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Take a bicycle daycation to a local museum
4:00 am Jul 29 - by Sarah Bransley – buzz Writer
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These days, with tight schedules and even tighter wallets, taking a vacation can seem like a faraway dream. Fortunately, Champaign Cycle has come up with a fun, inexpensive and time friendly way to enjoy a break with your family. Formed from the idea of a staycation, Champaign Cycle defines a daycation as “a one day vacation used to explore the entertainment, recreation and education opportunities at area locations.” With this in mind, they have decided to host Champaign Cycle’s Museum Bike Tour Series. With the first jaunt occurring back on June 26, the next bicycle journey on Saturday, July 31, is bound for the Chanute Air Museum while the one on Saturday, Aug. 28, will head for the Early American Museum. Maps as well as ideas for places to eat will be handed out at each starting location by Champaign Cycle.
Owner of Champaign Cycle and Creator of the Museum Bike Tour Series, June’s Art Gallery Bike Tour and the Eco-Tour scheduled for Sept. 5, Peter Davis has a passion for bicycles and bringing their functionality to the masses. With wonderful events like these, he hopes to bring attention to the fact that riding a bike is easy as well as functional in everyday life. While these events are about 15 miles each way, Davis believes anyone can ride this distance including families with children as young as ten years old.
“When you are on your bike, it is so much easier because you are on that mechanical device,” said Davis, knowing that when most people think of distance they think about how hard it would be to walk it.
Though 15 miles may still seem like a daunting distance, Davis tried to make the Daycation series a group of “doable day distance trips” for families and bike enthusiasts alike.
When asked where he came up with the idea, Davis said Daycation was “based off the [Art Gallery Bike Tour], because we wanted to develop a variety of opportunities to use bikes for transportation and recreation.”
In the end, the museums, which were known to Davis, proved to be convenient distances for bike trips.
Cheryl Kennedy, museum director of the Early American Museum, said that as a part of the Forest Preserve District, which has bike trails, the museum is always happy to be a part of any bicycle event.
“We love the idea of a daycation and how they have themed their rides,” said Kennedy.
Because the Early American Museum is a part of the Looking for Lincoln Coalition and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area, those who have a love of history as well as a love of cycling will find their perfect daycation with the trip on Aug. 28.
Mark Hanson, Curator of The Chanute, thinks that his museum is also a great opportunity for a daycation.
“Located on the former Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, the museum resides in a unique yet quiet environment that we feel would be very conducive for inclusion in a bike trip or the destination for such a trip,” said Hanson.
Because the museum is located just outside the region’s major urban areas, Hanson pointed out that it allows for a less expensive but exciting getaway. Even better, since it’s so close, the museum allows for a family to visit for the day and return home at the end of their visit.
Though people often see them only as a form of exercise, bicycles allow you to visit places close by without the worry of rising gas price. Wanting to change the average person’s approach to bicycles, Davis hopes people take “just the idea of the functionality of bicycles” away from the event.
The Champaign Cycle Museum Bike Tour Series will hopefully show people that bicycles are still a viable form of transportation as well as a fun way to experience the land with your family. However, if you are worried about certain members not being able to make the trek or if they just don’t like bikes, Davis advises having those members of the family meet you at the museum. Also, if you would rather not make the trek back, you can ride your bike to the museum but drive back home with your family members.
If you would like to join in on the daycation, Champaign Cycle requests that you give them a call so they can give the museum an accurate head count for the day of the trip. Simply call them at 217-352-7600 or email them at museumtours@champaigncycle.com. Be sure to include which trip you are planning to attend: the Rantoul (Chanute Air Museum) or Mahomet (Early American Museum).
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