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• RESCHEDULED North Central Pathway Bike Ride, Winchendon to Gardner MA

  • When
    Monday, May 06, 2024
  •  
    10:30 AM
  • Location
    Summer Street Winchendon behind Clark Memorial YMCA

  Register

  

  The North Central Pathway is a flat linear paved trail from Winchendon to Gardner Approx 14 miles Paved. Suitable for all bikes. The trail passes bogs and ponds and through wooded areas and parallels Route 140 for much of its length.  Meet behind Clark Memorial YMCA Summer St. Winchendon  Park along fence by basketball courts

  Helmets are required. Tail light or blinker recommended.  Also, bring a spare tube and a water bottle.

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• TOHG Board Meeting

  • When
    Tuesday, May 07, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Fiske Public Library Genealogy Room, 110 Randall Road, Wrentham MA

  Board Meeting

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• Island Line Trail Bicycling Trip to Burlington VT

  • Start
    Monday, May 13, 2024
  • End
    Wednesday, May 15, 2024
  • Location
    Burlington Vermont

  Register

  

  Our trip to Burlington VT last year was such a great trip that we're repeating it this year.  Hopefuly no snow this year!

  Once again we'll be staying at The Best Western Windjammer Inn, 1076 Williston Rd., South Burlington VT Tel. (802) 863-1125.  They are again offering TOHG a special rate of just $139.00 per room plus 9% VT state tax, 1% City of South Burlington tax and $2.50 Destination Marketing Fee, per room per night (taxes and fees subject to change).  The room rate includes 2 double beds, complimentary daily full breakfast, complimentary Wi-Fi, complimentary warm cookies and complimentary coffee & lattes in the lobby

  Reservations can be made by calling the hotel directly at (802)863-1125 or online at https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.46013.html?groupId=J90EU7M1  

  To Register: First call the Best Western  at (802) 863-1125 to make your two nights room reservation for May 13th and May 14th, and identify yourself with TOHG.

  Then please register online at our website to let us know you are coming. Each person must register separately on tohg.org.

  If you are sharing a room and each paying separately then you would need to call the hotel directly at (802) 863-1125 and be sure to tell them you are part of the Top of the Hill Gang to get the group rate.

  Please register with TOHG after you made your hotel reservation, to let the leader know you are coming.

  We are also planning on a 4:00pm Monday evening excursion again on The Spirit of Ethan Allen as we cruise Lake Champlain (please call 802-862-8300 and mention TOHG to reserve. Tickets $38.03 per person)

  We will meet as a group at 3:30pm at the ticket booth, 1 College St., Burlington.

  There are 3 paid parking lots near the ticket booth. Pease Lot and Echo Lot parking lots are $3.00 per hour, Main Street Landing Lot is flat $10.00 

  Our cruise will be followed by dinner at Zachary's Pizza just a few doors down the street from our hotel at 6:30pm Monday   Cost is $25.00 in cash total each.  Please reserve with Alan Ulrich at massprocess@msn.com directly.

  Tuesday we'll meet at Oakledge Park by 10:00am for our bike ride.  Bike rentals, including E Bikes are available trailside at Local Motion Bike Shop at Mile 2 on the trail.  Anyone renting bikes can meet the rest of the group at Mile 2.  After our ride we hope to find a restaurant in Burlington to accomodate all of us.

  After check out on Wednesday as we head home we'll stop to ride the Stowe Recreation Path which is about 10.6 miles round trip.  A stop at Ben & Jerry's Factory afterwards is a must!

  To get to the southern trailhead in Stowe from I-89, take Exit 10 onto SR 100. Follow SR 100 N toward Stowe 10 miles, where the entrance to the Stowe Recreation Path parking lot will be in Lintilhac Park on the left next to Stowe Community Church. There is parking for the trail behind the Stowe Communty Church.  This path is fully paved and suitable for all bikes.

  PLEASE PRINT AND SAVE TO REFER TO LATER

  Helmets are required. Tail light or blinker recommended.  Also, bring a spare tube and a water bottle.

  Please be sure to cancel online if you need to or call if canceling day of.
  

