Coffee Ride to The Village Blend - Sloatsburg, NY
The Ride
My riding club knew about the Moto coffee rides on Tank of Coffee and was eager to tag along and savor some coffee. We decided to make our club ride a coffee ride to the Village Blend in Sloatsburg, NY, in Rockland County.
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From our starting point in Cross River, the Beeline mounted on the BMW R18 Classic indicated 31.4 miles to our destination on the other side of the Hudson. See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline. We started heading north on Route 121, aiming to cross the Bear Mountain Bridge.
At June Road, we made a left as Route 121 started to veer more northeast here. As we entered Salem Center, we made another left onto Route 116. Route 116 follows the Titicus Reservoir and is one of my favorite roads near our starting point.
After the reservoir, Route 116 connects with State Highway 22 as it parallels Interstate 684 heading north. It breaks off just before Croton Falls, and at the village of Croton Falls, we turn left onto Croton Falls Road (Route 34), heading northwest.
This is a great winding road that crosses over the Croton Falls Reservoir near its southern end, meandering into the town of Mahopac, NY, where it terminates at Route 6. A left onto Route 6 gets us heading west, more closely matching the compass bearing on the Beeline.
Route 6 is a significant road here, so we break off to parallel the southern end of Lake Mahopac along Route 6N. This heads roughly west and then dips to a more southwest heading after the lake perfectly aligned to the Beeline compass.
Route 6N starts to converge with Route 6 again near Oceola Lake. This isn’t the most exciting road to run on as it becomes a 4-lane divided highway, but we can break off onto Strawberry Road rather quickly. Strawberry becomes Red Mill Road as it winds through some residential areas and finally to a roundabout where we continue west on Oregon Road.
A right onto Pump House Road and a quick left onto Dogwood Road align us better to connect with the crossing at Bear Mountain Bridge. As Dogwood Road ends, we navigate onto Route 9 headed south as it leads to the roundabout known as Annsville Circle, where Route 6 and 9 intersect.
The motorcycles continue west on Route 6 as it runs parallel to the Hudson River. We pass Camp Smith as the road starts to climb on one of the best motorcycle roads in the area. Formerly known as the Bear Mountain Toll Road, this winding mountain road soon passes the old toll house, now serving as a trailhead for the Camp Smith Trail in the Hudson Highlands State Park. A few more miles & we find the river crossing at the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Once across the bridge, we enter the roundabout and take the third exit heading south on Route 9W. Passing the Hessian Lake, we soon broke off onto Seven Lakes Drive and turned into the Bear Mountain Inn parking lot, where we met another riding buddy from the north.
With our friend located, the now larger group heads out along Seven Lakes Drive. As you wind your way around the Inn and the lake parking area, a sharp hairpin is in the road where it begins to climb up the mountain. This hairpin has caught many riders by surprise as they descend toward the Inn, so if you come from the other direction, check your speed as you approach.
Seven Lakes Drive is so named for the seven lakes it passes along as it travels through Harriman State Park. It is a beautiful scenic road for motorcycles and cars, so it can often be clogged with traffic in the summer months. The road is aligned nearly perfectly with our Beeline compass, so we stay on the road for the entire length, ending at Route 17 (Orange Turnpike). At Route 17, a left heading south has our destination just a 1/4 mile down the road. See the Rever 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
Sloatsburg is a village in the town of Ramapo. If you’re a motorcyclist in the area, you are probably aware of the Ramapo Motorcycle Club and the annual Ramapo 500 they host. It’s a wonderful two-day ride with camping in the middle, covering about 500 miles. It’s no wonder, given there are so many wonderful roads surrounding Ramapo. You will find something fun to get here from just about anywhere.
The town gets its name from the nearby Ramapo Mountains, and Route 17 travels along a major Indian path through the Ramapo Mountains. Sloatsburg gets its name from Stephen Sloat, who was gifted the land that makes up the village by his father-in-law, Isaac Van Deusen.
Steven Sloat built a house along Route 17 around 1755 that later became a tavern and the first property in the village listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That building is just down the street from our destination, The Village Blend.
Parking for the Village Blend is in the back of a side street off 17; you must swing around on a side street to get there. There is plenty of space back there, so no worries about finding space for your bike.
It is a nice space with exposed brick and several small tables in the main section. There is also an outdoor area on an enclosed porch with a couch, a long wooden table, and a couple of other tables with three seats each.
They have several coffee options, including fresh brew, cafe au lait, espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte, americano, and cortado. If you prefer another hot beverage, several teas and hot chocolate were also available. Flavors can be added to any beverage. If you need an alternative, milk, almond, coconut, soy, and oats are available.
If you are hungry, there is french toast made with brioche, Belgian waffles, eggs on a croissant, oatmeal with fruit, spinach and cheese croissant, and various muffins.
The Refreshments
I ordered a Cortado, and it was served in a paper cup. This struck me as strange as the space had lots of seating, so I’d expected a ceramic cup or a glass.
While I’d ordered a cortado, it was served more like a cappuccino with foam on top. It was a decent cappuccino, but it wasn’t a cortado. They offered to heat the cinnamon roll I ordered, and I took them up on the offer. The warmth of the roll enhanced the cinnamon flavors and sweetened my coffee. Well worth the trip just for the cinnamon roll!
