Itinerary

Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Arrive Charleston

Make your own arrangements for travel to Charleston and the Ansonborough Inn. VBT recommends using Mt. Pleasant Shuttle. You can make reservations online at www.mpshuttle.com or by calling 843-971-4901 or toll-free 866-223-7226. The cost is approximately $47.00, inclusive of gratuity. Alternatively, there is a shared shuttle that departs from the airport that would cost $14.00 inclusive of gratuity or you may secure a taxi at the airport for a cost of approximately $32.00, inclusive of gratuity. These prices are valid as of March 2011, and may vary. VBT provides you with a City Information Packet that includes information and recommendations on what to see and do in Charleston during your stay.
Day 1 of BIKE TOUR Arrive Middleton Place / Warm-up ride / Welcome reception and dinner

VBT Bike Tour guests: VBT will offer a shuttle from Charleston International Airport to the Inn at Middleton Place at 2 pm. Please call Mount Pleasant Shuttle at 843-971-4901 or toll-free 866-223-7226 to make a reservation, clearly stating you are a VBT guest. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance of your travel. Mount Pleasant must have your names and the airline and flight number you will be arriving on. If you are arriving after this shuttle departs or your flight is delayed, you must make your own arrangements to reach the Inn at Middleton Place. When you arrive, ask at the reception desk for your welcome package, which is full of useful ideas to make the most of your time on your own.

You have until mid-afternoon to enjoy the Inn and its surroundings along the Ashley River. The inn's 55 rooms are secluded among tall pines and live oaks, and are just a short stroll from the Gardens at Middleton Place, icon of the South Carolina Low Country and home to America's oldest landscaped gardens. Several famous members of the Middleton family lived here: Henry Middleton, a president of the First Continental Congress; Arthur Middleton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Henry Middleton, governor of South Carolina; and Williams Middleton, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession.

VBT Pre-Trip Extension guests: Enjoy breakfast at the inn. You have the morning to enjoy Charleston. In the early afternoon (2 p.m.), a shuttle company meets you at your inn and will transfer you to the Inn at Middleton Place, where you start the bike tour.

Your stay includes unlimited access to Middleton Place, with its gardens, house museum and stable yards. Optional nature walks and kayaking are also available at your own expense. Please note that your room will not be available until 4 p.m.

VBT Leaders will be ready to meet you between 2 and 3:30 p.m. for individual bike fittings, followed by a warm-up ride. Please contact the Inn at Middleton Place to advise of any travel delays or changes; they will pass your message on to your VBT Trip Leaders. Tonight, get to know your fellow travelers during a welcome reception and a dinner held in one of the private dining rooms at the Inn.

Day 2 of BIKE TOUR Transfer across Ashley River / Cycle through Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms

Start your day with a shuttle ride (about 40 minutes) over the Ashley River to the Fort Moultrie National Historic Monument. This fortress played a key role in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Your ride begins here, taking you past some of the area's most sought-after homes and along the Intracoastal Waterway, with views of and access to the beach. Ride through Sullivan's Island and over the bridge to the Isle of Palms. After lunch at a local restaurant on the Isle of Palms, we return to the Inn at Middleton Place. Take some free time to swim in the pool or return to the gardens at Middleton Place.

For tonight's dinner, walk from the Inn to the Middleton Place Restaurant. The building was designed by W. Bancel LaFarge in 1933, based on research done in Barbados. The restaurant strives to use seasonal, local and organic ingredients in preparing its dishes, which are inspired by renowned Southern chef Edna Lewis. Lewis was Middleton Place Restaurant's chef-in-residence for several years.