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• Cape Cod Weekend - Early Bird Golf

  • When
    Thursday, May 30, 2024
  •  
    10:30 AM
  • Location
    Blue Rock Golf Course, 48 Todd Road, South Yarmouth MA.
  • Spaces left
    1

  Register

  

  
  

  Come play golf at Blue Rock Golf Course on
  Cape Cod.

  Tee Times: 11:00, 11:10, 11:20, 11:30, 11:40 am

  Course Website: www.bluerockgolfcourse.com
  Club House: 508 398 9295
  

  We have arranged five tee times for up to twenty people. It is an 18 Hole Par Three / Executive course. The cost for 18 Holes is $ 60.00, if you wish to play nine please let me know in advance.  Please arrive at the course by 10:30 and ready to play. Due to the later tee times I would advise you to bring a snack or lunch.

  Please bring your equipment, water, sunscreen and a hat.
  

  Don't forget to extend your lodging reservation for Thursday night directly with Bayside Resort or elsewhere. Bayside cannot honor the group rate for the extra night.

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• Cape Cod Canal Lunch and Bike or Walk

  • When
    Thursday, May 30, 2024
  •  
    12:00 PM
  • Location
    Seafood Sam's, 6 Coast Guard Road, Sandwich, MA

  Register

  

  Join us for a Thursday, early bird bicycle ride or walk along the south side of the Cape Cod Canal.

  We will begin with lunch at Seafood Sam’s at noon.

  After lunch we will move our cars and bikes to the Canal Recreation Area Parking lot to begin our ride or walk, less than a mile away. The trail begins there and runs about 8 miles with benches, restrooms and scenic sites available at various points along the way.

  Riders can go on their own and can stop and turn around at their discretion. Water bottles, helmet and an extra tube are required.

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• Cape Cod Weekend 2024

  • Start
    Friday, May 31, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM
  • End
    Sunday, June 02, 2024
  • Location
    Bayside Resort Hotel, 225 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA 02673
  • Spaces left
    46

  Register

  

  Join The Top of the Hill Gang for a great weekend of biking, golfing, kayaking, walking and socializing.

  We have reserved 50 rooms once again at the Bayside Resort Hotel.

  Check in starts at 3:00PM.
  

  The cost is $189.00 per person double occupancy and includes two nights lodging, a Friday night pizza party, and two breakfasts.
  The Captain's room will be available to us Friday through Sunday. Details on bike rides, kayak, and golf will appear in the newsletter and on the calendar website, with separate registrations.

  We start on Friday at 10AM on the Shining Sea Bike Path.  The ride is open to all members, no registration required. This bike path is a very scenic ride from North Falmouth to Woods Hole, a flat 22 mile round trip. Feel free to bring your lunch or enjoy one of the eateries in Woods Hole. Please don't ride alone, at the parking lot wait for others to be ready and ride in groups. There is no ride leader.

  Registration for Lodging at Bayside:

  Registrations are accepted on a first come first serve basis. Please don't delay and pay with your credit card by May 9.

  • Payment must be received to be considered confirmed.
  • No refunds for cancellations after May 9, unless someone can be found to take your place.

  Roommates:

  • If you need a roommate please use the Roommate and Carpool page under the calendar menu.
  • Each Roommate needs to register separately to be included in the count.
  • Single occupancy rooms are available now through TOHG.

  TOHG membership dues must be up to date.

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• Cape Cod Weekend Activities and Pizza Party - No Lodging

  • Start
    Friday, May 31, 2024
  •  
    5:00 PM
  • End
    Sunday, June 02, 2024
  • Location
    Bayside Resort Hotel, 225 Route 28, West Yarmouth, MA 02673

  Register

  

      SELF LODGING MEMBERS ONLY

  Join The Top of the Hill Gang for a great weekend of biking, golfing, walking, kayaking, and socializing.

  If you are making your own lodging arrangements and already have a place to stay at the Cape, you are invited to join the group for all activities and social gatherings. There is a $10 flat fee to cover the expense of the Pizza party on Friday at 5 pm but everything else is free. Please pay online with your credit card. 

