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Can't see the slideshow? Click Here New York City: The tall buildings, the traffic, the bridges, the varied architecture, the different neighborhoods, the people and all in one great weekend. Almost more than you can soak in! You could never see this by car! Our adventure began Friday morning, as 12 of us were on the road to NY by 7am. We encountered some heavy rain and a near-miss with a flat-bed car hauler that was STOPPED in the right lane of traffic. After witnessing Bill Hanz turn from Mr. 55mph to Crazy New Yorker Driver, we all were fortunate to stay within sight of him to our destination!! To say that visiting Ground Zero on the 8th anniversary of the attack was awe-inspiring is an understatement. It was a somber, respectful silence as we could all only imagine the terror that those who lived through it experienced. It bonded us as a cycling team, and as fellow Americans. Saturday was a day to blend into the busy landscape of the city. Seeing the Statue of Liberty, and having a born and raised New Yorker show us how to navigate the subway were just two of the highlights!! It is true that you need weeks to see everything, but we definitely made a dent in the list! Ah yes, Sunday!! Most were up and moving by 4am, digging bikes out of the storage room at the hostel, and getting revved up for the journey ahead!! Judy, Tammy, Kitty and Brenda tackled the 55 mile route, while the rest of us were leaving Central Park at 6am for 100 miles. If you have never seen thousands of red flashing taillights in one place at one time, then you haven't been here! Within 2 miles we knew we were in for a challenge like no other. At first we tried the way we have all learned, stop and wait. Well, that was not to happen today!! Call out holes (everywhere), check traffic all around and ride like a wild person!! There were paths, bridges, parks, motor homes, cabs, buses, skaters, pedestrians, horses, thousands of cyclists, to name a few. This is how Judy put it, "The most off the wall ride" she had ever done. Dennis termed it "Katie bar the door!" Let's just say we are all better at maneuverability on our bikes now! No major incidents and a sense of accomplishment like no other! We all need to consider this tour in the future. Recommendations: Urban Assault Vehicle (Bicycle) and a desire for adventure!! Editor's Note: It has been suggested by the author that if you want to hear this story in greater detail, ask Darren Meyer. |
