Rainy Day of rest in New Gretna

After waking in the Barnnaget Motel with a dismal forecast for the day, we decided to complete the 20 miles we didn't manage due to the wind the day before and spend the day at a the home of a very generous warm showers host Tom in New Gretna. 

It was a rainy ride 

 

That ended quickly with a dry and very comfortable place to ride out the storm and get a good nights rest. 

The town had next to nothing in terms of culinary offerings except a local pizza shop which it turns out had a lovely Mexican family who were very hospital and friendly. I ordered up some delicious mussels with sauted garlic and tomatoes. This went well with Nick's pasta and onion. 

The weather looked god for the next day and we were headed for the Cape May ferry. 

Leaving NY City and the Jersey shore

I met Nick at 8AM sharp at the Wall St Pier 11 We heed out on the twin hull catamaran

that had just discharged about 150 or more Wall Street commuters and boarded for the ride out NY Harbor. 

Right past the Statue of Liberty. 

And another in my Lighthouse collection. 

In the elevation of the ride however we didn't notice the headwind and thought it was just the speed of the boat. But once we arrived at the Jersey shore and started to head south the very powerful 20 to 30+ wind from the south became very readily apparent  

The going was slow and we only could average 10 mph  

That being said it was a beautiful day though at sunset we had not reached our intended "warm showers" destination. Instead we stayed at the very quaint and classic Barneget Motel. 

We had a great nights sleep and could check the weather which did not look good for the following day. Heavy rain starting at 9AM. 

Day of rest in NY City

After a hard days ride on Tuesday and a late dinner with Hannah when I was over tired and not at my best I got a good nights rest. 

The next day I slept late and did some EV business before setting out for a day in the City. I started with a stop at my favorite bike shop in Brooklyn. Silk Road cycling. 

Then a trip over the Brooklyn Bridge and a stop to check out the Wall St pier 11 where I will meet Nick for our departure tomorrow. After that I met Hannah for coffee and to see her new work office. A very impressive work place and I was so proud to see my daughter with such a prestigious and professional job right in the center of Manhatten. 

I will post photos later as I cannot access them now. 

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. 

Getting ready to head south

Departure minus 3 days. I am working on trying to tie up loose ends, working  with many lists; things to do; thinks to pack; people to visit; as well as trying to ride and get strong enough to do long consecutive 60+ back to back days.

Below are some recent photos of Stockbridge and a trip to Maine.

Still lots of snow when leaving Stockbridge. 

Cuckolds lighthouse Southport Island Maine on a recent trip before departure for FL

Hendricks Head lighthouse Boothbay Harbor, ME. 

The only sigh of spring in Stockbridge when I left were these chutes of emerging "shrunk" cabbage. 

Butler Bridge in Stockbridge still buried in spring snow, recents of winter. 

Day #1 to Florida

After a rousing send off from the Stockbridge coffee shop a little later than I wanted I headed off. The trip began on a cold 28F overcast day with snow. They were not reall flakes but more like frozen pellets, not a problem since they didn't stick to the road. But it was cold with no sun and the wind was from the south into my face.

I made good time through Great Barrington, South Egremont and down Rt 41 into CT in Salisbury, where I made a stop to eat around 11AM. The weather got better with peaks of the sun as I went through Sharon, CT but the wind now from the south west was relentless.

A rest stop in mid day. 

After Amenia, NY I had a relatively big climb and with the sun out occasionally it got warm. Then there was a nice rolling decent into the Hudson River valley and into Hyde Park, NY, home of Franklin Roosevelt.  

Since my warm showers hosts cancelled me at the last minute I checked into the Roosevelt motel and ate the senior special chicken Parmesan at the Roosevelt diner down the road.

This is very typical rural Dutchess county NY, rolling hills with farms and unfortunately still patches of snow. 

March 2015 Back in touch and blogging again

It has been a long while since my last post, almost 2 years. So where have I been and what's happened?

Since my last post when I was finishing up my trip across Europe battered and bruised but with many memorable experiences, I have returned home to Stockbridge and resumed my normal life as I had left it. That is working as an Independent Engineered Equipment Sales Representative; keeping the family financially afloat and making the last of the tuition payments for my 2 great kids and seeing them graduate from Bates College in ME and Georgetown in DC. Plus enjoying the companionship and the fun and lively social life with Sarah and our friends. The operative word in my job description is Independent which usually allows me lots of opportunity to ride my bicycle.

So most importantly I have continued to ride. After returning from Europe I finished the fall of 2013 strong. In 2014 I planned another long trip in Europe but was pleasantly distracted from a long distance ride when Sarah and her friend Jane rented a cottage on a Etruscan Castle in Italy as well as unpleasantly distracted by a urinary tract infection and ended up without a long touring ride but with some great local cycling in Tuscany and Umbra in late summer and throughout New England all year.

2015  Has begun with a very cold and snow filled winter but with my New Years resolution to "ride my bicycle every day"

I have reached the end of March with having missed only 2 days. I usually ride Gertrude my "fat tire bike" mostly on roads that are dirt in the summer but plowed and snow packed in the winter. I don't go nearly as far but have more fun. I fall over a lot. The cold is a challenge but with my "bar mits"; many layers of creative clothing and always something dry in my seat pack I have survived so far.

So now with Spring approaching I have again gotten the bug to get on the road and am beginning to plan heading south.

My destination and a potential traveling companion will be in the next blog.

But first I will post some photos of winter rides in the Berkshires

WINTER TRACKS

ICE-CYCLES

Blowing snow on a -7F day