Twenty members of the Hudson Champlain Porsche club gathered for a scenic drive through the Catskills toward a destination of the Rail Explorers. But the first stop was the Phoenicia Diner, originally built in 1962 and then moved to the Catskills in the ‘80s. Fresh food mostly sourced from the Catskills and Hudson Valley fortified the group before heading to their destination.
The next stop was the Catskills Division of the Rail Explorers! The idea was originally conceptualized by Mary Joy Lu while watching a Korean soap opera. All the details on that on their website, but suffice it to say, after lots of planning and several years of hard work by Mary and her husband, Alex, they now run four locations. Pedal-powered rail vehicles date back to the 1850’s when they were used by maintenance workers to travel along the tracks. But don’t worry! Their custom-built Explorers are the latest development of this technology, and are the global leader in safety, design, and ease of operation. You can find all the info here.
For 2 1/2 hours, club members pedaled 4.2 miles down along the Esopus Creek which was the same path traveled by the Ulster & Delaware Railroad that ran through the Catskills. With all the rain, the scenery was, of course, lush, and beautifully green.
Those smiles don’t lie! A fun time was had by all.
See you next time!
