Day 1: Arrival in Athens, Athens to Calhoun (23 miles)
Morning arrival to leave your car where your tour will end, outside Ramble Creek Manor, a private mansion.
You start your tour riding along the Eureka Trail, a hard-packed gravel trail that follows the path of a former rail line connecting the communities of Athens and Englewood. In Athens, you can explore the historic town and stop for ice cream at Mayfield Dairy, where you can have a brief tour.
You continue to Silver Springs Winery, one of Tennessee’s newest wineries but one that has already established deep roots. You can couple a tour and a tasting with lunch in their Greek Taverna.
You continue across rolling farmland until you reach the Hiwassee River, which you follow on a remote road to your even more remote lodging at Hiwassee Acres, which sits on 225 acres of beautiful Tennessean countryside and borders the Hiwassee River. The tranquil setting is ideal for outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, kayaking, geocaching, and more. Hiwassee Acres is ideal for anyone seeking to get away from the rush of life and experience the quietude of nature while still enjoying the pleasures of modern accommodations.
Your hosts, David and Kathi, treat each guest like family and consistently go out of their way to make Hiwassee Acres a retreat to remember. They can also provide prepared foods or fill your grocery list (your room has a full kitchen).
Lodging: Hiwassee Acres
Day 2: Calhoun to Morris Vineyard to Calhoun (38 miles)
Today's ride takes you back along the Hiwassee River to historic Calhoun and Charleston. If time permits, you can visit the Hiwassee River Heritage Center, the National Historic Trail of Tears Tribute, and historic Henegar House.
You then continue into the deeply rural Chatata Valley and make your way to family-run Morris Vineyard. Their simple motto: "We plant. We grow. We harvest. We make."
All wines are produced and bottled on location at their vineyard and winery. The Morris family has dedicated three generations to this craft and offer a variety of 19 different wines to choose from, ranging from sweet to dry. They also make their own jellies and offer local cheeses. also have U-Pick your own fruit, wine tastings, jellies, local cheeses… and the best view in town!
Return on a wide rolling loop through the Hiwassee River Valley
Lodging: Hiwassee Acres
Day 3: Calhoun to Tellico Plains (34 miles or 39 miles with out and back to Savannah Oaks Winery and Delano Community Farm Market)
After breakfast, you enter the Hiwassee River Valley and make your way to historic Tellico Plains. If you’d like, extend your ride five miles and visit the Delano Community Farm Market, a Mennonite market where you can load up on fruit and baked goods, and Savannah Oaks Winery, nestled in the foothills surrounding Starr Mountain, on the picturesque Savannah Farms, whose 11,000 acres include the winery's thriving vineyards. Enjoy a tasting in an 1861 cantilever barn that was built by 40 men in one day!
For example, if whiskey is more your cup of tea, a must-experience stop is the new Starr Mountain Distillery in historic Etowah. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet “Shine,” the chief distiller with an abundance of backwoods stories to tell.
Lodging: Trout Mountain Coffeehouse and Inn or Tellico Farmhouse Inn
Day 4: Tellico Plains Along Tellico River Road and Back (24-44 miles round trip)
Follow the Tellico River through a deep chasm on an asphalt forest service road deep into Cherokee National Forest. The first half is nearly entirely uphill, but it’s gradual--although it doesn’t feel so gradual on the sweeping downhill ride back. It’s an out and back, so you can turn around whenever you’d like. The full distance takes you almost to the North Carolina line. Whatever distance you ride, you’ll have the river as company the entire way as it tumbles down from the Smoky Mountains. An early highlight: Bald River Falls (12 miles) with an opportunity to hike. Turn around here, or continue to Green Cove Angler Store (7 miles) for snacks and a restroom break with an optional extension to the Tellico Trout Hatchery (1.5 miles) and further to the North Carolina State Line (3 miles). Return to Tellico Plains (22 miles from State Line)
Lodging: Trout Mountain Coffeehouse and Inn or Tellico Farmhouse Inn
Day 5: Tellico Plains-Tsali Notch-Athens
You leave Tellico Plains bound for Athens with a leisurely ride to Tsali Notch Vineyard, a 202-acre muscadine grape vineyard, for a wine-tasting. You end where you started: Ramble Creek Manor, a mansion outside of Athens, Tennessee, where you can soak in the pool or hot tub or relax on the deck overlooking the lush hills of Cherokee National Forest. If you don't have a car, we can arrange for prepared meals or fill a grocery list for dinner and breakfast. Ramble Creek has a spacious kitchen and outside grill.
Lodging: Ramble Creek
Day 6: Athens to Englewood loop (36 miles)
This is one of our favorite rides, as it provides a sampling of the best of everything in this part of the Chattanooga region - farmland, woodland, hills, and creekside flats - all in a manageable 36-mile loop. It also has the perfect lunch stop at the Tellico Junction Cafe in downtown Englewood, a small town with a lot of country charm.
Lodging: Ramble Creek
Day 7: Individual departure
Please note that most lodging is in remote locations without access to stores or restaurants. We will provide you with options for grocery lists (when there's a kitchen) or prepared meals we can arrange to deliver.
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