Richard Rogers writes:
I'm sending this from the library in Highland Falls, New York, right outside the gate of West Point. The trip is complete!! Here's my report on the past several days:
Saturday, September 4: We knew it was going to be a challenging day if we were to reach our planned destination of Albany before dark, so we managed to eat breakfast, check out of the motel in Herkimer, New York, and be on the road by 8:30 a.m., a near-record for us. It was another great day for cycling, with overcast skies and cool temperatures; and we continued to be favorably impressed by the quality of the New York roads. I had contacted the state coordinator for bicycle routes about five or six months prior to our departure, and I had received a packet of very detailed maps of the New York bicycle routes. There had obviously been some changes in the interim, but this did not cause a problem because the routes were clearly marked.
Everything was pretty uneventful until I was stung by a bee or wasp as we were riding along in the early afternoon. There is about a one-inch strip of exposed forehead between the top rim of my glasses and the bottom edge of my helmet, and somehow the insect managed to hit me just above the right eye and sting me before I could wipe it off my forehead. Sue was a little worried about crashing as I frantically tried to swipe it away, but I managed to keep control of the tandem and bring it to a stop. There was some soreness and itching, but it wasn't too bad; so we continued on.
We arrived on the outskirts of Albany at about 5:30 p.m. and proceeded to the home of Ian and Edith Leet, whom we had contacted through the Internet. Before departing in July, we looked up the list of American Baptist churches in the Albany area, sent an e-mail to the pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in downtown Albany detailing our trip, and asked if the pastor knew of anyone (interested cyclists or other kind-hearted souls) who might put us up for the night. We received a response and invitation from the Leets, whose daughter, Becca, had attended First Baptist Church of Redlands while she was in the Riverside area working for a short time before returning to Albany. We continue to be amazed that we could randomly pick the name of a church in Albany and receive a response from someone with a tie to Redlands!
As we arrived at the Leets' home about 6 p.m., we were greeted by Ian, Edith, and Becca; and after much-anticipated hot showers, we were treated to an excellent meal of barbequed country-style pork ribs, sweet corn, salad, and fresh garden tomatoes, topped off by a delicious fresh peach dessert prepared by Becca. We were pretty tired, since we had traveled 80 miles that day, so after dinner we went right to bed.
Sunday, September 5: The next morning, Ian prepared an excellent breakfast of eggs, potatoes, and bacon, with bagels from a nearby shop. We then rode the tandem as Ian and Edith drove in front of us on a brief tour of Albany. The historic Emmanuel Baptist Church was the highlight of the tour, and we took time to go inside and look at the magnificent structure. Afterwards, we went to see the New York state capitol and surrounding buildings, including the office building where Ian works on a part-time basis in his semi-retired status.
Getting out of the city and across to the east bank of the Hudson River proved to be a little more of a challenge than we had anticipated. There was no bike route sign for a key turn, and we suddenly found ourselves back in downtown Albany. After a few minutes, we were able to find the bike route and cross the bridge over the river successfully. The roads along the bike route were not as good as those we had experienced during the previous few days, and we often found ourselves on roads with an inadequate shoulder, or no shoulder at all. The weather was beautiful once again, although there was a constant 10 - 15 knot headwind from the south. The ride took us through several historic villages founded in the late 1700's, and we wished that we had the time to explore some of the more interesting-looking ones.
At about 6 p.m., after a day in which we rode 59 miles, we arrived in Rhinebeck at the home of West Point classmate Bob Burroughs and his wife Shirley, a high school classmate from Tyler, Texas. They had graciously invited us to stay with them when I contacted them several months earlier. After an assortment of tempting appetizers (which could easily have comprised a complete meal), they treated us to a delicious dinner with grilled salmon (our favorite) as the main dish. The meal was topped off with a deep dish apple pie Bob had baked, and it was so good I inquired if perhaps Bob had graduated from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) which I knew was located nearby. That was not the case, but the pie was certainly good enough to be served at the CIA.
Monday, September 6: I awoke to find my eye swollen almost shut from the sting two days earlier. I had expected the swelling to be the worst the morning after the sting, but it seemed to be a delayed reaction. After applying an ice pack during breakfast, I decided that my vision was not affected. Bob and Shirley again served a delicious meal, including some muffins Bob baked that morning. We didn't object when it was suggested that we take a couple of the muffins with us on our ride. Bob rode his bike and accompanied us on a brief tour of historic Rhinebeck, and then we were on our way for the final stretch of our journey.
We were again disappointed with the bike route, as it was completely different from the maps I had received earlier, and it took us along roads which were not in very good condition. We were still able to make pretty good time, and everything was going well as we approached Highland Falls, just outside West Point. About two miles from our destination, the cable to the rear derailleur broke, and we were reduced from 18 gears to three. We had to walk the bike up a short hill, but then we were able to ride to the West Point front gate where we asked a guard to take a picture of us. Trip complete, after 3,143 miles.