The Long Adventures

I’ve been wanting to do the Catskill River Run for awhile now and my 33rd birthday week gave us a chance to finally check it out. You can read about their plans for social distancing here. Parking is a small gravel lot. Restrooms are in the form of a portable restroom trailer and there’s even a little gift shop. Check in time was 15 minutes before our trip time slot. They run a tight ship and our party left promptly on time so I’d highly suggest being on time. There aren’t refunds given for being late and missing your group’s departure time. We completed our liability waivers online before we left for our trip so check in was a breeze.

For some reason, both Mitchell and I imagined that you just get assigned a railbike and you’re sent on your merry way. In reality, there are multiple parties that’ll go at the same time as your timed reservation. Then to cross NY 28, all the railbikes get coupled up and cross at the same time.

There’s a small basket where a backpack (or a small, soft sided cooler like the railbike passengers in front of us brought) can fit. We were instructed to take anything loose out of our pockets unless they were zippered pockets. Note that cell reception is spotty at best. I also spied two umbrellas included with our railbike.

Blue teeth courtesy of a blue raspberry Airhead.

Each railbike will have a name tag. Ours was easy to spot since it was the only one with a toddler harness. I’m glad I took the time to inspect the buckles because one was slightly cracked so that if you gently tugged at it, it would come apart. A staff member replaced it with one that securely fastened. The railbikes can gain a decent amount of speed so I’m glad that Theo was strapped in snugly.

NY 28 to our right on our way to the halfway point

Esopus Creek on our left. NY 28 on our right.

The halfway point. We got off the railbikes once we reached the halfway point and waited a bit while staff turned the railbikes around with a hydraulic press. Another group had packed drinks and snacks and were having a blast while we waited. If we were to ever go again, I’d definitely do the same.

Don’t hesitate bringing your jacket! We left ours behind because we figured we’d work up a sweat. Pedaling warmed us up a little bit but I would have definitely appreciated having the option of having my jacket since it’s breezy as you zip along the track.

The kids were allowed to sit together and insisted upon doing so on our way back to the station. For reference, they were 7 and 2 years old at the time of our visit. There’s a little switch you can activate that’ll give you a slight motorized boost. It won’t work unless you’re also pedaling though. This switch is only by the seat that also controls the hand break. For our quad railbike, it was the seat in the back right.

Both kids wound up loving this experience, especially Theodore - our little aficionado of all things on wheels. I mean look at that face!

Phoenicia’s Main Street is nearby. You can find a gas station, small market, and an ice cream spot. If you check out the Phoenicia Diner, the bourbon bacon burger was delicious.

The kids and I were invited to come along on an excursion last week and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get out again and explore. A fellow ortho wife had offered to take maternity photos for another ortho wife. I came along to help out with the former’s toddler, who’s a month younger than Theodore. Funny enough, her name is Thea and our husbands are co-residents (residents that are the same year). Completely unplanned and just overall a fun coincidence.

Our pregnant friend chose Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge as the location for her maternity shoot. We did a preliminary scan of the parking and hours details before heading out. So we were confused as to why the gate was closed at 6 p.m. when the website states the closing times were much later. Much to our luck, a caretaker happened to come to the gates. We chatted with her and she explained that numerous people had been trespassing during later hours so the gates were being closed by 6 p.m. for now during COVID-19 times. We asked if she could just let us in to take maternity photos and she generously agreed. Parking fees weren’t collected. There are portapotties available for use. The permanent bathroom buildings were locked.

I was curious to see how photos would come out with the darker weather. After examining the ones I took on the first day, I can say I’d be open to going out more often on dreary days. This is part of the path to the shoreline. The way the sunshine light up the trees ahead made me stop and snap this photo.

We wound up visiting Target Rock twice that week. The first time the weather was dark and moody and punctuated with drizzle spells. I was a little hesitant about going but decided to bite the bullet because I’d already committed and didn’t want to flake on my friends. I’ve never really ventured out to the beach during such weather. It was surprisingly enjoyable and haunting in some ways with the sound of the bell on the buoy in the distance ringing, the horn of the Port Jefferson ferry sounding off and its engine humming, and the mist slowly rolling onshore.

Posted above are more photos from the first day where it was overcast and gloomy. Below left is Theodore from the first day we visited and below right is Ava during the second day, which was bright and sunny. I actually enjoyed the first day more because we discovered quickly that the clear, hot weather brought out biting flies that loved nibbling on us.

I’d heartily recommend Target Rock to anyone who enjoys a substantial walk to a shoreline. The terrain was easy enough that we were able to push a wagon through the second time. If you stay after sunset like we did, I’d strongly recommend packing flashlights for the trek back to the car because the woods are pitch black. We didn’t know this and stumbled through it with just the light from my cellphone the first time around.