Join our short evening holiday ride, to this awesome winter outdooonr lighting display at the walled garden within Untermyer Park and Gardens nearby in Yonkers NY. You'll want to return for more, plus visit the garden in other seasons, as well.

The Park/Gardens themselves are open year round and free to the public, compliments of the Garden's Conservancy. Now through year-end there's a spectacular display of evening lighting which brings out the garden features. No jolly Santas nor leaping reindeer, but yes, gorgeous illumination of the large walled garden's amazing Indo-Persian, Greek, and Biblical structural, layout, and sculptural features. It's awesome, inspiring, calming. And don't miss their "Temple of the Sky"; just spectacular. (in summer, we did a ride to tour their "Temple of Love, an architectural amazement in a different part of the park).

They're quite bike friendly in the gardens, and we're allowed to lock bikes to metal fences just inside the entrance, near the conservancy building. Plus free hot cocoa is available indoors to visitors of the walled garden Illumination, so we have indoor warm-up and good cheer (and restrooms).

The bike ride itself is short but sweet; only 6 miles from the end of the #1 subway line at Van Cortland/242nd St//Broadway, mostly straight up Broadway, including the new protected bike lane. We'll return along the Yonkers waterfront with a possible stop for light repast or refreshment .in the increasingly renovated downtown center of Yonkers. Finish by biking back to the NYC #1 subway line, or zip back via MetroNorth from a stop near the garden or after our Yonkers refreshment. All paved roads, so all bike types workable (leader is using a hyvbrid with "35s"). Mostly flat route, with some moderate and short urban Yonkers residential 'hood hills as we wind along the river then back to Broadway.

The Grand Holiday Illumination Opening Ceremony will be the previous evening, so we'll miss that hoopla, but visit before the rush of school vacation and holiday buildup.

DRESS:  Layer up for the temperatures, and wear or bring shoes OK for walking around the garden. A little light "weather" will probably not deter us, but if anything nasty or unsafe is expected we'll update registered riders.

BRING:  The usual, including good bike lights, refelctive clothing or bands, $ for optional repast in Yonkers, $ & bike permit if using MetroNorth train ride back to NYC.

START  East side of Broadway at W244th St, which is just north of access steps to the #1 subway line, at the park's public restrooms. 

TIME:  Be sure to be there for 6:30PM start. Lights out at 8PM so we want to allow time to get there and savor the surroundings. .

NOTE:  Consult subway schedules and updated advisories to allow yourself time to get to the start. 

FRIENDS/FAMILY:  Non-bikers can join us on site (free parking inside the grounds).