Trail Tramps

Hike Bear Mountain NY,Trails or Climb Steps to Top

2011-11-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

Click for closeups of Bear Mountain hiking trails.

(You can find another map view showing the northern end of the park at the end of the post.)

Driving directions: from the Palisades Interstate Parkway (North or South)

Get off at exit 19 (Bear Mountain State Park) and take Seven Lakes Drive for 3 1⁄2 miles to the Bear Mountain Circle. At the circle, take the second right. Follow signs for the parking lots. ** IF YOU MISS EXIT 19, take the Parkway to the Bear Mountain Bridge Circle. At this circle, make the first right onto 9W south and go to the traffic light. Bear right and go up the hill.

By Bus: New Jersey Short Line See schedule and link to NY/NJ Trail Conference for trail difficulty information.

Mild weather in the first week of November was perfect for a hike on the historical 1777 Trail, the 1779 Trail and the Timp to the top of Bald Mountain, or so we thought when we joined the AMC group at Bear Mountain State Park.

The Bear Mountain Inn is reopened after an eight-year renovation, but the second floor with the restaurant and guest rooms will not be open until January.

We were starting on the historical 1777 Trail to the 1779 Trail.

We passed the sign indicating the way to Doodletown, a 19th-century settlement notable for its cemeteries and remains of old buildings.

But...

Early storms felled trees...

and snows thawed and washed away paths.

Yellow police tape warned of danger.

Fearless Leader took the group back to the police station at Bear Mountain Inn and got trail info.

It was going to be the AT all the way. Follow the white trail blazes.

Soon, we were climbing the steps of the Appalachian Trail to the top of Bear Mountain.

Yes, steps! In 2010, after 4 years of work completed by volunteers and some full-timers, this one-mile section of the A. T. was opened. The 800 steps were cut from solid granite that lead around beautiful stone arches and retaining supports and is expected to last forever. This section has been rebuilt before because of heavy usage: it's only 40 miles from NYC and easily reachable by the half-million frequenters a year.

The Bear Mountain Bridge crosses the Hudson to Manitou, NY, just one stop south of Garrison on Metro North Railroad.

After we had walked many hundreds of steps, we thought we had to have reached our goal, but no, just a viewpoint along the way, with the Hudson in the distance.

At last we made it to the top to find Perkins Tower, built in 1934 as a memorial to George W. Perkins, chairman of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The tower affords a spectacular view of Bear Mountain Park, the Hudson Highlands, and Harriman State Park.

A few steps from the tower is a vantage point for Manhattan city skyline, very faintly visible here at about 3 o'clock.

We found this natty fellow posing for the crowds near the tower, next to the parking lot. BTW, you can reach this gorgeous spot without the arduous climb. Just drive!!
Follow this map:

Though we were tempted to hitch a ride down, we stuck to the trail. Some of us sporting hiking boots and walking poles were huffing and puffing, but here we must admit, there were many others in sneakers or flip-flops just hopping up and down the path with their dogs and babies in tow!

After a brief lunch, we headed back down the 800 steps. The old pedometer registered 6 miles in all, but the quads and glutes got a great workout on the climb!

Top of Bear Mountain and points north.

Walk 6 Miles NYC:Autumn Leaves on Riverside Park West 72nd Street to Little Red Light House/GW Bridge

2011-11-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

Update: November 27, 2011: Did part of below walk again, this time with AMC and added 2 photos of trees pointed out by Fearless Leader, Bob Susser:

Female ginkgo trees have beautiful flowing branches, but watch out for the scent of the fruit! At least this tree has no forbidding, spiky thorns to prevent animals from climbing, as is the case with the honey locust.

We were surprised to learn that there is a giant sequoia right here in NYC!!

Now, back to our original post to take you right up to The Little Red Light House and the G.W. Bridge:

In our quest to walk 10,000 steps a day, on the second Sunday of November, we joined Shore Walkers for a New York City Hudson River walk and put 6+ miles/12,000 steps on the old pedometers along Riverside Drive up to the George Washington Bridge and The Little Red Light House at 181st Street. The leaves were beautiful and we learned a thing or two along the way. We also found a great map that is down loadable as a pdf in 2 sections (north and south) and marks every single street, playground, dog run, tennis court, athletic field, access and exit, and all points of interest!
This walk can be really helpful for your pedometer walking program. Definitely put us on the trail of better bone density and weight control. Even with our high-calorie lunch and snacks of peanut butter and protein bars, we didn't put on a pound. Hopefully, the next bone-density test will show improvement, too.

For more info, there is a reference list at the bottom of this post.

The landscapes of Riverside Park were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, founder of landscape architecture, and built under the administration of Robert Moses. The land in Manhattan along the Hudson was originally developed for The New York Central Railroad. A plan for a Greenway was made back in the late 1800s. Little by little, walkways are reclaimed from the river and it becomes less frequent that walkers must abandon the shoreline for a few blocks and then rejoin. Hopefully, it will become a continuous path from Battery Park along Hudson River Park connecting to Riverside Park right up to the G.W. Bridge.

We met the group at the West 72nd Street entrance to Riverside Park. Though we have met here before, this was the first time we noticed Eleanor Roosevelt commanding the spot.

The Riverside Park Promenade was planned to overpass the New York Central Railroad from West 77th to 125th Street. To date, it has been extended south to 58th Street by Donald Trump, and north jointly by Riverside Park Planning Association and NYC up to 155th Street. Walkers, watch out for cyclists. Many speed and most do not yield!

On the promenade at 83rd Street, we learned about The Warsaw Ghetto Memorial Plaza, a square granite plaque dedicated in 1947. It is one of the first monuments to the Holocaust in the U.S.A. Under it are buried two boxes of soil from Terezin and Sered, concentration camps in Czechoslovakia.

And here again, though it was the umpteenth time we walked here, we discovered that this side dirt trail and others like it are called desire paths because they are created by people who desire to walk off-trail, or in this case, off-cement. We liked the softer surface, though one woman insisted that following it was not a very green act because the park supporters worked hard to maintain the grass. No matter that this strip had long ago been given over to walkers.

The many gardens, tended by volunteers, groves of elm trees and other landscape elements were the design of Frederick Law Olmsted. The one at 91st Street was the setting for the romantic last scene in You've Got Mail.

This building at 107th Street is referred to as Volunteer House and has an exhibit showing the great planting effort performed in this park by the many planting and clean-up volunteers. It also serves as a meeting house for the Grass Roots Volunteer Program members. There's an open house on some Sundays. Check the link for hours and dates.

This allee of London Plane trees gives a majestic feel to the park between 101 and 110th Street.

We followed a narrow path around the tennis courts at 119th Street.

We knew we had reached 122nd Street when Riverside Church peeked up above the tree tops. Not visible from this spot on the path is Grant's Tomb just north of the church. On an earlier AMC walk, we had been surprised to learn that Grant is NOT buried in this tomb. It is a memorial, and not a burial place. So there to all the posers of the old question....

The first boat dock we came across was back at 79th Street Boat Basin. Above and up here in the 120s at Harlem Piers, there were more, some ruined and some in use.

At 131st Street, you will see the big Fairway Market. Here you have a choice to keep walking on the new bike path, or you can do as we did and temporarily exit the park, cross the street and mount the steps until you reach the gateway to Riverbank Park built above Riverside Drive.

We walked under the parkway,

and headed for the stone stairs across the street.

At the top, we crossed the bridge and continued around to Riverbank Park with its playing fields,

cafe, facilities, and

picnic tables.

We ate our lunch here and then headed for the steps down.

Before the descent, we took this shot of our goal, the G.W. Bridge and the Little Red Lighthouse.

Down the steps again, we followed the path back to the shoreline.

The Hudson is supposed to be clean enough to swim in, but are the fish in good health?

Warning: When you get to this ballpark, DO NOT try to walk around it on the left. It is life-risking. We did it last May during Shore Walkers' Great Saunter and we are just lucky we got back on safe ground. Walk through the playing fields, even if there's a game going on.

At this point, we all had our jackets off. It was really warm for mid November...

So warm that this poor cherry tree was fooled into blossoming!

But a glance back toward Downtown in afternoon light was a dead giveaway to the coming season.

Pay dirt! Fort Washington Park and The Little Red Lighthouse. This spot in the river, called Jeffrey's Hook, was dangerous for river traffic, and in the 1800s, a red pole was constructed to jut out and hold two 10-candle powered lanterns. Then, in 1921, an old dismantled lighthouse was reassembled and put on its spot at Jeffrey's Hook. Just 10 years later, the brighter lights of the new George Washington Bridge made it unnecessary. It was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1948.

It became famous as "The Little Red Light House" when the children's book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, by Swift and Ward was published.

And of course, we can't leave without a good look up at the George Washington Bridge, designed by Othmar Ammann, the bridge that Mies van der Rohe called "the most beautiful building in New York!"

To exit Fort Washington Park, walk up the ramp just inland from the bridge and follow it up to the crossover.

On the other side, go south (left) to the corner of 181 Street, turn left and enjoy a short walk to Fort Washington Avenue.

There, on the southwest corner, you can take the A train, or ...

... the M4 bus, which works for us because it ends up going down 5th Avenue and we hop off at 72nd Street, not at all far from our hood.

See you next week when we plan to take the reverse direction south along the opposite shore of the Hudson in New Jersey! It's billed as a 14 mile mini-saunter. Better keep clocking those miles.
Or, if walking10 miles up along the Hudson works for your walking program, there is Shorewalkers' yearly Walk Off the Turkey coming up the day after Thanksgiving.

Related Books and Media:

G.W. Bridge

George Washington Bridge:Poetry in Steel Modern Marvels - George Washington Bridge (History Channel)
Harlem River Speedway Scene Beneath the George Washington Bridge (16x20 Photographic print.)

Olmsted
A Clearing in the Distance:Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick law Olmsted:Mogul of Parks Frederick Law Olmsted: Mogul of Parks and Landscaping
Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing the American Landscape
Robert Moses
The Power Broker:Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
Robert Moses and the Modern City:The Transformation of New York
Rails and Parks
New York Central Railroad:The Big Train
New York Central Railroad(MBI Railroad Color History)
Monuments in NYC Parks
Walks
Easy Self-Guided Walks in NYC
NYC Walks; New York Theater Walks
Frommer's 24 Great Walks in NY
Walking Manhattan's Rim
Paths Along the Hudson: Guide to Walking and Biking

Lighthouses
The Lighthouse Encyclopedia:The Definitive Reference

Lighthouses:A Pictorial History of Lighthouses

Walk The High Line in Chelsea NYC Phase 2 and "Phase 3"

2011-10-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

Post Contents:

Brief history and link to 2009 Opening of High Line Phase 1.
Introduction to a future Phase 3 as a concept.
Map of Park showing stairs and elevator access streets.
Photo Preview of newest section of the park: 20th to 30th Street
Special viewing of undeveloped, last section of The High Line at West Side Rail Yards.

In May, 2011, Phase 2 of the High Line Park opened, extending the hanging gardens of this reclaimed overhead tract from West 20th Street to West 30th Street, along 10th Avenue. Since Phase 1 of the High Line was opened two years ago from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, the plantings have flourished and the crowds have thickened.

