The Rally officially begins on Friday, June 15, whenever you get here, with remote start rides from Chickahominy Riverfront Park. Rides will begin on the Virginia Capital Trail, a 10-foot wide asphalt trail that runs 51 miles between Jamestown and Richmond, and will include several options that explore the beautiful and historic rural roads of Charles City County. Charles City County  was established as “Charles Cittie” in 1619, one of the first four “boroughs” of Virginia, and was named in honor of Prince Charles, who would later become King Charles I of England. It acquired the present name of Charles City County in 1643. There will be three optional lunch stops available depending on your route. If you are arriving in Williamsburg on Friday, you may want to go to the remote start before checking in at the Hotel.

Dinner on Friday is on your own, and we suggest walking from the Hotel to one over 20 restaurants in the Historic Area, Merchants Square and adjacent commercial areas (approximately one mile from the Hotel to Merchants Square). Your walk will take you down the Duke of Gloucester Street, one of the most historic streets in America. Following dinner, join us at the nearby Williamsburg Community Building (401 North Boundary Street, Williamsburg, VA 23185) for our Ice Cream Social from 7:00-8:30 p.m. There will be a briefing on the Saturday rides at 7:45 p.m. And as special treat after the briefing, former tandemer Jim Pastorick will have an illustrated discussion of The Art of Travel Photography. Learn how to improve the quality of your tandem photos while increasing your enjoyment of both photography and tandem cycling. You can view Jim’s photos at his web site. Following the Ice Cream Social, you can walk to nearby Merchants Square and take the free shuttle bus back to the Hotel.

Saturday, June 16 will begin with breakfast at the Hotel for those staying at the Hotel. The mass start will leave from the Hotel promptly at 8:30 a.m. and will ride through the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area before leaving the City for James City County. The medium and long rides will have a rest stop at Little Creek Reservoir Park, and  lunch for all rides will be at York River State Park. The Park is known for its rare anddelicate estuarine environment, where freshwater and saltwater meet to create a rich  habitat for marine and plant life. It is also designated as a Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Lunch will be catered by Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que, Williamsburg’s award winning Bar-B-Que restaurant, in operation at the same location since 1971. The return ride to the Hotel is approximately 15 miles. After your ride, you can spend the afternoon exploring Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William and Mary, visit one of our many other historic attractions, or sample liquid refreshments and one or more of our breweries, distilleries, meadery or winery.

Saturday evening’s banquet will be held a few miles from the Hotel at the William & Mary’s School of Education. Following dinner, we will have entertainment by the noted musician Timothy Seaman. Timothy plays distinctively original music using his own techniques developed for the extended-range hammered dulcimer and other instruments including flute, bamboo flute, whistle, mountain dulcimer, a capella vocals, and psaltery. A specialist in Virginia themes, nature, parks, cycling and other outdoor recreation, Celtic roots and folk hymns, his recordings include Celebration of Centuries for his home town Williamsburg’s tri-centennial and Sycamore Rapids featuring the hammered dulcimer in “adventures out among the trees of Virginia’s Parks and Forests.” At a Seaman concert, expect to be exhilarated, amused, awed, surprised, personally involved (maybe singing a chorus or playing along on Irish bodhran or Thai frog), and enriched by real substance.

After breakfast at the Hotel, we will have another mass start on Sunday, June 17 at 8:30 a.m. The selection of shorter Sunday rides will ride from Williamsburg to Jamestown along the James River on the beautiful Colonial Parkway. Upon exiting the Parkway at Jamestown Settlement  there will be options for short, medium or long rides. All rides will have a unique store stop at Spokes & Art Provisions Co., a bicycle-themed community gathering spot located on the Virginia Capital Trail. Box lunches will be available when you return to the hotel.

For those who arrive early or stay late, we will offer six additional rides – two in the Williamsburg area, two in Yorktown (and the Battlefield), and two across the James River in Surry and Isle of Wight Counties.