Here are a handful of snaps from November that seemed nice to publish. Up top is from a hike that we managed to sneak in at Windham high peak. Our good friend Szabi and his dogs joined us and was kind enough to take a family portrait (second to last below). Continue reading
Drone Snap over the Moose River
The last weekend of July was spent on two wheels. Finding time in the saddle has been a bit tricky this summer since the arrival of our newest family member. Thanks to his grandma’s willingness to trek northward and hang out with the dude, I was able to sneak away for a long weekend and put in some serious mileage upstate with a couple of friends.
Similar to a trip we did last August, we started in Catskill Park on a Friday and snaked through back roads northward to North Creek, where we spent the night. We racked up the odometer day Saturday doing a huge loop of the Adirondacks through Lake Placid and Old Forge, ending back in North Creek for the night. Sunday morning we set out for a leisurely ride back to the Catskills. Unlike last year, we had perfect weather the entire time. Really couldn’t have asked for more ideal riding conditions. I posted more details about the route over here, for anyone interested.
The gallery below is a set of photos from the trip mostly by me, with a handful of snaps from my new friend Lukas, who was riding the Street Fighter. Good times were had by all–
The first weekend in June we motored to the Jersey shore for a family wedding. The weather was mostly awesome. We had a really great time catching up with friends and family. The wedding was beautiful and the weekend was generally very pleasant. I brought a few cameras along for the ride, as well as a drone.Continue reading
Facing South on the Luis I Bridge
To celebrate our birthdays this year, Britt and I decided to take a quick trip to Portugal. Neither of us had been prior. It rained most of the time, but we still had a blast. Read on for some spots I would recommend, as well as a lengthy photo dump.Continue reading
A Pensive Babe Posing with an Invader Piece Near the Border of France and Italy
Menton was our last stop in France, prior to returning to NYC (via Copenhagen). It is about a 30 minute train ride from Nice, and sits on the border of Italy. It could be described as a smaller, older version of Nice. We happened to be there during the Fête du Citron, which is the festival of Lemons. As a result, the whole town was replete with large scale sculptures made from lemons and oranges.Continue reading
“Exotic Garden” Selfies at the Top of Èze’s Medieval Village
During our stay in Nice last month, Britt and I took a couple of day trips to some nearby spots. One such spot was the small medieval village in Èze. From Nice it is a 15 minute bus ride along a picturesque coastal highway that winds along the coast. The fare is less the the price of a Metrocard swipe. The bus drops you right at the base of Le Jardin Exotique, which is set atop a very, very old little village. We wandered through the stone walled passages for a few hours including the garden itself. We packed some sammies from the boulanger in Nice and enjoyed them in the garden’s sunny main lookout.Continue reading
One of the Lookouts on Mont Boron
There comes a time in a pandemic era after getting all of the requisite shots, playing it safer than most, still getting sick twice, and watching everyone else carry on like nothing is the matter that one throws one’s hands in the air and books a trip to the south of France. I actually have to give Britt full credit for being the one to say eff it and book the flights. It was our first real vacation since the outset of all of this virus madness. We flew into Nice via Stockholm. Both airports were really clean and modern. There is a tram line in Nice that goes right to the airport, so we were able to just walk out of the terminal and hop on the tram to our hotel. Continue reading
We recently spent a weekend in Vermont with some work friends. Sunday ended up being rainy on-and-off. We caught a break in the rain and did some canoeing on the Battenkill river near Manchester. B and I had an awesome time, so did Lola. It started pouring rain right as we approached the exit point. Here are some snaps I took before the deluge.
I went to Utah for a family reunion. Here are some photos from the trip.
Somewhere in Southwestern Mass or Northern CT.
In early July, I was fortunate enough to cut loose from the desk for several days and explore some of the back roads of New England. Thanks to Backcountry Discovery Routes, several of such roads had already been mapped out for me. I was able to attend an event at Union Garage (at some pre-pandemic date) where the BDR guys basically unveiled the North East route. After watching the promotional film at the event, I was super stoked about trying it out someday. As it turns out, the route runs right through my neighborhood in the Catskills, and I now have a bike that goes off road. My plan was to ride sections 2, 3 and 4 as far as the top of Mt. Washington (then turn around and come back) in the space of 4 days. Long story short, I learned early on in my trip that it was unwise (borderline idiotic) to attempt some of the tougher parts of this route alone with no cell service. I made it as far as Chester VT, when the forecast turned to rain for the foreseeable future. As a result, I opted to turn around and spend a full day riding back to the Catskills instead of spending multiple more miserable days riding in the rain. As it was, I saw some very beautiful country. I had some very anxiety inducing moments in the deep back country, but ultimately made it out the other side. The ride back was insanely wet and dreary, but better one day than multiple. Here are some photos from the excursion. Most of them were unfortunately cell phone shots (taken in portrait orientation). But here they are anyway-
Somewhere Between Fleischmanns and West Kill NY
The photo above is the first section of really gnarly terrain that I encountered. This was on the downhill side, which I found much more difficult than the uphill. It was so rough that it shook my water bottle loose from its moorings. It is a lot of work wrestling a 600 LB bike through this stuff, especially when wearing full gear in 80+ degree (and humidity) weather. I had a moment when I stopped to take this photo where I wondered to myself exactly what I had gotten into.
A few Miles South of Copake Lake, NY
Western Mass (I think)
Canaan, CT
North Adams, MA
York Lake, MA.
The section above was another one where I almost got stuck/dropped the bike a few times. It had rained all night, and there was very slippery mud in the rutted out trail. You can see from the haze in the air how humid it was that morning.
Left: North Adams, MA. Right: Somewhere south of the Berkshires.
Left: Southern VT. Right: North Adams, MA
The Signs Don’t Lie in Farm Country
Beartown Mountain, MA
South Lee, MA
Grafton, VT
Left: Chester, VT. Right: Catskills, NY
Overall, it was an awesome experience. I highly recommend it, if you are into dual sport riding. Hoping to give it another shot next summer when I have (a) a proper luggage solution and, (b) some company.