History: From the 1800's through the early 1900's, this freight rail system serviced the busy industrial and meat-packing districts of New York. It ran on street level from Gansevoort Street up to 37th Street, starting along 9th Avenue and curving west to continue along 10th. Not surprisingly, the occurrence of frequent accidents soon earned this busy commercial thoroughfare the monika, "Death Avenue". In an attempt to reduce deaths of scurrying workers, the company posted a horse and rider in front of the train to clear the way. (photo found at title link.)

In the 1930's, as part of The West Side Improvement Project, the rails were raised 30 feet above the avenue to free the public from danger. Then, when the Javits Center was built in the 1970s, the northern hook of the tracks on West 37th Street was pushed down to West 34th Street, forming the present U of the last section, (still owned today by CSX Transportation), from 34th to 30th Street. This section is called The High Line at West Side Rail Yards. The last train, carrying a load of frozen turkeys, ran in 1980.
In 2005, CSX gave the High Line from Gansevoort to 30th Street as a gift to NYC.
Now, The Friends of the High Line hopes to save this last section of the defunct rails and turn it into Phase 3 of The High Line Park!

Walking west along 20th Street from the 6 train at Park Avenue to this newest access to The High Line Park at 10th Avenue gave us a little head start with mileage, but we had to do a lot of extra stepping to walk our five miles today!

Note on map that 14th, 16th, 23rd and 30th Streets have elevator access as well as stairways.

One of the public art works is "Still Life with Landscape" (Model for a Habitat), by Sarah Sze, located between 20th and 21st Street.

The Chelsea Thicket at 21Street.

The 23rd Street lawn and seating steps.

25th Street Flyover, one of the many seating areas affording views of the city below.

Narrower way along flower gardens.

View of wild, unreclaimed section's east-west 30th Street rail.

Last access at 30th Streeet with both elevator and staircase

More public art: Dazzle, disruptively painted storage containers (an old maritime stealth strategy), by Charles Mary Kubricht.
And the end of the line...

But today was our lucky day! Open House New York was hosting a walk-through the remaining, wilderness section from 30th to 34th Street. All we had to do was exit to the street and run before closing to 34th Street and the West Side Highway, sign a release form, and be admitted to the locked section of The High Line, which forms a U around the Long Island Railroad train yard.

We just made it before the gate was relocked. This was first peek up the steps on West 34th Street at the West Side Highway

The rails swing out to run along the docks and across the LIRR train yard before it arcs west in the distance at 30th Street.

A look back to the Javits Center on 34th.

Friends of the High Line volunteers explained the status of the old tracks and the hope that CSX will gift them to the city. As of now, a developer plans to deck over the train yard and put up buildings and through streets. A new commercial and residential community on level with a developed Phase 3 High Line Park is a utopia the High Line Organization can visualize and promote.

We stepped along, alternately on dead rails, rotted ties, and clumps of tundra-like grass. Much vegetation has been brought by the birds and the winds, the insects and the rodents.

Somehow, the thistles have needles that worked into our toes, heels and ankles. Ouch!

Just passed the rail yards, the raised tracks turn east to the Post Office on 10th Avenue. We avoided photographing the trains, as requested, for security reasons.

The Norwegian Gem was heading out to sea.

These crossing tracks and switch are sitting untouched since their last use over 40 years ago. From this level, the trains used to unload their cargo into the second-floor receiving areas of local businesses.

Back at the 30th Street gate, the volunteers explain to the crowd that they could not go out through the gate and enter the wilderness territory. Only those who had been admitted officially at 34th Street were touring and would be the one-way traffic back in.

On the ground again. The OHM building is one of many offering life at the end of The High Line at the East 30th Street access point. Unless, of course CSX makes another gift to the city...

Walking Istanbul

2011-07-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

"Istanbul is so unmanageably varied, so anarchic, so very much stranger than Western cities; its disorder resists classification."

- Orhan Pamuk, Istanbul

Post Contents:

Map of greater Istanbul
History
Simplified map of Old City
What will you see? Photo Preview: Aya Sofya, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome (Atmeydani), Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici), Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi), Spice Market (Misir Carsisi), Suleymaniye Mosque, Aqueduct of Valens, Kariye Museum, Mosaic Museum, Archeology Museum, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Seafood Bazaar, Galata Tower, Beyoglu, Istiklal Cadessi, Nisantasi, Dolmabahce Palace, Bosphorus Cruise, Buyuk Ada, dondurma, simit.

Map and a bit of Geography:

3 Parts?!? Europe and Asia? You can begin to understand from this map how Istanbul has an Asian side and a European side separated by the Bosphorus.

And that the European side is separated again into old and new sections by the Golden Horn, or Halic. The city owes its growth in part to this 4-mile long natural harbor.

The Bosphorus, (Istanbul Bogazi)) which separates the European side from the Asian side of Istanbul, is a heavily trafficked seaway that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Mamara.

History:

Istanbul is every bit as vibrant and exciting and ever-changing as other world cities like Paris, London and Tokyo. The meeting place of East and West--Asia and Europe--the city has been inhabited for some five millennia. It's been the capital of two of history's most powerful and influential empires, the Byzantine (which lasted 1,000 years) and the Ottoman (which lasted nearly 500 years).

As a result, every corner, every street, every block of this magnificent metropolis is steeped in history, and truly inquisitive souls will find themselves returning again and again to discover some gem they missed on past visits. Indeed, one of us has been to Istanbul four times, and the other twice.

Until 1924, Istanbul was known as Constantinople, after the fourth-century Roman Emperor who declared it the Second Rome. Under his tutelage, and that of some of his Byzantine successors, it reached the heights of wealth, power and prestige. Its geography was partly responsible: Lying on the Bosphorus Strait, with a natural harbor in the Golden Horn, the city straddles the continents of Europe and Asia. It became a center of trade and was long seen by the West as the center of Oriental exoticism and mystery.

Our Walking Tour: 10 Days
We recently set out to explore this marvelous place, spending ten days (seven as part of an organized walking tour, and three days on our own.) Istanbul was built on 7 hills, so you really build those muscles when you do the walks! It helps to fuel up at breakfast on the potent Turkish coffee. We took ours filtered, so we could gulp down the big cupsful.

One of the many steep cobblestone streets.

Everywhere you turn in Istanbul you find history, art, architecture, and the remains of layers of civilizations: Graeco-Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Ottoman, and finally modern development. Nearly every historic site of interest is located in the old part of Istanbul, which includes Sultanahmet. It took us a full week to finally understand the layout of the area, and we wanted to make it easy at a glance for you...

We created this simplified map of the Old City showing only Divan Yolu, the main street which is serviced by the tram. A few other streets are drawn as location references. (You'll need a good, detailed street map to do the actual walking.) Divan Yolu, which changes names as it heads westward, is straddled by many major sites. We were told that in ancient times, it was the road to Rome. It ran from the Byzantine Imperial Palace, now the Blue Mosque, all the way to the city of Rome!

A very modern system of transportation, including buses, subways, trams and trains, snake throughout the old and new parts of the city. Clean, fast and crowded, the tram line will take you to many of the sites in Istanbul if you're too tuckered out to walk now and then.

"Solomon, I have surpassed thee." So said the Byzantine emperor, Justinian on December the 26th, 537, when he rededicated the church of Aya Sofya.

Among the most important sites is the church of Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofya), meaning Holy Wisdom. Built in 537 by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, it is one of the world's architectural wonders. It features an awe-inspiring dome that rises 180 feet above the ground and measures 101 feet in diameter. The church was converted to a mosque when the city was taken by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1493. Since 1934, it has been a museum.

Over the years, after the Ottomans turned the church into a mosque, they plastered over many of the mosaics and frescoes in accordance with Muslim belief that the human figure should never be depicted; only Allah could create a human being,

Today, these precious mosaics are being gradually restored to their natural conditions. This Deeisis (a scene in which Christ is shown between St. John, on the left, and the Virgin Mary, on the right) represents the two as praying to Christ for the salvation of humankind.. .

The Weeping Column: (in the nave, northwest corner of the aisle near the huge alabaster urn on the first floor.) If you put your finger in the hole in this metal-clad marble column and rotate your hand, according to different legends, either your wish will be granted, or your ailment will be healed, but only if your finger comes out moist, according to some versions. It must be true because there are always long lines of folks waiting for their turn ;).

One of Sultanahmet's more colorful characters is this vendor of Dondurma, an ice cream containing gum. As part of the old tradition, the vendors go through a funny fake-out routine as they repeatedly pretend to extend the cone to your hand, but swivel it away just before you close on it. One Tramp couldn't get enough of the stuff; the other remained lukewarm. The Turks love their sweets, and number 1 favorite is lokum, or Turkish Delight. In fact, when the Turks offer a sweet, they say, Tatli yiyelim, tatli konusalim, which means roughly, Eat sweet and talk sweetly to each other.

The Blue Mosque, or Sultan Ahmet Cami, is the only mosque in Istanbul with 6 minarets!
It was completed in 1616 by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmet 1. It is one of the world's most renowned mosques, taking its name from the interior's blue tiles, which came from the Turkish city of Iznik. All told, 20,143 tiles of 70 different styles adorn the interior of this beautiful house of worship. It was built on the site of the Byzantine Imperial Palace, just opposite Haghia Sophia. This photo happens to be a cell phone shot from a restaurant roof on Divan Yolu.

The Blue Mosque's main dome measures 77 feet in diameter and stands 140 feet in height. The goal of Sultan Ahmet was to surpass Haghia Sophia, not in size but in sheer beauty. By any standard, many think he certainly succeeded.

The Blue Mosque's main and secondary domes are supported by only four massive columns, measuring 16 feet in diameter. Appropriately enough,they are known as "Elephant Columns." The mosque was originally illuminated by mosque lamps containing candles. Today, of course, the lamps contain hundreds of electric bulbs.

Just a few yards from the Blue Mosque is all that remains of The Hippodrome (At meydani), which originally was the scene of Byzantine chariot races and other crowd-pleasing contests. This one-time racecourse was 1,500 feet long and could hold 100,000 people. Today, it contains three major monuments: The Egyptian Obelisk (from 1,500 BC) taken by the Emperor Constantine from the Egyptian city of Luxor and erected here by Theodoseus;

The Serpentine Column, from Greece and cast in 479 BC (it featured three intertwined serpents with gold heads; and ...

Constantine's Column: ...the Column of a Byzantine Emperor with the forgettable name of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. He probably restored the column and clad it in bronze. It was perhaps originally erected by Constantine l who had a statue of himself as Apollo mounted at the top so that it would be higher than the Egyptian obelisk.

Closeup of Egyptian Obelisk, or The Obelisk of Theodosius, giving a better look at its hieroglyphics. Several other Obelisks from Egypt found homes in New York's Central Park, Paris, London and Rome.

