The weather was so beautiful this weekend and I wanted to do
something to enjoy this unseasonably warm March. I’ve been to the Corning Trail before but
never on a bike. I have a bike but
rarely ride it. To me, there’s something
terrifying about riding my bike around lots of cars and people. When I suggested a bike ride, I was afraid
Mr. Free Albany would want to ride our bike through the city of Albany and to
the Corning Trail. I would have been
scared but I probably would have done it.
Luckily, he knows me well enough, he didn’t even mention it. When I walked outside to get my bike, he was
loading the bikes on the car. It’s nice being
married to someone so thoughtful!
In case you don’t know, the Corning Trail goes along the
Hudson River from Albany to Watervliet.
We started at Albany’s Riverfront Park.
The sky was overcast and cloudy at first but the sun soon came out and
the day got warm. We went at a leisurely
pace and I was surprised at how good I felt on a bike. I’m not bad at riding but since I rarely do,
I’m a little wobbly when I get nervous.
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| It started out hazy but the sun soon came out |
We weren’t the only ones who thought of spending the day on
the Corning Trail. Runners, walkers, and
fellow bikers were out in full force.
Although there were a lot of people, the trail never seemed crowded and
we mostly rode alone. The March sun felt
good on my deprived skin.
Along the trail there are several benches and grassy areas
that would be great for a picnic. There
is also an area with picnic tables and outdoor grills. Mr. Free Albany mentioned a Burger King in
Watervliet and since there are free French fries this weekend, we decided to
ride all the way there. Two free things
in one day? It’s too good to be true!
And indeed it was…
We got off the trail in Watervliet and I was under the
impression that the Burger King was right around the corner. After following Mr. Free Albany for what felt
like forever, I started to doubt him. We
rode on a major road which terrified me, but I was doing okay until my wheel
hit the curb and I almost crashed. I
then started to panic and was convinced that every car that passed me was going
to hit me. Luckily, there was a sidewalk
close by, and I quickly pedaled to more comfortable ground.
We pedaled and pedaled some more through Watervliet. When we came upon the Price Chopper plaza,
Mr. Free Albany looked at me with that face I know all too well. The Burger King he was thinking of was
actually a McDonald’s.
I was starving and since there was a Subway in the plaza, we
stopped there. We had a Subway gift card
that had some money on it, so we used that for lunch. Then, tempted by the alluring image of the
Shamrock Shake, we stopped and bought one.
It wasn’t free but it was really, really good. I’ve never had a Shamrock Shake before but
now I’m a fan. Unfortunately, I’ll have
to wait until next year to get another one.
Our ride back was fast and pretty uneventful. I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty impressed
with how I held up on such a long ride.
The longest I’ve ever biked before this was 6 miles, and that was 4
years ago. I know my butt will be sore
tomorrow, but I’ll deal with that then.
The Corning Trail is a great way to get outside and
appreciate the beautiful Hudson River.
My advice is to stay on the trail though, and not go randomly riding
around Watervliet. Unless you’re into
that kind of stuff.
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| Albany skyline on the way home |
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