New Haven, CT to Norwalk, CT
After a restful sleep in West Haven, I started my bike ride to Norwalk on a boardwalk right next to the ocean! I was so excited to ride my bike right next to the water, it felt like a dream. Across the ocean from where I was, you could see Long Island, which surprised me. I had assumed that coastal Connecticut would be a bit too far away from Long Island for you to see it, but that was absolutely not the case. The part of Connecticut I was in was now noticably more affluent than any of the parts of Connecticut I had been previously, and I later learned that this region is called the "Gold Coast." I saw multiple yacht club signs as I weaved in and out of sleepy sea towns. I chose Norwalk merely because it was about equidistant between New Haven and NYC, and I once again lacked a Warm Showers host. I checked in to a Red Roof Inn at about 2pm and walked to the nearest Taco Bell. After eating my fill of bean and rice burritos, I returned to the Inn and went to sleep, ready to start my adventurous ride into NYC the next day.
Norwalk, CT to New York City
The ride into New York City was wild! The entrance to the NYC bike path network started in New Rochelle, where a dead end street led to a wooded pike path that linked up to the Bronx River Bikeway. Biking through the Bronx was fun, though I felt a bit disappointed that the bike paths didn't go past Yankee Stadium. I would have simply yelled at it but I sort of wanted the opportunity. The Bronx River Bikeway connected to the Hudson River Greenway, which runs right along the East Side of Manhattan. I knew that I needed to get to the train station at the World Trade Center in order to cross the river and get to my friend Jane in Jersey City, so I got to ride all the way down Manhattan. It was exhilirating! Before I could board the train, I knew I needed to make a small stop at Columbia University.
Columbia is cooler than I expected. It's quite obviously separated from the rest of NYC, despite the fact that it's literally in the middle of Upper Manhattan. There is a nice courtryard in front of their library and there's a casting of The Thinker, which I assume means that people do a lot of thinking at Columbia. I give it 3 stars out of 5. It's not as charming as Brown or Harvard but it's got the spirit, plus you get to be in the middle of NYC
I returned to the Hudson River Greenway after my short stint at Columbia and continued riding towards the One World Trade Center. Once I got to the train station, I rode into Jersey City and met up with my dear friends Jane and Walter (along with their dog Jake). We went out and got some delicious food, including ice cream, and then returned to their apartment and watched the Bo Burnham film Eigth Grade. Afterwards, I drifted off to sleep.
Jersey City, NJ to Princeton, NJ
I woke up in Jersey City to haze filled world. The wildfire smoke from Quebec was covering NYC in an orange glow, and I knew that it would probably be unsafe to bike all the way to Princeton. Yet, I also knew that I wouldn't be satisfied if I didn't bike a little of the way, so I told Jane and Walter that I would bike to Metropark, NJ and then take a train to Princeton the rest of the way to ensure I don't inhale too much smoke. So that's what I did! The ride to Metropark was very industrial, and I honestly didn't stop to take many pictures because the haze was so bad and I wanted to reach a train as quickly as possible. The earliest part of the ride did involve crossing a bridge into Staten Island, which was kind of fun. Eventually, I reached the train station in Metropark and rode the rest of the way to Princeton.
Princeton has far and away the prettiest campus of any Ivy League I visted. Moss covered walls, stunning cathedrals, and long forested lanes greet you at every step. I didn't really want to be as charmed by Princeton as I was, but I must admit that it's the clear winner. Princeton recieves four stars out of five. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because I saw no princes at all, nevermind a ton of them. False advertising
After spending my orange haze day in Princeton, I biked a short distance to my Warm Showers host home. The couple I stayed with here was so friendly, they cooked me dinner and told me stories about England, where one of them had lived previously. I ate and showered and then went straight to bed.
Princeton, NJ to Philadelphia, PA
The beginning of the ride from Princeton was absolutely stunning. This part of New Jersey was much different than the area around New York City, and I started to understand why they call New Jersey the Garden State. After riding past lush fields full of flowers and green trees, I rode right into Philadelphia. The bike infastructure in Philadelphia is fantastic, and it was so fun to ride along the river to the Philadelphia Art Museum. I did, in fact run up the stairs and sing "Gotta Fly Now", because I'm not a monster. There was so much to see in Philadelphia, and there's no chance that I saw it all, but the museum was lovely and I made sure I stopped by the Liberty Bell as well.
The University of Pennsylvania was the worst Ivy League Univesity I saw. Despite the joy of Philadelphia, Penn was a bit embarassing, particularly since it was the only school I stopped at that actually advertised that it was an Ivy League university. Yes, Penn, we get it, you aren't the same thing as Penn State. But honestly, at least Penn State has a good mascot. Penn also thinks way too highly of its business school, and Wharton signs were everywhere. I'm sure this isn't what Ben Franklin had in mind. But at least the Wawa's next to campus was convenient. 2 stars out of 5
After exploring Penn, I rode into South Philadelphia and met up with Daniela, my Warm Showers host. She was so kind and so excited to live in Philadelphia! She showed me around her neighborhood, explaining that it was famously the Italian section of Philly, and she told me about some of the best local restaurants. I ultimately decided to eat at the place that had vegan chicken parmesan - it was delicious! Daniela then took me back to her row house and showed me the guest room. I sat down on the bed and a feeling of anticipation surged inside me, but it was accompanied by a strange feeling of sadness. I wasn't sure if I was ready to end my bike ride, and I knew that the next day was going to be my last day riding. I went to sleep and hoped that the accomplishment would wear away at any lingering melancholy.
Philadelphia, PA to Wilmington, DE
The ride from Philadelphia to Wilmington was fairly short, and I knew it would be when I planned the route originally. I wanted my last day to be an easy ride. I crossed the state line into Delaware somewhere just passed Chester, PA, and as soon as I was in Delaware, I got on a stunning bike path. This bike path took me right beside the Brandywine River, and I was so gratefult that my final riding day was so beautiful. After I rode into Wilmington, I pumped my fists into the air in victory. I had done it! 404 miles, 9 days, 7 states, all on one bike.
I spent the next few days on Rehobeth Beach. Mae rode the train down from Vermont and met me in Delaware, and we celebrated together. After a few days of relaxing, I caught the Vermonter train back to Burlington. The first segment of the East Coast Greenway had been ridden. I knew that I'd eventually have to come back down to Wilmington, take my bike, and keep going one day. I can't wait to see more!
Bonus: Final Ivy League University Ranking
- Princeton
- Brown
- Harvard
- Columbia
- Yale
- Penn