Topkapi Palace. long the seat of Ottoman power, was built by Sultan Mehmet II from 1459 to 1465. It is truly an amazing place and is worth an entire day's visit. This sprawling place, just a short walk from the other attractions of Sultanahmet, housed 5,000 civil servants and members of the imperial household. Be sure to visit the kitchens (if open), the throne room, the harem, the Treasury, and the library. You can see the dishes the Sultans ate from, their wardrobes and weapons, even the imperial jewel-encrusted sofa.

The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Saray) is, as the Turkish name indicates, a "sunken palace." Begun by the fourth-century Byzantine Emperor Constantine, it was enlarged by the Emperor Justinian in 522 and is really nothing more than a huge underground water reservoir. It once held 19 million gallons of the stuff, which was directed through the Roman system to provide running water to each home. This system was abandoned by the conquering Ottomans who reverted to their practice of fetching water in buckets and throwing waste into the streets.

The vaulted ceiling would not be out of place in an 11th-century Romanesque cathedral.

The cistern's roof is supported by no fewer than 336 classical columns, many salvaged from old Greek buildings.

Be sure to check out the partially submerged, upside-down Medusa Heads, way in the rear of the cistern.

The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) is surely one of the world's largest indoor shopping malls. Founded in 1461 by the industrious Sultan Mehmet II, it was the heart of the Ottoman Empire's trade and commerce. Jewelry, carpets, clothing, shoes, food,banks lodging--whatever the tourist would want can be found in this colorful place, where everyday 30,000 traders work in 4,500 shops. Be prepared for some serious bargaining. And always start by offering half the asking place.

These attached wooden houses are typical of Istanbul. Many of them burned down during the 1950s, and some were later restored to their Ottoman glory.

A typical scene in Istanbul is this glorious mixture of the new, the old, and the very old. These houses are in the network of streets just behind The Blue Mosque, beyond the Arasta Bazaar, and to the southeast of the of the park between Aya Sofya and The Blue Mosque. The stone wall peeking out between the two buildings is a section of the city's land wall, built by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II in the fifth century CE. They withstood attacks by Huns, Russians,Crusaders, Bulgarians, and others before finally falling in 1453 to the Ottoman Emperor Mehmet II, the Conqueror.

Definitely worth a walkthrough is the fabulous Four Seasons Hotel, the converted old Sultanahmet prison, on Tevfikhane Cadessi, a street which passes between Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque.

Across the southern ring of Kennedy Caddesi at the foot of Gedipasa Cadessi is the Istanbul fish market with many restaurants right on the waterfront where we had a so-so dinner one night.

The Valens Aqueduct is another of Istanbul's ancient wonders. Nearly intact, it was built in the fourth century CE by the Roman Emperor Valens. it carried water from the Belgrade Forest (a neighborhood of Istanbul) to the center of the city where the Byzantine's Great Palace stood.

One of the most stunning features of Ottoman architecture is the dome structure of the Suleymaniye Mosque. Built in 1550 by the order of Sultan Suleyman, (Suleyman the Magnificent), Sinan Pasha, the great architect of the time, was attempting to outdo Justinian's Haghia Sophia, which in turn was an attempt to outdo Solomon's temple in Jerusalem.

Museum Day
Once our walking tour was over, we decided to visit 3 of the Sultanahmet area museums on our first independent day.

The supposed tomb of Alexander the Great in the Archeological Museum, located on the grounds of the Topkapi Palace. Made of marble, it features this figure of Alexander defeating the Persians around 330 BCE.

The only recovered serpents head of the 3 that once topped the Serpent's Column at the Hippodrome.

The Mosaic Museum features a stunning mosaic floor that's all that's left of the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors. It's one of the largest complete stretches of mosaic floor still in existence in Turkey. Wild animals and hunting scenes predominate.

Mosaic floor detail.

The last stop of the day was The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, located just southwest of the Hippodrome. It is said to house one of the world's best collections of Islamic art.

The next day, we began with the (Chora Museum) Kariye Museum, or The Church of St. Savior in Chora, an eleventh century Church containing one of the world's finest collections of Byzantine art. Its more than 100 glorious mosaics and frescoes depict scenes from the Bible. It's located in the western part of Istanbul in Fena, a district along the city's ancient land wall. We took our hotel clerk's advice and went there by taxi because public trans meant a combination of bus, tram and walking, which might delay our early start. The driver was very sweet and the 20-minute ride cost 12 TL (Turkish lira), or $8 for the two of us.

A highlight of the Chora, this scene portrays the Resurrection (Ansatasis, in Greek); it shows Christ pulling Adam and Eve from their coffins.

We had intended to walk back toward the tram to Sultanahmet along the Land Wall, but there was no continuous, safe walkway. Instead, we abandoned our exploration of the land wall at Fevzi Pasa Cadessi and walked west. We saw many interesting things that Saturday, and not a tourist among them. We were quite the oddities as we made our way along this busy neighborhood street.

You can't go anywhere in Turkey without encountering a Doner shop. Doner kebap (meaning "rotating roast") consists of meat, usually lamb, cooked on a vertical spit, sliced to order and folded into pita bread..

We encountered many pastane, or pastry shops. Baklava is a favorite, with su boregi (a savory pastry with cheese filling) a close second.

Discount wedding attire was plentiful in this Western part of the city.

When we reached Akdeniz Caddesi, we turned right on it to walk south to the tram for our trip back to Sultanahmet.

Almost at the tram, we came across this procession, depicting who knows what? Many children approached us to practice the English phrases they learn in school. "Hello. What is your name? Where are you from?" Proud parents often looked on, smiling.

We stopped for lunch and had our favorite: a glass of chai (tea) and a peynirli tost (grilled cheese sandwich). The strange smoking glass on the table was given to us by our friendly waiter. A moment before, we had seen one just like it at an adjoining table of young women celebrating a birthday. When we used a few words of halting Turkish to ask what the women were having, the waiter enthusiastically ran inside and reappeared to place a glass of dry ice on our table. Then he poured some hot water and carmel-flavored syrup over the ice, creating a fragrant, all-enveloping cloud. What language barrier?

We boarded the tram at Findikzade and held on for dear life, progressively pressed more and more like sardines in a can by denser and denser weekend crowds as we headed east.

Daytrip: Ferry to Buyukada.

When the Istanbulus have a day off, many like to hop a ferry and head for a favorite summertime retreat on one of the Princes' Islands. In the Byzantine era, banished emperors, empresses and princes (often after being blinded) were imprisoned in convents and monasteries on these islands.

Later, during Ottoman days, the islands were ghettos for Greeks, Armenians and Jews.

Among the 4 larger islands, Buyuk Ada (Big Island) was our day-trip destination. This island is now quite the desirable property and vacation spot. Buyuk Ada, it seems, is also a pilgrimage destination. Every April 23rd, thousands of people of all religions from Turkey, Greece, the Balkans and Russia come to climb the highest hill to Aya Yorgi, a monastery, to take part in an ancient fertility ritual..?

No cars allowed, just quaint water-front villages, grand Ottoman mansions, beach clubs, horse-drawn carriages and bicycle rentals for the hearty. Many of the filigreed houses are undergoing renovation. One of the most decrepit was a villa that once belonged to Leon Trotsky.

Even water has to be delivered the old-fashioned way on Buyuk Island.

Finally, a Venture over to the New City:
After our pastoral day on the Princes Islands (we won't go into the considerable anxiety we caused ourselves by jumping off the ferry a few stops too soon and found ourselves in Asia depending on the kindness of strangers to be redirected), we were ready to face the hubbub of the new part of European Istanbul, still referred to as Pera, the old Italian name for Beyoglu. That meant a short walk up from our hotel to Eminonu, the Old City side of the Galata Bridge, which crosses the Golden Horn, or Halic. The Golden Horn separates the old and new parts of European Istanbul.

The very walkable double-level Galata Bridge links Eminonu to Pera, the modern part of the European city. The Galata Tower is in the distance. This 205-feet high stone tower was built in 1348 by the Genoese, the Byzantine's trading partner. Make your way to the top, either by steps or elevator, and you'll be afforded a stunning view of the city.

The upper level of the bridge is lined with fishermen whose tiny catch we mistook for bait.

You'll find Simit wagons, like this one, all over Istanbul, Simit, eaten throughout the Balkans and the Middle East, is a delectable, chewy sesame-seed covered round bread that goes well with mozzarella-like keshar cheese. One of Istanbul's top five street foods, it's also found in chains like Simit Sarayi (Simit Palace) throughout the city. That's where we called it lunch!

The entrance to the Tunel, a nearly 2,000-feet long funicular that runs up a steep slope from Galata Bridge to the Beyoglu neighborhood of European Istanbul. The main street for shopping and browsing is Istiklal Cadessi, or Independence Avenue, or Grande Rue de Pera.

This ancient tram will take you from Tunel to Taksim Square. A few blocks of Istiklal C. is the Pera Museum. It's a private collection of modern art that is well-worth seeing. The building was the Bristol Hotel before the conversion.

We came across these Boats of the Sultans during our Bosphorus Cruise. They're really raucous floating kitchens, preparing food for dockside restaurants and wildly rock back and forth as they're buffeted by the waves thrown up by the passing ferries.

One of the sights you'll see during the Cruise is this fortress, known as the Fortress of Europe (Rumeli Hisari). It was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, preparatory to his siege of Constantinople to prevent rescue of the city. Across the Strait is it's twin, the Fortress of Asia (Andalou Hisari), built in the 1500s by the Ottoman Sultan Beyazit 1.

The Bosphorus Bridge connects Europe and Asia. Some 5,000 feet long, it was built in 1973.

The Istanbul skyline is one of the world's not-to-be missed sights.This quintessential Istanbul scene features the Suleymaniye Mosque, built in 1550-57 by Sulyman the Magnificent. It was designed by Sinan, the Ottoman Empire's greatest architect.

On our last day, we traveled back across the Golden Horn, but this time we took the tram to Karakoy, a short walk from Dolmabahce Palace.

Dolmabahce Palace was built in 1843 by the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Mecit. He wanted a palace as grand as those found in Europe and this was the result. It's really lavishly overdone and garish, and it's said that it's cost contributed to the downfall of the Ottoman Empire.We were there on a Sunday and had a 2-hour wait to get in!!

From Dolmabahce, we decided to see how the wealthy Turks live and spend their lira. We made our way to Nisantasi, a neighborhood in the modern part of Istanbul where Nobel-Prize winning novelist Orhan Pamuk grew up, and which is full of the stores you'd expect to find in New York or Paris. Alas, we could do little but window shop: it was Sunday, and the entire neighborhood was shuttered closed. We did manage to find an open optometrist, however, where we were able to purchase contact lens solution.
It wasn't until we returned to our hotel that we learned that the most upscale shops and cafes of Nisantasi are on Vali Konagi Cadessi, a street we had missed in our wanderings. Oh, well, we're sure they would have be shuttered, too. Right?
We found out also, after the fact, that the Harbiye Military Museum, located right on the train line we took back from Nisantasi to Beyoglu would have been an interesting stop. Istanbul is so rich in interesting sites that the task of researching everything you might like to see is overwhelming!

So went our ten days in Istanbul. Next, watch for our adventures in Southern Turkey, where we took a hiking tour along the Aegean Sea on an ancient road known as the Lycean Trail.

