We were back on the D & R early this morning. Rain was predicted for the afternoon so we were on our bikes by 7:30 AM. There wasn’t as much shade riding south of Stockton and we were really feeling the heat and humidity.
Bridge tenders house in Stockton. NJ.
We missed a bridge crossing over the canal and ended up on a single track somewhat muddy trail for a few miles. Once we arrived in Lamberville we were back on the crushed stone well maintained trail.
Most of distance the trail ran between the river and the canal. There was plenty to see near Lambertville – remnants of locks, cobblestone spillway, stone arch culverts.
Lock along canal.Spillway on canal south of Stockton. Cobblestone embankments at spillway.
We had a pleasant morning ride. Enjoyed more sites along the river and the canal. Other trail users were out early as well attempting to beat the HEAT.
Temps were high so the shaded parts of trail provided some coolness. Lenny crossing narrow wooden bridge over spillway.Some retired tour boats along D & L trail on Pennsylvania side of Delaware River.
Hooray, we have completed our New Jersey 100! We were able to see some beautiful areas of northern New Jersey. Our plans are constantly changing due to the pandemic. We had hoped to ride the part of this trail traveling north east of Trenton but since Ohioans are not welcome in NJ at this time we stayed close to the Delaware. PA still welcomes Buckeyes!
We crossed bridge at Stockton – traveled north to Frenchtown. Second ride traveled south from Stockton to just north of New Hope.
This is a revisit for us. We rode this trail in 2012 while spending a week riding mostly in Pennsylvania. That was the trip that inspired us to ride 100 miles in all the lower 48 states. At that time we road from Long Valley to High Bridge which was about 22 miles round trip. Today we road from High Bridge to the end of the trail which is a 30 mile round trip.
Trailhead in High Bridge, NJ.
The trail is named for a natural gas pipeline that runs beneath the old trailbed of the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
This shade was pretty typical of the entire trail.
Leaving High Bridge we had an uphill grade all the way to Long Valley. That’s about 10 miles and we were determined to make good time! 🤪 The trail ran high above the valley with the south branch of the Raritan River below. We needed to pay close attention as it was a long way down to the river.
Interesting old stone cabin in background along Columbia Trail.
We passed through the historic town of Califon, a Victorian-style town with 240 structures on National Register of Historic Places. Local legend says that the town was originally named California but the sign painter ran out of room and the name became Califon.
Restored train depot in Califon.
Near the end of the trail we saw kids being lead on horseback. They were having such a good time. That’s the kind of summer job I would have enjoyed growing up.
Be careful!! Some people may not have gotten the message. Kinda curious, do they carry extra large pooper scoopers?
We enjoyed an easier pedal on our return. With temps in the 90’s we really appreciated the shade and downhill grade. Just for the record that uphill grade seemedl less severe 8 years ago. 🤔
Bridge north of High Bridge. Site of tragic train wreck in 1885. I love seeing flags in random places.
Another flag picture to add to my collection. This was near the end of the trail in the middle of nowhere. Hope all enjoy it as much as we did. God bless America!!
We are ready to begin our New Jersey miles by way of Pennsylvania. We are staying at Westwood Villas in the Poconos.
Welcome!!
Just like with every other aspect of our lives, timeshares have changed. We have only spoken to one person since we checked in – that’s the person who checked us in. The villas had all linens sealed in plastic, not placed in bathrooms and kitchen. Coasters, placemats, center piece and most pictures on walls are gone. Toaster sealed in plastic, no basket of snacks, no salt and pepper. We came prepared to only bike and brought food we would need for the week. Normally we would shop when we arrive. Occupancy is at about 50%.
Our first adventure is the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. We parked along the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania side.
It was just a short ride on the D&L Trail to a bridge that crossed the river to Stockton, NJ.
What WALK my bike? Bridge across Delaware River to Stockton, NJ. Bridge over Delaware River.
We headed north out of Stockton. Our only views of Stockton were from the trail, but there were coffee shops and restaurants right on the river. The homes on the river were beautiful. Looked like a nice peaceful place to visit.
