Recycle

I'm 66 and semi-retired. My wife is 64 and still working. We both enjoy bicycle touring, but don't have the time for weeks away from home, nor the desire to push ourselves 100 miles/day. We also prefer a jacuzzi and good restaurants to camping.

So we take self supported credit card tours. It lets us get away for two to five days, riding at a pace and covering distances comfortable for us, on routes of our choice. We can stop to take pictures any time we feel like it, and, if we find something really interesting, we can stop short of our intended destination.

A typical 3 day trip would look like: On Day 1: Leave from our driveway, head out 50 or 60 miles, take in some sights, eat at a good restaurant, and overnight in a motel. Day 2: Ride around the area a little to take in more sights, visit interesting places, or just hang out on the beach. Day 3: Return the 50 or 60 miles home.

One variation is to haul the bikes by car to an area or trail head of interest. Park the car in a safe lot and bike out on the tour.

Another variation is to take the train. In Illinois, a bike can be rolled onto many Amtrack or Metra trains without having to box it and check it as baggage. So we can ride the bike to a train station, take the train to a place of interest, then bike back home. That is not possible on all Amtrack routes.