Biking to Bed and Breakfasts

Looking for a picturesque getaway that takes you out of the city and into nature?  Well, it’s cheaper and easier than you think.

By John Rossheim for MSN City Guides

Are you and a partner looking for a different kind of getaway this summer, one that doesn’t involve spending hours in the car and $75 and up on gas just to get to the other side of your home state and back? 

Then consider this novel paradigm for a brief sojourn: Hop on your bicycles with one change of clothes, find a bike trail, ride from your city to a small-town bed-and-breakfast inn and enjoy getting there as much as you do the destination.
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More outdoor ideas:

• Most walkable cities in the U.S.
• Great in-city hikes
• 10 urban escape plans
• Major league fun, minor league prices

   

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Lucky for you, it’s getting easier for urban Americans to make this kind of a weekend happen. “We’re starting to see cities across the U.S. doing what it takes to get people riding,” says Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “Cities are putting together maps, creating bike lanes, building trails and putting on events to highlight rides.”

And it’s not happening only in the kind of cities that might first come to mind – say Portland, Ore. or Burlington, Vt. “I’ve been in Kansas City, Flint [Mich.] and Cleveland, and they’re all on board,” Clarke says.

But before we set you on your way with suggestions for getaways from specific cities, consider these tips for making the most of your biking, bed and breakfast weekend: