Year 1 - Ride Day 14 - Southington CT to New Haven CT - Sept 14




Today's ride will take us to the Union Station in New Haven where we will catch the train to Philadelphia.

Within a mile or so from the motel we were back on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. We will be riding this trail almost all the way to New Haven. It is a gradual downhill all the way. Nice way to end our epic ride! 

Somewhere near Cheshire, the trail transitions to the Farmington Canal Linear Trail. A few miles from New Haven, we encountered a sign the says we only have 2,158 miles left to Key West! No sweat, we got this!

It was not hard to tell that Yale is in New Haven. Everywhere you looked you either saw buildings or vehicles with the name on them. 

New Haven has a good system of bike lanes which made it relatively easy to travel through this busy city. Except for when a delivery truck or two parked in the bike lanes!

Train stations are always a challenge with bicycles. We had to ride a ways too small elevator down, walk across under the tracks and ride the same size small elevator back up to the proper platform. The small elevator required us each to make individual trips. 

In what seemed like almost no time at all, we were unloading our bikes in Philadelphia! The Philadelphia elevator is much larger and accommodated all three of us plus. 

The wait for our train to Mount Joy, although a couple hours away, also seemed to go quickly. A very exuberant “Red Cap” asked if he could help us get to the train! After explaining where we were headed, he made a radio call to determine the correct track/platform for us. He excitedly said “follow me!” He directed us to the proper elevator and took us down to the platform. 

He explained how we could tell which cars had bike racks. This was the first time anyone took the time or initiative to show us this detail. While he was waiting with us, he got a radio call. Apparently due to other trains being delayed, the station made a change to our track/platform in order to keep our train on time!

He jumped into action and got us all on the elevator, back up to the main level, and on another elevator down to the new track/platform. It is obvious that this gentleman loves his job! He does it well and with such pleasure! 

We arrived in Mount Joy about 7 p.m. Dan pedaled off toward his home as Gary and I pedaled to my house where he had parked for the trip. 

Can’t wait to plan and ride our next leg of the East Coast Greenway!

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