View of canal and river from trail north of Stockton.Lock along Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail near Stockton.
We traveled to Frenchtown, which is near the beginning of the trail and 14 miles from our car. The trail was very well maintained crushed stone and dirt. The temps were in the 90’s so we were glad to have a light breeze and shade for almost the entire route. We were just above the river at times, but enjoyed parts of trail in dense forest. We experienced more bikers and other trail users as we arrived in Frenchtown, busy little town with cafes and restaurants along the river. The river was busy with people tubing and rafting. Trailhead was busy with buses delivering equipment and passengers.
Frenchtown near beginning of trail – the end for us and 14 miles back to where we began on the other side of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.
We stopped at about 5 miles from our car to refill water bottles and have a snack. Because of the hot weather we each fill 2 bottles with NUUN – hydrating electrolyte tablets. We had gotten into the habit of only using water, but NUUN was a lifesaver. Even with the 90 degree weather we felt refreshed.
Lenny navigating stairway on our return to Pennsylvania after crossing bridge over Delaware River. Notice tire rail guides on each side of steps to aid climbing steps. D & L Trail and Canal State Park Trail share trail at times.
TrailLink describes the Delaware and Raritan Trail as the crown jewel of New Jersey trails. We certainly enjoyed the portion of the trail we rode. The canal, river and forest kept things interesting.
This was our final day on our New York adventure and state number 39 on our challenge to ride 100 miles in all lower 48 states. It’s always an exciting day when we finish our 100 mile ride in a state and are able to add another sticker to our map.
Love this banner at Ithaca Children’s Garden. Good parking area for us.
This trail provided an awesome ride – starting at the southern end in Ithaca, it’s a steady grade for 8.5 miles to Taughannock Falls State Park near Trumansburg. It was a hot day but there was plenty of shade provided by the forest. We were high above Cayuga Lake but views were mostly obstructed by the trees.
On the way down Black Diamond R/T.
The trail is named for the Black Diamond Express which ran from Buffalo to New York City not for the difficulty of the trail. The 8.5 mile steady climb was surprisingly easy and the ride down was out of the house fun!!
Heading towards bottom of trail.Our best Covid look.
After finishing Black Diamond we still needed a few miles to finish our 100 so we biked the Ithaca Waterfront Trail. We enjoyed the smooth asphalt surface as well as the views of the city.
View of Ithaca from Waterfront Trail.We can fit into any parking space as long as we can back up far enough 🙂
We did our “trailhead showers” and were off to spend the night at Buttonwood Grove Winery in Romulus. They were very welcoming and when the winery closed at 5:30 we were the only RV there. Quiet, serene evening and night – only 4 hour drive from home.
We did a wine tasting and enjoyed the awesome view over Cayuga Lake.Vineyards at Buttonwood Grove Winery.Beautiful view of Cayuga Lake. Lots of thunder this evening but no rain. Beautiful end to our New York 100!!
Our third day on the bikes and all I can think is “back in the saddle again”. We are riding on the Canalway Trail, Camillus to Jordan section. This section of the Canalway is so different from what we saw yesterday. No shops or cafes here. What a contrast, so glad we were able to experience such different views of the canal.
Very typical of how the canal looked between Callimus and Jorden.
There was one area with what looked like a tour boat in the water, but not in operation. Also, a tavern which was closed. They were doing some major tree work here and not too pleased that we passed through. We had come too far to be turned away.
Typical of most of this section of the trail. Some areas wider, some areas single track.
We made our way to Jordan which was about 12 miles from where we began in Camillus. We were in and out of shade and had the trail practically to ourselves. Jordan looked like a quiet little town. We rode about a half mile around the neighborhood and never saw anyone.
The end of the trail for us., about 12 dusty miles from trailhead where we began.
I really enjoyed seeing fish in the canal on our return, the light was perfect for seeing into the water. In some areas there was canal on one side and swamp on the other – no gators like in Florida.
Beautiful farm along trail.Along 9 mile creek near Camillus
One of the highlights of this section of the trail was Nine-Mile Creek Aqueduct near Camillus, which was the halfway point on the original Erie Canal.