  Please register to let us know you are coming so we can provide enough food for the party.

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  We start Friday at 10 am on the Shining Sea Bike Path.  The ride is open to all members, no registration required. This bike path is a very scenic ride from North Falmouth to Woods Hole, a flat 22 mile round trip. Feel free to bring your lunch or enjoy one of the eateries in Woods Hole. Please don't ride alone, at the parking lot wait for others to be ready and ride in groups. There is no ride leader.

  Directions to Shining Sea Bikeway parking:
  GPS: 1 Depot Rd, North Falmouth, MA 02556.
  After the Bourne Bridge, follow Rt. 28 South to the intersection with Route 151. Turn left unto 151, toward Old Silver Beach. After crossing Rt. 28A at the traffic light, continue straight, cross the RR tracks and turn right into the parking lot. Try to park as close together as possible, as this parking lot fills up quickly. The bike path begins across the street.

  REMINDER FOR ALL BIKE RIDES: WEAR A HELMET, CARRY A SPARE TUBE, AND WATER AND DO NOT RIDE ALONE.

  Meet on Saturday at 10 am at the Bayside parking lot. Bike ride will start from Orleans. We will start bicycling from The Chocolate Sparrow, 5 Colony Way, Orleans and can finish our ride with ice cream!

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• Cape Cod Weekend - Saturday Kayak - Swan River

  • When
    Saturday, June 01, 2024
  •  
    10:30 AM
  • Location
    16 Main St, Dennis Port, MA 02639

  Register

  

  Join us for our paddling outing on the Swan River. Bring water, snacks, a hat, and your enthusiasm. 

  Kayak rental at Cape Cod Waterways. 
  Single kayaks for two hours are $32; doubles $49.

  Register to have a count for the reservation for the kayaks. 

  Life jackets are provided and required!

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• MARY'S Spring Bike Ride and Potluck

  • When
    Saturday, June 15, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM
  • Location
    North Billerica MA

  Register

  

  Bike Ride: 10 mile and 20-mile options

  We will meet at Mary's house at 10 AM.   Both rides will have some hills.  Allan G has re-routed Mary's original ride to cut down on some of the bigger hills.  (10 years ago, we didn’t call them hills.)

  Helmets are required. Tail light or blinker recommended.  Also, bring a spare tube and a water bottle.
  

  We will ride through Carlisle and Chelmsford, stopping for ice cream at Kimball’s in Carlisle, or Great Brook Farm ice cream also in Carlisle, depending on which option you choose to ride.  It is on back roads through wooded preserves passing over water, turtles and birds in abundance, and through neighborhoods with lovely homes and landscaping.   

  We will stay at Mary's after for a potluck feast in the back yard. 

  Bring lawn chairs .

  Bring whatever you want for food.  Mary doesn’t orchestrate it and no one’s gone away hungry in all these years. 

  Park only on one side of the street. 

  Mary W

  Please be sure to cancel online if you need to or call if canceling day of.
  

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• Riding the Rails

  • When
    Tuesday, June 25, 2024
  •  
    10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Location
    Scenic Railriders, 188 Sewalls Falls Road, Concord, NH 03301
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  Join us for what promises to be a unique TOHG activity!

  Come enjoy a scenic railroad ride by railbiking on the train tracks from Concord NH to Boscawen NH and return with Scenic Railriders.  You get to enjoy an outside recreational activity which allows you to ride the rails by pedaling a rail bike.  Truly a different form of bicycling a rail trail.  The Rail-Bikes are easy to pedal and have been built with our safety in mind as they include comfortable seats with seat-belts and handle bars to rest your hands on.  There are also redundant disc brakes for additional safety. Each railbike will carry four riders

  When was the last time you got to do something for the first time?  Now is your chance!

  The trip is 6.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 45 mins.

  Weight limitation is 300lbs per person

  This ride is limited to 16 riders.  If we're fully booked you will be added to the wait list and I will try to add another rail explorer to our ride.

  CANCELLATION POLICY

  Effective for all bookings, a cancellation fee of $10.00 will be charged to all requested cancellations!

