Monday, November 12, 2012

The Coffeeneur Challenge Ends: Veterans Day Edition (Ride 7)

A tasty banana nut muffin and a black coffee at the Fresh and Easy Cafe in Kingston.

I completed the 2013 Coffeeneuring Challenge today by taking advantage of Rule #16, which allows for a qualifying ride on Veterans Day (observed). This enabled me to get in a great ride on a beautiful day, pay my respects to local veterans and learn more about my community. My ride began at the Toyota dealership where I dropped off my Prius for servicing. I grabbed my bike from the back and pedaled over to the Fresh and Easy Cafe for a muffin and coffee before heading out to visit Hudson Valley veterans from wars past.

Stopping at three graveyards within 10 miles of my house, I found quite a few gravestones from the 19th century, several of the which identified soldiers who fought with the 20th Regiment of the NYSV. Digging a little deeper, I discovered that this was a volunteer regiment during the Civil War comprised of German "48ers," refugees from the revolutions in 1848 who found a home in America and joined the Union cause in large numbers to expand the rights of working people and stop the spread of slavery into the western lands.

This man lived to the ripe old age of 88.
A comrade lies just a few yards away.
This soldier died in battle in 1865 at age 23.

And so it goes. Another great year of coffeenuring comes to a close. Thanks, MG, for your vision and enthusiasm. What a fun way to enjoy the waning light and mild weather as we head into winter.

Ride 7 by the numbers: 10 miles, 1.5 hours, 1 coffee, 1 banana nut muffin.

No comments:

Post a Comment