Adventure Tours Bikers Prepare for Normandy Trip
Group will put on 40 to 50 miles a day in historic region.
Kelli Knudsen SP Journal
Many choose to tour the European countryside by bus, train or some other mode of motorized 
transportation. That's not the case for the Departments of Health and Promotion and Human Development at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. They're planning to see the sites on bike and on foot.
This summer, from June 15 to July 3, UWSP Bicycling and Hiking Adventure Tours will take an excursion to the Normandy region of France. Biking from point to point, participants will experience Europe as few travelers do.
"It is a chance to get to Europe and see a lot of important sites, but you are not rushed and hurried in doing this," said Paul Mertz, who will be one of the trip's leaders. "You can see things by bicycle that you would never see if you were driving through in a car or if you were on a tour bus," he said. Mertz, a history professor at UWSP, started going on the bike tours in 1992 because it allowed him to go to Europe and immerse himself in the history and culture.
Normandy is a region that is rich in history. In 1066, Duke William launched an invasion of England from that region and in 1944 the World War II Allies' D-Day invasion landed on the same coast. In addition to seeing several cities that are significant in history and culture, the group will be able to explore museums and experience traditional French cuisine. While a bike trip like this is not for the faint-hearted, it is also not for only those with Lance Armstrong-like skill.
"The tours are not meant for extreme athletes," said Kim O'Flaherty, Adventure Tours program manager. "They are meant to be very versatile in how far you have to ride and how many hills there are." Tours such as the one to Normandy are arranged so the routes are not too difficult but they can be adjusted for those who want extra miles or more difficulty. The average number of miles biked per day is between 40 and 50.
The Normandy tour is just one example of the many options offered by HPHD's Adventure Tours program on a yearly basis. For detailed information on any upcomming 2008 trips. Click here to view the Biking Trips or Click Here to view the Hiking Trips.