Day 3 of BIKE TOUR Shuttle to Wadmalaw Island / Charleston Tea Plantation / Shuttle to Beaufort / Experience a Beaufort social

Today, shuttle south to Angel Oak, a Southern live oak tree located on Johns Island. The tree is estimated to be in excess of 1500 years old. It stands 65 feet tall, and measures 28 feet in circumference. Its widest crown is 180 feet, point to point, and it shades 17,000 square feet. After marveling at this amazing tree, we'll start our ride to Wadmalaw Island. Wadmalaw Island is home to the Charleston Tea Plantation, makers of American Classic Tea and the only tea grown in America. Here we'll enjoy a tour of the working tea factory, visit the tasting room, enjoy a trolley tour of the fields, and then take part in a picnic lunch provided by your leaders in the shade of the plantation's pavilion.

Continuing on, we'll cycle to Irvin House Vineyard and Firefly Distillery. Depending on the time available, choose to visit the tasting room (at your expense), meander the rows of grapes, or visit the farm. We'll shuttle on to Beaufort afterwards (approximately 90 minutes), where you can make yourself at home at the Beaufort Inn. The Inn has a wonderful in-town location with easy access to the city's waterfront and more.

After a group dinner at a local restaurant, meet back at the Inn to partake in a famous Southern tradition, a Beaufort social—in which you'll learn to spin your partner in fine Southern fashion.

Day 4 of BIKE TOUR St. Helena Island / Walking Tour of Beaufort

After breakfast, we will ride through beautiful farmland to St. Helena Island. Pass the historic Chapel of Ease. During the colonial period, chapels of ease were constructed by rice and cotton planters as houses of worship because their plantations were located so far from the churches in Beaufort. This tabby-walled church was constructed between 1742 and 1747 for the planters of St. Helena Island. A forest fire destroyed most of it in 1886. All that remains today are its ruined walls, made of a mixture of sand, lime and crushed oyster shells, and an adjacent cemetery.

After your ride, enjoy a visit to the Penn Center and a picnic lunch prepared by your leaders. Founded in 1862 to school the freed slaves, Penn is now a cultural center for the Sea Island African-Americans, or Gullahs. This is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. held the annual retreat for his Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Hear about the history of the area before shuttling or cycling back to Beaufort.

Later, stroll Beaufort's mix of antebellum mansions, live oaks and 1950s storefronts with a resident guide, who will explain why the town has lured so many moviemakers to its charming streets.

Make your own dinner plans in Beaufort this evening; there are some excellent restaurants from which to choose.

Day 5 of BIKE TOUR Shuttle to Savannah / Tour of Savannah / Lunch and free time

After a 9:00 a.m. shuttle ride (approximately 90 minutes) to Savannah, we will spend time exploring some of the most memorable spots of this city during a trolley tour through Savannah's streets and squares, gaining an understanding of the city's history, architecture, gardens and charm.

You have free time after the trolley tour to discover beautiful Savannah and to settle in at our hotel for the next two nights. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

Day 6 of BIKE TOUR Cycle Isle of Hope to Wormsloe Historic Site / Farewell dinner

Ride out of the center of Savannah toward the Isle of Hope. The Isle of Hope features a number of attractive old homes dating from the first part of the 19th century and looks out over the Intracoastal Waterway.

You're sure to recognize the entry arch into the remains of Wormsloe Plantation, now a National Historic Site. The arch frames the 1.5 mile-long live oak avenue leading to the tabby ruins, one of the most photographed sites in the South.

After lunch, continue riding through Savannah State University, Thunderbolt and the moss-hung gardens of Bonaventure Cemetery, an 18th-century plantation and one of the settings of John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. You'll have free time to explore Savannah when we return.

Tonight, celebrate with the group during a farewell dinner at one of Savannah's institutions since the 1700s, The Olde Pink House.

Day 7 of BIKE TOUR Depart for home

The tour concludes after breakfast at our hotel. The VBT shuttle is available to take departing guests back to the Charleston airport (CHS) arriving around 12:30 p.m., or to their cars parked at The Inn at Middleton Place, arriving around 1:15 p.m. We recommend that you fly out of Savannah, but if you are flying out of Charleston, we suggest a flight no earlier than 2:00 p.m. Guests with cars parked at the Ansonborough Inn in Charleston can take a taxi from the Charleston airport (cost approximately $27).

More information from VBT Bicycling Vacations:

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