October 21, 2022
Brooklyn to Brewster
72 miles mostly on the southern end of the Empire State Trail
I mentioned to my friend Ashley that I wanted to ride from my home in Brooklyn to my cabin near Kingston, NY. Ashley thought it was a splendid idea and flew in from the Netherlands to join me. I borrowed a bicycle from my buddy Rob for Ash. On Friday, October 21 Ashley and I set out around 8:30 am and worked our way through Brooklyn over the Brooklyn Bridge down Broadway past the bull. We took a selfie at the start/finish of the Empire State Trail and headed north. It was a clear, cool morning. We deviated from the path a bit and rode along the Hudson in front of Battery Park City. The Hudson River Greenway led us past the GWB and up a narrow steep path that eventually parallels the Henry Hudson Parkway. The path ended and shot us out onto Dykeman Street in Inwood. We rode the streets to Broadway again. We touched the top and bottom of that old Native American path. I decided to walk the bikes on the pedestrian path of the Broadway Bridge. A lane was closed for repairs and it was hectic to ride across. Ashley resides in the Netherlands and the lack of bicycle infrastructure in NYC was a bit different for him. This section of the Bronx is busy with multiple lanes of traffic, buses, the elevated train overhead, the EST headed away from the busier roads. We followed the signage towards Van Cortlandt Park. We grabbed a few snacks in a bodega across from the park, I wanted Ash to suck in that urban atmosphere, because we would soon be leaving it behind. Once we were in the park we were quickly pedalling alongside golf courses and wetlands. The change is a bit jarring. We ate lunch under the Elmsford clock with sandwiches from the nearby deli.
As we went north the trees became more dramatic. I asked Ash if he checked the foliage report to book his flights, he said it was pure serendipity.
72 miles and about 9 hours later we arrived at Heidi’s Inn. A clean comfortable hotel on Route 22 outside of Brewster, NY. The walls could have been thicker, but it was okay because the guy in Room 39 wasn't much of a lover. Heidi's had a large Mexican restaurant next door, which is one of the reasons I chose it. The last few miles off the EST involved a few hills. It was a cruel end to a long day. The most treacherous part of the ride was crossing Route 22 at rush hour to get to Heidi’s.
From Brooklyn to the GWB, the GPS went a little crazy. This is just part of the day's ride.
Today's ride: 72 miles (116 km)
Total: 72 miles (116 km)
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2 years ago
😂😂😂😂
1 year ago