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Trip Across New York Challenge Routes

Trip Across New York Challenge Routes

Trip Across Challenge Routes

Pick your route, mix up your routes, mix up your mode of travel; it’s your challenge! Imagine yourself in these places while you walk, run, bike, swim or roll the equivalent distances. See distance conversion charts at the end of this document. And who knows—you might want to visit some of these places in person!

Route 1: Long

Week 1: Let’s start at the world famous racetrack at in Elmont, NY, home of the "". One lap is 1.5 miles. Next, let’s paddle (in our imaginations) down the Connetquot River, which is 6 miles long. Total for the week: 7.5 miles.

Week 2: Up for more paddling? Take a trip down Carman’s River (10 miles) and the Nissequogue River, which is 8.3 miles long. Did you know “Nissequogue” comes from the name of a Native American tribe that lived in the area? The Nissequag were a subgroup of the Algonquians that built their homes alongside the river. Total: 18.3 miles.

Week 3: Even though and are part of , they are geographically located on , along with Nassau and Suffolk Counties. At its widest point, Long Island is 23 miles wide. Can you go that distance this week?

Week 4: Famous for its pristine beaches, quaint communities and for having no cars, Fire Island consists of two barrier off the south shore of Long Island. It is approximately 31 miles long. Finish out the month with a trek from one end to the other! For extra credit, hike the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt between Long Island's two main counties. It runs 20 miles between Massapequa Preserve and Cold Spring Harbor .

Fun Facts About Long Island

• The is at the easternmost tip of Long Island. It was the first built in the state of NY, and the 4th oldest active lighthouse in the U.S. Approved by the Second in 1792, and completed in November 1796, construction of the lighthouse was the first public works project of the new of America. • If geographical Long Island were its own state, it would be the 13th largest in the union, and would have the highest population density. • Long Island loves learning! It's home to over 120 public school districts with more than 650 individual schools. And there are 6 public universities and more than a dozen private colleges!

Route 2: New York City

Week 1: Start at the tip of Lower where you can enjoy the view of the of from Battery Park. Take a westerly route through the area until you arrive at Little Island, the magical new park at Pier 55 near the Meatpacking District (2.6 miles). Then get on the elevated for another 1.45 miles. Next, you’re off to for 3 miles of beaches. Total: 7.05 miles.

Week 2: Hopscotch from park to park along the length of Manhattan starting at in Greenwich Village, stopping at Union Square (and its famous Greenmarket, if open), then Madison Square Park and end with a stroll through charming (1.7 miles). Now you're ready for the big one--! Three long distance routes are available: 6.1, 5.2 or 1.7 miles. Or do all three! (13 miles) Bonus trip--Marine Park in Brooklyn, about 3 miles. Total: 17.7 miles.

Week 3: Give your regards to by taking the diagonal route through Manhattan! Start at Lincoln Center and head south, checking out such NY classics such as , the State Building, the Flatiron Building with a side trip through Greenwich Village on your way to Chinatown (5 miles). Then head out to for a stroll around the NY Botanical Gardens, a 250-acre property with many different routes (approximately 3 miles total) and 's hiking trails (7 trails, 12 miles total). Total: 20 miles.

Week 4: Last trip through Manhattan starts at the 92nd St Y on the Upper East Side, swings by the Guggenheim and Frick Museums, back down Ave past Grand Central and the Building, and though Little Italy on the way to . (6.6 miles). On , work is ongoing at Park, which will be nearly three times the size of Central Park. Its 3.2 mile- greenway is now open to the public. Finally, walk, run, bike or roll the 18 miles—as the crow (or seagull!) flies—between Manhattan and Staten Island. Total: 27.8 miles.

Fun Facts about New York City

• Did you know that the original name of NYC was ? Dutch settlers were the first to arrive in the area around 1624 and named it after their home city. In 1664, the English took over and renamed the city in the Duke of York’s honor. • The Building soars to 1,454 feet (including the spire and antenna). It’s currently the 4th tallest building in New York City, the 6th tallest in the United States, and the 43rd tallest tower in the world. • In 1939 and again in 1964, the World’s Fair was held in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The New York City pavilion at this huge international exhibition now houses the Queens Museum. And you can still walk by the iconic Unisphere, a 140-foot high representation of the Earth.

Route 3: Westchester

Week 1: Westchester County has 18,000 acres of parkland with miles of trails. At Preserve in North White Plains, you can walk the Purple Loop (2 miles), the Red Loop (2.4 miles), the Blue Loop (1 mile) and the Yellow Loop (1.1 mile). Total: 6.5 miles.

Week 2: Westchester is also filled with historic sites. Visit Sunnyside, the Irvington home of—who else- - Washington Irving. From Sunnyside to the Rockefeller Estate, also known as Kykuit, is 3.4 miles. Continue on to Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton, another 8.5 miles. Total for the week: 11.9 miles.

