Self-guided bicycle tours in New England

Highlights:
> 4 nights lodging in two romantic B&B's with hearty breakfasts included each morning
> Rides through picturesque villages and farmland
> Tour early 19th century Old Sturbridge Village, a recreated village and outdoor history museum
> Shopping for antiques and new crafts
> Wine tasting and sampling freshly brewed pints of ale
> Included is a dinner of elegantly prepared Austrian-German cuisine
> Luggage transfer

Arrive at the Yankee Cricket Inn, an exacting reproduction home, for a short ride to Brimfield Center or Old Sturbridge Village (OSV). If you arrived early enough, step back into New England c. 1830's at OSV in the company of farmers, craftsmen, and fascinating characters. After your tour browse through the wide selection of antiques and shops in Sturbridge before returning to your B&B. Relax on the porch or in the garden and enjoy wine and cheese before dinner. Dinner options include a feast prepared by your host or you can return to Sturbridge for dinner on your own.

After a hearty breakfast at the B&B, today's cycling route will take you through the largely rural village of Brimfield. Settled in the late 1700's with sheep and dairy farms and orchards as the main source of income, you will travel along beautiful, quiet country roads with rolling terrain. Stop by Hyland Orchard, home of Pioneer Brewery, and the Marketplace at the Falls, one of Sturbridge's many shopping options. Nearby is a wide range of dinner selections, our favorites are a Thai restaurant and the classic Publick House Tavern.

Your luggage will be transferred today to Southbridge where you will be welcomed by the wonderful couple who run the Vienna Restaurant and Historic Inn. The back roads of your ride will bring you to revitalized Southbridge, once a bustling mill city and now home to such projects as 12 Crane - where you will discover fine art, live music and entertainment, shopping and much more under one roof. Tonight enjoy the Austrian-German food prepared by your hosts.

After enjoying authentic Viennese pastries, you will ride into Woodstock, CT. We have carefully selected quiet back roads, winding past beautiful 18th and 19th-century homes and large areas of undeveloped landscape. Local farms offer insightful and noursihing stops. Woodstock has one of the most beautiful and elegant commons in New England. Browse the gardens and tour Roseland Cottage which offers a glimpse into the summer life of a prosperous family in the mid 19th century. Stop by the tasting room at Taylor Brooke Vineyards before heading back to Southbridge.

Before heading home, enjoy more quiet roads on a loop ride to Oxford, MA. Check out the Clara Barton Homestead, honoring the founder of the American Red Cross. If it's a warm day and you feel like a swim, we route you near a state recreation area.