Architecture, Art, and More Poutine: New York - Montreal Trek Enjoys Montreal

The New York - Montreal Trekkers had a superb day in Montreal.  They started off with a great breakfast at McGill University:

Next, they walked to Old Montreal and admired the beautiful French architecture and numerous historic statues and landmarks:

They ran across a car show and some murals painted by the Etam Cru, a team of artists leader Rachel particularly likes.  Here's one of those:

It's not hard to see why she's a fan!

They went up to the Chalet du Mont Royal at the top of Mont Royal, the hill that gives the city of Montreal its name, and ate lunch while enjoying sweeping views of the city.  They cooled off by going to the movies to watch Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and capped off the night with some delicious Portuguese chicken and pastries -- and more poutine!  Finally, they got in some exercise on the swings and slides at a playground and had a pull-up contest on the monkey bars.

Tonight, they'll take an overnight bus back to NYC, where they'll run around the city together before pickups in the afternoon.

New York - Montreal Trek Bikes through Quebec

The New York - Montreal Trek has been riding through Quebec to Montreal, and the Trekkers are really excited to be traveling through another country.  One of this group's members is from France, so he's been a big help with interacting with the province's French speakers.

They followed winding country roads through lower Quebec and happened on a small-town street festival where the kids got to sit down in some shade and listen to traditional African music.  When they reached Montreal, everyone had a nice, warm shower, then went downtown for poutine, Quebec's signature dish -- fries with fresh cheese and gravy.

In all, the group has ridden more than 400 miles!  They'll spend a couple days in Montreal before catching an overnight bus back to NYC for one last day together.

New York - Montreal Trek Bikes the Island Line Trail

Our second New York - Montreal Trek had a beautiful day to ride around Burlington and Lake Champlain.  They had breakfast together, then hit the Island Line Trail, which runs around and over Lake Champlain, reaching a series of islands in the middle of the lake.

In the afternoon, they biked to Plattsburgh, NY, for their last night camping out in the US before gearing up to enter Canada.

New York - Montreal Trek Reaches Burlington

Vermont's rolling green hills brought the New York - Montreal Trekkers to Burlington, and so to the original Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, and so to the Vermonster.  That's an ice cream sundae made with 30 scoops of ice cream and a certifiably insane amount of toppings, and served in a gallon bucket.  The kids "demolished it in about 5 minutes," according to the trip leaders.

We call that a job well done.

They took in downtown Burlington, then set up at their campsite for the night and made dinner -- Asian chicken wraps with peanut sauce, which everyone loved.

They have just a couple days left before they bike into Quebec and head for Montreal!

New York - Montreal Trek Cruises Into Vermont

On a cloudy, breezy, but rain-free day, our second New York - Montreal Trek opted to take a ferry across Lake Champlain to get to Vermont, very much enjoying the views along the waterway.  On the way to their campsite, they discovered a farm with a roadside store, where they had a snack of cider, apples, and -- because you can't be completely healthy all the time! -- homemade donuts.

They set up camp at Button Bay State Park and met another group of traveling teens.  The two groups spent the afternoon playing football and volleyball, and then our Trekkers had a tasty dinner of "potsagna," lasagna made, as the name suggests, in a big pot and cooked over a camp stove.

They're now headed to hip, friendly Burlington.

Swimming and Mini Golf: New York - Montreal Trek Checks Out Lake George

After their longest day of 48 miles, our second New York - Montreal Trek biked an easy 20 miles, much of it on a smooth, shady bike path, to reach Lake George. They got in plenty of swimming time and found a family of friendly ducks to feed:

After the group dried off, they biked up to a mini golf course.  They had a lot of fun with the course's creative, sometimes silly, sometimes surprisingly tricky, holes:

Next, they'll head into Vermont for a couple days, then come back to NY state before entering Quebec.

We hope their ride stays smooth all the way there!

New York - Montreal Trek Has a Great Time in Albany

Our second New York - Montreal Trek enjoyed smooth biking into Albany, where they stayed in the very classy Hilton Garden Inn, right downtown.  They had a particularly fun and energetic guide for their 2.5-hour tour through the New York State Museum, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing -- but especially the carousel:

The Trekkers had picked up a whiffle ball set, and they put it to good use in Washington Park:

They finished their day with ice cream, some much-needed laundry, games, and swimming in the hotel's pool and hot tub.  They should be well-rested, because they have their biggest biking day ahead of them: 48 miles to Moreau State Park.

New York - Montreal Trek Rides Upstate

Our second New York - Montreal Trek is making good time through NY state.  They discovered a wonderful swimming spot that we didn't even know about here at the office, which leaders Josh and Rachel have promised to mark on our maps for future Treks. 

They've also been touring the Franklin D. Roosevelt house and gardens -- getting filled in on some of the site's history by a friendly park ranger -- and conquering some long rides with a strong, cheerful team dynamic.  Last night, they rewarded themselves after dinner by making s'mores around a campfire.

They're headed to Albany next, and then on to Lake George!

New York - Montreal Trek Rises to Challenges in the Hudson Valley

Traveling from Croton Point Park to Fishkill, NY, our New York - Montreal Trekkers hit more than a few bumps: it was a hot day, they went up and down a lot of hills, and they had a number of bike problems, from flat tires to a wrecked derailleur.  At the end of the ride, they even hit a brief but heavy downpour.  They stayed positive, though, and put in some fantastic team effort to keep everyone moving.

 

Plus, the whole group did a lot of hands-on learning, so every one of them is now more confident about making their own repairs.

After their tough day, the Trekkers swam in the hotel pool and ordered out for pizza to give themselves a night off from cooking.  They're now continuing up the Hudson, with Hyde Park and the Franklin D. Roosevelt House as their next stops.

New York - Montreal Trek Reaches Croton Point Park

Our second group of New York - Montreal Trekkers enjoyed their ride into Croton Point Park along a scenic bike trail.  It was a hot day, but everyone stayed in good spirits (and drank plenty of water).

The Trekkers set up camp together, explored the beach, and took some well-earned showers.  They'll continue up the Hudson Valley, heading to Fishkill, NY next.

New York - Montreal Trek Heads Up the Hudson Valley

Another New York - Montreal Trek is off!  They have fantastic weather today as they head to Croton Point Park to camp out and cook their first meal together.

Last night, the three Trekkers who came in from out of town met leaders Josh and Rachel for pre-night, shared a New York-style pizza, and took a walk around Times Square.  They played a game where each person had to describe Times Square in one word, and each word had to begin with the last letter of the previous person's word.  What did our Trekkers think of Times Square?  That it's chaos, superficial, loud, deafening, grande, exciting, gross, and smelly.

As they bike their 20-mile ride today, we hope they still have plenty of excitement. . . and leave the rest behind in New York City.