Week 3: The Old State Historic Park is a linear trail that runs from Van Cortlandt Park at the Bronx/Yonkers border to the Croton Dam in Cortlandt. Walk or bike the whole thing and you’ll cover 26.5 miles!

Week 4: The North- is a paved multi-use that spans 36.2 miles from the NYC border to Putnam County. Go for the entire route! Week 4 extra credit: travel the length of the Bronx River Pathway for another 11.2 miles one way.

Fun Facts about Westchester County

• Westchester covers roughly 500 square miles, making it larger than more than 40 countries and territories, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lichtenstein, and the Vatican City. • Westchester County is home to many firsts: the first elevator company (The Otis Elevator Company in Yonkers); the first self-made female millionaire (-care entrepreneur Madame C. J. Walker of Irvington); the first American golf club (St. Andrew’s Golf Club in Hastings); the first synthetic plastic, Bakelite (synthesized in 1909 by Leo Baekeland in Yonkers); and the first parkway (the Bronx River). • Rye Playland was the first and only government-planned amusement park in the country. It has been featured in many movies, including Fatal Attraction and Big. The Dragon Coaster is one of only seven pre-1930 roller coasters in the country that is still operating. Route 4:

Week 1: Let’s start with some short trips. First up, , a former railway bridge that spans the at Poughkeepsie. It’s 212 feet above the water and 2.56 miles across and back. Then hike up Anthony’s Nose near Peekskill, which is 2.8 miles roundtrip. Cap off Week One with a 3.8 mile loop on Bear Mountain, where you can climb the Perkins Fire Tower for great views! Total for all three: 9.6 miles.

Week 2: The Military Academy at West Point is 21.5 nautical miles above the Mario M. Cuomo (formerly ) Bridge. Do you know the difference between a nautical mile and a regular mile? Watch for the answer in our fun facts and quizzes on our Trip Across NY Facebook page.

Week 3: If you like grand historic homes with sweeping Hudson River views, you’ll love in Tarrytown and Boscobel in Garrison. The distance between the two is 27.6 miles along Route 9/9D.

Week 4: Harriman State Park in Rockland and Orange counties is the second-largest park in the NYS parks system, with 31 lakes and and 200 miles of hiking trails. Let’s go for 50 of those trail miles this week!

Fun Facts about the Hudson Valley

• The Hudson River runs 315 miles from in the Adirondacks to . For 153 miles- from NY Harbor to Troy, it is a tidal estuary---an “arm of the sea”. • Long before Dutch and English settlers arrived, the native tribes called the river by other names. One of these was “Mahicantuck”, which meant "great waters in constant motion" or, more loosely, "river that flows two ways." • The was a mid- American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose paintings typically depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area, including the Catskill and Mountains. Hudson River School artists included Thomas Cole, Asher Durand, Frederic Church and others.

Route 5: The Capital District

Week 1: It’s 4.3 miles from the NYS Capitol Building to the State University of NY at Albany (SUNYA). While you’re at SUNYA, walk, bike or roll on one of the university’s pedestrian/bike paths. How about the 2-mile loop for a total of 6.3 miles?

Week 2: The Huyck Preserve in Rensselaerville (a tiny town southwest of Albany) has 12 miles of trails that will take you past Rensselaerville Falls, Lake Myosotis and Lincoln Pond. A beautiful walk if you’re looking to enjoy nature!

Week 3: The 750-mile (!) will take you from NYC to Canada and west to Buffalo. Not up for that long a trip? The trail is divided into several segments. Take the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Hike Trail from Albany to Peebles Island State Park—a 10-mile trip. From there you can take the Champlain Canalway Trail to Halfmoon for 6 more miles.

Week 4: Did you know that an electric trolley once ran from Rensselaer to Hudson? Today, the Albany- Hudson Electric Trail follows a 35-mile route through the former Albany-Hudson Electric Trolley corridor.

Fun Facts about The Capital District

• Before New York’s capital city became Albany, the area was known as Beverwyck, which translates to ‘beaver district’. The beaver fur trade was a very big deal in those days! • The builders of the capitol created a time capsule in the cornerstone of the new building, placing in it U.S. coins and currency from 1871, Albany newspapers from that year and copies of the legislation related to the capitol. However, they forgot to mark it and it cannot be found today! • The 363-mile runs from Albany to Buffalo and opened in 1825. At that time, it took two weeks to travel from Albany to Buffalo by stagecoach. The canal cut that time down to five days. The Erie Canal connected the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, expanding commerce for New York State.

Route 6: The Adirondacks The Adirondacks are for the tough and mighty-46 mountain peaks in all! How many can you climb?

