Day #2 from Good to bad - Hyde Park to Brooklyn

The day began early under a clear sunny sky, cold but with a beautiful sunrise. I headed south through Poughkeepsie. I found the NY state bike route 9 a well marked route for through cyclists. The day was getting warmer with the bright sun.

The marked route took me down the east side of the Hudson River with this view across of West Point.

But something ominous was happening and the sky was becoming overcast. I crossed the Bear Mt. bridge about noon having made good time. Now the sky was defiantly gray. 

When I stopped for my #2 lunch at about 2PM in Congers, Rockland Co. It started to rain and as I rode on intrepidly toward NY City it turned to snow. Now I was wet from the rain and it was cold. The route was wooded and remote through the Palisades Park.  Something I would normally consider nice, but today when I needed shelter it was a drag. 

I struggled through into NJ and limped into a bike shop/coffee shop in Fort Lee the Jersey side of the GW bridge. Feeling a little better after warming up for over an hour I crossed the bridge in the diminishing rain.

 Looking down at an overcast Manhatten shy line.

Having had some limited experience riding around the City I knew I needed to find my way down to the path along the Hudson River to be able to get down town so that i could get to the Williamsburg bridge to Brooklyn. 

 

I made it to the bike path and made it downtown to Houston St and after a chaotic ride across Manhatten where fortunately I followed a commuting local rider I made it to the Williamsburg bridge to Brooklyn and a short ride up to my daughters apartment in Green Point. A long day that went from good to bad and was a lot longer at 99 (not 100) miles than I had anticipated.