[Image from https://www.baysidehistorical.org/events-1/second-sunday-castle-tours-3]
Today we head out to Fort Totten in Willets Point, named for Major General Joseph Totten (the Frank Lloyd Wright of 19th-century fort-building). Beginning life in 1862 as the creatively-named Fort at Willets Point, Totten stands guard over the approach to the East River from Long Island Sound. We will have to opportunity to tour the Officer's Club, reputedly designed by Robert E Lee (yes, that one) and now home to the Bayside Historical Society.
If you'd like to attend the optional 45 min. Castle Tour, you must go to https://www.baysidehistorical.org/events-1/second-sunday-castle-tours-3 and get a free ticket for the Sun. Aug 11, 2024, 1:00 PM Castle Tour. The cost is free, but reservations are required.
To get there our route takes us north from the Kew Gardens/Union Tpke subway station, skirting Meadow and Willow Lakes before taking in some of the sites from the 1964 World's Fair. We then make our way through Flushing and up to Bay Terrace, picking up lunch along the way which we can eat before our tour of the Officers' Club.
Lunch will be at the Baybridge Shopping Center, which has 7-Eleven and a Bagel shop.
Coming back we will go through Murray Hill and Kissena Park, passing the Velodrome (built by Robert Moses - oh, the irony!) before heading back to the subway.
Total distance: 22 miles, 600' of elevation.
Ride with GPS route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47932511
Cue sheet: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47932511/cue_sheet
Bring: Helmet (mandatory), water, spare inner tube, bike lock, and a picnic or money for lunch.
We're meeting at the Women of Queens Fountain Plaza to the east of the intersection of Queens Blvd and Union Turnpike/Jackie Robinson Parkway in Kew Gardens, Queens. The Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike subway station (E & F trains) is the closest subway station and the northeastern most exit is the closest exit. The Kew Gardens LIRR station is also a half mile away.
We're limiting the group to 15 people to keep the group size manageable since there's an organized tour involved.
Ride Leader Trainee Michael Fehle will be co-leading the ride.