Official Northeast AIDSRide 7 Route Unveiled June 28, 2001 The New York AIDSRide office issued a bulletin today which unveiled the first general description of the course which I will be riding with some three thousand other cyclists this July. This news has been much anticpated by both new and experienced Northeast AIDSRiders as the route taken this year is entirely new. In previous years since its inception, the Northeast AIDSRide had gone southwards from Boston to New York. This year marks the first time the course goes UP to Boston from the NYC metropolitan area. The course description (verbatim) provided by the AIDSRide office follows: *** DAY ONE: Total Mileage approximately 80 In the grand tradition of Day One of the former Boston to New York AIDSRide, there is one thing to know about this day... there are LOTS of climbs, thirty in all. They are spread out pretty evenly throughout the day. Today begins with a scenic ride across the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River, then it is up and around the mountain. Within at about mile 5.7 if you look to your left and up, you will see the castle that cab driver legend tells as inspiration for the one in the Wizard of Oz. Between Pit Stops One and Two, the route is very shaded and lovely as we ride through Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park and around Segamore Lake, Boyd Corners Reservoir, West Branch Reservoir, and Lake Gleneida. At that point we make our way into the quaint upstate towns of Carmel, Southeast and Brewster. Just before lunch we enter Connecticut in Danbury as we head through Bethel and Newtown toward Rte 34 for a lovely tree lined ride alongside the Housatonic River. You will be sharing the road with some large vehicles so remember STAY ALERT! STAY ALIVE! Along the river, we will be making a Pit Stop at the Yale (Gilder) Boat House where Riders (at their own risk) may cool off by taking a refreshing dip in the river. The final part of the route travels in to New Haven to the Yale University campus, where we will be spending the night at the Yale athletic fields that surround the Yale Bowl. Where the Yale Bulldogs have been taking the field since 1914. DAY TWO: Total Mileage approximately 85 After a morning ride out of New Haven and you are well on your way, you hit the beautiful Long Island Sound just after the sun has come up. As you follow the Sound and we enter Branford, CT pay attention to the many beautiful houses built in the middle of the bay. On today's route you can expect almost as many hills as yesterday, but not quite as bad. The bulk of them today are between Lunch and Pit Stop 3. As you leave the more populated cities, you head in to some beautiful quaint New England towns like Madison and Clinton. Our lunch stop today is in Chester, CT Ð one of the quaintest towns around. After lunch you will cross over the Connecticut River in Haddam, CT. As you come off the bridge on your right will be the historic and beautiful Goodspeed Opera House. As you leave Pit Stop 3, you will be riding through Devil's Hopyard State Park. The park is beautiful with brooks and streams running all around you. There have been many deer sightings, so be on the look out. And although the roads are beautiful, they are also narrow so be cautious! You will continue through the countryside and cross the Thames River in Norwich as you head toward our final destination, Preston, CT. We will be spending the night at the inactive Norwich State Hospital, graciously granted to us by the Connecticut Department of Public Works. DAY THREE: Total Mileage approximately 105 miles This is a VERY long day, so you will need to pace yourselves properly. The good news is that there are not nearly as many hills today, (only 19) and the ones you will encounter are pretty mild. As you leave Camp you will travel on country roads through some very picturesque and tree lined, rural areas of Connecticut, until finally entering the Ocean State of Rhode Island. As you head towards Westerly, RI Summer traffic may become heavy on this Saturday morning, so please be careful. Today, you will see Rhode Island like you may have never seen it before. A mix of countryside and ocean as you ride through areas of Charlestown, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, Warwick, Cranston, Providence and others. Our final destination for this day is Diamond Hill Park in Cumberland, RI. DAY FOUR: Total Mileage approximately 50 This is it; you're almost there! Only about 50 miles to Downtown Boston! As you leave Camp 3 on the last leg of the journey, it is a quite ride through the country as you prepare to enter Massachusetts. Today's route is filled with narrow, wining, back roads that take you through some beautiful and less traveled parts of the state. Once you leave the quiet countryside and hit city streets, please take extra caution. The plan is to enter Boston from the Watertown area along as much of the Charles River as possible, where you will pass some of the greatest institutions of higher learning in the country. The bike path takes you by Harvard, Boston University, and MIT, as well as by the Hatch Shell where many summer concerts take place. The second to last step in today's journey is Rider Holding at City Hall Plaza (also know as Government Center). After you check in, grab a snack and your Victory shirt, feel free stroll across the street to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market to take in some of the sites. Please visit the Holocaust Memorial if you get a chance. For a glorious end to you journey, Closing Ceremonies will be held on Charles Street between the beautiful Boston Public Garden and the historic Boston Common, America's oldest public park.
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