First of all, I've been disappointed by the lack of "Welcome To..." and "Come Again..." signs. I've kept a keen eye out for where they should have been, but saw nothing for Maine, NH, or Mass. My home state didn't forget me.
Also welcoming me was my first sighting of the Catskills and the sign for Hudson and the Rip Van Bridge. Some people wondered if I was headed home for some reason. I wasn't. I came within a two-hours ride of the Timdom. But I knew a better place to get some free room.
Route 9 below Hudson is a great road. It's part of the first long-distance charity ride that I did when I was 19. With a bit of a tailwind I had a great roll through Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Hyde Park.
Shortly before I crossed the Hudson Walkway in Poughkeepsie, I firmed up plans with Lauren. Again, like my stop at Justine and Gary's, the timing worked out just right.
Back to that in a second.
In order to get up onto the walkway I stopped to ask a couple walking down a sidestreet in Poughkeepsie. They told me, "Right down around the corner there are stairs up to the walkway." Since they didn't ask how heavy the bike was, I assumed the stairs would be wide and gradual.
They weren't.
It was a beautiful day for this crossing, and though the walkway was quite busy, I easily passed through. Just a few miles from the end I was at Lauren's, and within no time I was sitting down to some delicious sushi with my good friend.
Lauren and I have known each other since 5th grade, and I am so lucky to have such a fun, active, intelligent, and gracious friend so close by. We get together about once a month, so this stop felt practically like being home. Keep Lauren in your thoughts-- she's participating in a full Ironman in Lake Placid later in just a couple of weeks.
Location:Great Barrington, MA
1 comment:
Again, you have great friends! I loved Lauren!
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