Today was simply a spectacular riding day…. the right temperature, no precipitation, mostly flat roads, and great scenery. We estimated we did about 38 miles, and we both felt like it was “a day off” because it was so easy (unless you count the sore butts, that never seems to go away).
The entire day was along the Delaware River again. For the beginning of the trip, we were on a scenic road with the river and a railroad track on one side, and high rock cliffs on the other. We passed dozens of waterfalls running down the rock cliffs, some of them so strong they were showering us down on the street. I love riding alongside the railroad tracks because the grade of the road is always very slight.
We stopped at the Milford Market in Milford NJ for refreshments before continuing on State Road 29. This was the greatest road for cycling because we basically had a shoulder that was the width of an entire car lane. We were still paralleling the old railroad track which had been converted to a rail trail. We made record time riding through Frenchtown and on to Stockton. Stopped briefly at Bulls Island Recreation Area to visit a pedestrian bridge over the Delaware to Pennsylvania.
A few miles later we were already in Lambertville, NJ, which is just across the Delaware River from today’s destination in New Hope, Pennsylvania. These two towns were are like “sisters” on opposite sides of the river. They are both filled with cute boutiques, art galleries, and eclectic restaurants. Both towns were still decorated for their Pridefest celebration that happened last weekend. The streets were teeming with activity. If you ever find yourself in Bucks County, PA, I would highly recommend a visit to this area. Luckily, because we had such an easy biking day, we were able to spend a lot of time exploring shops and finding some great food at The Dubliner on the Delaware. Mark was excited to see the Delaware Canal system where boats were pulled by mule to deliver goods up and down the canal system.
A short 3 mile ride later, we settled into the Clarion Inn in New Hope….. the first chain hotel of this trip.
Sounds like a great day! We love Lambertville/New Hope area! In fact, you reminded me we haven’t been there in quite a while and are due for another visit. There’s a really cool toy/puzzle shop in New Hope that we enjoyed (that’s how long it’s been since we’ve been there – we bought gifts for our sons there!). Glad you got to enjoy the area & the towns & the great food.
I haven’t heard of Bulls Island Recreation Area before, so we’ll have to check that out.
Sue
We walked by the toy store; it looked cute. I wasn’t allowed to shop on this trip because everything takes up space and weight.
ha ha makes sense!