Northeast cycling vacation tips? Minimal-to-no traffic, paved or rail trail, 3-4 days
Originally Posted by
MoonJW
Please help plan my vacation!
This year my significant other and I did the Great Allegheny Passage. We had such a good time that we want to do something similar this coming spring for one week in the Northeast.
Any suggestions?
Our criteria is this:
1) Good for May / June. Not too hot, not too chilly.
2) Within one day's drive of New York City. A day to get there, a day to get back.
3) Good for 3-4 days of cycling, or roughly 175-200 leisurely miles. Moderate elevation, lots of chances to rest and sit around and enjoy the scenery.
4) Minimal to no traffic. My girlfriend hates, hates riding in traffic for anything longer than a short stretch, especially highway shoulders. She won't go near those.
5) Paved or crushed stone. Rail trails are fine as long as they are doable on 28mm slicks.
6) Staying at inns or hotels.
How about a “hub and spoke” ride in Metro Boston? I live in downtown, so I have explored the region in all directions. Boston is surrounded by a beltway of about 10 mile radius from downtown, Rte 128/I-95, and once outside that beltway, the road cycling is excellent.
Even better, a concentric beltway, I-495, is about 20-30 miles outside downtown, and there you are in exurbia and rural countryside. One could stay in Boston and explore various sectors by driving out to a distant starting point, or move to various points outside the City in those sectors.
Besides driving, one can take
fully-assembled bikes on the Commuter Rail from the City Proper quite a way out of town, ride, and return by train. I have previously
posted a Cycling Guide to Metro Boston, describing the varied, scenic and interesting regions to ride; the urban bikepaths; and using Commuter Rail to carry bikes.
I think Metro Boston meets all your criteria. Feel free to PM me if interested.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
...Consider me as Metro Boston's Ambassador to BikeForums....