Author: Layne Rodney

Recently my wife and I went to Wave Hill Gardens in New York City.

It is a lovely garden located in the Bronx with great views of the Hudson River. Nice flower beds and truly a feeling of being in a rural setting.

The easiest way to get there would be driving. However, as you know me that would be the last resort to try. We went the train/ walk route

We took Metro-North to Fordham Train Station in the Bronx. From there we walked west on East Fordham Road. Our destination was the University Place Train Station. East Fordham Road is a bustling road. Car traffic and pedestrian traffic is heavy. There were numerous street vendors selling vegetables and other items. 30 Minutes into the walk We stopped at Mario’s Pizza shop on the road.  I have been there many times. The pizza is very good.

From there it was a short walk to University Place where we took a train on the Metro-North Hudson Line to Riverdale

 The train ride was only ten minutes and offered great views of the Harlem River and the Hudson River.

Wave Hill is a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk from Riverdale train station. You truly feel you are in a country setting. It is surreal walking in New York City yet feeling like you are in rural setting

The journey was a great way to enjoy the diversity of New York City and experience part of New York that is not on the typical tourist radar.

Last Saturday March 29^th was an interesting weather day. The Stamford Temperature reached 76 degrees Fahrenheit and then dropped 25 degrees.

I was walking when it started to drop. It wasn’t gradual. One step it was warm, the next step was noticeably colder. I was surprised that there could be two temperature extremes right next to each other. It felt like there was an invisible curtain separating the temperatures.

I don’t think I have ever experienced a temperature drop like that where one foot makes such a difference.

Another reason to walk. Experiencing nature and all that life has to offer. If I had been driving in a car I would have missed the whole experience.

My grandson likes nature, and fishing is one of his joys. We have visited the local aquariums Norwalk, Mystic and Coney Island. I wanted to take him to the National Aquarium in Baltimore Maryland as I had heard it is very good

It is a three-and-a-half-hour train ride from Stamford to Baltimore.  I didn’t want to spend seven hours on the train just making it one day. So, we spent the first day in Philadelphia.

Arriving in Philadelphia we checked into our hotel and then we crossed Delaware like Washington and spent the afternoon at the Battleship New Jersey.

It was most impressive. The ship is enormous, and guns are enormous. There was so much history with the ship.  It is well worth the visit.

I must say the Philadelphia people are hardy. The temp Saturday night was in the 40s with strong wind and all the outdoor restaurant tables were full.

Sunday morning, we took the train to Baltimore. A ten-minute taxi ride and we were at the Aquarium.

The Inner Harbor is quite nice.  We could see Fort McHenry. The frigate Constellation is moored close to the aquarium.

The aquarium is well worth the visit. It was well laid out. The number of fish one could see was large.

They also had a rain-forest and an Australian section. The aquarium met all our expectations.

The logistics. Stamford to Philadelphia Saturday morning leave 8:55 arrive in Philadelphia 11:20

Sunday, leave Philly at 9:37 arrive in Baltimore at 10:50

Leave Baltimore at 5:03 and arrive in Stamford at 8:45.

If you book early enough the tickets are not that expensive

WBT stands for walk, bus and train. This trip was around 80 miles of total travel. I went from my house to Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

The sequence was walk, bus, train, walk, subway, walk, subway, train, bus and last segment walking home.

The highlights were. Getting off at the Fordham train station in the Bronx and visiting the Bronx Botanical Gardens.  It was opening day for the Orchid show

As you can see the show is breathtaking.

After that I walked along Fordham Road all the way to Manhattan. It was Valentines Day and the street vendors had the usual vegetables for sale plus flowers and teddy bears. I must have seen at least 50 street vendors on the walk over to Manhattan.

My destination was the Hispanic Society Museum and Library. Its location is Broadway and 155^th Street.

I crossed over the Harlem River into Manhattan at 209^th Street. Fifty blocks were too long to walk so I took the No 1 Subway down to 157^th Street.

The Museum is small and had a nice exhibit. I would classify the Museum as nice to visit but don’t make it the main goal of a visit to NYC.

I then walked down Broadway slowly edging my way east to 103rd Street. 

This picture of the Brownstone buildings gives you a nice idea of the neighborhood.

I walked through the northern part of Central Park

Here is a nice picture of Nature and stonework of the park.

At 103rd Street I went underground again and took the subway to Grand Central Terminal and Metro North Home.

Total transportation costs were less than $20.00. I had a slice of pizza and soda for $5.00. I am a member of the Botanical Garden so there was no charge to see the Orchids.

Using the WBT method of traveling allows me to go all over the Metropolitan area quickly and with low cost.

The other day I was asked why do I walk?

I was lost on what to say. I have many good reasons to walk, exercise, exploring, seeking out the known but unknown.

Yet I hesitated, why, I wanted that thirty sec elevator speech that captured the essence of my walking, and it is hard to put that into words.

I am going to try.

I walk because I want to. Most of my life I have gone along with the flow. Now I have the time, and I have chosen to walk. It is my constant in my life, and I love it. All the extras that come from walking are icing on the cake. They are many and a pleasure to experience.

The last couple of months I have not been able to take any significant walks.  I am still getting my miles every day, but not an adventure walk.

The other day I decided to go on a nice round-trip walk. Looking at the map I would describe the walk as a rectangle walk.

I started the trip with bus 331 going North on High Ridge Road till the bus came to the end of its run at Briar Brae Road. The walking part came next. I continued going North on High Ridge Road and turned right on Trinity Pass Road.

Trinity Pass Road is a rural road that has great rock outcrops along the route. The road also has Laurel Reservoir on one side.

The reservoir is going to need a lot of rain to fill it up at this point.

Trinity Pass Road starts in Stamford, goes through New Canaan for a bit and then the road enters New York State and Pound Ridge.

At Scotts Corners I turn right on Westchester Ave and head straight to New Canaan. The walk from Scotts Corners to the New Canaan Train Station was 90 minutes.

New Canaan has many beautiful homes and churches

along the walk. Downtown New Canaan has a varied selection of stores and restaurants. It is well worth a visit and if you take the train. The train drops you off right in the center of the town.

I took the train back to Stamford and then took bus 331 to my house thus completing the rectangle.

This trip accomplished two of my writing goals for this year.

USR and WBT

USR is urban, suburban and Rural

WBT is walk, bus and train.

People ask me all the time if I walk during the cold months of winter. My answer is always I am good to walk down to 5 degrees in the sun.

As you can see the temperature was close. I had been walking for 30 minutes when I took this photo, and I was feeling okay. Sun with many layers of clothes makes it doable

One nice part of a cold winter is seeing ice formations. The above picture of the Mill River at Broad Street gives a nice winter look.

I must get myself over to the Hudson River next week and see if there is an ice-floe happening.  I have seen it in the past and hopefully with the cold temperatures it will happen again.  A little fact, saltwater freezes at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Who knows, maybe I will see skaters on the ponds one of these days.