Walk the Historic Lower East Side, NYC

2011-06-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

On a recent May Sunday, we joined an AMC hike leader on a three-mile architectural and history walking tour of the Lower East Side. While a number of immigrant groups (notably Poles, Ukrainians, Italians and Germans) settled over the years on the LES, this tour focused on the Eastern European immigrant experience from the 1870s to the 1930s.

The LES is roughly bounded to the east by the East River, to the south and west by Chinatown and to the north by the East Village. To get there by subway, take the B or D trains to Grand Street, the F train to Delancey Street, of the J, M, or Z train to Essex Street.

We stopped at old food establishments, synagogues, dilapidated tenements, legendary stores, unusual artifacts and existing buildings that once housed banks, movie theaters, speakeasies, and Yiddish publishers.

Jonah Shimmel Knish Bakery, located at 137 E. Houston Street, has been serving knishes to hungry New Yorkers and visitors since 1910. A knish is an Eastern-European Jewish snack food--its a dumpling covered with a dough shell that is either baked or fired. The filling was traditionally mashed potato, but other versions contain ground beef, onions, kasha, or cheese.

Russ and Daughters, at 179 E. Houston St., has served New Yorkers since 1914. On the menu here are "appetizers," like smoked fish, caviar, cream cheese, bagels and bialys,

Katz's delicatessen, at 205 E. Houston St., opened its doors in 1888. Hot dogs, salami, pastrami, corned beef sandwiches are a specialty. During World War II, Katz's slogan was "Send a salami to your boy in the Army."

This synagogue, the Anshe Chesed was built at 172 Norfolk Street Street in 1849 for Polish Jews. When it opened, it was the largest US synagogue. When the congregation moved elsewhere in 1974, the building fell into disuse. It was purchased in 1986 by a Spanish sculptor Angel Orensanz who transformed it into an art gallery and performance space.Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were married here.

Anshe Chesed is rich in neo-Gothic Revival features, a popular style of the late nineteenth century.

A view from Delancey Street, north on Norfolk to Houston. The clock in the distance is designed to prettify the building's water tower, which someone obviously thought unsightly.

The "Blue Building" at 105 Norfolk Street,at Delancey Street, is a recent addition to an ever increasing gentrified LES. Directly opposite this new apartment building is the former speakeasy where Bugsy Siegel and his pals hung out.

Looking east from Norfolk on Delancey is the Williamsburg Bridge, connecting the LES with the super-gentrified Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

Crossing Delancey and continuing south we came upon the Beth Hamidrash Hagadol synagogue at 60-64 Norfolk Street. This Gothic Revival building was built in 1850 and was the first Eastern European congregation founded in New York City. Today, it's a New York City landmark.

The oldest continuous mikveh (ritual Jewish bath for women) is at 313 East Broadway.

Just a few doors down from the mikveh is the Henry Street Settlement building. This social service agency provides social services, health care services and arts programs to all ages. It was founded in 1893 by the reformer Lillian Wald.

One of the many synagogues and yeshivas that line East Broadway until it reaches Chinatown.

The Irving and Mary Streit, Multi-Service Center, at 235 East Broadway, offers services and social programs particularly for the elderly. The center is named after the founders and owners of the Streit Matzoh Company.

The Educational Alliance at 197 East Broadway was founded in 1889 by a group of organizations (Aguilar Free Library, the Young Mens Hebrew Association, and the Hebrew Institute) as a settlement house for Jews from Eastern Europe. Today, it offers language courses,childhood education programs, outpatient drug treatment services, counseling and afterschool programs, and older adult residential facilities.

The Forward Building at 175 East Broadway was the home of the Socialist-inspired Jewish Daily Forward, an influential Yiddish newspaper. The building was completed in 1912 and features bas relief portraits of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Today it's a pricey condominium.

Looking east on Canal Street, now the heart of Chinatown.

The Eldridge Street Synagogue, at 12 Eldridge Street, was built in 1887 for Eastern European Jews and features a Moorish-style interior, echoed on the outside by Moorish horseshoe arches. The synagogue was used until the 1940s, when the congregation dispersed. Today, it's a National Historic Landmark and includes a museum dedicated to telling the story and continuing the heritage of this remarkable building.

The Tenement Museum at 97 Orchard Street tells the story of the7,000 immigrants who lived in the building from 1863 when it was built. Today, it recreates the lives of the working class who lived here in the 1920s and 1930s. Guided tours focus on various aspects of the immigrant experience.

The communal outhouse of the Tenement Museum, located at the rear of the building on Allen Street. Living above this couldn't have been fun.

Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue, at Broome and Allen Streets, was build by Jews from Janina, Greece in 1927. A small museum tells the story of these Jews, from their lives in Greece to their arrival in America through present times..

The lack of indoor plumbing meant that New Yorkers at the turn of the last century had to visit public bathhouses such as this one at 133-135 Allen Street. For a nickle patrons got a towel, soap,and 15-20 minutes under a hot shower.

The Essex Street Market, at Essex and Rivington Street, was founded in 1940 to relieve the congestion caused by numerous pushcart vendors. At first, it served mainly Jewish and Italian clientele and goods offered included flowers, meats, clothing and produce. Today the market serves a wider customer base, offering gourmet cheeses, premium cuts of meat, fresh fish and other products.

The Lower East Side, with its historic tenements, culinary relics such as Economy Candy and Katz's deli, the hip bar scene and upscale restaurants of Clinton and Stanton Streets, manages to straddle two centuries at once.

Arden Point, Sugarloaf Hill, Osborn Loop, Garrison NY

2011-04-15T00:30:00.000-07:00

Post Contents:

Map: East Hudson Trails, Hudson Highlands State Park, Trail Map 101
Trail Summary as Overview of Options
What will you see? Photo previews
Recommended Books at Amazon: Books Blog, Category II.

Note: We just took this hike with AMC for the 4th time, and each time we have followed the trails in a different sequence and with a few different turnoffs. This time, we walked from Arden Point and did not take the Osborn Loop for a total of 7 miles.
Choices and general directions are below. You will need the map and details available at below site:

Trail Summary:
Note: This is a summary, not exact directions. Be sure to have a map and consult http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/east-hudson-highlands-5 for important details.

1. Arden Point/Marcia's Mile:Blue Trail south from Metro North Garrison RR Station parking lot.
2. Arden Point/Marcia's Mile: Red Trail (paralleling the rr tracks) as far as desired for 4 look-out points, including a gazebo, benches, and Arden Point itself, which we stopped at on our way back.
3. Glenclyffe Loop: Red blazes (or Marcia's Mile, at sign/white blazes with fox logo, is shorter transverse) east to Route 9D.
4. Castle Rock Unique Area: Red Trail: Cross 9D. Enter through the stone posts at Wing and Wing Road. (Parking to the left if you choose to start hike here). Bare right at fork to trail head on left and follow the Red Trail up the meadow to gazebo and right turn on red to Sugarloaf Hill.
5. Sugarloaf Hill: Red Trail makes a sharp right to ascend about 800 ft. for knife-edge outcrop w/views of Hudson and Bear Mountain Bridge.
6. Osborn Loop: Blue Trail, where Blue intersects with red (a gazebo comes into view), don't turn right to follow red up to Sugarloaf. Instead, continue straight onto the Blue Trail and Osborn Loop, which joins the AT (Appalachian Trail white blazes) following the white blazes for a while, then back to blue, an addition of 6 miles. First time we took shorter Yellow Curry Trail at Curry Pond back to Blue.
7. Manitoga Nature Preserve and Russel Wright Design Center is accessible from the western side of Osborn loop. Yellow and White trails exit west to 9D (parking here, too) almost a mile south of Castle Rock.

Photo Preview:
(We mixed in some of this weeks photos with previous ones still relevant.)
The 10:50 Metro North train from NYC pulled into Garrison just before 12.

With Hal, our knowledgeable AMC leader at the helm, our group headed off on foot from the station onto the BlueTrail to the Red Trail, marked Arden Point, Marcia's Mile, Hudson Highlands State Park.

It seemed quiet at first amidst the long shadows and bare trees of the April, yet still winterview landscape.

These brick remains speak of something that once was... actually a lock factory.

We started the first ascent toward Arden Point.

The gazebo offered a great view of West Point across the Hudson.

The building on the right is the hotel for visitors to West Point Military Academy.
Beneath the river in front of us is the 250-foot deep canyon mentioned in T. C. Boyle's World's End.

Marcia's Mile starts here if you choose this point of the Glenclyffe Loop. Instead, we walked further south on the Red Trail for the next intersection.

At the southern tip of the Glenclyffe Loop, we followed the turns and passed this 1898 building, a main site of the Third Order of Saint Francis.

At Route 9D, we crossed the major north-south road and came to the entrance to Castle Rock Unique Area. It's through the stone posts marked "Castle Rock" and "Wing and Wing", a sailing expression for both wings back, the last sails added to gain top speed in a race!

Through the posts, then right at the fork past the barn.

And on the left is the trail head to the Red Trail up to Sugar Loaf Hill.

The view from the road to Castle Rock. It is said that John Muir stayed often at this mansion built in 1881 by William H. Osborn, Illinois Central Railroad president– and wrote a book during his stay. In recent times, it stood lonely and forlorn for many years, but now is in private hands again. There is a rumor that Frank L. Baum, standing across the river at West Point, may have been influenced by his view of the castle in writing the Wizard of Oz, but his stay preceded the building of Castle Rock by 10 years!

At the top of the meadow, the red trail turns right. 1 blaze = trail goes straight ahead. 2 blazes = a turn in direction of higher-placed blaze. 3 blazes = either trail begins or ends, depending on whether the triangle they form points up or down, respectively.

Just when we thought we were almost at our lunch stop, the the trail took a sharp turn to the right and got very steep.

A reward for the climb was a stunning look back to a second view of West Point from the heights of Sugar Loaf Hill.

The first lunch stop, atop Sugar Loaf Hill, a knife-edge ridge about 800 feet above sea level.

What? Lunch is over already? We hated to leave this scenic outcrop.

Prickly pear cactus. According the hike leader, this is the only place on all of these trails where this hardy desert plant grows.

How much wood could a woodpecker peck if a woodpecker could peck wood? Their holes follow the lines the insect run inside the trunk.

The giant boulder at right probably rolled to its present position thousands of years ago, after hitchhiking on a glacier from Canada.

On our way, we came across a canine in distress.

That's the Appalachian Trail, paralleling our ridge, standing at 1000 feet in the distance. This interesting looking tree in the foreground has been trained into this snake-like shape by the whim of a choking vine. Amazing, ain't it?

The way down is always easier--for most of us.

We followed the path back toward the crossing at Route 9D.

This sign post mapped our path from 9D to our second lunch point, and a lower view of the Hudson.
This area is rich in Revolutionary War history: We crossed the escape route taken in 1780 by American General Benedict Arnold. Arnold planned to betray the American Revolutionary Army in 1780 by surrendering his command of the fort at West Point to the British. The treasonous plan was discovered and Arnold, pursued by George Washington, escaped. He later joined the British Army and led battles against the Americans. He retired in London, England.

