Daily Planet Run

This route goes up into New York's Rockland and Duchess Counties. The first half of the ride goes up over Little Tor, a hill with a nice set of up sharp but fast up hill turns. From there you'll go into Cedar Flats Rd. The section through here has some interesting off camber turns and elevation changes. Then its up 9W and across the Bear Mountain Bridge. From there you'll run along the Hudson toward Cold Spring and then west on NY 301. NY 301 is a favorite road of anyone who's been over it. You'll see why when you ride it. After 301 you'll get your first taste of what the backroads of Duchess County has to offer on your way up to the Daily Planet Restaurant. I'll just say that I've always had a good meal there when I've eaten there. If its too early for lunch, you'll have another chance at the Planet later in the day.

After the stop its back into the woods on a road that starts just across the street from the Daily Planet. From there you'll travel deeper into darkest Duchess County to discover lions and tigers and bears (oh my!). Well not quite lions and tigers and b ears, but pretty close. After a few more miles of twisty roads you will find yourself in front of the Trevor Zoo at the Millbrook School. The zoo is open 7 days a week from 9AM to 5PM and has a wide range of local and exotic wildlife. Its operated by t he students at the school and is one of the few nationally accredited private zoos in the country. It's definitely worth a stop to walk around and look at the animals. Admission is free, but visitor's donations help keep the zoo running.

Once you've seen your fill of the animal world its time to get back on the road. The road in particular is Duchess County 86, the Bangall - Amenia Road. Despite its funny name (it really does run between the towns of Bangall and Amenia), its possibly my favorite road in that part of the state. Its just a farm road, looping next to a few beautiful horse farms, but the twists, elevation changes and changes in scenery that it takes makes a wonderful riding experience. From there you'll begin to head back south until you pass by the Daily Planet again and pick up the Tackonic Parkway to head home.

I'd also like to take a minute and thank the Ramapo Motorcycle club for a great two days on the road during the Ramapo 500. The ran a whole lot of motorcycles through the back roads of Albany County, a corner of Vermont and the Berkshires. Up mountains and around corners for two days and more than 500 miles of great riding. Definitely a job well done.

Duchess County Tour 


			
	Mileage 
	Total  Leg
	0.0	0.0	Exit Right	State Line Lookout onto PIP North
	14.3	14.3	EXIT RIGHT	Exit 11
	14.4	0.1	RIGHT		LIGHT - end of ramp

	15.8	1.4	LEFT		2nd LIGHT - Little Tor Rd.
	17.0	1.2	STRAIGHT	LIGHT
	20.2	3.2	LEFT		LIGHT - US202 South

	20.5	0.3	RIGHT		Rosman Rd.
	21.7	1.2	RIGHT		STOP - T
 	21.8	0.1	LEFT		STOP - Sharp Left up the hill

	21.9	0.1	STRAIGHT	BLINKER
	22.1	0.2	BEAR RIGHT	Don't cross the Bridge
	22.7	0.6	LEFT		LIGHT - Rockland 98

	23.8	1.1	RIGHT		Rockland 83 - Up the hill
	24.6	0.8	RIGHT		"T" - STOP - Rockland 106
	 26.0	1.4	LEFT		Rockland 69 - Cedar Flats Rd.	

	27.9	1.9	LEFT		Rockland 118
	30.2	2.3	SHARP LEFT	Rockland 118A
	30.3	0.1	STRAIGHT	Onto US 9W North

	36.2	5.9	RIGHT		1st Right Around Circle
	36.4	0.2	STRAIGHT	Pay Toll $ .75 - Cross Bear Mt. Bridge
	36.9	0.5	LEFT		NY 9D North - End of Bridge
		
	45.2	8.3	RIGHT		Peekskill Rd.
	45.7	0.5	RIGHT		NY 301 East - T
	46.1	0.4	BEAR LEFT	Fishkill Rd.

	48.8	2.7	RIGHT		US 9 South - T
	50.7	1.9	LEFT		NY 301 East - LIGHT
	60.4	9.7	LEFT		Farmers Mills Rd. - DC 42 

	62.8	2.4	BEAR LEFT	White Pond Rd - Kent-Fishkill Baptist
	64.2	1.4	STRAIGHT	Join Duchess County 30
	65.5	1.3	RIGHT LEFT	DC 30 Continued

	68.4	2.9	LEFT		NY 292 - Just after tracks - YIELD
	74.0	5.6	RIGHT		STOP - NY 292 Continued
	74.2	0.2	LEFT		NY 55 West

	75.9	1.7	RIGHT		DC 32
	79.8	3.9	LEFT		DC 21 - STOP
	81.7	1.9	STRAIGHT	Around Circle - DC 21 Continued
		
	84.7	3.0	STRAIGHT	Cross NY 55 - LIGHT
	86.3	1.6	RIGHT		NY 82 North - STOP
	87.8	1.5	LEFT		NY 55 West - LIGHT

	89.4	1.6	LOOK LEFT	Daily Planet  - Stop or keep riding
	89.5	0.1	SHARP RIGHT	Skidmore Rd.
	90.0	0.5	STRAIGHT	Cross the Takonic

	94.8	4.8	BEAR RIGHT	Y - Skidmore Rd. Cont.
	95.9	1.1	LEFT		STOP - T - Skidmore Rd. Cont.
	96.3	0.4	LEFT		STOP - T - NY 82 North

	98.1	1.8	SHARP RIGHT	DC 9
	102.6	4.5	LEFT		STOP - T - DC 24
	106.5	3.9	BEAR RIGHT	Y - DC 24 Cont.

	109.4	2.9	RIGHT		STOP - T - NY 343
	110.6	1.2	BEAR LEFT	Y - To NY 22
	110.7	0.1	STRAIGHT	STOP - To NY 22

	111.2	0.5	LEFT		STOP - T - NY 22 North
	113.0	1.8	RIGHT		DC 105
	113.3	0.3	BEAR RIGHT	DC 105 Cont.

	114.4	1.1	SHARP LEFT	DC 4 - Not well marked
	115.5	1.1	STRAIGHT	Join DC 3
	116.4	0.9	RIGHT		STOP - T - DC 2

	118.9	2.5	RIGHT		Y - Connecticut 41 North
	123.3	4.4	LEFT		STOP - CT 343 West
	128.3	5.0	STRAIGHT	LIGHT - Join US 44 West

	132.3	4.0	RIGHT		Millbrook School Rd.
	133.6	1.3	LOOK RIGHT	The Trevor Zoo at the Millbrook School
	134.1	0.5	LEFT		STOP - T - DC 86

	139.0	4.9	LEFT		STOP - T - DC 65
	139.6	0.6	STRAIGHT	STOP - Join NY 82 South
	140.4	0.8	LEFT		DC 19 - "Purdy Real-estate"

	142.3	1.9	LEFT		Hicks Lane
	142.8	0.5	STRAIGHT	STOP - Hicks Lane Cont.
	146.1	3.3	LEFT		STOP - DC 19 West
	
	148.5	2.4	LEFT		DC 18
	150.8	2.3	STRAIGHT	STOP - DC 18 Cont.
	156.5	5.7	RIGHT		STOP - T - Toward Salt Point

	157.2	0.7	LEFT		DC 72
	161.6	4.4	LEFT		LIGHT - US 44 
	161.9	0.3	RIGHT		LIGHT - DC 47

	165.5	3.6	BEAR LEFT	Y
	167.7	2.2	LEFT		LIGHT - NY 55
	168.3	0.6	LOOK RIGHT	The Daily Planet - Again

	168.8	0.3	RIGHT		Takonic Parkway South