Days 6 Nights 5 Start Dates December 5, 2010 Start City Ontario/Desert Hot Springs Finish City Temecula/Ontario Nearest Airports ONT: Ontario Intl (5 minutes) SNA: John Wayne (1:40) LGB: Long Beach (1:30) LAX: Los Angeles (1:50) Activity Level 3-5 Per Person Price $1896 Single Supplement $484

Warm Winter Bike Tour—California Desert Escape

Daily Itinerary

 

Day 1: Desert Hot Springs to Palm Desert

Our tour begins in the morning, west of the Southern California Desert. We gather near the Ontario International Airort, at the Country Inn & Suites. We’ll shuttle from Ontario to the spa town of Desert Hot Springs. Here we will fit everyone on their bicycles, then take a relaxing ride along the desert floor with a stunning view of the San Jacinto Mountains, arriving in Palm Desert at the Mojave Resort, our hotel for the night. Dinner at one of the fine Palm Desert restaurants. 25-44 miles.

Day 2: Palm Desert to Borrego Springs

After our night's stay in Palm Desert, we head south underneath the tall date palms of the Coachella Valley to the Salton Sea. From here, we head west through the badlands of the Anza-Borrego Desert to Borrego Springs, an oasis of a town surrounded by desert and ringed on three sides by high mountains. Lodging for tonight and the next night is at the Palms Hotel, a classic desert resort from the 1950s — once a favorite getaway for Hollywood celebrities. 30-77 miles, 0-1400' vertical.

Day 3: Borrego Springs

Today is a day of options. You can choose to join a ride through the Borrego Springs area, or you can relax poolside at The Palms.

Day 4: Borrego Springs to Julian

We bid farewell to our desert oasis and climb (or shuttle) up and over the San Ysidro Mountains to the orchard town of Julian, a favorite getaway destination for San Diego residents. Here we spend a cozy evening together at the historic and cozy Julian Gold Rush Hotel. 30-42 miles , 2500' or 5700' vertical.

Day 5: Julian to Temecula

Today's ride takes us out of the mountains, through the rolling grasslands and pine forests, to the Temecula Wine Country. Dinner at a nearby winery, and lodging at the charming Inn at Churon Winery, where we will be treated to a private wine tasting. 30-60 miles, 1000-2000' vertical.

Day 6: Temecula

On our final day, we'll take a short ride through the Temecula Wine Country's rolling hills and alongside the champion horse stables. Then we'll return to the Inn at Churon to change out of bike clothes, load up the van for the shuttle back to Ontario, where we say our goodbyes. 25 miles, 1000' vertical.

 

 

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