Day 6: NYC to Niagara Falls

June 29, 2014

We cycled today from Hudson, NY to Albany, NY, enjoying in particular Highway 9J (aka River Road), which runs along the edge of the Hudson River and has very light vehicle traffic:

While on this road, we encountered a herd of goats -- for grammar nerds hoping to impress your friends, a collection of goats may also be referred to as a tribe or trip.  This offered an excellent excuse to take a short break from cycling.  Saya laughed when one of the goats began nibbling on tree bark, saying, "They will eat anything.  Just like Sho."

Saya also tried to convince me that she has become proficient enough at cycling to graduate from the trailer cycle and ride her own bicycle on our family adventures.  I told her that cycling 900 miles on her own may be a bit much for a 7-year-old, but she wasn't intimidated and boasted that her technique at riding a bicycle in a circle is "as good as a dog chasing its tail."  That line made Sho laugh:

Cycling over the Dunn Memorial Bridge from Rensselaer to Albany is quite an experience.  If you try it, make sure to stay on the bike path, as the road sure is no place for a bicycle.  Here's a pic from mid-bridge:

We made it into Albany safely, where Sho and Saya got in some soccer fun on the SUNY campus.

We found a room in a local hotel and were able to catch the final 45 minutes of the exciting World Cup match between Costa Rica and Greece.  We were rooting for Costa Rica and hooped and hollered as they pulled off a stunning upset after the game went into extra time and finally penalty kicks.  Sho and Saya were still excited at bed time and had trouble falling asleep.  I told them to dream of soccer balls dancing like sugar plums...