March 10, 2021 - New York, NY, to Easton, PA

Start: New York, NY
End: Easton, PA
Miles: 67.4
Feet climbing per mile: 72
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/63778777

I woke at 7:30 and was on the road at 8:40, with a temperature of 46. I had been considering taking a jacket besides my windbreaker, along with fingered gloves and a cap, but Wednesday morning, after checking the forecasts for the next three days, I decided to leave them at home. I rode to the PATH station at 33rd Street so I could take advantage of the elevator from the street to the track level. One of the several police officers I saw told me non-folding bikes were not allowed on the train from 6:30 to 9:30 in the morning. I had been aware of that rule but had never been stopped. Briefly I considered riding to Brookfield Place to catch the ferry to Paulus Hook, but decided instead to try my luck at the 23rd Street PATH station. I was able to board an almost empty train. What a silly rule, not allowing bikes during rush hour in the non-rush direction! (More about that rule in the post about Friday's return ride.)

I started riding from Newark at 9:40. In Irvington I saw that the traffic was light so I decided to take Springfield Avenue rather than a bypass which has been useful in the opposite direction in the late afternoon. I arrived in Morristown just after 11:30 and stopped at Starbucks. By the time I finished my hot chocolate the temperature had risen to 55. After I changed from tights to shorts I initially felt chilly, but then warmed as I rode. I thought about Larry Wallach's Rule, which I often violate:

Below sixty degrees, cover your knees! 

I've ridden to and from Morristown several times in the last few years, but I had ridden west of Morristown only twice, in 2016 and 2017, both times on trips to Hackettstown, NJ. I was looking forward to revisiting my routes west of Morristown, but was surprised at how unfamiliar most of it seemed. One section I remembered very well was the steep one-mile climb up Schooleys Mountain Road. In 2016 I walked almost the entire mile, while in 2017 I was able to ride all the way. This day, just before the climb, I stopped at The Coffee Potter for a hot chocolate and a chocolate chocolate-chip muffin. I enjoyed them both but knew that the half-hour snack break would add to the challenge of the climb. Nevertheless I was able to ride the entire climb, using my lowest gear of 34/28, seated throughout except standing through the steepest curve.

Shortly after completing the climb up Schooleys Mountain Road I turned left onto West Springtown Road to begin riding roads new to me.

West Springtown Road

I enjoyed six and a half miles of beautiful roads with almost no traffic, followed by NJ-57 with a lot of fast traffic but almost always a generous shoulder. Two and a half miles along NJ-57 a building caught my attention. The letters on its front said "PORT CO DEN MANOR". When I later googled that name I discovered that an "L" was missing and the building was the Port Colden Manor.

Port Colden Manor

The page www.preservationnj.org/listings/port-colden-manor/ includes the following:

"Currently the building is privately owned and is occupied by a residential tenant. The owner has made some minimal repairs and has discussed development proposals with Washington Township to convert the building into several apartments. However, those discussions appear to have reached an impasse as the town was requiring the owner to make repairs to the front porch and first floor entrance."

I regret that I didn't knock on the front door so I could have met the resident and had a tour.

After another almost eleven miles I turned off NJ-57 in an attempt to avoid the fast, noisy traffic. I could have avoided all the unpleasant traffic and been on beautiful roads with little traffic if I had turned off NJ-57 after a half mile, but if I had done that I would have missed the Port Colden Manor.

On my alternate route into Easton I encountered the structures shown below, which I wouldn't have seen if I had followed my original route (but I would have seen them anyway both of the next two days).

Shortly after crossing the Delaware River I arrived at the Grand Eastonian Hotel & Suites shortly before 5:00. I was pleased to see that my room was of generous size with a beautiful wood floor and large windows letting in plenty of light.

Looking north up the Delaware River

After a shower, shave, and change of clothes, I walked a few blocks to the River Grille where I had a salad and a hamburger with a huge mound of fries. I saw other diners enjoying what appeared to be a delicious cheese cake with blueberry sauce but I was stuffed. I should have skipped the fries.

After dinner I walked a block to the Centre Square.

Looking west to Centre Square

But why is it called "Center Square"? It's obviously a circle!

I fell asleep around midnight, looking forward to my ride the next day along the Delaware River.

My post from the next day: March 11, 2021 - Easton, PA, to Stockton, NJ, and return