You're out there, you inline skaters, and you're in for a surprise. You may never have thought of touring France or Switzerland on your wheels, or even Florida or Minnesota, but now you can! Claiming to be the only inline skate tour company in the USA, Zephyr (an appropriate name, indeed!) has domestic tours from as little as $495 for three days/two nights. Their international skate-aways start from $1,695 for six days (five nights) in Burgundy.
The prices include lodging (sharing a double), dinners, breakfasts, local guides, local land transport, van support, instruction, some alternate activities, a souvenir and a pre-departure packet. Not included is air transport to the spot, lunches and beverages. You must wear a helmet and wrist guards, and for Learn-to-Skate tours, you must wear kneepads and elbow pads.
Different tours are for various levels of ability, some for beginners, some for advanced beginners, then for intermediates, advanced intermediates, and advanced skaters. Among the domestic tours are Learn-to-Skate vacations to Hilton Head (May 3-7) and to Minnesota (July 28 to August 1), the latter for women only. Prices range from $1,045 to $1,195.
Standard Tours at home are Nantucket (June 9-13 and September 8-12), Florida (December 14-18), Colorado (July 14-18) and Pennsylvania (June 21-23). Prices range from $495 to $1,395.
Standard international tours include Switzerland (June 22-28 and August 16-22) and the Netherlands (July 13-19). Prices are $1,795 or $1,895. (Don't scoff at inlineskating in Switzerland--I endured a bicycle tour of that country, and the route was longer in vertical miles, I thought, than in horizontal miles, but if I could make it, almost anyone can.)
Skating and Multisport Tours take place in Burgundy (June 16-21 and August 25-30), and at Lake Tahoe (July 28-August 1), with prices from $1,195 to $1,695. The French adventure includes biking, hiking and skating; the Lake Tahoe one is biking, hiking, kayaking and skating.
Hiking & Biking in China
The owner of the same firm, Allan Wright, also operates biking and hiking tours of China, emphasizing that nation's culture. A tour of 9 days (8 nights) runs $1,995, including almost everything but international airfare. (Lodging in shared double, all meals, expert leadership, entrance fees and permits, airport transfers in Beijing, local transport including internal plane flights and trains, van support, bicycles, some alternate activities, a souvenir.) I have met one of the guides, Jon Otto, who is fluent in Mandarin and who has biked and hiked all over the country, and feel you couldn't be in better hands. The May 11-19 departure is close at hand, another one being October 27 to November 4. The first visits Beijing (biking), Xian (hiking), the Great Wall (bed down and hike on the wall) and back to Beijing (more biking). The second trip includes Guilin rather than Xian, with a lot of biking throughout the area. The website for the China tours is www.activeculturetours.com.
You can book in one of three ways for the skating tours, using the website, www.skatetour.com; calling the office at 888/758-8687 or 406/446-0275; or writing Skate Tour at their office, PO Box 16, Red Lodge MT 59068.