Garrison Institute is a Think Tank that explores caregiving, teaching and ecological issues.

Pee-yew! Does anyone smell skunk? We could have sworn the strong odor was produced by a live animal, but it was actually this Skunk Cabbage in full bloom.

The woods are full of surprises. Who would expect to see a bamboo grove smack in the middle of New York State?

A tree bedecked in early spring jewelry. We headed back west along Marcia's Mile.

We crossed a steel bridge over the railroad tracks to get to the Hudson shore.

At the point at Arden's Point, our group enjoys a second short lunch, affording new, lower views of the Hudson.

Lunch on the rocks.

We were surprised to see this oil tanker on the way back from Albany. One group member told us the tankers go up to Albany full, and return to New York City empty.

Finally back at the Blue Trail leading to Metro North Parking lot.

Another sign of spring. a lonely patch of yellow bloom.

In this pond, the green gel is actually a medium for frogs' eggs! Some will be tadpoles by next weekend!

Old Garrison Railroad Station/Hello Dolly. The end of the hike. The Gazebo station house in the background was featured in the film "Hello Dolly," starring Barbra Streisand. The film was actually set in Yonkers, but the old Garrison station was used as a stand-in.

From the active Garrison station, we saw this once-open beer bar. Our leader told us that a woman who had worked at the World Trade Center moved from New York City to Garrison and referenced this spot in a book called Tavern at the End of the World.

NYC Day Trip to Wave Hill: A Public Garden and Cultural Center, Riverdale, NY

2011-03-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

Wave Hill Public Gardens and Cultural Center is a magnificent destination. The views of The Hudson River and The Palisades are only a fraction of the bounty. The 28-acre park offers a gorgeous arboretum, paths of formal, and of "wild" plantings, water lilies and other aquatics, green houses, and historic mansions turned culture center, museum, gift shop and cafe.

It was mid November when we decided to walk our 10,000 steps up in Riverdale.

The ride: from Grand Central Station to Riverdale on Metro North was under 30 minutes.
Wave Hill Gardens, open year round, was a 1-mile walk from the station.
Public Tran: bus and subway directions here
There is a free van that meets every train to transport you to the gardens (5 minute ride), but, of course, walking is the healthier option!
The walk: about 20 minutes, with a hill here and there. Here's Hopstop's street map to follow:

(Detailed walking directions at Hopstop. Use 200 West 254th Street as the starting address and 675 West 252nd Street for the destination at Wave Hill Gardens.)

Drivers: from NYC to 675 West 252nd Street: 12th Avenue north to Henry Hudson Parkway to 252nd Street. Left turn to park. On-site parking for $8. Free off-site parking. Trip takes about 25minutes.

History: Wave Hill was originally developed as a family estate in 1843 by William Lewis Morris. In 1856, it was purchased by publisher William Appleton and used as a summer residence until 1903. During those years, Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt were among his tenants. It was then sold to George Perkins, a conservationist. In the 1960s, the Perkins family donated the estate to New York City.

Entrance fees: $8 per adult, 6 for students and seniors, 2 for children.
Closed Mondays except for special holidays.
The website offers vistor's hours,events, tour, van and facility info, printable maps of the gardens and a down-loadable self-guided tree identification walk.

The hot house plants were beauties...

This one seemed equipped with extra terrestial finger tips.

Surprisingly, there was a sign warning viewers that they are watched as they exit, and must not take plants!

So some people try to walk off with these babies?

Back outside, the variety of plants and styles of planting is amazing.

Uh-oh... the bees were busy before the snows of winter. Bullseye: there's one in each!

Labels were welcome for the botanically uninformed, such as we.

What a treat just weeks before winter's start.

The colors and varieties along the winding paths are astounding.

Cotton going to seed?

We didn't see a bee here, so we went in for a close up.

The lilies and other aquatic plants were adjusting to the low light of the season. The pond and arcades can help you review your knowledge of hydophytes, monocots and dicots. Ahem...

This exotic is along the strip leading away from the aquatics.

Back in here is an extensive network of planted paths, all of which are pictured and explained at this excellent link, which includes a live index to all the other planted zones, each viewable in every month of the year!

Back toward the entrance, voila, a papaya tree.

There are many gorgeous long-range views once you return to the open grounds.

Time for the race to see who gets to sit on the mountain chair.

Can you imagine all this as your estate home?

Last, we headed over to the Glyndor building, the gallery of the center.

There were several interesting wall exhibits and this central installation that provoked many guesses.

Just to the far side of the Glyndor building is the picnic area, the only place eating food from home is permitted. The rules are strict here.

Metro North platform, south to Manhattan.
This is truly a garden and park for all seasons. We definitely want to come back at least once a season to witness the changes and learn a little something next time, since we won't be as overwhelmed by the first view of the beauty there.
Let us know if you go!

Books Blog: NYC Walks and Nearby Daytrips and Hikes

2011-01-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

Contents: Category l: Books on New York City Walks/Walking Tours
Category ll: Books on Hikes, Walks and day trips near NYC
Category lll: Books on Walking and Hiking for Health

Category l.

New York City Neighborhood Walks

If you're like us, you search online for walking information, but you also like to have a few books on hand for information on the best sites to be sure and include in your walk, whether it's uptown or downtown, eastside or west. We can get more miles on our pedometers when we're stretching our route to include just one more notable garden or tavern or cobblestone lane. These books offer lots of helpful suggestions and background information.

Books that will help find self-guided walks:

Andy Warhol's New York City: Four Walks, Uptown to Downtown

Weird New York

Weird New York: Your Guide to New York's Local Legends

Invisible New York: The Hidden Infrastructure of the City (Creating the No…

Hidden New York A Guide to Places That Matter (2006 publication)

The Guide to Odd New York: Unusual Places, Weird Attractions and the…

Time Out 1000 Things to Do in New York (Time Out Guides)

Haunted New York City: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Big Apple

Frommer's NYC.

Frommer's 24 Great Walks in New York.

New York Walks, (On Foot Guides)
.
Architecture Walks: The Best Outings Near New York City.

City Walks: Architecture (Cards).

Radical Walking Tours of New York City (2nd edition)

     * Just Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, Including The East Village and Soho:A Primo Guide...;

City Walks: New York: 50 Adventures on Foot;

NYC Trivia Tours: Historic Greenwich Village ;

Poster: Washington Square Arch

Inside Greenwich Village...;

A Walking Tour of New York City: Greenwich Village...;

A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties;

The Mural at the Waverly Inn: A Portrait of Greenwich Village

Notable New York: The West Side and Greenwich Village: A walking Guide.;

Greenwich Village: A Guide to America's Legendary Left Bank;

   * Just Harlem
Harlem Renaissance: Map Poster Guide;

Touring Historic Harlem

Harlem Lost and Found

* Just Brooklyn

Weekend Walks in Brooklyn: 22 Self-Guided Walking Tours...

The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn: Ten Historic Walking Tours

Category ll.

Great Hikes and Walks: Day Trips from New York City

Whenever the weather is mild enough, we love to take Metro North Railway or one of the New Jersey bus lines and get up into the woods for the gorgeous scenery and wonderful hikes in the woodlands on both sides of the Hudson River. There is nothing as great as the feeling you get after a series of ascents and descents on the many trails of The Hudson Valley, allowing, of course, for a few good breaks for lunch and snacks on the rocks.

Sometimes we like to go on organized hikes in the woods, and sometimes we prefer to find a wonderful spot on our own. That's when it really comes in handy to have a few books for browsing and choosing. Always check for updates on trail conditions by using web and phone info these books usually provide.

Beautiful Trips from NYC:
Daytrips New York: 50 One Day Adventures in New York City and Nearby

Day Trips from New York City: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler

Frommer's Great Escapes From NYC Without Wheels (Wonderful Weekends)

Books that will help find self-guided hikes and walks near NYC:
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City: Including northern New Jersey ,..

AMC's Best Day Hikes Near New York City: Four-season Guide to 50 Hikes ..

Best Hikes With Dogs: New York City & Beyond.

AMC's Best Day Hikes in the Catskills and Hudson Valley

Take a Hike New York City: Hikes Within Two Hours of Manhattan .

Best Hikes With Children Catskills & Hudson River Valley .

Nature Walks In and Around New York City: Discover Great Parks an ….

The Best in Tent Camping: New York: A Guide for Campers Who ….

Walking the Hudson Batt to Bear: From the Battery to Bear Mountain.

Hudson Valley GPS Hiking Adventures and Historic Ruins .

50 Hikes in the Lower Hudson Valley: Hikes and Walks from Westchester

Walks and Rambles in the Western Hudson Valley: Landscape, Ecology,

Fifty Hikes in the Hudson Valley: From the Catskills to the Taconic

Paths Along The Hudson: A Guide to Walking and Biking .

Walks & Rambles in Dutchess and Putnam Counties : Guide to Ecology and Hist

Best Easy Day Hikes Hudson River Valley (Best Easy Day Hikes Series).

Serendipitous Outings Near New York City: On Foot in New Jersey, Long Isl, Hudson Va l.

Hiking the Road to Ruins: Day Trips and Camping Adventures to Iron Mine

Walkable Westchester .

Category lll.
Books on Walking and Hiking for Health

These books will encourage you to go beyond the occasional walk or hike event. Daily walking is essential to your physical and mental well being.

10,000 Steps a Day to Your Optimal Weight: Walk Your Way to Better Health

Pedometer Walking: Stepping Your Way to Health, Weight Loss

The Complete Guide to Walking, New and Revised: For Health

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Walking for Health

The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness

Walking for Fun and Fitness

Walking for Health: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Fit

Walk Away the Pounds: The Breakthrough 6-Week Program

A Great Help to Keep You Honest About Your Miles:
Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometermeters
Go Smart By Omron HJ-720ITFFP Pocket Pedometer with Advanc…
Omron HJ-303 GoSmart Tri-Axis Pocket Pedometer
Sw-801 Yamax Digiwalker Pedometer
Ozeri 4x3motion Digital Pocket 3D Pedometer with Tri-Axis Technology
Casio Men's SGW200-1VCF Pedometer Resin Strap Watch

Walk in Snowy Central Park and Environs (Area activities link here)

2010-12-28T19:50:00.000-08:00

Even though we had a brunch date on this third day after the big snow, we didn't forget our daily goal to walk 10,000 steps. Besides, knowing that we'd be walking it off, we did indulge in Pancakes and French toast in P.J. Clark's, right across the street from Lincoln Center. Fortified with yummy food and our gortex hiking boots, we waved so long to our friends as they piled into a taxi, and we began what turned out to be a 10 mile walk by hoofing it over toward the 72nd Street and Central Park West entrance to Central Park. The Transverse starts there and leads straight across to 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side.
(This is an update of this post. Some of the less snowy photos were taken at another time.)

Books and media list below post.

An architectural tour of Central Park West is definitely one of our goals. For now, though, we can name three buildings. First, we can recognize The Dakota, one of New York City's most notable apartment houses, so called because when it was built at the end of the 19th century, it was so far from the active center of Manhattan that it might as well have been in North or South Dakota!

