Feature Story: Biking the Hiawatha // 2019
The Evergreen B&B Club provides $20 homestays for seniors world-wide. Part of the joy of the club is getting to zoom in on certain members who take advantage of this fabulous service and really do some epic travel. One such member, Claudia L. shares her story.
Biking the Hiawatha Trail: An interview with Evergreen member Claudia L.
After a brief trip to Saskatchewan to do some genealogy research, Colorado Evergreen member Claudia and her friend Gail struck out on their biking adventure! Here they are, ready to go!
Starting from Missoula, MT they first went to Sandpoint, ID stayed with Evergreen members Gail & Don. They had the most wonderful time - they even played pickle ball! Claudia said they were super!
The next morning, they were going to ride the Haiwatha Trail but the weather changed, and it started raining with high winds. So they quickly called that evening’s Evergreen hosts to reschedule. They stayed with the Hansets another night. The next day the weather was much better.
Then Claudia & Gail headed out on the Hiawatha Trail. If you’ve never heard of it, look it up! The official Hiawatha Trail website says it’s, “The “Crown Jewel” of rail-to-trail adventures. The Route of the Hiawatha mountain bike or hike trail is 15 miles long with 10 train tunnels and 7 sky-high trestles.” https://www.ridethehiawatha.com. The cover photo for this blog post also comes to us from the same website.
This photo of this stunning view was taken by Claudia on the Hiawatha Trail.
When asked to share the highlight of their trip, Claudia said, “It had to be riding the Hiawatha Trail with the amazing views. I highly recommended it!”
The travelers spent the night in Elmo, MT with Evergreeners Jake & Donna Jacobson. They were hosting multiple Evergreeners at the same time. It was a party! In the morning, the Jacobsons fixed a really nice breakfast and got everyone geared up for the day. All recharged and refueled, Claudia & Gail wrapped up their journey with a day trip at Wild Horse Island. What an exciting adventure!
When asked, “Claudia, what could you share that would encourage other Evergreen members to try a similar adventure?” She responded, “The fact that if you plan a trip you shouldn’t be afraid to look for Evergreen people in the area you’re traveling, take advantage of that hospitality. Everyone we stayed with had pointers of things to look out for on the trail because they had experienced it.” It’s nice to have a local’s wisdom and guidance, especially as you’re heading out on a new adventure.
Here are Gail & Claudia's trusty bikes that carried them down the trail.
Paying it forward
Claudia is hosting a couple from Indiana this coming Monday night. The woman staying with her is there on business in Castle Rock, CO.
Have your own story to share?
We’re always looking for fun Evergreen stories to share with the group. Email your story + photos in to info@evergreenclub.com.
The success of the Evergreen Club is built on the fact that members acknowledge what an amazing deal $15-$20/night lodging is, and their "pay it forward" mentality. They know that since they've gotten to travel so wonderfully, they also get to help other fellow members do the same, by offering to host them. It's a beautiful give-and-take that is founded on unselfishness and a sense of gracious hospitality. Make friends. Host well. Travel savvy.
Happy Travels,
The Evergreen TeamClick to DOWNLOAD a PDF of this Evergreen Feature Story
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