Empire State Tour 2021 - Day 5 - Hudson to Poughkeepsie

One thing that uniquely characterizes New York, is the transportation infrastructure is monumental. Why build a utilitarian bridge, when you can build a huge, spectacular edifice of iron beams with a sense of occasion? This is most obvious in New York City, where even highway overpasses are more cool and interesting than is strictly necessary. But even as you go upstate, it's evident.

Today was bridge day. 

First, we crossed the Hudson going west over the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge. I figured the spot where the "No Stopping For Any Reason Whatsoever" sign was a good spot to stop and take a picture. 

We had lunch in Kingston at Savona's Trattoria, a fabulous Italian restaurant down by the waterfront. 

It was a perfect day, so dining with our friend Al was a delight.

Then we had a monster climb up out of the valley to the west, were we picked up the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail (which is part of the Empire State Route). So would an obscure rural New York railroad from the 1800s have a spectacular bridge? You bet!

It also has lots of ruins, especially of furnaces. I believe these were used for making cement.

We got off the Wallkill Valley trail at New Paltz, a small town that is best known as an exit on the New York State Thruway. And rightfully so.

Then there is another climb and you get to the gloriously smooth, wide, and flat Hudson Valley Trail, which leads to the spectacular Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, which is now a walkway!

That's Poughkeepsie down there. This bridge is the bike tourist's dream. The rail trail continues on the other side, so you cross the Hudson without going up or down any hills!

There were many people enjoying the beautiful day by just hanging out on the walkway. It is very popular.

So today was a perfect day of bike touring. Sunny, beautiful, temperature in the low 70s, no real wind. We mostly stuck to the Empire State Route, except for about 8 miles in the morning where we missed the sign and accidentally took a shorter, flatter route with no traffic instead. We were on rural roads for the first half of the day until Kingston, except for a stretch through a wildlife reserve (steep hill!!) and Bard College.

(Are you thinking WTF? I'm thinking WTF.)

(I went onto Wikipedia to figure out what this building is, and it's a concert hall, the Fisher Center for Performing Arts. Designed by Frank Gehry)

(On Wikipedia, I also learned that Walter Becker and Donald Fagan of Steely Dan went to Bard, as did Adam Yauch "MCA" of the Beastie Boys!)

I have my own story of Bard College. Around 1983, The Minutemen played a concert there, and I went to the show. Or I tried to anyway. I never figured out where it was. I drove around looking for Bard College all night with no success. I eventually gave up and went back to Troy. Now, at last, I have found Bard College.

Here's the Strava Track for today.