To the Cloisters and Beyond

Last Saturday, I awoke to a phone call from a friend asking if I wanted to go on a bike ride. Having been out the night before, but wanting to enjoy the beautiful and abnormally warm day (thanks global warming!!), I begrudgingly accepted.

Melissa, Lauren, Lanie and I met at Manhattan Velo, rented our bikes, plopped on our helmets and were off. Lanie, being the bike expert, led the way as we went up the Westside Highway, passed Riverside Park, under the George Washington bridge, and into the Cloisters.

Northern Manhattan was so beautiful and peaceful, it brought me back to my many summers in the Blue Ridge mountains and felt like we were riding around in Georgia. Who would have thought that just four miles south millions were bustling around Time Square and Penn Station?

After taking in the sites around Fort Tryon, and Melissa touching a hurt pigeon, we decided it was time to head back. We hit the streets of Harlem in attempts to keep up with the NYC drivers. A few minutes of this, and we decided to take the safer route home back on the Westside.  As we stopped for some water, we came up with a genious idea to go to Harlem's famous Dinosaur BBQ. I've been hearing about this place for a long time, but never wanted to make the treck.  After 14 miles,we all felt like we deserved a special lunch. The four of us shared a bunch of sides, and I got the portabella sandwhich that was amazing. Throw their famous BBQ sauce on anything and I was sold.
 

We hopped back on our bikes and continued our journey back, bopping to "Like a G6".

5 hours, 24 miles, 1 hurt pigeon, 1000 calories eaten, 100 gorgeous views later and the wolfpack's day of fun was unfortunately over. It was the perfect fall day with a perfect group of people!