This was a ride I was planning and looking forward to for a whole year. In August 1981 the choirs, orchestras and bands of Northport and surrounding schools had their annual Summer Music Clinic. Usually the students are bussed to the location of the clinic, which in past years was in Connecticut or upstate New York. In 1981 and 1982 the location was Trenton State College, (TSC) in Ewing, NJ (just north of Trenton). I went by bus in 1981 but thought how great it would be to ride there. So in August 1982 I did; since it was summer vacation and I had plenty of time, I went up to Bear Mountain before heading down to Trenton.

This is a long hill near Bear Mountain, NY. I crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge and then headed south towards New Jersey, US-202 and US-206. The mileage was a little more than 200; I got to TSC around 3 A.M. and at first the door to the dorm we were staying in was locked; then someone woke up and let me in. Here's the dorm in the daytime: Allen House, with Northport's banner visible. Here's the entrance to TSC, taken during a local ride in NJ and nearby Pennsylvania (the first time I rode to Pennsylvania). I rode across the Delaware at Washington Crossing, where George Washington and his troops made their famous 18th-century crossing, then went along the Delaware River to Morrisville, PA, where I crossed back into the city of Trenton, saw the monument for the Battle of Trenton, then headed back to Ewing.

Back on campus, I went to Bray Hall, where there are practice rooms where I spent hours practicing and composing on the piano, one of the best parts of the clinic along with the music we covered in the scheduled rehearsals. Here is a closeup view of the front of Bray Hall (the picture was unfortunately underexposed).

Page created:  9-9-99
Last updated: 9-10-99

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