Coffee Ride to Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters

The Ride

New Paltz is at the base of the mountains, so there are plenty of roads to enjoy throughout Ulster County, but to get there, I’d need to cross the Hudson River. The Beeline to Mudd Puddle was only 41.3 miles, but there aren’t river crossings in a straight line. The straight line would cross the Hudson between Newburgh’s and Poughkeepsie’s bridges. I chose to head toward the one in Poughkeepsie. See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline.

I was on the BMW S1000R for this ride, and that bike, with its 160 HP and 450lb weight, is always looking for a fun curve. I departed Cross River, heading north on Route 121. This is always a solid, good road that passes by Peach Lake just before intercepting Route 6.

I head west on Route 6 and then hit a back road heading north to Brewster Hill Road. This has some nice curves leading up a hill initially, becoming Farm to Market Road (Route 62).

Route 62 ends at Route 164. My compass is pointing roughly in the same direction as 164 leads to the left, so I follow that direction, passing Mendel Pond till it ends at Route 311. I can take 311 heading southeast (wrong), northeast, or the middle road called Cushman Road. I opt for the middle path as it aligns with the compass needle.

I’m rewarded with a road with some nice curves, including a dog-leg section where the road’s name changes to Mooney Hill Road. Mooney Hill connects with Route 43, continuing to head roughly northwest, passing Interstate 84 before ending at Route 52.

Route 52 parallels Interstate 84, heading northwest for a bit, but once 84 shifts to heading west, 52 changes to heading north. This is a good road with some sweepers, but as I pass East Fishkill, it starts to turn south to intercept Interstate 84, so I break off onto a minor road I see matching my compass pointer named Harrigan Road.

It, too, starts to turn southbound after a series of fun turns, so I turn north onto Route 31 and then State Highway 82, heading west to get on Route 28 quickly and then Route 94, heading north again.

Route 94 takes me right by Hudson Valley Regional Airport - KPOU for the pilots out there, which merges with Route 376.

I turn onto Spackenkill Road (Route 113) at Red Oaks Mill, again aligned with my compass. I know I’m still a bit south of Poughkeepsie, so I turn right onto Route 74, where 113 starts heading slightly southwest.

I reconnect with Route 376 as I enter the city of Poughkeepsie and work my way to US Highway 44, which crosses over the Mid-Hudson Bridge. 44 leads to 9W & I take it pointing north as that was closer to the compass than south. I tried to get on a backroad off of it, but it was closed for construction, so I had to head back south on 9W and then follow where 44 breaks off, heading west.

44 along here is a lovely winding road passing through Baileys Gap to Clintondale, where it starts heading south to connect with Route 10. I need to go north, so at Route 10, I head west, passing Interstate 87, and get on the tiny South Ohioville Road. This is one of the typical farm roads that interstates tend to parallel, and it does a great job getting me back north on a more twisty road than the interstate.

At Route 299, I turn left, heading west into New Paltz, and turn left onto Water Street just before crossing the Wallkill River, arriving at the Water Street Market.

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.

My stitching of fun roads has extended my original compass distance of 41 miles to 68.6 miles as the track recorded by REVER. This coffee shop could be a great start to the fun twisties in the mountains or a pick-me-up after tackling them toward the end of the day. See the route below.

The Coffee Shop

The village of New Paltz in Ulster County is the home of today’s coffee shop. Just before you reach the Wallkill River, leaving the village and along the old rail line sits an old farm-style group of shops with multiple levels of terraces featuring an old red barn called Water St Market. On the lower level across from the barn is Mudd Puddle Roasters & Cafe. A diamond-shaped sign bearing the name beckons you. Outside is an overhang covering available seating, providing shade and shelter from rain.

The inside was small, and the line to order did get crowded. A brisk takeout business was evident. Beyond the seating near the barn, another door leads to more seating overlooking the rail trail and Wallkill River.

Coffee options include latte, americano, macchiato, red eye, cappuccino, flat white, cortado, drip coffee, and iced coffee. Several teas and other iced beverages like lemonade could be had. I also noted plenty of breakfast sandwiches and wraps if you are hungry.

The owner’s love of beverages doesn’t end at coffee. They also opened a craft brewer, Yard Owl Brewery, in Gardiner, NY, and feature beers from the brewery for sale at the shop.

I ordered a cappuccino and brought it to the seating outside by the barn. This outside space does feel like you are in nature, with birds chirping and the occasional interruption of the coffee beans grinding. I could not hear any traffic, so the space offers an opportunity to relax.

The Refreshments

Limited space inside and the excellent outdoor seating and walking environment of the Water Street Market meant my cappuccino was served in a paper cup. I prefer ceramic, but it makes sense why it was offered in paper.

Lots of coffee shops create an overall experience from the design of the inside, the roasting of the beans, and how they brew their coffee. As a motorcyclist, I’m constantly exposed to the environment, so I liked sitting outside, sipping my coffee. A light breeze on this summer day made it more enjoyable.

Oh, and the coffee was wonderful too! I took the sipper cap off to get the whole experience and found a perfect balance of foam and espresso with a strong espresso flavor, threading the needle ideally between sour and bitter.