The Dakota's amazing facade. It's claim to fame: Roman Polansky's horror film, Rosemary's Baby, was filmed here, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were residents.
Another grande dame of New York apartment buildings, the Majestic stands right across from the Dakota.

As we entered the park, we glanced back to catch this glimpse of the Majestic's towers.

Another of the four grand apartment buildings that define Central Park West, the San Remo is just north of the Dakota and the Majestic. Many notable people have called this Art Deco beauty home, from Eddie Cantor and Hedy Lamar to Steve Jobs and Steve Martin.
Just inside Central Park, this pathway looks just like a country lane--in the middle of the Big City.

Strawberry Fields, one of Central Parks most visited sites is a memorial to John Lennon.

Bethesda Fountain, featuring the Angel of the Waters statue, is considered the crown jewel of Central Park.

These pedicabs will take you anywhere you want to go--for the right price.

Pilgrim Hill, just north of the 72nd Street entrance to the Park at Fifth Avenue, hill has been a favorite of sledding kids for generations.

Before exiting the Park, we took a turn south to check out some other hills and smaller paths.

Literary Walk, with the Bethesda Fountain behind us.

This doggie is heading east to 5th Avenue, but we're not ready to exit yet.

Here's action on another hill. Watch out for tree hazards!

The brave headed up yet more byways in the snow. We decided it was time for a reward.

We exited at the 72nd Street Transverse and walked one block east to Madison Avenue, and then north to...

The Maison du Chocolat, a trek up Madison Avenue, is a good place to warm up on a cold New York Winter day.

After the wonderful, warming chocolate, it was a walk back down to East 66th Street.

Enjoy your 10,000 steps.... or even 20,000 as we did this snowy day.

Books and media List

Poster

Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History, Miller

Central Park Then and Now (Then & Now Thunder Bay)

The Park and the People: A History of Central Park

Central Park (Snow, Color) Art Poster Print - 24x36

Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park

Streetwise Central Park Map - Laminated Pocket Map of Central Park,

The Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park

Poet's Walk, Central Park, New York City Art Poster Print by Henri Silberman …

Creating Central Park (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Frederick Law Olmsted: Mogul of Parks and Landscaping (Titans of F…

Hiking with Poles - Don't Leave Home without Them!

2010-12-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

Why Use Walking Sticks?

For...

1. Knees, knees, knees!Gotta save them.

2. Balance and safety

3. Upper-body workout

Post Summary : Benefits of using hiking poles; tips for correct use; shopping information.

My third hike ever. I couldn't have walked that plank without the poles.

What do these two photos of hikers at Mt. Taurus have in common? Throughout our photos, you see a lot of hikers making their way up hills, across streams, and negotiating rocks with walking poles. Our hike leaders and orthopedists recommend poles as a surefire way to save wear and tear on the knees and other parts of the body due to overuse—and avoiding surgery on those parts when you reach your 40s, 50s, and beyond. We both have knee-cartilage problems and spend considerable effort building up the quads and hamstrings for stability, but one of us resisted using poles for a few years. And then, ... one day, ... the tumble. Just a few feet from the end of the trail, disaster waited in the ruts of the last grassy slope. Yup, poles would have saved that day! And the rest of the summer, which remained hikeless.

Dislocated shoulder and a double fracture of the arm.

Two sticks are better than one. More and more, we see even the younger hikers come equipped with telescoping, light-weight poles. In our own experience, we find they boost confidence and balance, especially on loose, rocky ground or when stepping from rock to rock to cross streams. They give you safer footing, and they take some of the stress off lower body joints, especially on the descents. Lengthening the poles and placing them one step below, just before the foot hits, eases the impact. Of course, when you readjust them for level ground or uphill, each time they are adjusted, the sections must be securely retightened or they will collapse under weight.

And here’s an added plus: by transferring some of the body weight from the legs to the arms and shoulders, the poles help you tone up your upper body. Shoulders, chest and upper arms show added definition beyond the gains of our regular weight-training programs since we started hiking using the hiking poles.

Tips on Using Poles Correctly
Of course, it's important to get instruction on how to use the poles correctly. Get advice from experienced hikers, and check the instruction manuals and videos. Incorrect use can strain the wrists, so be sure to get off on the right foot by first reading the instructions. As in most other things, it takes practice to use poles to get all their benefits.

1. Ideally, you would have time on a hike to adjust the length:
      longer for balance and support on the down-hill stretches,
      shorter to bear weight on the ups.
     When on even terrain, adjusted height should allow the forearm to be parallel to the ground. (Truthfully, we don't usually get the time to stop to adjust when the grade changes because we're too busy keeping up with the leader, and yet they are still very helpful.)

2. The straps are adjustable and should be entered by the hand from underneath so they support the wrist and palm before the hand grips the handle.

3. Practice your gait. We like to use the poles in opposition to our feet, i.e. Left pole digs in at the moment the right foot steps down.

Features and Prices
Features vary and so do prices. We look for light-weight, collapsible, shock-absorbing walking poles that we can hook onto our backpacks when en route to hikes, and that will fit in our carry-on suitcases when we travel. The lighter they are, the higher the price. We did a little shopping for you and stuck with the features we find essential. Note: One hiker on our Greek Isles hiking trip bought an inexpensive pair for less than $20 which lasted only a few hours before they fell apart and were junked.

Shopping Information for Collapsible Hiking/Walking Poles With Anti-shock Feature

Hikker HP-5 Anti-shock Hiking Pole, 2-pack
Mountainsmith Pyrite 7075 Trekking Poles, Red
LEKI Nordic Walking Traveller Nordic Pole
Mountainsmith Carbonlite Pro Trekking Poles, Slate
LEKI Nordic Walking All Season Poles
Trail Antishock Trekking Pole - pair-Leki

Walk/Hike 6+ miles Central Park, NYC: Bridle Paths and North Woods

2010-12-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

We were hiking with AMC right in the middle of Manhattan, stepping our way to better health along the bridal path, park roads, paths and bridges, through ravine, loch, duck pond, Harlem Meer and Conservatory Garden. (The dirt paths and occasional hills allow the listing as a hike.)

Safety: Some parts of the Park can feel isolated at off times. It's more fun to have company, so please don't go alone.

For this walk, you'd do well to wear hiking shoes in case you come across some muddy spots.

Note: You would be greatly aided by a park map. At each park entrance, or "gate", the Central Park Conservancy has kiosks where you can ask for maps. These maps are excellent and can guide your walk when you want to digress for rest rooms or other marked sites that we bypass on this circuit. If you are not able to get a hard -copy color map, here is the next best thing on line. For more information about park maintenance, events and free tours: centralparknyc.org.

Route Summary: We made the round trip from the beginning of the bridle path up to the north end of the reservoir, then onto the paved paths, north through the Ravine and other loops in the North Woods,out to the Lasker Pool/rink, and then a spur to the east along the Harlem Meer and south to the Conservatory Garden at 5th Avenue. Then south (about 10 blocks) to pick up the bridle path again at the reservoir and continued walking back west and south to the end of the bridle path where we began. Our pedometers read 6 miles.

For questions, contact: Bernice and Dan.
Book List at end of Post

We took the subway to Columbus Circle and entered Central Park at 60th Street through The Merchants' Gate. Appropriately, the merchants were setting up their striped kiosks for the Christmas gift fair.

Good place to bypass if you're here for walking, so keep to the left and shop later, after you've covered the whole trail to complete the round trip.

You'll know the bridle path because it's unpaved. We love walking on the soft earth because it's so forgiving on the old bones, unlike hard pavement. As you step onto it and go northward (to your left), a look back to the right shows the end of the bridal path just beyond the bridge, your destination for the return.

At this point, still in the low 60s (numbered streets), our path led northwest, toward the periphery of the park.

This mini mall with gift shop, cafe and rest room, is the only operational part of the former, famous Tavern on the Green restaurant, which used to be the sheepfold, housing a shepherd and the flock that grazed the Sheep Meadow until 1934. Finally, it dawned on us why the large tract of land just across the path, a favorite meeting place for picnickers with blankets, is called The Sheep Meadow!

That's a red-tailed hawk sitting on the middle branch just a second before he took flight. By now, most people have heard another hawk, Pale Male, a sometime perch hopper here. BTW, there is also an owl or two hanging around, but we didn't have the luck to see them that day. As a point of interest, over 270 species of migratory birds have been sighted in Central Park, a major stopping point on the Atlantic Flyway.

December still gives the gift of fall foliage, though much sparser each week.As this section of our path hugs the western wall of the Park, we will be just bypassing Strawberry Field, The Lake, The Swedish Cottage, The Ramble, Belvedere Castle and The Delacorte Theater, all to our right.

This tree has the unique ability to graft crossing limbs into each other into closed, solid polygons. There are more than 26,000 trees in Central Park.

Double bridge. The design for Central Park is called "The Greensward Plan," submitted by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. It includes 30 bridges and arches, and 11 overpasses across sunken transverse roads. It took 16 years to construct the Park. Central Park is the first major public park built in The United States.

The Reservoir, a 106-acre body of water, is surrounded by a 1.58 mile soft-surface running track. The fountain on the far side has 5 jets, one jet for each borough of NYC.

At the north end of the Reservoir, in The North Woods, we took the left fork of the bridle path, not the one that continues around the Reservoir, and we headed north. We left the bridle path altogether where it turns east. We continued north along The Loch.

The bridges and waterfalls of the Ravine reminded us of The Adirondack Mountains, which was the intention of Olmsted and Vaux. This end of the park was the site of military fortifications during the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because of the views it commanded of the rivers and Long Island Sound. Troups were quartered in The Arsenal during the Civil War.

Now, we find the tranquility of waterfalls ...

... and Rustic Bridges...

...fallen trees left in place -- trimmed only if they are blocking a path.

Then out of the woods to the Lasker Pool and Skating rink. At that moment, skaters waited off the ice while the ice-resurfacer machine did its job.

We hooked around the north of the rink, keeping Duck Island on our left.

The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center features hands-on exhibits and programs for all ages, including after-school activities, weekend workshops, and performances. Fishing poles are available for use at adjacent Harlem Meer. For hours and information, call: 212-860-1370.

The Conservatory Garden was our next stop, just south of The Meer, running along 5th Avenue, the eastern wall of the Park. Here we found the long shadows of late fall where last spring we had enjoyed the apple blossoms and fragrant lilacs. But artful nature presents beauty in any season in this 6-acre formal garden with spectacular displays of bulbs, perennials and annuals. The spring tulip display is not to be missed. Each spring, thousands of bulbs are planted, many gorgeous variations included, and then removed and donated elsewhere when blooms are spent. Only the first showing appears here.

This spiral suggests a maze now, but when in bloom, looks like a colorful tapestry to the residents on the Avenue looking down at the English garden from their windows above.

The 3 Graces, The Untermeyer Fountain, by Walter Schott.

Arcades, bowers, benches, a great place in the warmer months to sit and read a book.

This fountain and sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh, was donated to the Garden as a memorial to playwright and author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, known to children for The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and Little Lord Fauntelroy.

