I did it! I’ve biked the entire 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway!
I’ve done it! I’ve biked the entire 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway!
My final day began with drizzle in Stamford, Connecticut, and ended on the steps of the old Post Office across from Penn Station. Those last 40-plus miles encapsulated all that the Greenway is: wonderful trails (the Hudson River Greenway), comfortable residential roads .. and some crazy stuff.
Continue reading “My final section of the East Coast Greenway: Stamford to New York City”I loved biking through the Connecticut shore towns.
What a gloriously sunny day! I loved this first part of the East Coast Greenway, with the Long Island Sound never from from view. You don’t want to know how many times we stopped for photos (and food) between New Haven and Milford.
And then there were the elegant mansions in ritzy Fairfield and Westport neighborhoods that put those along the Greenway route in Ponte Vedra Beach to shame.
But the route wasn’t all simple.
Continue reading “Hugging the Connecticut shoreline while biking from New Haven to Stamford”First we had to get over a hill — or mountain.
This 59-mile ride from Hartford to New Haven let me once again enjoy those fabulous five-star Farmington trails, some parts of which weren’t even under construction when we discovered them five years ago.
But first we had to get over the hill. Or rather, Talcott Mountain.
Continue reading “Biking from Hartford to New Haven, Connecticut, on the East Coast Greenway”I’m determined to finish biking the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway. This is the first of four days that should do it.
This section of the East Coast Greenway has changed considerably since the Week-A-Year ride came through in 2012 and even when we visited the area four years later. Two trails — the Hop River Trail and Charter Oak Greenway — are now linked with both fresh asphalt and new bridges, attracting more users than ever. I know groups that would be envious of the sign on that red bridge!
I’m on a quest to bike the entire 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway, and this section marked the start of my final piece. To do it, we biked 18 miles from Hartford to Bolton Notch State Park (the end point of a 2016 ride on the crushed-stone Hop River Trail) and then 18 miles back.
If you have a choice, east to west is easier.
Continue reading “The East Coast Greenway between Hartford and Bolton, Conn.”The bike trip that began in Albany and detoured to the Culinary Institute comes to a close with miles of a gentle downhill into the Bronx.
Wow, this was an easy way into Manhattan!
Continue reading “I finished my Empire State Trail bike ride! Day 5: Elmsford to New York City”The long day — and a 9-mile climb –on the Empire State Trail from Albany to New York City.
I stared at that tall mass of green straight ahead. This must be the nine-mile climb our route planner had flagged.
Continue reading “Empire State Trail bike ride day 4: Poughkeepsie to Elmsford”I love the trails on both sides of the Walkway Over the Hudson.
So we bet wrong on the weather.
Rain – thunderstorms – were in the forecast for this afternoon. And we had a 12:45 pm reservation at one of the Culinary Institute restaurants in Hyde Park. If we could get seated early, we thought, maybe we could beat the storm.
Hah!
Continue reading “Empire State Trail bike ride day 3: New Paltz to Poughkeepsie and the Culinary Institute”Hills, more road than trail … and the lunch stop you must go to.
What a change from our first day! Oh still ridiculously hot for June, but more road, more shade… and more hills. If you have any thoughts of a leisurely ride with the Hudson River in sight, let me kill that fantasy now. This was definitely more challenging.
Continue reading “Empire State Trail bike ride day 2: Hudson to New Paltz”The big surprise: a new 36-mile trail.
The first surprise of our journey along about 200 miles of the Empire State Trail: the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail. Is it really brand new, built thanks to the $200 million budgeted to develop the Empire State Trail?
Just call it amazing. Or as the Brit said, it could be in Canada (we biked just a little bit of the Route Verte a few years ago and loved it).
Continue reading “Empire State Trail bike ride day 1: Albany to Hudson”This ride is less than 9 miles each way and flat.
Sometimes you just want a short, easy ride. This is one of those, with a relaxing destination to boot.
Sayen Gardens is a mostly wooded free public garden in Hamilton, N.J., easily reached from the Princeton Junction train station (or the West Windsor Municipal Center or library for easier parking). For those who prefer something shorter than nearly 9 miles each way, parking at the East entrance to Mercer County Park is an option.
Continue reading “Let’s bike to discover what’s in bloom at Sayen Gardens”
Exploring by bicycle 