Lenny crossing nine mile creek aqueduct. Canal at Nine-Mile Aqueduct
We rode 24 miles today and are getting a little saddle sore – 81 miles into our New York 100. Our plan was to take a week to ride in New York but with rain predicted for Friday we are anxious to get our miles in.
There was a time when we thought we would complete all our New York 100 on the Erie Canalway Trail. We had campgrounds and routes tentatively planned. Our goal now, due to the pandemic, is avoiding crowds and campgrounds.
Ground broke on the Erie Canal on July 4,1817. And here we are 203 years later riding our bikes along this historic route.
Stone-dust trail, followed right along the canal.
In the 1960s some of the Canal communities that had lost most of their commercial traffic were seeking new ways to benefit from the Canal. They began building trails on remnants of the old towpath. Pittsford’s Schoen Place is an excellent example of the revitalization along this section of the canal. There are shops and cafes right on the canal. You can walk your bikes through this area or detour using the road which is what we did on our return as it was becoming very congested.
Gazebo just east of Pittsford’s Schoen Place.Near lock 32
We parked at Lock 32 Canal State Park. We were able to squeeze our RV into a parking spot. When we returned from our ride the park getting full and parking spots were becoming sparse.
There is an area about 3 miles east of Pittsford called the Great Embankment. A 70 foot high, mile long fill was constructed to carry the Canal above Irondequoit Creek. Here the tops of the trees are practically level with the trail. Interesting, but to be honest we passed by this area without really seeing this. The guide book said we would know when we were traversing this canal skyway. Oh well…
Fairport was a busy little town we passed through. There was ongoing bridge construction which had us detour on the road for a short distance. A very busy area – drivers were very respectful of bikers. Yeah!!
We had views of beautiful homes with pontoon boats, wooden boats or bass boats tied to their docks on the canal. Bike traffic increased on our return, making for more and more dust. We did travel west a few additional miles towards Rochester and Lock 33.
There is a Camping World near our next planned trail. They offer free overnight parking, a dump station and water. Perfect!! We took the opportunity to enjoy extra long showers. Spent less then $25 at Camping World – a record for us.
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” John Muir
We had a good nights sleep at Deer Run Winery – peaceful and quiet. We were off to pedal our first New york miles around 10 am. We parked at the Honeoye Falls trailhead. Thank goodness there was adequate parking for our RV.
We traveled on the “stone-dust ” trail east to the town of Victor. We wore our gaiters and covered when passing or approaching other trail users. The majority of which did not use face coverings. The trail was mostly flat with only slight changes in elevation – crushed stone and did I mention “dust”.
Trestle bridge near Victor.
In Victor we rode a couple miles of the Auburn Trail. Trail was covered in large gravel and made for a rough ride. We did see a small fawn while on the trail. It was running straight at us and at first we thought it was a dog. So small, it ran into the woods just before it reached us. It was worth the rough ride just to see the fawn.
Love these old testle bridges.
Stopped after about 20 miles for our gourmet lunch of PB and Js. Pretzels for dessert! Couldn’t believe how dirty our bikes were. Imagine what we looked like. 🙂
A very dusty bike!!
We returned to the motorhome and grabbed some more water and headed east. We passed through Rush, with nice views of the creek. Took trail only a short distance past Rush and returned to trailhead.
Bridge just east of Rochester Junction trailhead.
We had a great time and completed 28 miles today. There was plenty of shade, beautiful forests and farm land. A great welcome to New York for us.
Hate to keep mentioning this but there was an abundance of dust. We were so dirty that we took showers right at the trailhead.
Rochester trailhead in Honeoye Falls
Tomorrow we plan to ride some of the Erie Canalway Trail. I think there may be some more dirt. 🙂
We are off to begin our New York 100. It is so good to be traveling again after spending the past 3 months at home. The most excitment we had each week was picking up our order from Walmart. We left Saybrook about 10:30 am and arrived in Geneseo, NY at the Deer Run Winery about 2:30 pm. We are in the western Finger Lakes area.
