Total around the world bicycle miles 26,428 (42,532 km)

198 miles

October 15, 2016

We spent the last few days exploring the old towns on Long Island. It is fall harvest time and we have enjoyed many stops at fruit and vegetable farms admiring the pumpkins, flowers, apples, apple cider, and roasted corn. The leaves are slowly changing. We crossed over to Fire Island at Mastic Beach and camped at Smith Point County Park. There we found a memorial to TWA Flight 800 that crashed right offshore from Smith Point Park. From Wikipedia:

Trans World Airlines Flight 800 (TWA 800) was a Boeing 747-100 which exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 8:31 p.m. EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport on a scheduled international passenger flight to Rome, with a stopover in Paris. All 230 people on board were killed in the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. territory.

The four-year NTSB investigation concluded with the approval of the Aircraft Accident Report on August 23, 2000, ending the most extensive, complex, and costly air disaster investigation in U.S. history. The report’s conclusion was that the probable cause of the accident was an explosion of flammable fuel/air vapors in a fuel tank, and although it could not be determined with certainty, the most likely cause of the explosion was a short circuit. As a result of the investigation, new requirements were developed for aircraft to prevent future fuel tank explosions.

We then crossed back to Bridgeport, CT and another warm showers host. Mike and Lynn warmly welcomed us into their home and we were able to stay in their garage loft as it is getting cold. They cooked an excellent salmon dinner and once again we were able to talk about world travel and their extensive cycling in the U.S. and Canada. What a great world to be able to visit with explorers with like-minded interests. They were so kind as Jocelyn had been talking with them for several days as our date with them kept changing.

This morning we rode to Stamford, CT to visit with one of Jocelyn’s college friends. When we left the ferry in Bridgeport yesterday we ran into Leroy who we met north of Gloucester several weeks ago. Leroy has spent the last 2 ½ years walking the perimeter of the U.S. and is less than 500 miles from home in Virginia Beach! What a guy! We actually saw him again today. We had backtracked about 8 miles from Bridgeport to Mike and Lynn’s home and on our way to Stamford ran into Leroy again!

October 18, 2016

Our next stop was Stamford, CT to visit, Annie, a college friend of Jocelyn. We settled into a motel on this Saturday night then met Annie, her mother, Mary Beth her uncle Bruce and uncle’s sister Vickie at a really good Italian restaurant in old downtown Stamford. We enjoyed a great meal with a fun group. Thanks Mary Beth.

On Sunday rode to another warmshowers host in Mount Vernon, N.Y. We stayed with Raj and Denise who had a house full of various road and tour bikes. They were married a year ago as they cycled through northern Europe. They plan on bicycling Italy and Greece this winter. They cooked us an excellent meal and it was really fun hearing of their cycling adventures.

Monday morning, we cycled through the increasing traffic towards New York City for a 26th birthday Jocelyn will never forget. We entered the city on a waterfront bike path then headed for a cool ride through Central Park. We then decided to be very brave or foolish and cycle through Times Square! What an exhilarating and fun ride as we maneuvered through throngs of people and cars, especially cabs! Our shoulders were brushed a few times but we fortunately managed to keep the rubber on the ground. I can’t begin to say how exciting this was. We found an outside café for lunch then proceeded to the beautiful multi-cabled Brooklyn Bridge where there is a large wood bike path and walkway elevated above the car traffic. Once again we maneuvered through masses of people and other bikes for a view of Brooklyn and N.Y.C. we will never forget.

We then found our way to the Belford, New Jersey ferry and took a 45 minute ride into our next state. There we found our next warmshowers host Dan and Toby in the town of Middletown, N.J. They cooked us an excellent pasta-shrimp dinner as we excitedly talked about our riding day through the city. We plan to spend a few nights here and train to N.Y.C. to see the sights.