High Valley

Day 55

After a lovely sleep, we get up and get going bright and early. We have a big day ahead. We're riding down to Poughkeepsie to do some important errands, and check out the train terminal which we'll use to get into The City.

We take the Salt Point Turnpike/115 south to Poughkeepsie. We pass so many idyllic farms and forests, it's hard to believe that we are a mere two hours north of Manhattan. Poughkeepsie turns out to be fairly hubbub-y. It's the town with a big mall, movie theaters, and all things “big box”. It's not long before we're overheated and overwhelmed. With most of our missions accomplished, we pop in to the train terminal to investigate. We learn that for $31.50 each we can ride the train round trip to The City, about an hour and 40 minutes each way. We also learn that there is no motorcycle parking, no lockers to store helmets and leather jackets, and no security at all for any of these things that would ordinarily remain with the Girl.

We make the not-so-hard decision to skip NYC this time. Although we have been very excited about getting to see The City since we began this adventure, somehow it seems less than ideal now. We're tired from constantly navigating and searching things out, and it's hot as hell. Plus, the Hudson Valley really deserves some attention. It's absolutely beautiful, and Elizabeth tells us that we're being treated to some rare weather with sunny skies and very low humidity. Thus, we opt to be country mice for the remainder of this adventure.

Since we're in the mood for flexibility today, we also decide not to go to the Dutchess County Fair this evening, which was our plan. Once we're back at High Valley, we find that Elizabeth is just as worn out from her day as we are from ours, so we stay put. We spread a picnic blanket out by the lake and finish all the wine and cheese from the night before. We hear Douglas' tales of college at an all boys school in Maine, of being in the Army in Turkey and Germany, and of riding the Audubon.

Dinner is vegetable soup and bread around the outdoor table. We laugh and tell stories. We get to tell Elizabeth about our whale. Soon Douglas brings forth his homemade maple syrup wine. I have experienced more ways of enjoying maple syrup on this adventure than I ever thought possible. Now if I ever do that Master Cleanse again, I'll have Maple Syrup frozen yogurt and wine to choose from. That fast is looking better and better!

We end the evening in our tent by the lake tonight. We decided that this setting is too lovely to resist, we can't possibly sleep inside knowing that a lake with a chorus of bullfrogs and cicadas under a star speckled sky awaits. During the night we also hear coyotes in the distance, and watch shooting stars through our screened ceiling.