Deer Run Winery.
We joined Harvest Hosts. They have over 1000 wineries and farms that provide free camping for RVers. This is our first time staying at a host winery. We were not disappointed.
We have two reasons for trying Harvest Hosts: 1. We feel it is a good way to avoid crowds and still be able to travel. 2. We really, really like wine 🙂
Nice walk through the vineyards.
We of course did some wine tasting. Beky was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed visiting with her. She is a biking enthusiast also. The Chardonnay was our favorite and we just had to take a bottle with us.
All the employees wore masks and guests were required to wear masks in the gift shop. Hand sanitizer was available at the door. Did you know that the distance between 2 wine barrels is 6 feet. Perfect for social distancing.
The winery closed at 5 pm and we are the only RV here. So very quiet and peaceful. Ahhhhh…..
Deer Run Winery – peaceful place to stay.
Tomorrow we we plan to ride the Lehigh Valley Trail. The trail head is about 15 minutes from the winery.
No tow vehicle with us on this trip so will be parking the motorhome at the trailhead.
We’re back at Traveler’s Woods in Bernardston, MA once again. The one campground near Ashuwillticook R/T was full and we knew Traveler’s Woods was a nice place. Landen loves the big slide and is able to ride his bike.
The trailhead in Adam’s was an hour away. It was a beautiful drive through the Berkshires. Some of the prettiest scenery so far. I especially enjoyed seeing the old weathered barns.
Visitors center in Adams, MA. The rail trail is directly behind the visitors center. The beginning of this beautiful 11.5 mile rail trail. Our favorite Massachusetts trail.Main street in Adam’s. So typical of the many small towns we’ve been through on this trip, just inviting you to take a stroll. The trail followed shores of Cheshire Reservoir for a couple of miles. Loved this little house that overlooked the reservoir.This old train trestle was near Adams.Old lime mining and production facility near Adams.This was a train used for touring the Berkshires. Landen was thrilled to see it and get a wave from the conductor. A business along the trail had the rear tire of a bike imbeded in the brick wall of the building. A very unique way of recognizing their relationship with the rail trail.Another beautiful church with tall steeple in Adams. Awesome blue sky too.
This was a perfect day, temperatures in the 70’s, to ride the perfect trail. There was something interesting to see around every turn. The trail surface was smooth and wide. There were a few areas raised by roots that were well marked. The bumps kept Landen interested. We finished our ride about 3 PM and the trail was beginning to get crowded.
We rode 23 miles today and finished our Massachusetts 100. Hooray!!
We celebrated our 100 miles with pizza. Apple juice for Landen and a beer for Lenny and Diana.
We stopped in Freeport to visit LL Bean on our way to the trailhead.
Freeport was a bit too touristy for us . A real shoppers paradise. We managed to escape LL Bean for under $200. Yay!!
This was the LLBean flagship store. Incredibly large and busy as was all of Freeport.
We had fun!! This trail provided some nice hills, some steep, some short and sweet! The trail was within site of the river almost the entire time which kept it interesting. We began our ride in Gardiner and took the trail to Augusta, state capital, of Maine.
The state of Maine has preserved the railroad tracks hoping to one day put them back into use. We crossed from one side of tracks to the other several times. Along the Kennebec River in Augusta, only 39 navigable miles from the Atlantic.Across the river from the trail in Augusta we could see Old Fort Western, an 18th Century wooden fort built in 1754. Benedict Arnold used this fort during the American Revolution. The trail took us through Hallowell, a quaint little town with a friendly river front area. Granite City park, along the river front in Hallowell. This is a tribute to the cities past, it was know as “Granite City “.We had lunch along the river in Hallowell. Lenny and Landen enjoying main course of PB&J!!Most all of these little New England towns have beautiful churches with tall steeples. I enjoy seeing everyone of them.
We enjoyed this uncrowded trail with it’s scenic river views, small towns and of course that biking thing. We have banked 25 miles in Maine and will return in the future to complete our 100.
Tomorrow we head back to Massachusetts to complete our 100 miles., the LORD willing.
