Who: Dianne McNamara and Bonnie Shek of Centennial
Where: Delft
Out and about: We experienced the Netherlands close up on a Bike and Barge Tour in May. We rode alongside fields of brilliantly colored tulips, through small towns and villages, and navigated the major cities of Amsterdam and The Hague. Local history (and color) was provided by the group’s Dutch tour guide. Unfortunately, any calories burned off were
doubly resupplied at dinner by the barge’s gourmet chef. At the end of each day, the pleasure of arriving at a new destination and finding your “hotel” awaited, all without the inconvenience of repacking and unpacking your bags. There was plenty of time to visit museums (this is the home of artists Rembrandt, Vermeer and Escher), tour 12th-century cathedrals and climb windmills.
Travel tip: Prepare for sun, rain and wind. The key to making a bike trip enjoyable in changing weather conditions is having the right clothes: padded bike shorts, multiple layers, and waterproof pants and jacket. No need for Coloradans to worry about pretrip bike training – riding a 21-speed at sea level is a breeze.
