We begin at Grand Central Station, waiting for our train to Poughkeepsie (above). Actually I began a week before with a trip to Penn Station to get bike permits for the Metro North Railway. They cost 5 dollars, are good on The Long Island Railroad as well, and they don't let you on the train without them. The trains have easy access bike racks in the back cars (first ones cars you come to at grand central). The ride up the hudson river on the train is beautiful and worth the whole ticket. At Poughkeepsie we crossed the Mid-Hudson Bridge and made our way to the first bike path (below left). There was then a nice stretch of road that crosses 299 and then comes into New Paltz. We took back roads through the town to the Wallkill River Trail, which was sun speckled and removed from traffic (below, center), though it does cross a number of raods getting out of New Paltz. Before the trail crosses route 7 it runs roughly parallel with it and crosses the river on a lovely old bridge (below, right)
     
     
      

We ate lunch on the trail's bridge over the Wallkill river. It was a wonderful old rail bridge, rusty red, with vines growing up it and benches along either side. The river was muddy and gentle. The trail continued on the other side, for the most part as a narrower path. It ended over Roundout Creek above the town of Rosendale (middle row and far left). When we arrived Anna realized that she had been there before, many years ago on a starry night with Eli and Kieren.

There was a final stretch for us after the end of the path to Greg's childhood house in High Falls. On arrival Anna colapsed in the backyard - in a good way (left).

The ride back was just as lovely and a bit quicker. We followed the same route, but ate our lunch at the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Getting home from the station was the most grueling leg; it's hard to bike for 20 miles, then ride on a train for two hours.
   
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