Cycling the Hudson Valley - Carmel to Brooklyn (Days 4 and 5)

 

Day 4 (Aug. 8, 2025), Carmel to Ardsley-on-Hudson

 

Early on Day 4, the terrain was still rural south of the small town of Carmel. But after we crossed the New Croton Reservoir, you could tell we had entered more dense suburban infrastructure. The North County Trailway still passed through woods but soon entered suburbia. We turned off the trail and stayed in Mercy College in Ardsley-on-Hudson. I took the comfort option and stayed in a dorm room (with private bath and air conditioning!).

 

Trailside memorial, Ardsley

Waiting for a restoration, El Camino, Ardsley

Ardsley Acres Hotel Court, 560 Saw Mill River Rd, Ardsley

 

Day 5, Mercy College to Manhattan 

 

Day 5 was an abrupt cultural and scenic change. The terrain was suburban along the South County Trailway in Mount Hope and Yonkers. We biked through Van Courtland Park in the Bronx, and abruptly, we were in the city. 

Our first rest break was at Tread Bike Shop on Dyckman Street in New York. They were very nice to us, did minor repairs as needed, and provided restrooms, munchies, and cold water.

 

Cooling off at Tread Bike Shop

Checking the scene, Dyckman Street

From Tread, we biked west to the Hudson river and turned south on the Fort Washington Park Greenway. There were crowds everywhere. People on the trails were using bicycles, unicycles, tricycles, scooters, roller cross-country skis, and electronic devices. 

 

George Washington Bridge (opened 1931)

Battery Park at the south end of Manhattan was a madhouse with thousands of tourists on the paths and walkways. We worked our way round the tip and up though some local streets to access the Brooklyn Bridge Bicycle Path. 

FDR Drive, Manhattan

Serious joggers, FDR Drive

Woolworth Building

World Trade Center from John Street

The Brooklyn Bridge Bicycle Path is on the road level but is separated from cars by a concrete barrier. It was narrow and fender to fender crowded. An occasional tourist lost battery power and stopped abruptly, causing spills and a real mess. No time to look around. But it was fun, and we made it across to our designated trip end point at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

 

Brooklyn Bridge from Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn

Loo with a view, East River, New York

This ends the Cycle the Hudson Valley 2025. Great fun! Fantastic weather with no rain. You can follow the day-to-day route on the ridewithgps link.

Thanks for riding along! 

 

Camera Note

 

I took most of the pictures on Kodak Portra 160 film with a Canon Canonet GIII QL17 fixed-lens rangefinder camera. The Canon 40mm ƒ/1.7 lens is contrasty. and high resolution. No complaints on the optical qualities of this modest camera.  

 Zack's Camera Repair in Providence, Rhode Island, overhauled the camera and repaired the battery contacts for the light meter. I used a Wein Cell, which provides the same 1.35 volts as the original mercury battery. 

 

The modest but top optical quality Canonet GIII QL17 camera

 

Cycling the Hudson Valley - Hudson to Carmel (Days 2 and 3)

Day 2, Kinderhook (Aug. 6, 2025)

 

From Hudson, we headed south on the east side of the Hudson River. Part of the way was on country roads inland of the Rhinebeck-Hudson Road. Our route took us through the campus of Bard College (no time to stop and visit the museum).

 

Annandale Road, Red Hook, south of Bard College

We crossed the Hudson River heading west on the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. The bridge had a separated bicycle lane, but the cars rush by just beyond the Jersey barriers, so the crossing is noisy. We were way above the river. 

 

Kingston

 

When we reached the west side of the Hudson, we turned south and biked through historic Kingston. 

 

Hutton Brickyards, Sojourner Truth State Park, Kingston

Slightly rough Kingston house, John Street 

New Paltz

 

Proceeding south from Kingston, we stayed at the Ulster County fair grounds. Ahh, plenty of porta-potties. 

 Day 3, Walkway Over the Hudson

 

The Walkway Over the Hudson is an amazing bicycle and walking path. Look down at the river - it is way down! Formerly the 1889 Poughkeepsie–Highland Railroad Bridge, it is now longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. This remarkable steel cantilever bridge crosses the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland, New York. What a treasure to preserve and convert into a pedestrian bridge.

 

 

Poughkeepsie

 

The eastern approaches to the Walkway Over the Hudson bridge carry you way above the older parts of Poughkeepsie. It feels like you are on a drone hovering over the city. Look south, and you can see the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge. I drove across it decades ago but do not remember any details. 

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge, begun in 1925 and completed in 1930

 

From the bridge, you look down onto some historic Poughkeepsie neighborhoods. I wonder if residents ever look up at the people above peering down at them? 

 

Oh, boy, ice cream. Oops, not today.

 

From Poughkeepsie, we rode the Dutchess Rail Trail, the Maybrook Trailway, and finally the Putnam Trailway into the town of Carmel. New York has certainly done a remarkable job of converting old rail lines into bicycle trails. This was a hard day.  

Dear Readers, you know where this is going. What do you do after a tough day and 60 miles? You go eat Greek food! Yes, there are Greeks in Carmel Hamlet, and they run a fabulous restaurant (The Greek Place, 3 Fair Street, Carmel). They came from a suburb of Athens near where my family lives. 

