June 22, 2024
Prior to meeting Ann, one of my favorite weekend rides was to Ovens of France in Woodbury, CT. We would eat French pastries, drink French Roast Coffee, and then ride back to Newtown. Today, I introduced Ann to this gastronomic riding adventure.
My usual route would start from Sandy Hook Center and ride over the Silver Bridge and follow River Road to Purchase Brook Rd. We would stop at the farm on Spuce Brook to see the cows and then either descend the other side or ride further up and descend Constitution Road. Ride up RT 172 to Transylvania Road into Woodbury. Then depending on how much time we had go for longer distance by way of the Haute Dog, or ride straight to OOF.
With Ann living close to the Rochambeau Path (the bridge over the Housatonic River/Lake Zoar, it's much easier to just start that way.
Since Ann is a Woodbury native, she gave me a tour of her neighborhood and all the local haunts she knew from growing up there. Across from her old house was this geologic feature called the Manville Kettle.
The Manville Kettle in Woodbury, CT, is a 6.5-acre geological depression off Jackson Avenue, formed by melting, trapped Ice Age ice. Managed by Flanders Nature Center, this natural site features an open field, mixed trees, and a swamp, offering a, easily accessible, short trail.
Ann told me about the antics she and her friends used to do at Orenaug Park
Checked out this quarry that I have ridden past hundreds of times but never knew it was there.
We rolled past the Haute Dog, which is part of my regular route to OOF, that my other riding group, The Newtown Lunartics, called the Hot Dog Route.
At Ovens of France we had the usual, French Roast and Chocolate Almond Croissants.
This is living!
On the ride back from OOF we retraced our route back rather than riding on Rt 6.
Rode back over RT 84
Over the bridge and back to the start
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