Delaware Water Gap to Pine Bush

Today we started in Pennsylvania, rode through New Jersey, and ended in New York. For me, it was a difficult ride to Pine Bush for these reasons: I still have a congested chest, we climbed nearly 5,000 feet, the total mileage was 76, and temperatures reached the upper 80's. Not a good combination when you're bike touring, but I made it. Highlight of the day, besides the great scenery riding through the Water Gap National Recreation Area, was our stop at the Walpack Inn which was closed, but Jim, the owner, and his staff were there preparing for the upcoming Mother's Day weekend. Jim welcomed us in and gave us a tour of his restaurant along with some personal history such as being a former runner and making natural wood table tops. His restaurant, with a large rustic woodsy interior, complete with antlers and animal trophies, has served upwards of 800 patrons on Mother's Day. He also gave us a large round loaf of dark bread made with molasses and honey when we departed. It was gone quickly. One disappointment for me was the bad New York roads compare to our previous experience in northern New York.