 

Bicycling food

More bicycling food

I took the film pictures with a Canonet GIII QL17 camera with a 40mm ƒ/1.7 Canon lens. The Greek food are digital files from a Samsung mobile phone. 

 

 

Cycling the Hudson Valley of New York - Troy to Hudson (Day 1)

Parks and Trails of New York (PTNY) sponsors the Cycle the Hudson Valley bicycling tour every year. The route follows the Empire State Trail, which consists mostly of former railroad lines that have been converted into multi-use trails. In towns, the trail sometimes follows local roads. My friend from Valatie suggested we do the ride, and I jumped to the chance. 

I biked for practice in the Olympia area, shipped my bicycle via BikeFlights to a bicycle store in Valatie, and flew to Albany.

We followed the Empire State Trail from the beginning of our tour (August 5, 2025) in Troy to the end along the west side of Manhattan and across the bridge to Brooklyn. The pictures here and the following articles will run from north to south following the ride. Here is Day 1, Troy to Hudson.

(Note, before the ride, my bicycle companions and I explored the charming town of Valatie and environs (click the link). And after the ride, we explored a historic neighborhood in downtown Albany)  

Troy, New York

Ready to roll at Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY

6 High Street, Troy

We camped overnight at the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy and left early. About 250 riders biked down High Street and crossed the Hudson River. There was no time to look around (a common theme when you are covering 50+ miles each day), but I saw some venerable houses on High Street.

Clinton Park

Wow, bright paint. My Valatie friend said this restaurant had moved to a new location. 

Nassau and Nassau Lake

After crossing the Hudson River back to the east side, we rode on the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, a former electric trolley line. This was a hilly section. 

Watch bunnies and a Little Library, Nassau

Carpentry shop

The welcome rest stop!

Kinderhook

We pushed through the historic town of Kinderhook without stopping. The park had games on the ball fields with children enjoying the outdoors.

Village Playground, Kinderhook

Hudson

Hudson is a historic city in Columbia County. It has become quite sophisticated with hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops. My friend told me that following Covid and the transition to remote work, many professionals from New York City have bought homes in historic towns up the Hudson Valley. They can work remotely but easily take the train to the City as needed. Cities like Hudson have seen investment and gentrification.

Not yet restored, 281 Hudson Ave.

Missing a porch? Front Street

Townhouses on Warren Street

Warren Street

Hudson Youth Center

We stayed at a community college near Hudson and took a bus into town to find restaurants. It was a beautiful evening.

Zowie, serious fisherman's soup!!! (I like Hudson....)

This ends a tiring day no. 1 on the trail. But as long as I could eat like this, I was ready for the miles. To be continued....

I took most of these pictures on August 5, 2025, on Kodak Portra 160 film with my Canon Canonet GIII QL17 compact camera. It has an excellent 40mm ƒ/1.7 lens. To power the Canonet's CDS meter, I used a Wein Cell, which produces the same 1.35 volts as the original mercury batteries. I carried the camera in a small bag mounted in front of my handlebars. 

Return to a Rough Coastal City: Aberdeen, Washington

 

We stayed in Aberdeen for a night before heading out to Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge for the spring migration. The NWR is famous for the thousands of shorebirds (sand pipers and similar) who stop to feed and rest before continuing their amazing migration to Canada and Alaska. During summer. they feed and breed in the shorelands in the north and then migrate south in autumn.  

A few photographs around downtown were too good to resist. Poor old Aberdeen - you can tell that it was a rich and prosperous city once. Maybe it is coming back, but it went through a rough period when the timber industry contracted in the 1970s. 

 

US 101 bridge over Chehalis River with Wishkah River in foreground (1/8 ƒ/11, orange filter)

The Wishkah River flows south from the foothills of the Olympics and debauches into the Chehalis near the east end of town. I have photographed the Wishkah before in early 2024 and again later in 2024. 

 

Alley parallel to West Wishkah Street

Decorated dumpster? Alley parallel to West Wishkah Street.

In the business district, many of the main streets had a parallel alley. At the turn of the century, the alley likely served for coal delivery and trash pickup. 

Warehouse on South K Street

South K Street, view towards rail yard and Chehalis River

Vapolife Building, South K Street

Homeless behind Safeway store, South K Street

Hotel Morck, Heron Street

The Hotel Morck, built in 1924, was the centerpiece of downtown Aberdeen. For almost four decades, it was the sophisticated gathering place for Aberdeen's elite and visitors. According to the National Park Service, "The hotel building exemplifies late 19th and early 20th Century Classical Revival architecture, with the extensive use of terra cotta and a formal tri-parte arrangement." The hotel closed in 1961 and was converted into apartments. In the early 1980, the building converted into a low-income apartment complex, after which it degraded severely. Grokipedia has a detained description of the architecture and history. 

Undated post card; source unknown

I took these photographs on April 27, 2026 on Fuji Acros film with my Rolleiflex 3.5E camera with 75mm ƒ/3.5 Xenotar lens. All frames were tripod-mounted. Northeast Photographics in Bath, Maine developed the film and scanned the negatives with a Noritsu system.