Hi Girls!
Lots of you have emailed or told me that you're interested in the Niagara on the Lake trip I proposed for the Fall so I went ahead and made some initial inquiries. The majority of you seem to be available the weekend of October 3rd, so with that in mind, here's some information to consider:
Where: Niagara on the Lake
When: Saturday, October 3rd to Sunday, October 4th
Who: All Gears Girls members, spouses, partners, and Gears staff are invited!
What: Fun times with the Gears Girls in Niagara on the Lake! Arrive in Niagara on the Lake (time to be decided) on Saturday October 3rd. Ride from the hotel to downtown NOTL to the Falls (approx. 75km return) Saturday. Dinner and drinks somewhere in NOTL Saturday night. Breakfast at the hotel (good pre-cycing buffet breakfast!) Sunday morning. Ride around wine country, Jordan, Welland Canal, etc. (route to be determined) Sunday. NB: I've ridden from NOTL to Port Credit/Gears - it's approximately 120km (but truthfully, not the most exciting route). If some of the guys (Mark, Eric, Tim...you know who you are!) come out that weekend, I suspect they might want to do the ride back - that would work too.
Hotel info: Hilton Garden Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake: http://www.hiltongardenniagara.com/ - Toll Free: 1-866-777-9877. Rates compared to all the other Niagara on the Lake hotels are very reasonable. Rooms with two queens or 1 king are generally $150 to $160 - I booked a room for $159 but you might be able to get something cheaper online or with certain memberships. The hotel is located directly off the QEW (across from the White Oaks Resort) - lots of free parking, easy access to cycling routes, pool, hot tub, etc. Plus you can bring your bikes to your room!
If you're interested (or even thinking about it), I would suggest booking your room now - you can cancel up until 24 hours prior to arrival. If you're a Hilton Honors member you'll get free breakfast included with the room - if you're not a member, let them know when you book the room that you would like the bed and breakfast deal and I believe they'll add an $8 charge on to your room.
Let me know if you'll be joining us and whether or not you've booked a room at the hotel. We can finalize arrangements and itinerary as it gets closer to October 3rd. I think this will be a lot of fun!
Mel
