you will have frequent use of your lowest gears. On this bike tour you and your bike will be making 4 scenic ferry crossings and one foot ferry, and more depending on the choices you make on your choice days.
LOGISTICS: If you arrive by air, use SeaTac international Airport (SEA) The hotel has a free shuttle service from the airport. This hotel will also be our final overnight location. You may ship your bikes ahead to the hotel (check with Warner first!), and you may also store your empty bike boxes in a cargo trailer. The hotel provides outside parking at a possible additional cost ( In the past they have not charged us). The costs of the ferries are not included. Estimated cost for five (5) ferries is $100 and less for seniors. There are no charges for ferries within the San Juan Islands for bikes and passengers. However, there are minimal charges for ferries in Canada.
WEATHER: Weather at this time of year is usually great, with highs between the upper 70’s to mid 80’s, and lows in the mid 50’s to low 60’s. Statistically there is very little rain at this time of year, but with climate change you never know. Plan on rain just to be safe!
SINGLES AND SOLOS POLICY: Singles are a great addition to a ride and we welcome them. We do not discourage singles from registering. However, on this bike tour we can only accommodate 2 singles who will share a room with a roommate. Unfortunately, one hotel we use has limited bedding options. We recommend that singles find their own roommate prior to signing up. Ride Directors will introduce and assist singles to find roommates, but singles must make their own rooming decision. We do not accept solos, as the number of rooms available are limited due to June/July being high season.
ADMINISTRATION and REGISTRATION: The estimated cost of this bike tour is $2,775 plus the $50 BAC registration fee. Ferry fees are each rider's responsibility. This cost includes 14 nights lodging, 2 group dinners, 9 breakfasts, RideWithGPS tracks which provides downloads to gpx tracks, and to smart phones. One can also print out cue sheets if they wish. Luggage will be transported on required ride days, there will be 13 social hours with snacks and beverages. Register by clicking on the Sign-Up link above the Ride Description. After the Ride Director has accepted your application, you will be moved from the Wait List 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 $1,575.00 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. The second payment of $600 is due December 1, 2023, and the final payment of $600 is due no later than March 1, 2024. The third payment will be reduced if the ride is full.
COVID Requirements: All participants must be fully vaccinated including booster shots if applicable and be prepared to present vaccination documentation for viewing by Ride Leader if requested. Covid test maybe required depending on where we are with Covid.
If we still have a Covid 19 risk, we will follow all the necessary rules, and change activities as needed to remain Covid compliant, and can keep the tour as safe as possible. A Covid plan will be sent to all participants if we have a Covid risk. You may be asked to wear PPE in public, maintain social distance in public and limit social gathering in public according to the state's mandate.
CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled due to participation below stated minimum requirements. Refunds of ride payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and 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 a well-maintained bicycle. Participants are also expected to assemble and disassemble their own bikes and be able to fix their own flat tires! 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 the 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.
INSURANCE:
BAC Insurance while in the USA: Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents. This coverage applies when touring inside the US, regardless of your nationality. It’s assumed that members’ personal insurance will cover medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, so these have not been included in the BAC policy. You may want to consider personal coverage for emergency evacuation, as this is not included. The costs of treatment or quarantine for Covid and other unexpected illnesses are not covered. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date.
BAC Insurance While in Canada: BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, and repatriation. This coverage applies when touring outside the US, regardless of your nationality. with the exception of Canadians cycling within Canada who are not covered. It will cover you door-to-door for a maximum of 90 days but will expire if you make a side trip not related to the BAC tour for more than 7 days before or after. There is limited coverage for a family member to join a covered person in an emergency. The policy covers the cost of treatment for Covid and other unexpected illnesses, but not quarantine. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date.
SIGN-UP: To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the Release of Liability (ROL), and pay the non-refundable BAC fee ($50) and tour deposit ($1,575) by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. The second payment of $600 will be due December 1, 2023, and the final payment of $600 is due by March 1, 2024. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Leader by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description, or preferably calling Warner at 775-843-3960 or emailing at jwarner-griswold@att.net.
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org