Adventurous Ride to Irving Coffee Roasters: A Scenic Journey
The Ride
Nearly 48 miles as the crow flies to our coffee shop destination according to the Beeline Moto in compass mode. See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline. The task is to find new or fun roads to get there as I’m on the BMW S1000R.
Departing from Cross River, I head north on 121 and make a few diversions before arriving at Route 6.
I make a right, trying to keep the compass pointing in the right direction. I make a left onto Joe’s Hill Road. I don’t know who Joe was, but this is a great winding road climbing a hill. It’s tight enough that your speed will be low, but you constantly switch directions. It crests the hill and starts descending. Every once in a while, you can glimpse the East Branch Reservoir in the distance on your left.
It ends at Federal Road, and I turn left, heading west & making the first right onto Milltown Road to get me back pointed north toward my destination. The road continues meandering, mainly heading north but also a little east, heading in a straight line directly along the NY/CT border at one point before relenting and crossing us over into the next state. The road ends at Route 39. There’s an old red farmhouse on the corner that I recognize from previous rides with a covered well.
Turn left onto 39 at the red house, heading north with the compass still roughly pointing at our destination even though we are in a different state. The road has some gentle winding curves and one fast switchback before ending at Route 37, with a mountain blocking any forward progress.
Left onto 37, which quickly turns back north and becomes a great motorcycle road before making a 90-degree left to head up over a ridge, followed by a few turns along the ridge and then another 90-degree turn to the right to head back north. We pass some large fields on either side and then begin a descent with switchbacks and speed limit signs continuing to implore just 30MPH and then even slower as we enter the village of Sherman, CT.
We reconnect with 39, heading north by making a left as 37 continues east at the crossroads by the village. I continue on 39 for a while, but as the road starts heading more northeast, I see Route 55 is more aligned with the compass pointer and turn left onto it. Or at least it seemed to go in that direction. After a few winding turns, it starts heading west and crosses back into NY!
I must make another right turn to face north and match my compass heading again on Dogtail Corners Road. The name is well suited to the road as it creates a series of 90-degree turns and runs along the CT border for a stretch before crossing over at a 90-degree turn into CT, leading to a covered bridge named Bull’s Bridge that crosses the Housatonic River. Once over the river, we turn left onto Route 7, heading north again.
7 is another popular route for motorcycles as it roughly follows the path of the Housatonic River, heading toward Kent, CT. As we reach the village of Kent, there is a gas station at the intersection of Route 341 if you need to refuel. I turn left onto 341 as Route 7 is now running roughly northeast, and my compass is pointing slightly nearly to my left.
Route 341 heads roughly northwest and now crosses us back into NY, which becomes Route 3. We’ve crossed the NY/CT several times and still have some distance to our destination.
Route 3 runs mostly directly north and then makes a 90-degree turn to the west to connect with Route 4. I turn right to follow the compass north, and our route now becomes Route 2 near South Amenia, heading northeast. The road gets to the CT border again at Amenia Union, where you can take Route 41 to continue into CT. I stay on Route 2, which turns northwest, before ending at Route 343.
It most closely aligns to the right with the compass pointer, so I head northeast on 343 and cross into CT again. This leads us to Sharon, CT, where I turn back north on Route 41. 41 shortly starts heading northeast again, and I need to head northwest, so I hang onto Low Road. What a find. This road carries us through some farmland. I keep picking the small farm roads roughly pointing toward the compass, and end up at the intersection of Interlaken Road.
At this point, my compass is pointing due west, so I turn left onto 112 (Interlaken Road), which becomes US 44 quickly and crosses the border back into NY. 44 becomes Main Street as we enter Millerton, and Irving Coffee Roasters is on our left.
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It ended up about 66 miles to reach Irving Coffee Roasters in Millerton, NY, on the BMW S1000R, as recorded by Rever. Our route took us through Sherman and Kent, CT, crisscrossing the NY/CT border six times. See the route below.
The Coffee Shop
The ride is a big part of Tank of Coffee, but let’s not forget the coffee shop. Millerton, NY, is a small village in Northeast, a town in Dutchess County. Millerton claims Daryl Hall as one of its celebrity residents. Irving Farm Coffee House is located on Main Street and is reachable directly off Route 22 if you don’t follow my route, arriving via 44 from the east. Please don’t confuse it with the other Irving Farm Coffee location north of Route 22. I believe that space is the actual roaster. The coffee shop is in the village on Main Street.
The interior has plenty of seating, with nice, clean wood elements. The counter features a pattern of layers of different stained wood that is quite warm, hinting at the hues of coffee beans. Many food options to pair with your coffee, including many baked goods, are available at the counter. A menu above the counter shows the coffee and food choices. There is a cutout where you can see the kitchen, and food orders are returned to the counter staff.
There was a steady stream of customers when I was there, and the staff would call out your name when your order was ready.
The Refreshments
I ordered an americano as they are an excellent way to gauge the quality of a coffee shop. I was disappointed to receive my coffee in a paper cup with a branded sleeve even though I was dining in. I prefer ceramic mugs, both from a presentation and experience level and an awareness of the environmental impact.
While I wasn’t pleased with the vessel it was served in, I can’t complain about the coffee contained therein. It was smooth, delicious, and an excellent color once I removed the sipper cap. I found it well worth all the beautiful meandering roads to get to Irving Coffee Roasters.
