Before I moved to Idaho when someone mentioned Idaho I thought of this… I was vaguely aware Idaho had more to offer than acres of potato fields, but even coming from the state next door (Montana) I didn’t really know what to expect. Now, having lived in the West Central Mountains of Idaho for 10 Continue Reading →
Tag: Biking
It’s Not About the Bike – Or the Name
When we were deciding on 2019 U.S. biking destinations our team here at Zephyr was in agreement that we had to add a tour that included the 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and the spectacular Route of the Hiawatha, both located in the panhandle of Idaho. What we couldn’t agree on was what to call this Continue Reading →
The Best Less-Visited European Bike Tour Locations
Taking a bicycle tour in Europe is perhaps the most famous and beloved type of “adventure” or active travel. For good reason – biking through Europe often offers wonderful scenery, interesting culture, outstanding food and wine, and healthy exercise. We believe Europe offers the best bicycle tour locations in the world and have run many Continue Reading →
Biking in Idaho on Fantastic Trails
I set up and have several times run our Idaho Skating Adventure, which is absolutely beautiful. But each time I have been there, I have looked at the map and drooled over the Route of the Hiawatha, a rails-to-trails project on what was once one of the most scenic railroad lines in the country. Following Continue Reading →
The Pros & Cons of E-Bikes
On our recent Sicily Biking Adventure (which we rated as Moderate/Difficult, due to the hills), nearly half the group of 22 bikers elected to use an e-bike. What is an e-bike, you ask? The “e” stands for electric. You might imagine a scooter or electric motorcycle, but e-bikes are like regular bikes with the addition Continue Reading →
5 Interesting Facts About the Island of Sicily
As you may be aware, this year is Zephyr Adventures’ 20th Anniversary and to celebrate we added five new adventures to our schedule, including the Sicily Bike Adventure coming up this fall. As we gear up for our inaugural tour of this iconic island, we thought it would be fun to share a few fascinating facts about Sicily: Continue Reading →
The Easiest Bike Tour Location in the World? Try the Mosel Valley
We have been running inline skating tours in the Mosel Valley since 2007. That alone should tell you the location is flat with well-maintained pavement. The beautiful thing about the Mosel Valley as a bike tour location is the Germany government has created paved paths on both sides of the river for hundreds of kilometers. That means Continue Reading →
Oregon Wine Adventure – A Closeup Look at the Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Wine often expresses a sense of place. Place is attributed to by a number of different factors: layers of mineral deposits and sediments left after millions of years of geologic activity that contribute to different flavor profiles; climatic factors like temperature patterns & annual precipitation that have an effect on vine growth and, therefore, trellising practices and Continue Reading →
My Favorite Things While Hiking and Biking in Italy
This post is written by Zephyr traveler and guest blogger Rhonda Jarrett, who went on last month’s Tuscany & Umbria Hike, Bike, Wine & Food Adventure with her family and friends. We asked her to write about her favorite part of each day of the trip. Her husband and son will also be sharing their Continue Reading →
Self-Guided Vacations in Italy
I spent 17 days in Italy this past month helping to create Zephyr’s newest business division: Self-Guided Adventures in Italy. This is a totally new concept for us and a fairly new concept in the travel world, so I’ll explain. Self-guided adventures are sort of a middle ground between taking a guided tour and going Continue Reading →