By Seth Fera-Schanes

Long day? Go for a bike ride.  Up early on a Saturday? Hop on your bicycle and get going.  Bored?  Bike.

It was a summer evening on the Upper West Side and I wanted to go out for a ride.  I started out west towards the Hudson River at 100th street and then headed north along the river bike path.  In the distance I could see the George Washington (GW) Bridge and used that as an arbitrary destination point.  The bridge looked far away and I really didn’t expect to cover the entire distance.  However, at first what appeared to be an unattainable object started to seem pretty manageable.

The path to the GW Bridge is mostly flat and runs parallel with the Hudson river.  This is a scenic ride with different parks along the way and the tops of pre-war buildings visible above the tree line.  I made this a solo trip but definitely bring a group of friends if you go.

As I neared the bridge, I saw the little red lighthouse appear before me.  I had heard about the lighthouse and saw it from a boat ride in the Hudson once, but never been up close.  It hadn’t even occurred to me that it would be my final destination.  Bright red and filled with 90 year old pride, the lighthouse is a standout along the river.  Set to the backdrop of the setting sun and with the immense Manhattan bridge tower standing over it, this was the highlight of my trip.

*From 100th street and Riverside Park to the lighthouse and back is a 9 mile ride.

Note:  The title of this article comes from the children’s book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift and illustrated by Lynd Ward.