Me And Bill Ride Again
September 21, 2026
Every year in September my brother Bill comes down from Monroe County in upstate New York to ride the St. Jude Ride in Kingston. We scheduled it in our calendar as a special event, awaiting their arrival for the weekend. Well Bill and my Sister-In-Law Toni came but there was one hangup. As the day of the St. Jude event got closer the possibility of rain rose. By a few days before the percentage of precipitation rose to about ninety-seven percent. Two days before that Sunday the ride was canceled and postponed until next Spring.
Fortunately, the day before was forecast as bright, warm and sunny so they came down anyway. We had two options for the day. Either ride a scheduled event in Milton, NY or have a do-it-yourself ride on our own. As luck would have it I had done a Poker Run, as you know, two weeks before over in Ulster County with a ride through the Catskills in and out of Woodstock that had everything you could want on a ride. Small roads, plenty of twist and turns, a climb up a mountain and scenic overlooks to stop and take pictures.
After riding through Poughkeepsie we crossed the Mid Hudson Bridge and the fun began. On the other side of the Hudson we got on Rt. 44/55 through Gardiner, NY and began to climb into the hills passing through the Gardiner hairpin and up to higher altitudes. We hit our first scenic overlook and prevailed upon another person to take our picture.
After the photo rest stop, we rode on to Kerhonksen, NY for a brief pit stop and to buy a couple of beverages. From that point we continued up Rt. 209 into Kingston and across the Kinston Rhinecliff Bridge and south to home. The total trip was about ninety miles and was a delight. As Bill says, "I like doing events but I enjoy our own rides around here better." That trip was proof. We got to enjoy a perfect day at our own pace through picturesque scenery and got to stop and take in the sights. I felt bad for the organizers of the St. Jude ride but our day on the road was so much fun it blunted the feeling of missing out. As they say, "There's always next year." It was a truly great day and weekend.
Fortunately, the day before was forecast as bright, warm and sunny so they came down anyway. We had two options for the day. Either ride a scheduled event in Milton, NY or have a do-it-yourself ride on our own. As luck would have it I had done a Poker Run, as you know, two weeks before over in Ulster County with a ride through the Catskills in and out of Woodstock that had everything you could want on a ride. Small roads, plenty of twist and turns, a climb up a mountain and scenic overlooks to stop and take pictures.
After riding through Poughkeepsie we crossed the Mid Hudson Bridge and the fun began. On the other side of the Hudson we got on Rt. 44/55 through Gardiner, NY and began to climb into the hills passing through the Gardiner hairpin and up to higher altitudes. We hit our first scenic overlook and prevailed upon another person to take our picture.
After the photo rest stop, we rode on to Kerhonksen, NY for a brief pit stop and to buy a couple of beverages. From that point we continued up Rt. 209 into Kingston and across the Kinston Rhinecliff Bridge and south to home. The total trip was about ninety miles and was a delight. As Bill says, "I like doing events but I enjoy our own rides around here better." That trip was proof. We got to enjoy a perfect day at our own pace through picturesque scenery and got to stop and take in the sights. I felt bad for the organizers of the St. Jude ride but our day on the road was so much fun it blunted the feeling of missing out. As they say, "There's always next year." It was a truly great day and weekend.
Posted by Jim Zeiser.
If you wish to comment my e-mail address is h1500e@hotmail.com. I'd like to hear anything-good or bad-that anyone would like to say. As they said in college, we're all lifelong learners.