  You may cancel your booking anytime up to 48 hours prior to your tour departure for a refund minus the cancellation fee(s).  Tours cancelled for ANY REASON within 48 hours of departure are NON-REFUNDABLE.  You must call Alan to cancel your reservation. 

  Missed tour start time: No refunds are given for riders who arrive late and miss their tour start, or who cancel / don't show up on their reservation day.  

  Tours run rain or shine unless the conditions are going to be dangerous.  Decisions to cancel a tour due to dangerous conditions will be made by Railriders tour guides as soon as possible and notifications will be sent to your contact information given at time of booking.  Keep in mind that the weather can change quickly and it is possible to have a tour canceled even if you have already arrived.  If they have to cancel a tour due to dangerous weather, a full refund will be given and you can re-book for another time.

  The Rail-Bikes do have a small basket to put a small clothing item, cameras, phones, and water bottles. You should dress appropriately for the weather.  They also recommend closed toe shoes appropriate for pedaling.  Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, bug spray, camera, video camera.  Railriders has umbrellas available for you to use.  

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• TOHG Board Meeting

  • When
    Wednesday, July 10, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Boyden Library, Foxboro, MA

  Board Meeting

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• Summer Picnic 2024

  • When
    Sunday, July 14, 2024
  •  
    12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
  • Location
    NARA Park

  SAVE the DATE !
  Join us for our Summer Picnic at Nara park.
  The Park is located on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the picnic will be preceded by a bike ride at 10 am for those interested.

  Aside from hiking and biking on the Rail Trail, Nara park has other walking trails and a lake for swimming and renting boats and canoes. Also if you would like to play some lawn games, please bring your favorite one with you.

  Parking is free.

  There will be a catered BBQ luncheon including ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, grilled boneless chicken, grilled veggies, baked beans, moroccan couscous, quinoa salad, garden salad, cucumber salad, corn bread, and lemonade/iced tea. Options that are vegan/ gluten free are available (make selections when you register). BYOB (beer and wine only). If you want to bring appetizers or a dessert to share, these would be welcomed!

  We will again be using the large pavilion with about 20 picnic tables sheltered from the elements.

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• Glen Sutton Bicycling Trip

  • Start
    Sunday, August 18, 2024
  •  
    3:00 PM
  • End
    Friday, August 23, 2024
  • Location
    1351 Vallee Missisquoi, Glen Sutton, QC
  • Spaces left
    10

  Register

  TOHG goes back to the Outdoor Lodge in Glen Sutton, QC. The group will be bicycling for four days on quiet country roads in southern Canada and northern Vermont. All rides will be led by local guides and fully van-supported. Average daily mileage will be approximately 25 to 40 miles +/-. Bicycling is considered moderately challenging (there will be some hills). Participants will be required to carry a passport.

  Cost for the trip is $2,049.00 USD per person and limited to 21 bicyclists. The cost includes all meals (family style) beginning with dinner Sunday, through breakfast Friday, five nights lodging, 4 days bicycling with guides, van support, and gratuity. Lodging will be in the main building and at the pool house 1/2 mile away.

  Please indicate any special dietary requirements on your registration.

  Registrations close August 1.

  New this year, outdoor pickleball courts; bring your paddles and shoes.

  To register, you will need to:

  1. Provide your passport expiration date.
  2. Provide the Name of your roommate. Please make arrangements for a roommate before registering. Each roommate must register separately. 
  3. Payment must be received to be confirmed.
  4. TOHG membership dues must be up to date.

  Also note that travel medical insurance is strongly advised. (Medicare does not cover outside of the U.S.)

  Cancellations

  There is a 50% cancellation fee after August 1 unless:
  

  1. Someone can be found to take your place.
     
  2. The whole trip is canceled.
     

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• TOHG Board Meeting

  • When
    Wednesday, September 11, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Reading Public Library

  Board Meeting

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• TOHG Board Meeting

  • When
    Wednesday, November 13, 2024
  •  
    10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Boyden Library, Foxboro, MA

  Board Meeting

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