July 22 - Riding “Hawk’s Nest” and a ferry on my way to Delaware.
What an awesome day – I got to experience the “Hawk’s Nest” in New York, ride scenic backroads south to New Jersey, travel on the Garden State Parkway, and finish it all off by taking a Ferry to Delaware. On top of that, my hosts for the evening have been amazing. I am so very blessed!
As is often the case while you’re on the road, the best tips today came from fellow bikers. At my book signing in Maine last week a fellow rider had recommended I ride the “Hawk’s Nest” from Port Jervis New York to Barryville. Yes, it was several hours out of my way from Connecticut to Delaware today, but it was absolutely worth it. Highway 97 or the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway as it is formally known, follows the Delaware River west and provides spectacular views of the river, cliffs, and hilly terrain beyond. I particularly liked the first section of the route west from Jarvis, as the road makes several tight turns, and several pull-outs provide great views of both the river and the ride to come.
After riding this scenic byway twice, I jumped on another beautiful road south from Port Jervis – highway 209. This route travels through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a large forested preserve surprisingly close to New York and Newark, New Jersey. It was wonderful to experience more of the country and less of the commercial traffic than on a major interstate as I headed south.
I did briefly hop on interstate 80 to make my way to the Garden State Parkway, a well-maintained and scenic road that was also recommended to me by another biker. This parkway does not allow trucks for most of its 173-mile length along the New Jersey shore from Cape May to the New York state line. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about making my way south around New York City. But the Garden State Parkway made it painless – the speed limit was pretty high as far as parkways go and it was surrounded by beautiful trees.
Other than riding the Hawk’s Nest, a major highlight for me today was riding the ferry from Cape May New Jersey to Lewes, Delaware. After putting in several hundred miles on the bike, it was wonderful to park the bike on the ferry, go up on the deck, sit in a chair and gaze out at the ocean. As is typical with ferries, motorcyclists are allowed on and off first. I felt like a first-class passenger.
Today had a perfect ending with incredibly kind hosts who took me out for a wonderful fresh fish dinner. We enjoyed great conversation and they really made me feel at home. I am so grateful for all that I have been blessed with.
Restaurant Recommendation: Big Oyster Brewery was an excellent find in Lewes. I very much enjoyed the fresh encrusted salmon with baked parmesan, lemon, roasted green beans, malibu carrots, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, beer & mango demi-glace. But the star of the dinner for me was the burrata caprese — I would say it was my best appetizer of summer. The dish included Burrata mozzarella, heirloom cherry tomatoes, fresh basil pesto, arugula, pickled red onions, and balsamic glaze. It had a perfect blend of flavors with the slightly sweet balsamic glaze, the sour tomatoes, and the creamy fresh mozzarella. What a find!
