CONTACT: Michelle Rodriguez, Director of Communications
Visit Santa Barbara and Film Commission
805.966.9222 x112, [email protected]
SANTA BARBARA A CYCLING UTOPIA
The Amgen Tour of California is not the only way to enjoy cycling in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA (April 8, 2013) — Santa Barbara is known for its beautiful beaches, iconic architecture and award-winning wine country but it is also a great place for cycling. The Amgen Tour of California was last here in 2008 and is returning again on May 15th for a Stage 4 Finish and May 16th for a Stage 5 Start. The local hotels are supporting the tour by offering fun and unique cycling hotel packages around those dates.
Amgen Tour of California Santa Barbara Hotel Packages
Close to 20 hotels are supporting the Amgen Tour of California (AToC) by offering a package or special rate during and around the time that the race is in Santa Barbara. A number of hotels, such as Canary Hotel, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, Old Yacht Club Inn, and Simpson House Inn, are each offering free bike rentals to guests as part of their package. In addition to complimentary use of beach cruisers at Hotel Oceana for their “Cycling Tour of CA Package,” guests also receive a welcome pack to enhance their cycling experience which includes two bottles of water, two granola bars, sunscreen, towel and biking trail map.
For those that want Amgen Tour of California memorabilia, take advantage of the Eagle Inn’s “Bikes & Breakfast” offer where guests receive an official AToC travel mug with their reservation, as well as free use of the bicycle’s on premise and a free appetizer at a nearby restaurant. “Tour de Bacara” at Bacara Resort & Spa includes “Bacara Adventures” cycling tour for two through Mountain Drive, Santa Barbara’s most spectacular cycling route. The experience includes transportation to the site, state-of-the-art equipment and a guided tour of the route’s breathtaking ocean views, impressive estates and rolling hills. After a long day cycling, guests will want to enjoy a relaxation day at The Spa at Bacara which includes use of the Spa’s Redwood sauna, luxurious whirlpool and steam rooms, an adults-only zero-edge saline pool, a cozy fireside lounge and rooftop terrace.
For more information on hotel packages, please visit http://santabarbaraca.com/santabarbara-tourofcalifornia/hotel-packages/.
Ways to Cycle in Santa Barbara
Whether you prefer to grab a map and go for a bike ride on your own, or take a tour with a knowledgeable guide, the options are endless in Santa Barbara. Click here for suggested itineraries for riders of all levels. If you don’t believe that Santa Barbara’s miles of rolling lowland roads, endless mountain and perfect year-round weather make it a cycling Shangri La, just ask the international professional cyclists who train here every winter. Mountain bikers love Santa Barbara, too, thanks to a web of trails linking Camino Cielo Road and 3,985-foot La Cumbre Peak with the foothills far, far below. There is also the Los Padres National Forest which has tracks for riders of all ability levels. For those who feel more carefree than hardcore, leisure cyclists will find miles of marked bike trails crisscrossing the city and linking it to the sea. Check out the Santa Barbara Cycling video to see what makes The American Riviera® a great destination for cycling.
If you prefer an organized tour, consider one of these options:
- Visit Wheel Fun Rentals and choose from a variety of bikes to rent such as a family-friendly surrey, mountain bike, beach cruiser or a tandem bike (great for romance). Enjoy a leisurely ride along the Cabrillo Blvd. bike path with gorgeous ocean views, or get a map from Wheel Fun Rentals to take you to various landmarks. www.wheelfunrentalssb.com
- For a guided tour in Santa Barbara’s wine country, try Santa Barbara Adventure Company’s “Wine Country by Bike.” This full day tour is in the heart of Santa Barbara’s wine country (along Foxen Canyon Trail or Santa Rita Hills) and perfect for cycling through scenic vineyards and ranch lands. Riders will enjoy tastings at 3 wineries as well as lunch. http://www.sbadventureco.com/adventures/bike-tours
- I Bike Santa Barbara is a single-day bike tour of the wine country. The 15 mile course takes riders through the vineyards and stunning scenery of Ballard Canyon, the region’s newest AVA. It includes a gourmet picnic lunch, tasting at two wineries, and souvenir water bottle. http://ibikesb.com
- With Santa Barbara Wine Country Cycling Tours, you can rent a bike on your own or take one of their guided tours. Guided day tours are in Santa Barbara County’s wine country, the Santa Ynez Valley, and include a gourmet picnic lunch and wine tasting nestled in world-renown cycling routes and spectacular scenery. They also offer cycling vacations. www.winecountrycycling.com
ABOUT THE AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA
The largest cycling event in America, the 2013 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race, created and presented by AEG, that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course from May 12-19, 2013. The Race will land in Santa Barbara midway on Wednesday, May 15th for a Stage 4 finish on Cabrillo Boulevard, and on Thursday, May 16th riders will commence Stage 5 in the same scenic location. Santa Barbara will also be host to the Breakaway Mile on May 15th, a celebratory one-mile walk across the finish line of the Tour that’s part of Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer® National initiative. For more information, please visit the local website www.SantaBarbaraTourOfCalifornia.com , or the national website www.AmgenTourofCalifornia.com.
ABOUT SANTA BARBARA
Voted Best Getaway by L.A. Times Readers’ Choice Awards in 2012, Santa Barbara is located just 92 miles north of Los Angeles and 332 miles south of San Francisco, on the Pacific coastline. Visitors can arrive via scenic Highway 101, Amtrak train or Greyhound bus or by flying into Santa Barbara Municipal Airport or Los Angeles International Airport. For travel and accommodation information and to request a free copy of the official Santa Barbara County Visitors Magazine, contact the Visit Santa Barbara and Film Commission at 800.676.1266, 805.966.9222, [email protected] or santabarbaraCA.com. Visitor information is also available at the Visitor Center, 1 Garden Street (at Cabrillo Boulevard).
MEDIA INFORMATION
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