Join Tandem Diversity for a small, personalized tandem tour in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. Be pampered by elegant B&B accommodations, enjoy the finest Northwest Cuisine, learn of the fascinating history of the islands, but mostly savor this remote archipelago that time seems to have forgotten.
The tour will be limited to two couples. Such a small group will allow significant personalization of the experience. You will be able to relax, let Tandem Diversity take care of you and the details, and let the islands envelop you in their peaceful magic.
TANDEM Diversity
The afternoon will find us back in Lopez Village with some relaxation time before we walk a short distance into the village for our final dinner together, overlooking the narrow entrance to Fisherman Bay.
Friday July 10, 2015 - Day 5
Savor your final slow start and sumptuous breakfast before we pack up and get in line for the ferry back to Anacortes. Ride your tandem to the ferry if you like. Also, if it is your intention to extend from here, with more time in the islands or perhaps on to Victoria on Canada's Vancouver Island, we can help with those arrangements. Our tour finds us retracing our route to Anacortes by ferry and then to Bellingham via Skagit River Valley farmland and Chuckanut Drive. Lunch will be take out to eat on the road.
You can ferry with the van to Lopez Island where we will check into our B&B for the next two nights, the Edenwild Inn in Lopez Village, you can ride your tandem onto the ferry and then to Lopez Village, or perhaps you would prefer to take your tandem on the interisland ferry to explore Shaw or Orcas Island. We can help with interpreting ferry schedules to make sure you arrive on Lopez before dark. Once on Lopez you are free to ride/explore on your own for the afternoon. Perhaps you would enjoy a tandem kayak paddle around Fisherman Bay? Lunch is on your own; we will dine together this evening, a short walk from the B&B.
Monday July 6, 2015 - Day 1
We will gather in the late morning for our departure from Bellingham. We can pick you up at your hotel or arrange a meeting place. If necessary we can store bike cases and/or excess luggage that you will not need for the next four nights; luggage will be limited to one medium bag per person. Parking is also available if you need to leave a vehicle in Bellingham during the tour.
Departing Bellingham along scenic Chuckanut Drive, we will make our way to Anacortes, gateway to the San Juan Islands. We will grab our take out lunch and secure a place in line for the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. In summer, waits can be long so there will be time for a leisurely lunch and exploration of the ferry terminal before we cross Rosario Strait into the islands. You will feel the weight of your worldly cares lift away as the ferry glides through the narrow passage into the main East-West channel of the islands
Thursday July 9, 2015 - Day 4
The breakfast at the Edenwild Inn is superb and is the perfect beginning to the perfect tandem day. Lopez Island is a combination of rural roads, stunning water views, and friendly folks who often wave in passing, even to bicyclists. Be sure to have some shoes for walking along today; we will enjoy walking out to Shark Reef and to Iceberg Point to take in the views, the latter about a 10 minute walk along a trail from the bike parking area. From the point we will look across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Olympic Mountains on the peninsula of the same name. Lunch will be out on the road, probably at the Southend General Store and Restaurant.
Later afternoon will find us back in Friday Harbor. You may choose to design your own route back to town. The afternoon is free (admission to the Whale Museum will be included) and dinner is on your own. We will be happy to provide restaurant recommendations.
Tuesday July 7, 2015 - Day 2
After a luxuriously slow start to the day, with breakfast at our B&B, we begin a day exploring this picturesque island by tandem. Our riding will take us through stately forests, pastoral farm and pasture land, and along varied shorelines. We will learn of the history of the islands and how the international border with Canada was established. We will visit the cliff side Lime Kiln Lighthouse State Park, a favorite whale watching site. Lunch will be at historic Roche Harbor, with plenty of time to check out the fascinating history of the lime kilns, the old hotel, the newer shops, and our favorite - the wharf donut shop!
Wednesday July 8, 2015 - Day 3
Yet another slow, leisurely start with breakfast at our B&B, and then the remainder of the day, much is up to you.
Arriving in Friday Harbor, we will check into our B&B, the Kirk House, and depending on the timing of our ferry ride we may have free time in the afternoon to explore this only incorporated town in the islands, serving as county seat and commercial center. Then it's off to enjoy a group dinner overlooking the harbor and ferry terminal. Our B&B is in a quiet neighborhood, close enough that we can walk to dinner.
Our tour will end when we arrive back in Bellingham. We can help with onward travel arrangements. We will provide space to pack your tandem, if needed, and transfer to the Bellingham International Airport is complimentary.
May the memories and new friendships from our island tour enrich your tandeming lives for years to come!
What is included in the tour:
Storage for bike cases and extra luggage during the tour, if needed.
Parking for a vehicle during the tour, if needed.
Van transportation for you, your luggage, and your tandem throughout the tour.
Luxurious B&B accommodations for the four nights of the tour.
Breakfast Days 2 through 5, at the B&B
Three group dinners during the tour, Days 1, 3, 4.
Four group lunches during the tour, Days 1, 2, 4, 5.
Fares for all ferry transportation during the tour.
Entry to Lime Kiln Point State Park on San Juan Island.
Entry to the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.
Cycling route suggestions on San Juan and Lopez Islands, with two days of guided rides.
GPS tracks.
Space for tandem packing at tour's end, if needed.
Transfer to Bellingham International Airport at tour's end, if needed.
What is not included in the tour:
Transportation to or from Bellingham before or after the tour, including airfare.
Sag support on riding days (be prepared to take care of your own mechanical issues).
Alcoholic beverages.
Optional activities other than those listed above, such as kayak rental, whale watching cruise, etc.
Dinner Day 2.
Lunch Day 3.
Tandem Rental (note that tandem rental can be arranged separately)
Tour Pricing:
$1250.00 US per person.
Important notes:
It is our intention that the tour will include all activities and venues described above. However, should there be unforeseen circumstances requiring it, we reserve the right to make changes or substitute an activity or venue we deem to be of equal value.
Your place in the tour will be held on receipt of your deposit of 50% of the tour price, with the remainder due by May 1, 2015. If you phone us, we will hold your spot on the tour for several days until your check arrives. We cannot accept a credit card for payments; we can accept checks in US funds.
After your deposit is received, we will send you some paperwork, including a health form, a travel questionnaire, and a liability disclaimer. When those completed and signed forms are received back here, your registration will be complete.
Cancellation policy: Cancellation prior to May 1, 2015 - half of what you have paid will be refunded. Cancellation after May 1, 2015 - there will be no refund.
Give us a call - this is a very small tour and will fill up quickly! You can reach us at 360-752-2062, or Mark's cell which is 360-319-6608.
Tour is sold out as of February 10, 2015. Let us know if you want to be on a wait list.
Tandem tour of the San Juan Islands
July 6-10, 2015