Coffee Ride to Dayes Coffee Roasters in Middletown, NY
The Ride
Dayes Coffee Roasters in Middletown, NY, located in Orange County, was the destination for today, another in our Upstate Coffee Crawl series. The Beeline compass distance was 43.9 miles. Of course, I never expected a straight line, especially when crossing the Hudson River so that I will find some excellent roads along the way. See the article on discovering new roads with Beeline.
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With the Beeline pointing west and aiming to cross around the Bear Mountain Bridge, I saddled up on the BMW R18 Classic and departed Cross River, NY, heading north on Route 121. A turn toward the west had me running alongside the Titicus Reservoir on Route 116, a great motorcycling road in the area.
At the end of Route 116, I turned north on Route 22 toward Croton Falls. A quick switch to the parallel road running along the Croton Falls Reservoir leading north toward Carmel, NY. At Carmel, I turned onto the local motorcycling favorite road of Route 301, heading roughly northwest as it passes Lake Gleneida and then the West Branch Reservoir. 301 continues to run alongside several other reservoirs, and at Meads Corners, it turns southwest, crossing over the Taconic State Parkway and into Fahnestock State Park.
I turned south from 301 on Dennytown Road, another excellent winding valley road. The ridge to my right blocked my path as the compass urged me to make a right. I found the road to cross over at Canopus Hill Road. The winding road climbed the steep hill, switching back & forth before ending at a dirt road named Old Albany Post Road. It’s one of the country’s oldest unpaved roads and is still in use. I’m only on it for a few hundred feet as I turn left onto Travis Corners Road. A marker there describes the significance of Old Albany Post Road.
Travis Corners Road descends the other side of the hill to Route 9. I cross Route 9 onto another favorite road in the area, Snake Hill Road. True to its name, this road slithers across the countryside as it descends toward the Hudson River, where it intersects Route 9D. At Route 9D, I turn left, heading south to hit the Bear Mountain Bridge, crossing over the Hudson River. It’s been an incredible string of roads, and I’ve not yet gotten to the other side of the Hudson.
After the roundabout on the other side of the bridge, I continue west on Route 6. This is the most direct route toward Middletown and matches my compass indication. It’s a divided highway, bringing traffic from the Palisades Parkway to Bear Mountain. At Long Mountain Circle, another roundabout in Harriman State Park that connects with Seven Lakes Drive, I continue on Route 6, which climbs another steep hill and then begins a large descent toward Interstate 87. While this stretch of Route 6 is scenic, it is still a highway, so I’m keen to find an alternate route and refill the fuel tank.
Around Monroe, I turned off the highway and traveled for a couple of miles till I found a station to refill the bike. I was not keen on backtracking onto the highway, so I continued along the road and then turned onto Route 17M, which parallels Route 6/17 heading west. It is a much nicer road. I turned right off it to match the compass onto 6 1/2 Station Road, which turned back a bit and passed the Orange County Jail before ending at Cheechunk Road, where I made a left to match the compass again. This was an excellent road, passing along some small bodies of water with winding pavement and no traffic.
As I approached Middletown, the rural area near the jail gave way to a more densely populated area. Middletown isn’t a small village or town. It’s the largest city in Orange County, with about 30,000 residents. Dayes Coffee Roasters is located downtown on a crowded street, so I did need to circle to find a parking spot. Rever recorded our total trip as 77.1 miles, a decent detour from our straight-line compass distance of 43.9 miles. See the route below.
REVER is a mobile app designed to help you track, plan, or navigate your ride. With the app, you can easily plan your route, view maps and directions, and track your distance using GPS technology. The app is an excellent tool for anyone who loves to ride and wants to keep track of their progress and distance.
The Coffee Shop
There are several places named Middletown in the state of New York. But this one is the only one large enough to be called a city. It is in the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains, home to many beautiful roads to ride on. Situated roughly between Port Jervis and Newburgh, the city’s name reflected its position from other settlements when it was settled around the mid-1700s. It continued to grow, becoming a village in 1848, and eventually, it was incorporated as a city in 1888.
Like many towns in the area, it grew initially due to the railroad and was once the home to many factories. Despite the move from manufacturing, the population has continued to grow, albeit from different industries.
Dayes Coffee Roasters is located downtown near the corner of North and Main Street. Several ethnic restaurants and shops are within walking distance, and I was able to find a parking spot right in front.
The coffee shop is a roomy and bright space. The walls are painted white, and the counters are light wood. The front window brings in natural light. On the walls are several square photos of coffee. They have signs promoting their new “Croffle,” a croissant prepared in a waffle iron.
When I arrived, it wasn’t crowded; only two tables were filled with other patrons, and three staff were serving them. I looked at the menu options on the wall and found espresso, americano, black coffee, cortado, flat white, cappuccino, mocha coffee, caramel macchiato, and multiple-flavored lattes. Several tea options were available for those looking for an alternative to coffee bean drinks. One of the friendly staff took my order for a cortado.
The Refreshments
My cortado was served in a paper cup, which, given the downtown nature of the shop, I expect has a brisk takeout business. The beverage had a rich coffee smell with a hint of sweetness from the milk. The mouth had a rough, chalky texture with a bit of acidity, but it was pleasant and perfect in temperature. It certainly was worth the trip.