We left the Garden and headed south. The East Meadow was closed and under restoration until the fall of 2011. We decided to walk outside on 5th Avenue until we reached the eastern side of The Reservoir.

About 10 blocks down, at 90th Street, we found the next entrance at Engineers Gate.

The Reservoir was just inside. At this point, the old pedometer read 4 1/2 miles.

We picked up the bridle path and stayed on it all the way around the south of the Reservoir, and then took the fork to the left (south) and didn't stop until ...

Voila. Back at the starting point. Time to have a treat. The food kiosk and Christmas market is just a bit to the right back at Merchants' Gate where it all started. We basked in the knowledge that we were 14.000 steps further along to better bone density, and continued weight control. Oh, no! We felt so good, we went and had the flapjacks at P.J.Clarks just across from Lincoln Center. What was that about weight control?

Recommended Related Books and Media:

1. Seeing Central Park:The Official Guide to the World's Greatest Urban Park.
2. 212 Views of Central Park: Experiencing NYC's Jewel from Every Angle.
3. The Park and the People: A History of Central Park.
4. The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted: The Years of Olmsted, Vaux & Co.
5. A Clearing in the Distance: Olmsted and America.
6. Bridges of Central Park.
7. Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History.

Autumn Leaves Walk/Hike in Rockefeller Preserve State Park and Stone Barns Farm, NY

2010-11-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Content Summary: Area Description; Maps; Trail Information; Complete Travel Directions; Photos/Narrative; Recommended Books at Amazon: Books Blog, Category II.

Area Description: An easy day trip from NYC, in reach of public transportation, just in time for spectacular leaf colors, but with a few good weeks left for YOU, our 10,000+ steps were gorgeously trod just 30 miles away in the Pocantico Hills at Rockefeller Preserve State Park and neighboring Blue Hill Stone Barns, a non profit, progressive farm with a mission to educate young farmers and the public (more later). With our AMC hike leader, we clocked 6 miles on the old pedometer and had a chance to try some delicious grilled and baked snacks at the Blue Hill Stone Barns Cafe without gaining a single pound. But whether you're looking for a 6-miler or a much longer hike, you can navigate your walking, jogging, horseback riding and birding on these 1,400 acres of carriage roads created by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. What a great way for us seniors to try for better reports on our next bone density tests!

Trail Information: At the Visitor's Center, you will find maps (below) and general information to plan out your route.

E.G., our set marking points were: Visitors' Center, Swan Lake, Stone Barns, Eagle Hill summit, Visitors' Center.

A good supplement to the map those folks give you is this satellite overview of the entire area. Click here and choose: Trail map, satellite view (pdf).
(We found that we had to download the map to our computer before we were able to print it, so you might have to do the same.)

We also recommend a compass to keep track when the paths are unmarked, as they often are.

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Complete Travel Directions from NYC:
Driving: 55 minutes:Take 9A (the old West Side Highway) to Henry Hudson Pkwy. Continue onto Henry Hudson Pkwy. Merge onto Saw Mill River Pkwy N. Take exit 23 for Saw Mill Rd. Turn left at Old Saw Mill River Rd. Continue onto Neperan Rd. Turn right at Lake Rd. Slight right at NY-448 N/Bedford Rd. Turn left: Restricted usage road, Rockefeller State Park Preserve. There is a $6 fee for parking. Or - you can find free parking inlets and path access along Sleepy Hollow Road.

By train: Metro North, Hudson Line to Tarrytown Station. Take a short taxi ride to the Preserve Office on Route 117, Pleasantville.

From the Visitor's Center, we took Deer Run Path to Swan Lake, and then Boat House Path partially around the Lake. Our goal was to get to Blue Hill at Stone Barns on Route 448/Bedford Road by lunch, so we didn't follow too many loops north and south, but rather kept heading eastward. Route 448 is visible on the satellite map.

Stone Barns is an institution that trains young farmers to be innovative and truly green in the production of food. Group visits can be arranged for 10 people or more, or the site offers self-guided tours to download for individuals and families. The farm is operative year-round.

You know you're getting close when you come to the farm pastures.

... and the Stone Barn itself.

The sheep have had time to regrow their wooley coats since we saw them last in the spring.The paths start to get busy as you approach the restaurant.

This rooster had to wait for visitors' cars to pass before crossing the road.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is an exceptional, highly respected restaurant that serves only the produce and -- and animals -- grown and raised on the farm. Reservation are required for lunch and dinner, and the food makes it well worth the trip from the city!

In case you're thinking of skipping the hike and taking a direct ride to the meal, it's at 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills, NY., an easy cab ride from the Tarrytown Station, or driving directions are right there on the site.

Or, you can stay healthy and rack up the many miles along the paths with the lovely vistas and wooden and stone bridges over gurgling brooks, and just sample some grilled and baked delights at the Blue Hill Cafe.

It's a challenge to find a seat on the weekends, but there are beautiful spots back on the trails of the Rockefeller Preserve to retreat to and enjoy your lunch either from the cafe, or packed in your trusty rucksack!

This late bloomer was roadside, where we saw taxis pull up with dining and overnight guests.

Back out and away from the traffic, the colors were captivating.

The ear tag is a sad reminder ... this guy's here to be served. At least his life is pleasant.

We loved the progression of the color changes as we headed back to the west, passing across Farm Meadow Trail to Sleepy Hollow Road Trail, which took us to the southwest, crossing over the Pocantico River Trail, to the access point to Eagle Hill lookout point on Eagle Hill Road. The ascent took about 20 minutes, and was well worth it.

This vista was the first of the day to include the Hudson, and there were some good flat rocks to relax on. From up here at Eagle Rock, the walk back to the Visitors' Center took about an hour-and-a-half because we wanted to rack up some more miles on the old pedometers. But you can make it back in half the time if you follow Sleepy Hollow Trail straight out.

On our earlier post for The Rockefeller State Park Preserve, we offer an alternative walk to Rockwood Hall and the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, a trip you must take on another day.

Hike Mount Taurus, 1400 feet, Cold Spring, NY : 5 1/2 miles

2010-09-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

Post Contents:

Public Trans and Driving Directions

Trail Map and Hike Directions

Book Picks at Amazon: Books Blog, Category II.

Scenic Views, a Photo Preview

It was in the midst of this very scenery that we clocked about 6 miles on the old pedometers yesterday! Yeah, not that many miles, but what a full-body workout you get on that steady, at times steep ascent! You do the entire 1400 feet before lunch at the summit, and then it's all downhill from there.

Transportation: When we searched the AMC site for a hike near NYC reachable by public transportation for this weekend, we were happy to see that our favorite, fearless leader was making his September trek up to the summit of Bull Hill, aka Mount Taurus , in Cold Spring Harbor. We caught the 9:50 Metro North Hudson Line train from Grand Central Station to Cold Spring and met the group at 11:10 as scheduled.
Driving Directions:New York, NY (about 1 1/2 hrs.)1. Take George Washington Bridge Upper Level to New Jersey.Take exit 74 for Palisades Pkwy(Toll road) and merge onto Palisades Interstate Pkwy.Re-Entering New York: Exit onto US-6 E/Palisades Interstate Pkwy toward Palisades Pkwy/Bear Mountain/W Point. At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto US-202 E/US-6 E (Partial toll road ). Turn left at New York 9D N/Bear Mountain-Beacon Hwy. Continue to follow New York 9D N passing through the town of Cold Spring, passing the intersection of NY9D and NY301, go about another half mile and park in lot on right at the Washburn Trail markers: white blazes.

Trail map of Cold Spring and Mount Taurus, (below).

Trail Map:

Hiking Trail Summary: The Washburn (white), the Notch (blue), the Brook (red), and the Cornish (blue) for the finish. See important detailed trail notes at end of this post.

Photo Preview:
The trail head is just 0.8 of a mile north of the railroad station on Route 9D; some walked, but we took a ride. At the parking area of Little Stony Point, turn right onto the White Trail. It's all uphill with better and better views to the south and west for about an hour and-a-half before reaching the tree-shaded summit.

Right from the start, the group spread itself happily along the trail.

Hiking poles really help you to keep your balance and to keep some of the weight off the knees.

A short stop along the way for a look back at Cold Spring and the Hudson. At this point, Fearless Leader (FL) sent ahead the part of the group that wanted to ascend at a faster pace with the instruction to wait up for the rest of us at the junction of the White and the Yellow Trails.

We gave a copperhead snake the right of way.

FL explained that the snakes in this area keep the number of ticks down by controlling the mice.

When we started to feel hungry, we checked our altimeter. Just another 100 feet to go to the summit and lunch.

The last few feet felt the hottest.

We chose a low rock in the shade, right smack in the middle of the White Trail. Of course we pulled our feet in to let people pass. Oops! One of us discovered he forgot to wear his regular trail boots...

Can you beat this?

The Catskill Mountains are in the far distance, and that's the Beacon Tower on the north ridge of Breakneck Mountain just across the valley. We saw two hawks zoom in together, and then soar apart, one to the south and the other to the north.

Back on our feet and on the White Trail for the descent. We took it as far as the Blue, or Notch Trail.

Three trail markers in a triangle on the tree with the single one above the other two indicate the beginning of a trail. Here we go south onto Blue.

There are lots of downed trees in these woods.

We recognize some of the same ones year after year. The seeming stillness must be rattled often by turbulence.

When it was time to walk the plank, a few of us preferred the lower path...

Rock hopping across the brook was fun.

This structure is one of several ruins from the Edward J. Cornish Estate of the National Lead Company. Cornish died in 1938 and the estate has been abandoned since then. The linked site gives the interesting history along with photos of the grounds.

We turned south on the Red Trail...

and passed the hearth...

and more ruins of the Cornish Estate main house, and then, when Route 9D was in view, in order to avoid walking the last, short stretch out on the road, we turned left on the Blue Trail and were able to stay in the woods all the way back to the parking lot at Little Stony Point.

Important Detailed Trail Notes:
Total Distance: 5.2 miles
Ascent: 1400 ft.
1. Washburn trail (white blazes) to summit of Mt. Taurus, also marked Bull Hill.
2. Continue on the Washburn trail, past the yellow Undercliff trail to the intersection with the Notch trail (blue blazes). 3. Go, straight onto the the Notch trail, which is not always well marked. Avoid a right turn onto the green Lone Star trail).
4. Go left onto the Brook trail (red blazes) and pass the yellow Undercliff trail up to the Cornish trail (blue blazes).
5. Stay on the Cornish trail (blue blazes) when the Brook trail goes right. The Cornish trail is partially paved and leads almost to a gate at the road, but veers left and becomes unpaved back to the parking lot.

Hiking the Ruins in Sterling Forest State Park, NY, The Former Sterling Iron and Railway Company

2010-08-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

In our search for a hike that was near NYC and reachable by public transportation, we decided on a spot neither of us had ever been before. Our AMC hike was on the west side of the Hudson this time, in Tuxedo, NY. It was a great place in the woods to clock our 10,000 + steps on the old pedometers!