Week 1: Located near , home of the , Cascade Mountain is considered to be the easiest of the 46 peaks, with a hiking route is 4.8 miles. Some people like to climb along with Cascade for another 7.6 miles. Hike them both and you’ll have 12.4 miles down!

Week 2: was originally called Giant of the Valley. At 4,267 feet high, it towers over Keene Valley and the surrounding lowlands. The shortest route up the Giant is 6.4 miles roundtrip. After Giant Mountain, try , which is 7.6 miles roundtrip. (A B-47 bomber crashed there in 1962 and the wreckage is still there!) Add on Upper Wolfjaw—its shortest trail is 8.4 miles. Total for the week: 22.4 miles.

Week 3: Hikes are getting longer, harder and higher! Let’s tackle , 10 miles roundtrip and named after Grace Hudowalski, the first woman to climb all 46 High Peaks. Then on to Blake Mountain, a 13.5 mile trek, which is almost always climbed with Mount Colvin, which is 12.5 miles roundtrip. Total for the week: 36 miles.

Week 4: Going for the highest heights! Start on , a scenic and demanding hike of 13.4 miles. Then on to Saddleback Mountain, which rises to 5,515 feet. That’s a 14.2-mile hike. Next is Mt. Haystack, one of the most demanding hikes of the High Peaks because of its rugged terrain and distance (17.6 miles roundtrip). Altogether, that’s 45.2 miles! Extra credit: Climb , which will give you 20.6 more miles!

Fun Facts about the Adirondack region • The Adirondack region was the site of America's first victory at and a turning point in the Revolutionary War. • The is six million acres and is best known for its expansive pristine , lakes, rivers, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Unlike a national park, the Adirondack Park has no entrance and no entry fee, as it not only contains public land, but also private lands where people live year-round. • At 5,344 feet, is the tallest mountain in New York State. Did you know that the source of the Hudson River is Lake Tear of the Clouds on Mount Marcy? The lake flows into Feldspar Brook, which feeds other tributaries that turn into the Hudson!

Route 7: The / region

Week 1: Tackle the smallest of lakes. Canadice Lake is only 3 miles long; add Honeoye Lake at 4.5 miles in your first week for a total of 7.5 miles.

Week 2: Increase your distance with the next lakes; Otisco Lake is 6 miles, Hemlock Lake is 7.5 miles and combined with Conesus Lake at 8 miles for a total of 21.5 miles.

Week 3: The lakes are getting longer! Try your luck adding in Canandaigua Lake at 15.5 miles or Keuka Lake at 20 miles for a total of 35.5 miles.

Week 4: Going for the gusto!! Seneca Lake is 38 miles long, Cayuga Lake is 40. That’s a stretch, but you can do it! Your last adventure will take you 78 miles if you do both!

Fun Facts about the Finger Lakes/Central NY region

• The 11 Finger Lakes were formed more than 550 million years ago during the Ice Age • Seneca Falls, NY is considered the birthplace of the Women's movement. Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls was the site of the first Women's Rights Convention, held on July 19-20, 1848. • The Finger Lakes region boost 1,063 waterfalls and gorges, 650 miles of shoreline, and 100 miles of the historic Erie Canal.

Route 8: : Syracuse, Rochester & Buffalo

Week 1: Start out in Syracuse and travel the length of Lake Onondaga, which is 4.6 miles long. Or try out the perimeter road around Rochester's famous Mt. Hope Cemetery, which is 3 miles long. Or do both, for a total of 7.6 miles!

Week 2: Enjoy the Genesee Running Trail, which is 15 miles long and runs along the Genesee River through Rochester from the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario. Or visit the world-famous Niagara Falls; from Buffalo it’s only about 16 miles. Feeling ambitious? Walk, run, wheel, bike or swim both routes for a total of 31 miles.

Week 3: You finished Lake Onondaga in Week 1; now try Onondaga Creek, one of its major tributaries. The creek is 27 miles long. Rochester is on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, which is 53 miles wide; it is the smallest, and easternmost of the 5 Great Lakes. If you finish both routes, you’ve traveled 80 miles!

Week 4: The distance from Syracuse to Rochester, NY is 88 miles. You can do it!

Fun Facts about Western New York • Syracuse is the home of the . Held every year since 1841, it is the longest running state fair in the United States. • Thanks to its location on Lake Ontario, the Genesee River, and the Erie Canal, Rochester was America's first "boomtown" in the early 19th century and was a major center for trade. Rochester remains NY State's third largest city, with a population of approx. 207,000. • Famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and women's rights pioneer Susan B. Anthony called Rochester home, and both are buried in the city's famous Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Conversions

Run/Walk: .5 mile = 1,000 steps 1 mile = 2,000 steps 1 mile = 4 laps (track)

Swim:

POOL SIZE LAPS PER MILE

50-meter pool 30

25-meter pool 60

25-yard pool* 66

*Size of each of the Rye Y pools

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