For my birthday month, I knew I wanted to take a long ride somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be Buffalo, a city I’ve always been curious about but have only passed through on the Lake Shore Limited.

From Manhattan, I travelled 860 miles round trip over three-and-a-half days. Buffalo and its people (and its food!) were lovely and I can’t wait to visit again.

On the ride back I travelled via historic Route 20. It was spectacular and got me thinking about all the other parts of the Empire State that I haven’t been to. Since I’d already travelled to the far west, I figured I might try visiting the other three compass points as well.

Last weekend, I rode to Montauk on Saturday and Champlain on Sunday. The former was fairly easy; the latter rather grueling on account of the cold and the distance. I guess it’s finally time to purchase some cold weather riding gear.

Enroute to Champlain on the Northway, the visual feast included the lush beauty of the massive Adirondack Park as well as an empty car completely engulfed in flames, backing up traffic for miles. I did not stop to get photos of either, sadly.

Today I finished the foursome with a rainy morning ride to Tottenville in Staten Island. Despite the wet, it was very easy ride compared to the other three. I was home by noon, a little damp but feeling quite good about finishing this small but cool little series of adventures.

I’m amazed at the beauty and diversity of New York state and I’m already plotting my next bike adventures to explore it.