Directions: To get there, we went to Port Authority and took a Coach Line bus to Suffern, and then a car ride with the hike leader into the park. If you are driving, you get to Route 17N/Orange Turnpike. Then follow directions from mapquest to Sterling Forest State Park, 116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo, NY.

We started out at the Visitor's Center and had a flora and fauna orientation. We learned we might meet black bears, timber rattlesnakes and copperheads!

There are many excellent events held at this park. The title is linked to the official park schedule.

Park info:

Sterling Forest, one of the larger of the park reserves in the Ramapo Mountains in New York State, is the newest addition to the park system, added in 1998. The park was originally owned by the Sterling Iron and Railway Company which mined and shipped iron from the site until the 1920s. In 2000, local residents and conservationists were able to procure this tract for a state park to prevent developers from turning it into a community of large houses. The park lies in the New York-New Jersey Highlands, a 1 million acre stretch of natural habitat from the Delaware to the Hudson River. The park is administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.

For us, what made this hike so special was there was even more than wonderfully pristine woods and lake, and well-marked trails; there were the ruins from the iron mines! From the Visitor's Center, we took the blue Lake Trail and walked around the lake, then took the yellow Ironworks Trail. Our walk had no real ups and downs, but there are many more challenging choices available.





Click this enlargeable map of the whole area.

We started into the woods.

Sterling Lake is crossable on a beaver dam...

To one side of the dam/bridge the lake is clear.

The beaver hutch is constantly maintained.

As we continued around the lake, one gorgeous view followed another.

The trail becomes a paved path when it heads toward the ironworks. We kept our captions of the ruins short because we found this amazing site and map when we got home: Wikiworldflicks.org http://wiki.worldflicks.org/sterling_forest_state_park.html#coords=%2841.209783,-74.260368%29&z=14

It explains each ruin in fascinating detail, including that the mine entrance went down gradually for the length of the rails, about 2500 feet with operations at several levels on the way down, and that the entire mine (1/2 mile long and 500 feet wide)

was under the lake!

Sterling Iron and Railway Company operated from 1736 to 1923. The company made its first anchors for ships in 1753. It was a hub of activity during the Revolutionary War when it supplied the Continental Army with arms and ammunition and anchors for navy warships. An iron chain was made that was laid across the Hudson River at West Point to stop British vessels. After a resurgence of activity during World War I, the company went out of business in 1923.

The Sterling furnace produced high-quality pig iron and was one of the country's most well-known and respected iron operations.

The first iron mine structure is just ahead.

Sterling Iron and Railway Company signs lead the way.

The structure is solid and the curious can climb around a bit.

The cables went down many stories into the earth.

Up close ...

The mine entrance.

Behind this door is a bit of water and a tunnel.

Just above the mine entrance.

Continue around and come to remains of old buildings.

This one was a hotel.

Ghost Town is what they call it now.

This former home was part of the lost village of Lakeville. There were 140 houses built for the miners. Numerous foundations around the site are reminders of the church, school, hotel, stores, homes and offices that were part of this bustling community.

This impressive structure is actually a reproduction of the original furnace.

More remains.

The breeze came through exquisitely here to make this spot the coolest of the day.

The beauty of the park makes it hard to believe that the iron mining practices of the last century caused considerable pollution of the land and lakes. Thankfully, all is restored to a more natural state. Still, there is no swimming in Sterling Lake, but the surrounding lakes are rife with beaches and bathers. We are happy to have discovered this area. The AMC leader plans to have another hike around the lake and over to the fire tower and a bit of the AT. We look forward to whatever that will bring.

Hike 8 miles in Garrison NY

2010-05-31T23:53:00.000-07:00

We met our favorite AMC leader up at Garrison Metro North Station about 11:00 and piled into cars for a ride to the trailhead on Route 9D at Wing and Wing, the Castle Rock Unique Area. We started out on the Red Trail.

After an initial ascent on the Red Trail, we stopped to admire this view of New Jersey and The Hudson River.

This burn is evidence of a fire that was started at the end of March, 2009. As we made our way up through a meadow to this higher wooded area, we noticed deep ruts in the grass. They were made, we were told, by the firetrucks that tried to come up as close as possible. Almost three months later, we could still smell the burnt wood.

Were these canine friends out for the full 8 miles, or just a quick walk in the woods?

Fearless leader made sure all stopped for a water break.

The group turns off the Red Trail and picks up the Blue.

This part of the Blue Trail seemed like the middle of the rain forest. Not a place to be stranded...

We each had our own approach to making our way over barriers on the trail.

These flat-topped rocks make a perfect lunch stop -- except for the flies that swarmed only around the two of us! We think it may be our wool, stink-proof hiking tees.
This may look like a tulip, but fellow hikers told us that it's actually a poplar blossom.

So,... here's the tulip -- err -- poplar tree.

We were sure one of us would end up in the drink. But this brook was not to be our Waterloo.

At this point on the Curry (yellow) Trail, we asked our leader how high we were climbing. His response: high.

The yellow triangle marks the end of the Curry Trail and the white blaze is the beginning of the Appalachian Trail.

The fern is the first growth that appears after a burn. We saw quite a few of these fern fields on the way out.

This gazebo is adjacent to an abandoned farm site. Only retaining wall stones and what's left of their carriage roads remain.

One of the tramps, feeling very cocky, shows off the henna tattoo he got the previous weekend in L.A. The Good Book says, Pride goeth before a fall.

A sudden shower caused every one to rush toward the cars below this slope. Here is where one tramp met his Waterloo...

...and ended up here with a dislocated shoulder and contusions he could tell you about.

Next week, we hope to walk somewhere, anywhere, just be able to walk!

Fahnestock Hike Revisited

2010-04-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

We made our first hike of the season to Clarence Fahnestock State Park last Sunday, almost a month earlier than last year's May '09 Fahnestock Hike. We took Metro North to Cold Spring, where we met the AMC group and piled in with one of the many drivers willing to give lifts to the trail head on Route 301. This map shows the route from the railroad station. We found the remembered winter landscape vanished, the blossoms all gone to compost, and full greenery shading the trails. We enjoyed the beautiful nuances of light threading through the fringe of new leaves as we made our way from Red Trail to Yellow to Blue and back to Red Trail, just like last year (trail map below). And as we did last year, we passed the remnants of rock boundaries outlining old homesteads whose owners abandonned the rocky hills 200 years ago and moved west in quest of fertile land. And right on cue, we came to the hole in a tree drilled by a piliated woodpecker pointed out a year ago.

Post Contents:

Link to Original, Detailed Post: May '09 Fahnestock Hike
Recommended Books at Amazon: Books Blog, Category II.
Trail Map
What Will You See? Photo Preview

Woods trails, alpine vistas and brook crossings:

Something new for us -- the fiddle head ferns prized by chefs back in the city this time of year. We had thought that fiddle head was a specific fern but it turns out to be a term given to any greenling in this early, curled-head stage just before it unfurls, as shown below.

Just at the edge of the woods, we found this mountain tulip, identified by a fellow hiker who had

seen them last week in The Catskills.

Trail map of Clarence Fahnestock State Park.

This weekend, it's The Great Saunter. We plan to join Shorewalkers for a 32 mile, 12 hour walk around the island of Manhattan. We'll check back and let you know how far we got. Our pedometers will keep us honest. Surely we'll clock at least the required 5 miles.

Hike to Croton Dam, Croton-on-Hudson, NY, 8 Miles

2010-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sing-Sing Village, oil by Hugh Reinagle 1830.
We walked from Ossining Metro North Station to the Old Croton Dam and Sing-Sing museum, then along the Old Croton Aqueduct to the Croton Dam, and back to Metro North Railroad at the closest station, Croton-Harmon Station. This hike has an optional extension from the Dam to Teatown Lake Reservation. This beautiful lake walk through one of the largest bird and wildlife preserve in NY leads to an information/nature center and shop. The more miles, the better to build bone density and help with our constant struggle for weight control. This is a great map locating the area south of the Croton Dam and detailed trail maps with a printable version.

Our walk started at the Ossining Metro North Station up and away from the tracks and the coiled barbed wire of Sing Sing Prison, eastward through town to 95 Broadway, the Caputo Community Center and museum. We loved the informative displays about SingSing Prison and the Old and New Croton Dam and Aqueduct.

In the showcases, plaques and prints explained the history of the area. The Sint Sinck Indians (origin of the name Sing Sing), sold the land now included in the village of Ossining to Frederick Philipse in 1685. Sometime within the next two centuries, large prisons were built to replace the old penal system of stocks and pillaries. Ossining became home to Sing Sing Correctional Facility, just "up the river" from NYC.

You can look, but do not sit!!
In 1888, New York State abolished hanging and substituted electrocution. Electric chairs were installed in Auburn, Sing Sing, and Clinton Prisons. 614 prisoners were electrocuted at Sing Sing between 1890 and 1965, the year New York State abolished the death penalty.

Watch out for dangerous types lurking behind the bars when you walk by this cell block.

The Old Croton Aqueduct: Just outside the visitors' center, we picked up the trail of the OCA (click for exact walking directions.) and the hike continued.

Our leader knew each leg of the surprising walk along the aqueduct. Some of us expected to see water or pipe-works, but all is hidden below a series of dirt paths, populated streets, wooded lanes, and paved roads. BTW, many hike leaders are in their 80s and are still going strong. Hiking may be a way to live a longer life, no?

Nature sprouted spring surprises at every turn.

Someone guessed J. Gould, one of the area financeers might own this stone mansion.

This was the first of three air ventilators, spaced 1 mile apart, we were supposed to pass on our way to the dam. The aqueduct system draws air down from these vents to keep the water flowing toward its destination, while allowing excess air pressure to escape before problems develop. This engineering technique is borrowed from the old Roman aqueducts.

We were an easy-going group, so when someone said he was hungry, we found some rocks and sat for lunch. It was a welcome break in a long walk. We allow ourselves the high calories of a peanut butter sandwich for energy.

Then, it was back on the trail. In the unusual heat of the 90 degree April day, we would have traded some of the beautiful new buds for the darker green of mature shade-providing leaves.

We marked the second ventilator.

These high-perched homes on our right must offer beautiful views. Off to the left, we could hear and sometimes see the roar of the river below in the gorge.

One of our group spotted this geode, right there in situ!

Ah, the 3rd ventilator we've passed on the OCA. The Croton Dam can't be far.

This bridge is the end of the trail. Wait 'til you see paydirt:

We looked north at the huge reservoir.

And at the engineering feat that created it.

Then we looked south from the bridge and understood how the water is led to its destination.

Excited by these impressive views, we began the walk back and over toward the Croton-Harmon Metro North Station. (On another hike here, we took the extension to Teatown [see link under first photo at top] right from this spot.)

There was one steep incline and a trunk straddle to get passed a felled tree.

Then it was back to civilization through the streets of Croton-on-Hudson. We still had hopes of catching the 3:30 express train back to GCS.

But it left without us...

Happy to find a bench, we waited for the 4:00 local. Good to have time to reflect and recover, all with the satisfaction that, according to our pedometers, we had surpassed by far our daily goal of 10,000 steps. Hope the next bone density test reflects this.