Hello Trenton.
View the Photo Album
Viva le Tour de Jersey! Two days, 90 miles, and a layover in the state capital, all on the (t)rusty Ross bike.
After a short train ride to New Brunswick, the tour kicked off with a visit to the State University of New Jersey - Rutgers. Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting much, but Rutgers has a really nice campus. In fact, the parts that I visited reminded me of a northeast private school or, dare I say it, an Ivy League school.
As we all know though, colleges are more than just some nice buildings and classrooms. Across from the main mall, stood a collection of "grease trucks", serving up "fat sandwiches", including the #1 sandwich in America. I'll take one Fat Darrell please: chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, marinara sauce, and french fries on a toasted bun.
After carbo-loading, it was time to really get this ride started. The plan was to follow the Delaware-Raritan Canal to Trenton and arrive by nightfall. Most of the plan was a success. The path along the canal was ideal. Soft, crushed stone along the old towpath, with fall foliage exploding in colors. The path meandered through the New Jersey country-side. The still waters of the canal reflected the shades of fall. Locks, lock houses, and mills added a touch of the human element. Carnegie Lake appeared just in time for sunset. Stunning.
Only one problem: Carnegie Lake is no where CLOSE to Trenton. I did the only thing I could do - got on that bike and started pedaling. It was a quick-setting sun, which was unfortunate for me. The path was unlit but straight. I just kept going. With the heart beating a couple extra skips, deer began jumping out of the brush as I went by. Massive deer.
I started to close in on Trenton. My fears and imagination began to shift. Bums. Where do bums hang out? Under bridges. Being that I was following a canal, there was very little chance that I would be on the up-side of an overpass. And Trenton bums have to be the bummiest bums of them all. Just keep pedaling.
The trail kicked me out at Battle Monument. Welcome to Trenton. I turned south and headed for my accommodation for the evening: airbnb! Through another rough neighborhood ("Are there any nice parts of Trenton?" someone asked me. "I haven't found them yet."), boarded up houses, white boy on a bike... found it.
It was my first time staying with someone through airbnb and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Tom and Shenita had dinner waiting for me, along with great conversation. Exhausted yet showered and fed, I made it an early evening to coincide with the upcoming early morning.
Up early, I biked over to the Trenton Makes bridge - talk about a claim to fame! Still too early for a tour of the State House, I biked down to Bordentown, home of Thomas Paine AND Napoleon III.
It was cold and I wanted to keep moving, so back up to Trenton for a tour of the capital. The exterior, with its golden dome, was visually impressive. I've seen better interiors (and bathrooms). Billed as the second oldest state house in continuous operation (after Annapolis), the oldest parts had been whitewashed and turned in to receptionists desk. C'mon Jersey... just a little charm. Just try!
After the tour, I started feeling a bit weak, but it was back to the bike, this time north along the Delaware. A little ways up the road was Washington Crossing - the point where Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware. Very impressive sight, especially with a recreated ferry boat on display. What must have been going through those kids heads on that evening. Unbelievable.
Further north to the very cool town of Lambertville. I tried a visit to the River Horse Brewing Company, but unfortunately it was closed, so I grabbed a beer and snuck some sips along the river. Good beer! Lunch in an old railroad station, then the sickness really came strong. Flu? Allergies? Jersey Exposure? I don't know what but I felt miserable. Needless to say, not the most convenient of places to get sick. It was time to head back to good ol' Trenton.
I crossed into Pennsylvania, grabbed another beer at the Triumph Brewery (I certainly couldn't feel any worse - maybe a beer would help numb the afflictions), then straight back down the trail. Trenton appeared just on the heels of dusk, leaving me the perfect opportunity to grab one last picture of that iconic Trenton Makes bridge.
On the train back to New York, in between fits of the sickness, I couldn't help but be impressed with New Jersey. Maybe it was the low expectations. Maybe it was the beauty of fall. Maybe it was simply the fact that I've been spending a lot more time in the state. But thanks Jersey. It was an awesome trip.
View the Photo Album